SCG - Serviço de Cirurgia Geral
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- 17-Week Delay Surgery after Chemoradiation in Rectal Cancer with Complete Pathological ResponsePublication . Santos, M.; Gomes, M.; Moreno, F.; Rocha, A.; Lopes, C.Neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) followed by curative surgery still remains the standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). The main purpose of this multimodal treatment is to achieve a complete pathological tumor response (ypCR), with better survival. The surgery delay after CRT completion seems to increase tumor response and ypCR rate. Usually, time intervals range from 8 to 12 weeks, but the maximum tumor regression may not be seen in rectal adenocarcinomas until several months after CRT. About this issue, we report a case of a 52-year-old man with LARC treated with neoadjuvant CRT who developed, one month after RT completion, an acute myocardial infarction. The need to increase the interval between CRT and surgery for 17 weeks allowed a curative surgery without morbidity and an unexpected complete tumor response in the resected specimen (given the parameters presented in pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed 11 weeks after radiotherapy completion).
- Abdominal Actinomycosis misdiagnosed as liposarcomaPublication . Vieira E Monteiro, Eunice; Gaspar, Joana; Paiva, Cláudia; Correia, Raquel; Valente, Vítor; Coelho, André; Lamas, Nuno JorgeActinomycosis is an uncommon, endogenous, and chronic infection with varied and nonspecific clinical features such as abdominal, pelvic or cervical masses, ulcerative lesions, abscesses, draining fistula, fibrosis, and constitutional symptoms. The disease ensues when the bacteria disrupt the mucosal barrier, invade, and spread throughout interfascial planes. Currently, the diagnosis of actinomycosis is challenging because of its very low frequency and depending on the clinical presentation it may masquerade malignancies. Therapy consists initially in intravenous penicillin, followed by an oral regimen that may be extended until a year of treatment. A timely diagnosis is crucial to avoid extensive therapeutic attempt as surgery. However, a biopsy or drainage of abscesses and fistula's tract may be required not only as a diagnostic procedure as part of the therapy. We report the case of a 72-year-old woman with an abdominal mass initially misdiagnosed as a liposarcoma. A second biopsy of a skin lesion of the abdominal wall made the diagnosis of actinomycosis, avoiding a major surgical procedure. The patient was treated with a long-term course of antibiotics with favorable outcome. Liposarcoma was ruled out after the patient's full recovery with antibiotics and the misdiagnosis was credit to the overconfidence on the immunohistochemical positivity to MDM2.
- Advanced Glycation End Products Evolution after Pancreas-Kidney Transplantation: Plasmatic and Cutaneous AssessmentsPublication . Martins, L.; Oliveira, J.; Vizcaíno, J.; Fonseca, R.; Gouveia, C.; Silva, D.; Castro-Henriques, A.; Noronha, I.; Rodrigues, A.Diabetes mellitus leads to increased Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE) production, which has been associated with secondary diabetic complications. Type 1 diabetic patients undergoing pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT) can restore normoglycemia and renal function, eventually decreasing AGE accumulation. We aimed to prospectively study AGE evolution after SPKT. Circulating AGE were assessed in 20 patients, at time 0 (T0), 3 months (T3), 6 months (T6), and 12 months (T12) after successful SPKT. Global AGE and carboxymethyllysine (CML) were analyzed, as well as advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP). Skin biopsies were obtained at T0 and T12. Immunohistochemistry with anti-AGE antibody evaluated skin AGE deposition. AGE mean values were 16.8 ± 6.4 μg/mL at T0; 17.1 ± 3.8 μg/mL at T3; 17.5 ± 5.6 μg/mL at T6; and 16.0 ± 5.2 μg/mL at T12. CML mean values were 0.94 ± 0.36 ng/mL at T0; 1.11 ± 0.48 ng/mL at T3; 0.99 ± 0.42 ng/mL at T6; and 0.78 ± 0.38 ng/mL at T12. AOPP mean values were 130.1 ± 76.8 μMol/L at T0; 137.3 ± 110.6 μMol/L at T3; 116.4 ± 51.2 μMol/L at T6; and 106.4 ± 57.9 μMol/L at T12. CML variation was significant (P = 0.022); AOPP variation was nearly significant (P = 0.076). Skin biopsies evolved mostly from a cytoplasmic diffuse to a peripheral interkeratinocytic immunoreaction pattern; in 7 cases, a reduction in AGE immunoreaction intensity was evident at T12. In conclusion, glycoxidation markers decrease, plasmatic and on tissues, may start early after SPKT. Studies with prolonged follow-up may confirm these data.
