Duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma, successfully treated by local surgical excision-a case report.

Introduction: Duodenal gangliocytic paragangliomas are rare neoplasms often arising in proximity to the major duodenal papilla of Vater. These neoplasms are considered to have a benign behavior with lymph node metastases being a rare phenomenon and distant metastatic disease even more so. Resection of the tumor is the only definitive therapy.

Laparoscopic versus open liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: initial experience in Greece.

Background: Liver resection represents the treatment of choice for a small proportion of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), amenable to surgery. The remarkable evolution in surgical techniques during the last decades introduced laparoscopic hepatectomy in the operative management of HCC, even in the presence of liver cirrhosis. No comparative study on laparoscopic or open liver resection for HCC has been conducted in Greece yet.

The relationship between concentrations of magnesium and oxidized low-density lipoprotein and Beta2-microglobulin in the serum of patients on the end-stage of renal disease.

The end-stage of renal disease is associated with increased oxidative stress and oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). Beta2 microglobulin (beta2M) is accumulated in the serum of dialysis patients. Magnesium (Mg) plays a protective role in the development of oxidative stress in healthy subjects.

Association of various risk factors with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and its cytogenetic characteristics.

This study aimed to investigate whether occupational and environmental exposures, lifestyle, family, and medical history are associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) risk and its chromosomal abnormalities. The study included 138 CLL cases and 141 age- and sex-matched controls. Information data were collected through in-person interviews from cases and controls.

B cell depletion: rituximab in glomerular disease and transplantation.

B cells play a central role in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases. Selective targeting can be achieved with the use of the monoclonal antibody rituximab. In addition to being a drug for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, rituximab is also an FDA-approved treatment for refractory rheumatoid arthritis and, since recently, ANCA vasculitis.

The effect of autologous platelet-rich plasma on bronchial stump tissue granulation after pneumonectomy: experimental study.

Objectives. Recent advances in perioperative management, antibiotics, and surgical materials, including mechanical staplers, have decreased the operative risk of pulmonary resection. However, bronchopleural fistula can still occur in some instances, the occurrence often being lethal.

Systemic mastocytosis accompanied by a non-secretory plasma cell dyscrasia and nephrotic syndrome-level proteinuria in a 76-year-old patient.

We report here the interesting case of a 76-year-old man with severe proteinuria who was diagnosed with systemic mastocytosis accompanied by a clonal non-mast-cell lineage haematological disorder (a non-secretory plasma cell dyscrasia). This is a unique report of systemic mastocytosis with a non-secretory plasma cell dyscrasia and nephrotic syndrome. The pathophysiological relevance between these entities along with the probability of occult amyloidosis is discussed.

Surgical control of life-threatening post-ERCP bleeding with a gelatin matrix-thrombin hemostatic agent.

Introduction: Several conventional techniques have been developed in order to control surgical bleeding. Their greatest disadvantage, though, is their inability to control bleeding in areas where access is very difficult. In such cases the application of topical hemostatic agents may prove particularly useful.

Synchronous primary epithelial tumors of the pancreas.

Introduction: Pancreatic incidentalomas are diagnosed at increased rates due to advanced pancreatic imaging. Coexistence of such lesions with another pancreatic pathology, however, is uncommon and their management might be perplexed by the anatomical location and the histological features of the lesion.

Presentation Of Case: A patient with obstructive jaundice was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head and underwent routine pancreatic imaging (CT) which revealed the coexistence of a small cystic lesion at the pancreatic body.

Endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer. Presentation of a case report and review of the literature.

Endometriosis is a frequent benign disease presenting in more than 10% of women in reproductive age. Although its course is usually benign, it has characteristics of malignant disease, such as progressive course, implantation at distant sites, creation of a microenvironment that renders its course independent and mobilization of the immune system in order to prevent its destruction. Endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (EAOC) is encountered in 0.

Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia: focus on current treatment options.

High-grade dysplasia (HGD) in Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the critical step before invasive esophageal adenocarcinoma. Although its natural history remains unclear, an aggressive therapeutic approach is usually indicated. Esophagectomy represents the only treatment able to reliably eradicate the neoplastic epithelium.

Global financial crisis and surgical practice: the Greek paradigm.

Apart from the significant implications of recent financial crisis in overall health indices and mortality rates, the direct effect of health resources redistribution in everyday clinical practice is barely recognized. In the case of Greece, health sector reform and health spending cuts have already had a major impact on costly interventions, particularly in surgical practice. An increase in utilization of public health resources, lack of basic and advanced surgical supplies, salary deductions, and emerging issues in patient management have contributed to serious dysfunction of a public health system unable to sustain current needs.

Advanced donor age alone is not a risk factor for graft survival in kidney transplantation.

Background: The use of kidneys from elderly deceased donors has substantially increased organ supply, although it is associated with worse graft function and survival rates. The risk of kidneys from elderly donors as well as expanded criteria donors (ECDs) on kidney transplant outcome was investigated.

Patients And Methods: Seventy-five kidney transplants from ECDs over a 5-year period were reviewed retrospectively.

Optimal utilization of expanded criteria deceased donors for kidney transplantation.

Background: The utilization of kidney grafts from expanded criteria donors (ECDs) needs to be evaluated within the context of critical organ shortage and graft function and survival. The impact of donor risk variables on kidney transplantation (KTx) outcome was investigated.

Methods: A retrospective review of 75 KTxs from ECDs over a 5-year period was performed.

β2-Microglobulin, pulse pressure and metabolic alterations in hemodialysis patients.

Background/aim: Pulse pressure (PP) is a result of arterial stiffness seen in dialysis patients, but may be a consequence of fluid overload. We examined the role of β(2)-microglobulin (β(2)M) in PP in relation to metabolic alterations in patients on different hemodialysis (HD) modalities.

Methods: We studied 76 hemodialyzed patients on regular HD (n = 34), predilution bagged hemodiafiltration (n = 19) and online predilution hemodiafiltration (n = 23).

Gastric carcinoid tumor in association with hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report.

A second primary malignancy (SPM) can occur in patients with gastrointestinal carcinoids. A patient underwent endoscopic resection of a gastric carcinoid. Repeat gastroscopy revealed recurrence of the lesion and multiple nodular gastric lesions, while an abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a small solid lesion in the left hepatic lobe.