The American surgeon
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The American surgeon · Sep 2000
Retroperitoneal soft-tissue sarcomas: prognosis and treatment of primary and recurrent disease.
Soft-tissue sarcomas of the retroperitoneum constitute a heterogeneous group of tumors with varying histology, potential for complete resection, and propensity for recurrent disease-making the development of effective treatment difficult and challenging. A retrospective review of 23 patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas from 1985 through 1998 was performed to assess the biological behavior and clinical outcomes and to identify factors that may influence prognosis and optimize treatment strategy. Liposarcomas were the most common pathology (61%); 79 per cent of these were of low grade. ⋯ Three patients had as many as three operations for recurrent disease. With subsequent recurrences there was a decrease in interval from approximately 4 years to 2 years, and 33 per cent of these patients developed tumor dedifferentiation to high grade. An aggressive surgical approach with reoperation can produce prolonged survival in patients with low-grade retroperitoneal sarcoma.
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The American surgeon · Sep 2000
Endoscopic ultrasound does not accurately assess pathologic stage of esophageal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.
The accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for initial staging of esophageal cancer is widely accepted. There is, however, considerable variability in the reported accuracy of EUS for restaging of esophageal neoplasms after neoadjuvant therapy. From June 1995 through December 1999, we prospectively studied a series of 26 patients who underwent neoadjuvant treatment for esophageal cancer and were subsequently restaged by EUS before resection. ⋯ Patients with a complete pathologic response were staged as T4N1 (one patient), T3N1 (three patients), T3N0 (one patient), and T2N1 (two patients). EUS cannot distinguish tumor involvement of the esophageal wall and lymph nodes from the postinflammatory changes that characterize effective neoadjuvant treatment. EUS is of limited utility in guiding clinical decision making after neoadjuvant therapy.
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The American surgeon · Sep 2000
Angiographic embolization of bilateral internal iliac arteries to control life-threatening hemorrhage after blunt trauma to the pelvis.
Angiographic embolization of bleeding pelvic vessels is increasingly used in patients with pelvic injuries. Temporary angiographic embolization of bilateral internal iliac arteries (TAEBIIA) is occasionally necessary. From November 1991 to March 1998, 30 consecutive patients (mean age of 43 years, mean Injury Severity Score of 25) with complex pelvic fractures underwent TAEBIIA to control severe hemorrhage not responding to subselective embolization. ⋯ Of the three patients who continued to bleed after TAEBIIA two were successfully re-embolized and one died of acute cardiac failure before any further intervention was attempted. TAEBIIA had a success rate of 97 per cent (29 of 30) in controlling pelvic hemorrhage without significant complications related to it. TAEBIIA is a safe and effective alternative to subselective embolization in controlling retroperitoneal bleeding in selected patients with blunt pelvic trauma.
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Falls account for a significant proportion of pediatric injuries and deaths. A retrospective review of pediatric patients (age 0-14 years) was performed to determine whether patterns of injuries and outcomes could be predicted on the basis of the height of the fall. In addition we evaluated the triage criterion "fall greater than 15 feet" for transport of patients to a trauma center. ⋯ In conclusion low-level falls are associated with significant intracranial injuries. The evaluation of patients sustaining low-level falls should not be limited on the basis of the height of the fall. Using falls of greater than 15 feet as a triage criterion for transport to a trauma center needs to be prospectively evaluated to ensure that critically injured patients are triaged appropriately.
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First described by S. E. Duplay in 1833, acute gastric dilatation has since been well documented in the literature. ⋯ Although rare, gastric necrosis is the most severe consequence of acute gastric dilatation. Vascular insufficiency secondary to increased intragastric pressure is the critical factor. We report an unusual case of acute gastric dilatation with subsequent necrosis of uncertain etiology.