Hippokratia
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Case Reports
Giacomini vein: thigh extension of the small saphenous vein - report of two cases and review of the literature.
Varicose vein surgery is very commonly performed. Also, it is very frequently employed for recurrent disease. The recognition of the normal or variant veins, inducing incompetency, is a prerequisite for effective treatment. The thigh extension of the small saphenous vein, the so-called Giacomini vein, was extensively described in 1873 by Carlo Giacomini in an incidence of 72%. However, such a vein is usually underestimated in classic surgical textbooks. ⋯ Due to the fact that Giacomini vein could be incompetent, associated with or without varicose saphenous vein trunks, the vascular surgeon should keep in mind that anatomical entity, to include it in preoperative ultrasound scanning control. Moreover, this vein could be utilized as an autologous graft, when the large saphenous is not available. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (3): 263-265.
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Case Reports
Fatal uremic leontiasis ossea in long-lasting uncontrolled hyperparathyroidism: a case report.
Leontiasis ossea is a rare medical condition, with characteristic overgrowth of the facial and cranial bones. Reports about this uremic complication are less frequently reported, probably due to better dialysis and better medical control of secondary hyperparathyroidism. ⋯ In noncompliant patients with uncontrolled secondary hyperparathyroidism uremic leontiasis may develop in which case the treatment is rarely successful or may even be contraindicated due to other comorbid conditions. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (3): 266-267.
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Liver regeneration is vital for the survival of patients submitted to extensive liver resection as a treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sorafenib is a multikinase inhibitor of angiogenesis and cell division, both of which are integral components of liver regeneration. We investigated the effect of preoperative treatment with sorafenib, a drug used for the treatment of HCC, on liver regeneration and angiogenesis in healthy rats, after two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH2/3). ⋯ Sorafenib, when administered preoperatively, reduces incompletely and transiently the regeneration of the liver after PH2/3 in rats. This could mean that sorafenib can be used as neoadjuvant treatment of patients with HCC prior to liver resection, but further experimental and clinical studies are needed to establish the safety of this treatment. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (3): 249-255.
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We sought to establish cross-sectional curves for body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference for 4- to 18-year-old Greek boys and girls, using the empirical distribution and the Lambda Mu and Sigma (LMS) statistical method. ⋯ Current national percentile curves for anthropometric indices could provide a more accurate estimation to assess physical growth in Greek children and adolescents. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (3): 239-248.
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Case Reports
A case report of a completely vanished liver graft after auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation.
Auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation is an alternative technique for the treatment of patients with fulminant hepatic failure and metabolic liver disease. It provides temporary support of liver function until sufficient regeneration of the native liver. Pediatric patients have a long life expectancy and are best candidates to benefit from the interruption of antirejection treatment. ⋯ Graft atrophy commonly occurs after auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation due to cessation of antirejection therapy. But to our knowledge, complete graft disappearance is a rare occurrence reported in the English literature. Timing for withdrawal of the immunosuppression is an important decision to be made in this technique. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (3): 274-277.