Primary hepatic carcinoid; a diagnostic dilemma: a case report.

Introduction: Primary hepatic carcinoid tumours (PHCTs) are extremely rare neuroendocrine neoplasms. Only 58 cases have been reported in the literature and less than 10 cases were functional.

Case Presentation: We present a case of a 65 years old, Caucasian female with a large unresectable primary hepatic carcinoid tumor secreting 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), presented with flushing and diarrhoea and treated with trans-catheter arterial embolization (TACE) and subsequent administration of lanreotide (long acting somatostatin analogue).

Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas: an enigmatic tumor.

Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas is a rare pancreatic tumor that predominantly occurs in young non-Caucasian women. Although most tumors show benign behavior, malignant degeneration may occur. A case of solid pseudopapillary pancreatic tumor in a Caucasian woman is presented that was investigated by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and EUS-guided fine needle aspiration.

Brain natriuretic peptide increases in septic patients without severe sepsis or shock.

Background: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) production increases in critically ill septic patients. We assessed the hypothesis that BNP is elevated in patients with community-acquired infections without severe sepsis or septic shock.

Methods: We studied 54 patients [20 males, median age 39 (interquartile range 23, 71)] without heart disease, persistent arrhythmias, or renal failure.

Focal lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis: radiological-pathological correlation.

Objective: To correlate cross-sectional imaging findings with histological results in patients with histopathologically proven lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis (LSP) after surgery.

Methods: Four cases of resectable pancreatic lesions that were proven to represent LSP are presented in our study. All patients were thought to harbor malignancy.

The clinical value of mitral A-wave deceleration time in the prediction of a long-term adverse outcome in patients with myocardial infarction.

Introduction: Mitral A-wave deceleration time (Adt) is a promising Doppler parameter for the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term prognostic value of Adt in relation to the development of heart failure and cardiac death in the setting of the first acute myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: Conventional Doppler echocardiographic study and Adt measurements were performed in 105 patients (age 60 +/- 10 years, 77 men) 8.

Surgical resection of a solitary liver metastasis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a case report.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a propensity to develop distant metastases at a high rate and with poor prognosis. Metastatic sites are usually multifocal and involve bones, lungs, liver and distant lymph nodes. Management of metastatic disease is essentially palliative and is based on chemotherapy.

Biochemical evidence of cardiac damage following transvenous implantation of a permanent antibradycardia pacemaker lead.

Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that transvenous permanent pacemaker lead implantation causes clinically detectable myocardial damage.

Background: Histological evidence of myocardial damage has been reported after antibradycardia pacemaker lead implantation.

Methods: We studied 30 patients undergoing implantation of a full antibradycardia pacemaker system (pulse generator plus leads) and 10 patients in whom only a generator was implanted.

Evaluation of neuroendocrine staining and androgen receptor expression in incidental prostatic adenocarcinoma: prognostic implications.

Objectives: To identify neuroendocrine cells and androgen receptors (ARs), possible predictors of cancer progression, in a series of untreated patients with incidental Stage T1a prostate cancer (PCa). Neuroendocrine cells may exert a dynamic role in the microenvironment of PCa. The AR is thought to have a central role in the propagation of prostate carcinogenesis.

Early brain natriuretic peptide increase reflects acute myocardial ischemia in patients with ongoing chest pain.

Background: Plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels increase during acute ischemic events. In this study we tested the diagnostic performance of brain natriuretic peptide measurements in the detection of acute myocardial ischemia.

Methods: Blood brain natriuretic peptide was measured in 101 patients with ongoing chest pain but no heart failure or an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction on arrival at the emergency department (baseline) and at 2 and 6 h later.

Evaluation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha overexpression as a predictor of tumour recurrence and progression in superficial urothelial bladder carcinoma.

Objectives: To investigate the possible role of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha, a transcription factor important in regulating O(2) homeostasis and physiological responses to oxygen deprivation) in the recurrence and progression of superficial urothelial bladder cancer, and to examine its expression in relation to proliferation status, apoptotic activity and intratumoral angiogenesis.

