Intraoperative Biopsy Research Articles

Feasibility and efficiency of contrast enhanced ultrasound real time guided fine needle aspiration for sentinel lymph node of breast cancer.

To assess the feasibility and efficiency of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) real-time guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) for sentinel lymph node (SLN) of breast cancer. This retrospective study reviewed 21 breast cancer patients who scheduled for surgical resection performed CEUS real-time guided SLN-FNA and intraoperative SLN biopsy (SLNB). The success rate of CEUS real-time guided SLN-FNA was analyzed. The FNA diagnostic efficiency of SLN metastasis was analyzed compared to SLNB. Twenty-six SLNs were detected by intradermal CEUS whereas 130 SLNs were detected by SLNB. The median SLNs detected by intradermal CEUS (n = 1) and by SLNB (n = 5) was significantly difference (p < 0.001). All 26 CE-SLNs of 21 patients were successfully performed intradermal CEUS dual image real-time guided SLN-FNA including 5 SLNs of 4 patients which were difficult to distinguish in conventional ultrasound. Compared to SLNB, FNA found 2 of 5 cases of SLN metastasis, the diagnosis sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, false negative rate, false positive rate and Yoden index were 40%, 100%, 100%, 84.2%, 60%, 0%and 40%, respectively. SLN-FNA real-time guided by dual CEUS image mode was technically feasible. Patients with a positive SLN-FNA should be advised to ALND without intraoperative SLNB according to Chinese surgeon and patients' conservatism attitude. But a negative SLN-FNA did not obviate the need of conventional SLNB because of the high false negative rate.

Delayed pathologic tibial fracture with chronic osteomyelitis after fibula free flap.

The reported donor site morbidity of the fibula free flap (FFF) is low; however, several uncommon complications have been reported with tibia fracture rarely being reported. We present a case of a pathological tibial fracture in the setting of chronic osteomyelitis after FFF. A 54-year-old female presented with a benign fibro-osseous lesion of the right mandible and was treated with mandibulectomy and reconstructed with a left FFF. Approximately 1year following surgery, the patient presented to the emergency department. Imaging showed a pathological fracture of the distal third of the tibial shaft with persistent erythema and cellulitis of the lateral prior graft harvest site without signs of systemic infection. She was taken to the operating room for irrigation and debridement with culture and biopsy as well as external fixation of the tibial fracture. Intraoperative biopsy and culture demonstrated fracture site change with callus formation and negative culture. The patient was discharged on 6weeks of IV vancomycin and ceftriaxone. In conclusion, tibial fracture following FFF is an uncommon complication, yet it can be exacerbated by chronic osteomyelitis. This report highlights the importance of close observation and comprehensive wound care of donor sites after free flap harvest for head and neck reconstruction.

Effect of intraoperative needle biopsy on the survival of nonsmall cell lung cancer patients: a propensity score matching analysis

PurposeIt is unknown whether intraoperative needle biopsy (INB) predisposes to the postoperative recurrence of lung cancer and compromises the prognosis of these patients. We conducted this study to identify the effect of INB before lobectomy on the postoperative recurrence rate and prognosis of patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsThe subjects of this retrospective study were 953 patients with pathological stage I–III NSCLC who underwent lobectomy between 2001 and 2016. The patients were divided into two groups: the INB group (n = 94) and the non-INB group (n = 859). After propensity score matching (PSM), we compared the postoperative cumulative recurrence rate, recurrence-free survival (RFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS) between the two groups.ResultsAfter PSM, 94 patient pairs were matched. The cumulative recurrence rate was significantly higher in the INB group than in the non-INB group (P = 0.01). The 5-year RFS rate was significantly lower in the INB group than in non-INB group (48% vs 68%), as were the 5-year DSS (76% vs 92%) and 5-year OS rates (67% vs 84%) (all P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe findings of this analysis suggest that INB before lobectomy may increase the cumulative recurrence rate and worsen the prognosis of patients with resectable NSCLC. Thus, we believe that INB should be avoided unless a lung lesion cannot be diagnosed by another type of biopsy.

