Laparoscopic appendectomy versus antibiotic treatment for acute appendicitis-a systematic review.

Background: Over the last years, laparoscopic appendectomy has progressively replaced open appendectomy and become the current gold standard treatment for suspected, uncomplicated appendicitis. At the same time, though, it is an ongoing discussion that antibiotic therapy can be an equivalent treatment for patients with uncomplicated appendicitis. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the safety and efficacy of antibiotic therapy and compare it to the laparoscopic appendectomy for acute, uncomplicated appendicitis.

Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors: A review with focus on clinical management and therapeutic options.

Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors (DSRCTs) are an entity of rare, aggressive soft tissue sarcomas described by Gerald and Rosai in 1989. It predominantly affects male adolescents and young adults, with a peak incidence between an age of 20 and 30 years. Typically, DSRCT demonstrate as multiple small tumor nodules within the abdominal cave, retroperitoneum and pelvis.

Mortality and complication management after surgery for colorectal cancer depending on the DKG minimum amounts for hospital volume.

Background: The German Cancer Society ("Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft"; DKG) certifies on a volunteer base colorectal cancer centers based on, among other things, minimum operative amounts (at least 30 oncological colon cancer resections and 20 oncological rectal cancer resections per year). In this work, nationwide hospital mortality and death after documented complications ('Failure to Rescue' = FtR) were evaluated depending on the fulfillment of the minimum amounts.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the nationwide hospital billing data (DRG data, 2012-2017).

Laparoscopic versus open right hemicolectomy in colon carcinoma: A propensity score analysis of the DGAV StuDoQ|ColonCancer registry.

Objective: To assess whether laparoscopy has any advantages over open resection for right-sided colon cancer.

Summary Background Data: Right hemicolectomy can be performed using either a conventional open or a minimally invasive laparoscopic technique. It is not clear whether these different access routes differ with regard to short-term postoperative outcomes.

Comparison of conventional access routes for right hemicolectomy in colon cancer-data from the DGAV StuDoQ registry.

Background: Access for right hemicolectomy can be gained by median or transverse incision laparotomy. It is not known whether these routes differ with regard to short-term postoperative outcomes.

Methods: Patients in the DGAV StuDoQ|ColonCancer registry who underwent open oncological right hemicolectomy by median (n = 2389) or transverse laparotomy (n = 1311) were compared regarding Clavien-Dindo classification (CDC) complications (primary endpoint) as well as specific postoperative complications, operation time, length of stay, and MTL30 status (secondary endpoints).

Impact of patient education on plasma concentrations and effectiveness of posaconazole oral suspension under clinical conditions.

Posaconazole prophylaxis is recommended for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia during induction chemotherapy. Although a tablet formulation with better oral bioavailability is available, some patients have to rely on the oral suspension in clinical routine. Therefore, effectiveness of posaconazole oral suspension under real-life clinical conditions and impact of patient education about the correct intake on its plasma concentrations were assessed in this study.

Impact of adjuvant chemotherapy after neoadjuvant radio- or radiochemotherapy for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Background: Due to its primarily extraperitoneal location, potential affection of the anorectal continence and different metastatic behavior the rectal carcinoma (RC) is classified and treated as an independent disease. Over the past few decades various trials have led to improved multimodal therapies (including radiation, chemotherapy and surgery) for locally advanced rectal cancer and significant changes in the management of this disease whereas the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy remains unclear.

Methods: Based on a prospective tumor register of the University Hospital of Wuerzburg data of 263 patients having undergone neoadjuvant therapy and surgical resection for locally advanced rectal cancer were retrieved from the Wuerzburg International database (WID) between October 1992 and September 2013 analyzing the overall survival according to the application of an adjuvant therapy.

Imatinib in myeloid/lymphoid neoplasms with eosinophilia and rearrangement of PDGFRB in chronic or blast phase.

We evaluated clinical characteristics and outcome on imatinib of 22 patients with myeloid/lymphoid neoplasms with eosinophilia and rearrangement of PDGFRB. Median age was 49 years (range 20-80), 91% were male. Fifteen different PDGFRB fusion genes were identified.

The impact of pulmonary metastasectomy in patients with previously resected colorectal cancer liver metastases.

Background: 40-50% of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) will develop liver metastases (CRLM) during the course of the disease. One third of these patients will additionally develop pulmonary metastases.

Methods: 137 consecutive patients with CRLM, were analyzed regarding survival data, clinical, histological data and treatment.

"Rendezvous technique" for intraluminal vacuum therapy of anastomotic leakage of the jejunum.

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most common and serious complications following visceral surgery. In recent years, endoluminal vacuum therapy has dramatically changed therapeutic options for AL, but its use has been limited to areas easily accessible by endoscope.

Case Presentation: We describe the first use of endoluminal vacuum therapy in the small intestine employing a combined surgical and endoscopic "rendezvous technique" in which the surgeon assists the endoscopic placement of an endoluminal vacuum therapy sponge in the jejunum by means of a pullback string.

Original article: role of adjuvant chemotherapy in a perioperative chemotherapy regimen for gastric cancer.

Background: Multimodal treatment strategies - perioperative chemotherapy (CTx) and radical surgery - are currently accepted as treatment standard for locally advanced gastric cancer. However, the role of adjuvant postoperative CTx (postCTx) in addition to neoadjuvant preoperative CTx (preCTx) in this setting remains controversial.

Methods: Between 4/2006 and 12/2013, 116 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer were treated with preCTx.

Pharmacokinetics of chewed vs. swallowed raltegravir in a patient with AIDS and MAI infection: some new conflicting data.

Background: While HIV, AIDS and atypical Mycobacterium infections are closely linked, the use of Integrase-Inhibitor based cART, notably raltegravir-based regimens is more widespread. RAL should be double-dosed to 800 mg semi-daily in situation of rifampicin co-medication, because RAL is more rapidly metabolized due to rifampicin-induced Uridine-5'-diphosph- gluronosyl-transferase (UGT1A1). Recently, it was speculated that chewed RAL might lead to increased absorption, which might compensate the inductive effect of rifampicin-rapid metabolized RAL, as part of cost-saving effects in countries with high-tuberculosis prevalence and less economic power.

Posaconazole concentrations after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Introduction: Posaconazole is recommended for prophylaxis of fungal infections and for salvage therapy of invasive aspergillosis after stem cell transplantation. An impact of drug concentration on efficacy has been suggested.

Methods: In this study, we investigated serum levels of posaconazole in 262 samples from 64 allogeneic stem cell recipients.

Posaconazole after previous antifungal therapy with voriconazole for therapy of invasive aspergillus disease, a retrospective analysis.

Invasive aspergillosis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in haematological patients. Current guidelines recommend voriconazole as first-line therapy. A change in class of antifungal agent is generally recommended for salvage therapy.

Relevance of timing for determination of posaconazole plasma concentrations.

For posaconazole, drug monitoring is suggested, but the relevance of timing for the determination of posaconazole concentration (PC) remains unclear. We investigated the variation of PC before and 4 and 8 h after the administration of 400 mg of posaconazole. Mean concentrations were 645, 678, and 616 ng/ml.

Simultaneous determination of voriconazole and posaconazole concentrations in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A simple, sensitive, and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of voriconazole and posaconazole concentrations in human plasma was developed and validated. Quantitative recovery following liquid-liquid extraction with diethyl ether was achieved. Linearity ranged from 0.