- Atypical presentation of sigmoid carcinomaPublication . Malta, W.; Pereira, S.; Gaspar, J.; Silva, A.; Moreira-Costa, A.Colorectal carcinoma is common worldwide and its metastasis represents the main cause of mortality related to the disease. Inguinal metastization of this tumor has been considered almost impossible, owing to colon anatomy and its cranial lymphatic drainage. We report the case of a 63-year-old man submitted to laparoscopical sigmoid colectomy, due a sigmoid adenocarcinoma. During follow-up, a right inguinal lymphadenopathy with 25 mm was detected. Fine needle aspiration biopsy revealed that it was a colon adenocarcinoma metastasis, and thus the patient underwent an inguinal lymphadenectomy. The histological study confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon and the patient was submitted to 5-fluouracil and oxaliplatin chemotherapy. This case coursed with metastasis to the right inguinal region; although, the pathophysiological mechanism involved is difficult to understand. There are no solid data for the management of these patients. Inguinal lymphadenectomy and chemotherapy, proved to be effective.
- Cancellation on the Day of Surgery in an Ambulatory Setting Due to Patient Factors: A Preliminary StudyPublication . Castro Alves, Eurico; Oliveira, João; Ginestal, Mariana; Ferreira, Catarina; Povo, Ana
- Cecum perforation in intestinal malrotation setting in a patient with chromosome 12p deletion syndrome: A case reportPublication . Oliveira, João T.; Marques, Paula; Preza Fernandes, J.M.; Teixeira, Tânia; Santos, Marisa D.; Povo, Ana; Castro Alves, EuricoIntroduction: Intestinal malrotation results from failure of the normal gut rotation during embryological development. It is usually diagnosed in early childhood when it becomes symptomatic. Aetiology of intestinal malrotation has been scarcely addressed although relevant roles have been attributed to a few genes involved in gastrointestinal formation and association with certain syndromes has been suggested. Presentation of case: We describe the case of a 23-year-old woman with 12p deletion syndrome who presented with clinical symptoms of occlusion to the emergency department. Analytically, an elevation of inflammatory parameters was confirmed and imaging revealed pneumoperitoneum originated on cecum perforation. The patient was submitted to surgery with favorable evolution. Discussion: Clinical manifestation of intestinal malrotation is uncommon in the adult population but can have severe consequences if not diagnosed early. The abnormal positioning of the duodenojejunal loop compressed by Ladd's bands, can lead to obstruction and ischemia. Surgery via Ladd's procedure commonly applies and elective treatment may prevent added morbidity. Intestinal malrotation has been associated to certain syndromes but no prior association to chromosome 12p deletion has been described. Occlusion in a patient with 12p chromosome deletion should raise prompt suspicion for intestinal malrotation. Moreover, diagnosis of 12p chromosome deletion should increase attention towards gastrointestinal changes since elective surgery may diminish morbidity. Conclusion: Intestinal malrotation results from abnormal embryological rotation of the midgut and is associated with certain syndromes. This paper firstly associates intestinal malrotation to chromosome 12p deletion. The possibility to address it electively may prevent morbidity in patients with this syndrome.
- CMV infection of liver transplant recipients: comparison of antigenemia and molecular biology assays.Publication . Amorim, M.; Cabeda, J.; Seca, R.; Mendes, A.; Castro, A.; Amorim, J.Abstract BACKGROUND: CMV is a major clinical problem in transplant recipients. Thus, it is important to use sensitive and specific diagnostic techniques to rapidly and accurately detect CMV infection and identify patients at risk of developing CMV disease. In the present study, CMV infection after liver transplantation was monitored retrospectively by two molecular biology assays - a quantitative PCR assay and a qualitative NASBA assay. The results were compared with those obtained by prospective pp65 antigenemia determinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 87 consecutive samples from 10 liver transplanted patients were tested for CMV by pp65 antigenemia, and CMV monitor and NASBA pp67 mRNA assay. RESULTS: CMV infection was detected in all patients by antigenemia and CMV monitor, whereas NASBA assay identified only 8/10 patients with viremia. Furthermore, CMV infection was never detected earlier by molecular biology assays than by antigenemia. Only 5/10 patients with CMV infection developed CMV disease. Using a cut off value of 8 cells/50,000, antigenemia was found to be the assay that better identified patients at risk of developing CMV disease. However, the kinetics of the onset of infection detected by NASBA and CMV monitor seemed to have better identified patients at risk of developing CMV disease. Furthermore, before onset of disease, CMV pp67 mRNA was found to have similar or better negative and positive predictive values for the development of CMV disease. CONCLUSIONS: The present data, suggests that the concomitant use of antigenemia and pp67 mRNA assay gives the best identification of patients at risk of developing CMV disease.