807 Peak Force of the Posterior Ligamentous Complex is Lower in Patients with Adult Spinal Deformity Requiring Revision Surgery

INTRODUCTION: Proximal Junctional Kyphosis (PJK) is observed in up to 40% of those undergoing fusion surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD). Despite common use of surgical techniques reinforcing ligamentous integrity (e.g. tethering, augmentation), it is unknown whether ligamentous biomechanics are impaired in this population. METHODS: Sample: 23 consented individuals with a diagnosis of ASD undergoing primary (N=14) or revision (N=9) multilevel spinal fusions (&gt;4 levels). Intraoperative biopsies of the PLC were harvested 2 levels below the upper instrumented level (primary) or at the failed junctional segment (revision). Peak force (strength) and elastic modulus (stiffness) were compared between primary and revision groups using independent student t-tests, and relationships between biomechanical parameters and patient characteristics evaluated. RESULTS: Participants in the revision group were older (73.3(3.6) years) than the primary group (54.7(19.2)years), p=0.02, but did not differ in number of fused vertebrae (12.0(4.3); primary and (11.3(3.4); revision), p=0.71). Mean pre-operative Vitamin D levels were 40.6(11.5), spino-vertebral angle (SVA) was 54.4(56.8) degrees, Pelvic Tilt (PT) was 24.1(11.0) degrees, Pelvic Incidence-Lumbar Lordosis mismatch (PI-LL) was 15.3(22.4) degrees, and Proximal Junctional Kyphosis (PJK) was 9.4(8.1) degrees. Mean post-operative SVA was 8.3(28.2) degrees, PT was 20.6(6.9) degrees, PI-LL was 4.4(10.0) degrees, and PJK was 12.0 (10.5) degrees. Peak force was significantly lower in the revision group (143.1(72.5) N) compared to the primary group (238.5(109.8) N), p=0.03. There were no differences in ligament stiffness between the primary (5.9(2.0) MPa) and revision groups (5.3(3.1) MPa), p=0.92). There was a significant association between greater peak force and lower age (r=-0.56, p=0.003), larger ligament area (r=0.50, p=0.015), lower vitamin D levels (r=-0.63, p=0.015), and lower pre-operative PI-LL (r=-0.53, p=0.014). There was also a significant association between greater ligament stiffness and greater post-operative PJK (r=0.60, p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Peak force of the posterior ligamentous complex in individuals undergoing revision surgery was &lt;60% of those undergoing primary surgery, suggesting an important role of ligament in stabilization of the proximal junctional interface in patients with ASD, particularly in older individuals.

The Utility and Diagnostic Accuracy of Transient Elastography in Adults with Morbid Obesity: A Prospective Study.

Patients with morbid obesity are at high risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) complicated by liver fibrosis. The clinical utility of transient elastography (TE) by Fibroscan in patients with morbid obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m2) is not well-defined. We examined the diagnostic accuracy of Fibroscan in predicting significant liver fibrosis (fibrosis stage ≥2) in morbidly obese patients (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2). Patients scheduled for bariatric surgery were prospectively enrolled. Intraoperative liver biopsy, liver-stiffness measurement (LSM) by Fibroscan (XL probe), and biochemical evaluation were all performed on the same day. The endpoint was significant liver fibrosis defined as fibrosis stage ≥2 based on the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network. The optimal LSM cutoff value for detecting significant fibrosis was determined by using the Youden Index method. Routine clinical, laboratory, and elastography data were analyzed by stepwise logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of significant liver fibrosis and build a predictive model. An optimal cutoff point of the new model’s regression formula for predicting significant fibrosis was determined by using the Youden index method. One hundred sixty-seven patients (mean age, 46.4 years) were included, of whom 83.2% were female. Histological assessment revealed the prevalence of steatohepatitis and significant fibrosis of 40.7% and 11.4%, respectively. The median LSM was found to be significantly higher in the significant fibrosis group compared to those in the no or non-significant fibrosis group (18.2 vs. 7.7 kPa, respectively; p = 0.0004). The optimal LSM cutoff for predicting significant fibrosis was 12.8 kPa, with an accuracy of 71.3%, sensitivity of 73.7%, specificity of 70.9%, positive predictive value of 24.6%, negative predictive value of 95.5%, and ROC area of 0.723 (95% CI: 0.62–0.83). Logistic regression analysis identified three independent predictors of significant fibrosis: LSM, hemoglobin A1c, and alkaline phosphatase. A risk score was developed by using these three variables. At an optimal cutoff value of the regression formula, the risk score had an accuracy of 79.6% for predicting significant fibrosis, sensitivity of 89.5%, specificity of 78.4%, positive predictive value of 34.7%, negative predictive value of 98.3%, and ROC area of 0.855 (95% CI: 0.76–0.95). Fibroscan utility in predicting significant liver fibrosis in morbidly obese subjects is limited with accuracy of 71.3%. A model incorporating hemoglobin A1c and alkaline phosphatase with LSM improves accuracy in detecting significant fibrosis in this patient population.