Patients And Methods: Paraffin wax-embedded tissue from 140 patients with superficial primary urothelial bladder carcinoma was immunostained for HIF-1alpha, Ki-67, single-stranded DNA antibody for apoptotic cells, p53, bcl-2, vascular endothelial growth factor and CD31 antigen. We calculated the proliferative rate, the apoptotic index and the microvessel density (MVD).

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha expression correlates with angiogenesis and unfavorable prognosis in bladder cancer.

Introduction And Objectives: Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) is a critical regulatory protein of cellular response to hypoxia and is closely related to the triggering of the angiogenic process. We examined the relationship between hypoxia and angiogenesis, as well as their prognostic impact in patients with urothelial bladder cancer.

Methods: The immunohistochemical expression of HIF-1 alpha was evaluated in 93 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary transitional cell carcinoma tissue samples.

Glomangioma of the upper limb associated with hypoplastic-dysplastic superficial venous system.

The diagnosis and therapy of vascular malformations is difficult. An important factor, which influences the therapeutic approach, is the complicated vascular network of the lesions. The frequent involvement of various structures (muscles, bones or other organs) makes the surgical intervention arduous.

Adult ileocolic intussusception secondary to a submucosal cecal lipoma.

Intussusception is a relatively common cause of intestinal obstruction in children but a rare clinical entity in adults, representing fewer than 1% of intestinal obstructions in this patient population. We present a rare case of a 44-year-old female patient with intestinal obstruction due to ileocolic and colocolonic intussusception secondary to an intramural cecal lipoma. Diagnosis was made by barium enema and abdominal computed tomography and was confirmed by colonoscopy.

Spontaneous healing of chylous ascites after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Postoperative chylous ascites is a rare complication of aortic surgery. This report presents a patient with chylous ascites after abdominal aneurysmectomy. After a retrospective analysis of full blood count measurements, we observed an association between the number of lymphocytes in the patient's total blood count and the development and evaluation of chylous ascites.

Transcranial Doppler in migraine attacks before and after treatment with oral zolmitriptan or sumatriptan.

Background: Intracranial blood flow velocity (BFV) changes in migraine have been studied fairly extensively. Although a number of investigations have been performed in migraineurs with nitroglycerin-induced attacks, there has been no reported transcranial study involving such attack treated with zolmitriptan or sumatriptan.

Methods: With ultrasound, we studied the BFV and pulsatility index (PI) changes in the middle cerebral artery in 45 symptom free, otherwise healthy, unmedicated patients with migraine without aura, and in 15 age- and sex-matched controls before nitroglycerin, at the time of maximum head pain induced by nitroglycerin and every 30 minutes for 2 hours after zolmitriptan (15 subjects) or sumatriptan (15 subjects) administration.

Localized unilateral perirenal fibrosis: CT and MRI appearances.

We report a rare case of localized perirenal retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) in a woman presenting with anemia. The increased diagnostic capabilities and imaging characteristics of CT and MRI are emphasized. Extensive search through the literature revealed that perirenal distribution of RPF has been reported in eight cases, being unilateral in only three.

Carcinosarcoma of the uterine cervix composed of an adenoid cystic carcinoma and an homologous stromal sarcoma. A case report.

A case of primary cervical carcinosarcoma is presented. The tumor occurred in a 76-year-old multiparous woman and it replaced the uterine cervix, extending to the vaginal wall and to the uterine corpus. Histologically, the carcinomatous component was exclusively an adenoid-cystic carcinoma and the sarcomatous component was an homologous stromal sarcoma.

The place of myeloid growth factors in the treatment of hairy-cell leukaemia.

A patient with hairy-cell leukaemia was treated with granulocyte colony stimulating factor lenograstim (Granocyte) 300 micrograms daily by subcutaneous injections. His pre-existing neutropenia remitted and the therapy was continued for a total of 4 months. When the therapy was discontinued the neutropenia returned.