Rapid and clinically significant response to masitinib in the treatment of mucosal primary esophageal melanoma with somatic KIT exon 11 mutation involving brain metastases: A case report.

Background: Malignant melanoma in the gastrointestinal tract may be primary or metastatic. Mucosal melanoma is a quite rare and aggressive disease, growing hidden and diagnosed with a certain delay which makes treatment difficult.

Case Report: The authors present the first patient with c-kit exon 11 mutated primary esophageal melanoma treated with oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor masitinib.

The technique of intensity-modulated radiotherapy in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma.

Aims And Background: Conventional radiotherapy in inoperable cholangiocarcinoma is limited by radiotolerance of the surrounding tissues. The aim of our dosimetric study was an evaluation of intensity-modulated radiotherapy in the treatment of inoperable bile duct carcinoma.

Methods: Four patients with inoperable cholangiocarcinoma treated by self-expandable stent placed to the biliary tree and radiotherapy were studied.

A rare cause of mediastinal expansion with a massive pleural effusion.

The authors present a case of a 53 year old woman, who was admitted to hospital because of an unusual cause of massive pleural effusion. During diagnostic examination the mediastinal propagation of the pancreatic pseudocyst was discovered as a complication of the chronic calcifying pancreatitis. The patient was operated on and the pseudocyst was resolved by Roux-en-Y cystjejunostomy.

Transduodenal intraluminal high dose rate brachytherapy in the treatment of carcinomas of the subhepatic region.

Background/aims: The prognosis of carcinomas of the subhepatic region is poor, and therapeutic efforts are limited mostly to palliation. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness of transduodenal administration of intraluminal high dose rate brachytherapy in the palliative treatment of bile duct and pancreatic head carcinomas.

Methodology: Twelve patients with inoperable bile duct and pancreatic head carcinomas were treated by transduodenal brachytherapy using high dose rate remote afterloading system.

[Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in the treatment of symptomatic portal hypertension].

Background: A transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is the creation of a percutaneous portosystemic anastomosis which is used as an alternative method of surgical portosystemic shunts and endoscopic treatment in the therapy of complications of portal hypertension. The objective of the present work was to summarize experience with TIPS in 100 patients.

Methods And Results: In 1992-1995 the authors treated 100 patients with symptomatic portal hypertension by TIPS.