The Concept of Indeterminable NASH Inducted by Preoperative Diet and Metabolic Surgery: Analyses of Histopathological and Clinical Features.

Practitioners routinely perform intraoperative liver biopsies during laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) to evaluate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In some patients, hepatocyte ballooning, inflammation, and fibrosis without steatosis are observed, even in the absence of other etiologies. We call this finding indeterminable nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (Ind-NASH). In this study, we clarified the prevalence, as well as histopathological and clinical features, of Ind-NASH through intraoperative liver biopsy in Japanese patients presenting with severe obesity. We enrolled 63 patients who had undergone LSG and intraoperative liver biopsy. In patients diagnosed with histopathological NASH, we performed protocol liver biopsies at 6 and 12 months after LSG. We statistically analyzed these histopathological findings and clinical parameters and found the prevalence rate of Ind-NASH discovered through intraoperative biopsy to be 15.9%. Protocol liver biopsy also revealed that Ind-NASH was an intermediate condition between NASH and normal liver. The clinical features of patients with Ind-NASH are a higher body weight compared to NASH (134.9 kg vs. 114.7 kg; p = 0.0245), stronger insulin resistance compared to nonalcoholic fatty liver (homeostasis model assessment–insulin resistance: 7.1 vs. 4.9; p = 0.0188), and mild liver dysfunction compared to NASH. Patients with Ind-NASH observed positive weight-loss effects from a preoperative diet compared to the postoperative course (percentage total weight loss: 32.0% vs. 26.7%; p < 0.0001). Patients with Ind-NASH may also be good candidates for metabolic surgery owing to their good treatment response; therefore, efforts should be made by specialists in the near future to deeply discuss and define Ind-NASH.

Utility of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration in pancreatic cancer patients who failed to obtain a pathological diagnosis in surgical exploration.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) allows for the analysis of diagnostic tissue specimens from various regions. For pancreatic tumors, especially un-resectable ones, how to obtain pathological confirmation is important for determining sub-sequent treatment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical utility of EUS-FNA in patients who failed to obtain a pathological diagnosis in surgical exploration. Patients who underwent EUS-FNA due to unsuccessful biopsy in surgical exploration in our center were retrospectively reviewed. All of the patients were diagnosed with resectable disease before surgery but were found to be unresectable during surgery. The positive rate of pathological diagnosis of EUS-FNA was analyzed. A total of 11 patients were included in this study, among which 8 were males and 3 were females. The median age of the patients was 55 years (range, 48 to 73 years). The median lesion size was 34 mm (range, 25 to 44 mm). The median number of needle passes was 3 (range, 1 to 3). Two patients underwent biliary stent implantation while 3 patients underwent gastrojejunostomy before EUS-FNA. The technical success rate of EUS-FNA was 100% (11/11); 10 (90.9%, 10/11) samples were positive and 1 was negative (being inadequate). Intraoperative biopsy is the first choice diagnostic modality for unresectable pancreatic neoplasms. However, for patients who fail to obtain a pathological diagnosis in surgical exploration, EUS-FNA is still worth an attempt.

Predicting malignancy in small testicular lesions.