- Colon carcinoma staging by endoscopic ultrasonography miniprobesPublication . Castro-Pocas, F.; Dinis-Ribeiro, M.; Rocha, A.; Santos, M.; Araújo, T.; Pedroto, I.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Due to the increasing use of endoscopic techniques for colon cancer resection, pretreatment locoregional staging may gain critical interest. The use of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) miniprobes in this context has been seldom reported. Our aim was to determine the accuracy of EUS miniprobes for colon cancer staging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients with colon cancer (2 in the cecum, 9 in the ascending colon, 5 in the transverse colon, 5 in the descending colon, and 19 in the sigmoid colon) were submitted to staging using 12 MHz EUS miniprobes. EUS and the anatomopathological results were compared with regard to the T and N stages. It was assessed if the location, longitudinal extension, or circumferential extension of the tumor had any influence on the accuracy in EUS staging. RESULTS: Tumor staging was feasible in 39 (98%) patients except in one case with a stenosing tumor (out of 6). Globally, T stage was accurately determined in 88% of the cases. In the assessment of the presence or absence of lymph node metastasis, miniprobes presented an accuracy of 82% with a sensitivity of 67%. These results were neither affected by the location nor by the longitudinal or circumferential extension of the tumor. CONCLUSIONS: EUS miniprobes may play an important role in assessing T and N stages in colon cancer and may represent an incentive to the research of new therapeutic areas for this disease.
- Desmoid Tumours in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis: Review of 17 Patients from a Portuguese Tertiary CenterPublication . Santos, M.; Rocha, A.; Martins, V.; Santos, M.INTRODUCTION: Desmoid Tumours (DT) are benign tumours with an estimated incidence of 2-4 per million per year. Between 7-16% of them are associated with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) and are mostly parietal or intra-abdominal. They are a challenge in relation to their unpredictable natural course, associated complications and difficult treatment. AIM: The aim of the present study was to review the occurrence, management and follow-up of DT on FAP patients treated consecutively at a tertiary care center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of clinical data from patients treated consecutively between 1993 and 2014. Patients' data was gathered from clinical records. Data collection included the following variables: demographic data, genotype, FAP phenotype, data on FAP related surgery, DT diagnosis, location, size and number, DT treatment, patients' status and follow-up data. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 17 patients from 9 families; with a mean age of 41 years, mostly women (59%) and most with a mutation either on codon 232 or 554. Most tumours had an intra-abdominal component (59%) with a mean size of 5cm. Fifteen patients were first treated with pharmacotherapy (Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and Tamoxifen). Five patients (29%) underwent surgery, 4 of them for complications of intra-abdominal tumours and 1 patient for abdominal wall tumours. Two patients underwent chemotherapy in relation to aggressive intra-abdominal disease. The mean follow-up time since diagnosis of DT was 123 months. Overall, 2 patients had remission, 11 patients had regression or stabilized disease, and 2 patients had progression. One patient died due to surgical complications. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of DT is based on clinical symptoms, without the need for screening, although imaging plays an important role once diagnosis is suspected. The treatment approach is conservative on most patients, leaving surgery for DT related complications. The follow-up of patients with DT is also based on clinical symptoms.
- Do item-writing flaws reduce examinations psychometric quality?Publication . Pais, J.; Silva, A.; Guimarães, B.; Povo, A.; Coelho, E.; Silva-Pereira, F.; Lourinho, I.; Ferreira, M.; Severo, M.Background The psychometric characteristics of multiple-choice questions (MCQ) changed when taking into account their anatomical sites and the presence of item-writing flaws (IWF). The aim is to understand the impact of the anatomical sites and the presence of IWF in the psychometric qualities of the MCQ. Results 800 Clinical Anatomy MCQ from eight examinations were classified as standard or flawed items and according to one of the eight anatomical sites. An item was classified as flawed if it violated at least one of the principles of item writing. The difficulty and discrimination indices of each item were obtained. 55.8 % of the MCQ were flawed items. The anatomical site of the items explained 6.2 and 3.2 % of the difficulty and discrimination parameters and the IWF explained 2.8 and 0.8 %, respectively. Conclusions The impact of the IWF was heterogeneous, the Writing the Stem and Writing the Choices categories had a negative impact (higher difficulty and lower discrimination) while the other categories did not have any impact. The anatomical site effect was higher than IWF effect in the psychometric characteristics of the examination. When constructing MCQ, the focus should be in the topic/area of the items and only after in the presence of IWF.