IntroductionSmall testicular lesions ≤20 mm (STL) detected by ultrasound (US), usually non-palpable, have been reported to be benign in up to 80% of cases. Thus, partial orchiectomy with or without frozen section examination and surveillance has been advocated for these kinds of lesions. We seek to report the proportion of benign lesions in testicular tumors ≤20 mm detected by US in our population and explore the predicting factors of malignancy.Material and methodsA retrospective descriptive study of orchiectomies performed for testicular tumors in patients older than 15 years between 2005 and 2019 was performed, including all patients with lesions ≤20 mm on US imaging.ResultsA total of 70 patients with STL were included (mean age 34.6 ±10.8 years). Overall, 69% of the lesions were malignant while the smallest lesions (≤10 mm) showed 61% of cancer. Moreover, in the subgroup of non-palpable lesions ≤10 mm, 50% were malignant. Multifocal tumors were found in 18 subjects with a malignancy rate of 88%. There was a significant association between maximum size on US, multifocality and malignancy. Neither tumor markers nor palpability foretold a malignant lesion. A predictive model including size and multifocality was created showing a positive predictive value of 83.3%.ConclusionsUS maximum size and multifocality were predictors of malignancy in STL. However, even the smallest lesions showed a 50% chance of being malignant, thus surgery with or without intraoperative biopsy is warranted in most cases.

Routine preoperative examination for diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection and its recurrence in revision hip arthroplasty

To evaluate diagnostic value of routine preoperative laboratory tests such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and microbiological examination of joint aspirate in patients with periprosthetic joint infection or its recurrence in patients scheduled for revision hip arthroplasty. There were 117 patients. Preoperative CRP and ESR, the culture of pre- and intraoperative joint aspirates and tissue biopsies were studied. We analyzed diagnostic significance of these parameters and the likelihood of periprosthetic joint infection depending on increase of CRP/ESR and previous joint infection. According to microbiological data, periprosthetic joint infection was diagnosed in 19.7% of patients. High CRP in this group significantly increased the chance of joint infection diagnosis (OR 6.3; 95% CI 1.491-26.615). Concomitant increase of both ESR and CRP increased this likelihood by 7.7 times (OR 7.778; 95% CI 0.931-66.296). In the 2nd group, periprosthetic joint infection was confirmed in 25% of patients. At the same time, detection of pathogen in isolated or combined increase in CRP and ESR was less likely compared to the control group. Prognostic value of negative preoperative microbiological examination of joint aspirate was only 93%. We failed to obtain aspirate in 21.4% of cases. Increase of the routine serological parameters before revision hip arthroplasty is more sensitive for prediction of periprosthetic joint infection in patients without previous infection. Previous joint infection reduces diagnostic value of ESR and CRP in detection of recurrent periprosthetic joint infection. Preoperative examination of joint aspirate is not sufficient for etiological diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection. However, positive microbiological culture should be taken into account for the choice of further management.

Avoiding unnecessary intraoperative sentinel lymph node frozen section biopsy of patients with early breast cancer.

PurposeAfter the publication of the ACOSOG (American College of Surgeons Oncology Group) Z0011 trial, the rate of axillary lymph node dissection has reduced. Thus, the need for intraoperative frozen section biopsy of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) has become controversial. We identified patients for whom intraoperative SLN frozen section biopsy could be omitted and found that frozen section biopsy rate can be reduced.MethodsWe reviewed the records of patients with tumors ≤5 cm in diameter who underwent breast-conserving surgery between January 2013 and December 2019 at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital. Clinicopathological and imaging characteristics were compared according to number of positive SLNs (0–2 SLNs positive vs. ≥3 SLNs positive).ResultsA total of 1,983 patients were included in this study. Thirty-two patients (1.6%) had at least 3 positive SLNs. Patients with ≥3 positive SLNs had significantly larger tumors and were more frequently high-grade tumors (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). Identification of suspicious lymph nodes on imaging studies was also associated with the presence of ≥3 positive SLNs (hazard ratio, 11.54; 95% confidence interval, 4.42–30.10). All patients with none or only 1 suspicious lymph node on any imaging modality (n = 647, 32.6%) had 0–2 positive SLNs. Also, among patients with clinical T1-stage tumors and at least 2 suspicious lymph nodes on only 1 imaging modality (n = 514, 25.9%), only 2 cases had ≥3 positive SLNs.ConclusionWe found that intraoperative SLN frozen biopsy could be omitted in patients using tumor size and axillary lymph node status on imaging modality.

Неинвазивные маркеры фиброза и цирроза печени у детей с билиарной атрезией

Objective. To identify non-invasive laboratory and ultrasound markers of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in children with biliary atresia. Patients and methods. This retrospective study enrolled 166 children who underwent the Kasai procedure for biliary atresia. Intraoperative liver biopsy followed by histological examination of the biopsy specimen was performed in all children. According to the results of morphological analysis, patients were divided into two groups: group I included 108 children with moderate fibrosis (F0–2), group II – 58 children with severe liver fibrosis/cirrhosis (F3–4). Prior to surgery, patients underwent a comprehensive examination, which included laboratory parameters (platelets, albumin, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, cholinesterase, cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, total and direct bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, fibrinogen, international normalized ratio, thrombin time, prothrombin index, APRI and AAR indices), and Doppler ultrasound. Results. The correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant, direct, very strong correlation between the degree of fibrosis and patient age at the time of biopsy (ρ = 0.805; p &lt; 0.001), APRI index (ρ = 0.827; p = 0.001), and the hepatic artery diameter (ρ = 0.794, p = 0.042). The correlation between the degree of liver fibrosis and spleen length was statistically significant, direct, and of marked strength (ρ = 0.686; p = 0.010). There was a statistically significant, direct, notably strong correlation between the hepatic artery resistive index (RI) (ρ = 0.639; p = 0.05) and hepatic artery diameter-to-portal vein diameter ratio (HAD-to-PVD ratio) (ρ = 0.683, p = 0.047). The dependence of the probability of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis severity on the values of APRI index was assessed using ROC curves. The AUC value was 0.792 ± 0.056 (95% CI: 0.76–0.88, p = 0.009). The APRI value at the cut-off point was 1.52: with an APRI &gt;1.52 showing a high risk of severe liver fibrosis/cirrhosis, and with lower values, the risk of severe fibrosis/cirrhosis was considered low. The sensitivity and specificity of the model were 73.9 and 71.1%, respectively. Conclusion. The results of the study indicate the significance of biochemical, ultrasound and Doppler parameters in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis in children with biliary atresia. Key words: biliary atresia, liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, APRI index

Minimally Invasive Management of a Rare Giant Cell Tumor of Talus: A Case Report and Literature Review

Category:Ankle; Hindfoot; OtherIntroduction/Purpose:Giant cell tumor (GCT) of small bones of hand and feet is rare. A benign but locally aggressive neoplasm with a tendency for local recurrence with undifferentiated mesenchymal stromal cells and the presence of abundant, multinucleated giant cells. It occurs in a slightly younger age group with usually an expansile and eccentric epiphyseo-metaphyseal region lytic lesion. A 22 yrs. old patient, presenting as lytic expansile lesion of talus, suspected Giant cell tumor (GCT) of talus preoperatively and intraoperatively and proven subsequently, is presented along with review of literature. This patient is the young and nearly 24th case reported in the literature for GCT of talus.Methods:Author reviewed the literature for the GCT of talus from 1964 to till 2021. The author reported a case of left ankle joint pain and swelling for 6 months in a 22 yrs. old male, which turns out to be aneurysmal bone cyst of talus on radiographs, Computed tomography and aspiration cytology. Campanacci grade II lesion was planned for the curettage and autologous bone grafting.Results:Retrospectively, the intraoperative biopsy confirmed the lesion as giant cell tumor with aneurysmal bone cyst. After 4 years the lesion showed the near complete resolution on radiographs and CT scan. However, because of the historical recurrence and metastasis reports of GCT, author is continuously monitoring patient's ankle with yearly follow up. Author reviwed the literarue for the GCT of talus from 1964 to till 2021. Author found total of 23 reported cases for GCT of talus in literature, out of which 2 cases showed recurrence and distant metastasis to chest which is 8.69 percent of total cases.Conclusion:Author concludes that the Campanacci grade I and II can be managed with mini-open lesional curettage and autologous bone grafting while grade III and IV needed osteotomy, en-bloc excisions and tibio-calcaneal fusion or below knee amputation in recurrent or aggressive lesions. As author found 8.69 percent cases of distant pulmonary metastasis out of total reported cases, he recommends yearly follow up of the lesions and look for distant metastasis in suspected cases.

Intensity-based nonrigid endomicroscopic image mosaicking incorporating texture relevance for compensation of tissue deformation

Image mosaicking has emerged as a universal technique to broaden the field-of-view of the probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) imaging system. However, due to the influence of probe-tissue contact forces and optical components on imaging quality, existing mosaicking methods remain insufficient to deal with practical challenges. In this paper, we present the texture encoded sum of conditional variance (TESCV) as a novel similarity metric, and effectively incorporate it into a sequential mosaicking scheme to simultaneously correct rigid probe shift and nonrigid tissue deformation. TESCV combines both intensity dependency and texture relevance to quantify the differences between pCLE image frames, where a discriminative binary descriptor named fully cross-detected local derivative pattern (FCLDP) is designed to extract more detailed structural textures. Furthermore, we also analytically derive the closed-form gradient of TESCV with respect to the transformation variables. Experiments on the circular dataset highlighted the advantage of the TESCV metric in improving mosaicking performance compared with the other four recently published metrics. The comparison with the other four state-of-the-art mosaicking methods on the spiral and manual datasets indicated that the proposed TESCV-based method not only worked stably at different contact forces, but was also suitable for both low- and high-resolution imaging systems. With more accurate and delicate mosaics, the proposed method holds promises to meet clinical demands for intraoperative optical biopsy.

Activity of genes of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in the Ligamentum flavum of patients with stenosing processes in spinal canal and dural sac

New data have been obtained for assessing the expression of genes of metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors (MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-8, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in the Ligamentum flavum in patients with lumbar stenosis of spinal canal and dural sac. The features of the metabolism of the extracellular matrix (ECM) were revealed, the data obtained were compared with those for previously studied candidate genes. The search for relationships with the features of the ECM metabolic characteristics was carried out.The aim. To study the expression of genes of metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors in intraoperative biopsies of the Ligamentum flavum of patients with lumbar stenosis of the spinal canal and dural sac.Materials and methods. A group of 33 people (17 women, 16 men) with lumbar stenosis of the spinal canal and dural sac was studied; the average age is 45.73 ± 1.95 years. RNA was isolated from intraoperative biopsies of the Ligamentum flavum, reverse transcription was performed, and PCR using specific primers was performed.Results. In Ligamentum flavum of patients with stenosing processes of the spinal canal and dural sac, an increased activity of MMP-1 and insufficient response of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were found; the expression of MMP-1 increased synchronously with Dio2, and both genes decreased their activity with increasing age of the patient. In patients with Ligamentum flavum ossification, the MMR-8 gene was more actively expressed, and the synthesis of the mRNA of the MMR-9 gene decreased compared to the subgroup without ossification.

Distribution pattern and pathologic analysis of metastatic sentinel and non-sentinel lymph nodes in lymphatic basin dissection for clinical T2/T3 oral cancer with clinical N0 status

ObjectiveThe localization pattern of metastatic sentinel lymph node (SN) and non-SNs and pathologic analysis of metastatic lymph nodes in SN lymphatic basin dissection (SLBD) were investigated in patients with cT2/T3cN0 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MethodsThis prospective multicenter trial involved 10 institutions nationwide in Japan. A total of 57 patients were enrolled. The lateral neck was divided into 5 lymphatic basins. The lymphatic basin containing SNs was defined as the SN lymphatic basin.All patients underwent SLBD with backup selective neck dissection (I-III) combined with primary tumor removal. When SNs were found outside of levels I-III, including in the contralateral neck, SLBD was performed by removing the compartments containing SNs separately. SN metastasis was classified as isolated tumor cells (ITCs), micrometastasis, or macrometastasis. ITCs are defined as a lesion no larger than 0.2 mm in largest dimension and are classified as pN0. ResultsSN metastasis was observed in 22 cases. All metastatic lymph nodes, including false-negative cases, were detected in the SN lymphatic basin. Isolated tumor cells in the SNs did not affect prognosis, whereas micrometastasis tended to have poor prognosis.After adjusting for other risk factors, a positive SN remained a significant predictor of poor 5-year overall survival in pT2-4 OSCC. ConclusionSLBD for intraoperative SN biopsy is a sufficient therapeutic procedure and is valuable for determining pathologic nodal stage in OSCC. SN positivity was demonstrated to be an independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with pT2-4 disease undergoing SLBD with backup selective neck dissection (I-III).

Laparoscopic –Assisted Orchidopaxy in Non-Palpable Testes in Adult Population

ABSTRACT:&#x0D; &#x0D; Objectives: To present our experience of managing impalpable undescended testes in post-pubertal patients with intention of testicular preservation using laparoscopic assisted orchidopaxy. &#x0D; &#x0D; Study Design: Descriptive Case series.&#x0D; &#x0D; Place &amp;&#x0D; Duration of&#x0D; Study: Department of Urology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) Karachi, between Jan 2015 to Dec 2020 with minimal 6 months follow-up.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methodology: We included all patients with clinically impalpable testes with aged 12 and above. All patients had ultrasound abdomen performed as initial screening test followed by laparoscopic assessment and definite procedure. Patients with normal or hypo-plastic testes were underwent single staged orchidopaxy, while patients with testicular atrophy were planned for orchiectomy. Intraoperative testicular biopsy and Semen analysis were not routinely performed in our study.&#x0D; &#x0D; Results: Total 36 patients with 41 impalpable testes underwent laparoscopic localization and management. Mean age of patients was 20.75+ 5.98 years. 50% of testes were on the right side, 36.1% on left sided while 3.88% were bilateral. 5 (12.1%) patients had clinical inguinal hernia.. Diagnostic yield of ultrasound was (75.6%) and 100 % in laparoscopy. 33 testis were true intra-abdominal while 4 were inguinal and 4 were vanishing testes Normal looking testes were observed in 24 testes (64.86%) followed by hypoplastic in 11(29.72%) while 2 testes (5.40%) were atrophic. Two intra-operative complications included urinary bladder injury and vas deferens injury in one patient each. Postoperatively testicular ischemic necrosis in one (2.4%) and wound infection in 2 (4.8%) patients were noted. Late follow up revealed one port site hernia (2.4%) and one testicular atrophy (2.4%). Success rate of orchidopaxy in our study was 94.6%.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusions: Laparoscopic has been proved as excellent diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the management of intra- abdominal undescended testes in adolescent and post-pubertal patients.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Key words: Impalpable testes, Laparoscopic-assisted orchidopaxy, Adolescent, Adult

Case reports of invasive mucormycosis associated neutropenic enterocolitis in leukemic children: diagnostic and treatment challenges and review of literature

BackgroundBacterial enterocolitis is one of the most common neutropenic fever complications during intensive chemotherapy. Despite aggressive antibacterial treatments, this complication usually imposes high morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Management of bacterial neutropenic enterocolitis are well known; however, management of fungal neutropenic enterocolitis may be more challenging and needs to be investigated. Prompt diagnosis and treatment may be life-saving, especially in patients at risk of mucormycosis-associated neutropenic enterocolitis.Case presentationWe report two mucormycosis-associated neutropenic enterocolitis cases in pediatric leukemic patients receiving salvage chemotherapy for disease relapse. Both patients' clinical signs and symptoms differ from classical bacterial neutropenic enterocolitis. They were empirically treated as bacterial neutropenic enterocolitis with anti-gram-negative combination therapy. Despite broad-spectrum antimicrobial treatment, no clinical improvement was achieved, and both of them were complicated with severe abdominal pain necessitating surgical intervention. Mucormycosis is diagnosed by immunohistopathologic examination in multiple intraoperative intestinal tissue biopsies. Both patients died despite antifungal treatment with liposomal amphotericin-B and surgical intervention.ConclusionMucormycosis-associated neutropenic enterocolitis is one of the most unfavorable and untreatable side effects of salvage chemotherapy in leukemic children with disease relapse. This report could be of considerable insight to the clinicians and scientists who counter the enigma of fungal infections during febrile neutropenia and help to understand better diagnosis and management.

A case report of exophytic nasal papilloma with acute dacryocystitis as the first symptom

BackgroundThis study aims to explore a case of exophytic nasal papilloma with acute dacryocystitis as the first symptom.Case presentationA 72-year-old male patient complaining of “a 10-year history of tearing and purulent discharge from the right eye, with subsequent redness and pain in the inner canthus for three days” was initially diagnosed with acute dacryocystitis of the right eye. The patient was treated with anti-inflammatory therapy. However, the redness and swelling of the inner canthus continued to increase. An endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy of the right eye was performed under general anesthesia. A large amount of purulent secretion was drained during the operation. As a result, the swelling of the inner canthus was significantly reduced. A routine intra-operative biopsy of the wall of the lacrimal sac revealed an exophytic nasal papilloma. A second biopsy, 1 week after the surgery, revealed the same result. The patient was advised to undergo a dacryocystectomy once the swelling had subsided. However, the patient was reluctant to undergo this surgery and remains under clinical observation.ConclusionIt is rare for an exophytic nasal papilloma, which is a benign tumor in the lacrimal sac, which has the potential for recurrence and malignant transformation, to manifest with acute dacryocystitis as the first symptom. Therefore, this case report could provide a reference for the future clinical diagnosis of this disease.

Neisseria meningitidis-induced discitis at L5-S1 mimicking lumbar disc herniation

A 23-year-old man presented to his general practitioner with a 2-week history of increasing lumbar back pain and left-sided radiation at S1, with progressive motoric loss of function of S1 on the right side but with intact sensibility. On lumbar MRI, a medial L5-S1 disc herniation was identified (figure) and oral corticosteroid therapy (prednisolone 100 mg daily for 5 days) was initiated. Because the back pain and radiculopathy did not regress and a progressive functional motoric loss of function of S1 (M3) was present, he underwent microdiscectomy 2 weeks after initial presentation. At admission, the laboratory results showed moderately increased serum C-reactive protein (50 mg/L) and leukocyte count (12 × 109 cells per L). Preoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis with intravenous cefuroxime (1·5 g as a one-off injection) was administered. Intraoperatively, pus was detected in the epidural space and disc niche, hence lavage of the disc space and collection of two disc tissue biopsies followed. Antibiotic treatment with intravenous co-amoxiclav (2·2 g every 6 h for 7 days) was initiated postoperatively. Histopathological examination showed focal lymphoplasmacytic, partly granulocytic inflammation, which was consistent with discitis. Cultures of intraoperatively sampled tissue biopsies remained without bacterial growth, but broad-spectrum PCR identified Neisseria meningitidis (subgroup W135) in both disc tissue specimens. Antimicrobial treatment was subsequently changed to targeted therapy with intravenous ceftriaxone (2 g once daily for 14 days). On postoperative day 8, the patient had an exacerbation of pain. Despite debridement of the abscess at the first intervention, persistent epidural abscess collection was visible in the ensuing obtained lumbar MRI, which resulted in a second-look surgery with extensive lavage and abscess evacuation on the same day. Intraoperative tissue biopsies remained culture-negative; however, N meningitidis was identified by PCR again in three of six specimens (four disc tissue specimens and two abscess fluid specimens) taken during the second surgery. Subsequently, pain subsided substantially with extended oral analgesic treatment consisting of oral diclofenac (75 mg twice daily), oral metamizol (500 mg four times daily), oral tapentadol (150 mg prolonged-release tablet every 12 h), and oral pregabalin (50 mg three times daily), which was adminstered for 28 days. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 12 after index surgery still having increased inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein 47 mg/L, leukocyte count 9·7 × 109 cells per L). After 9 days of intravenous ceftriaxone (2 g once daily), oral ciprofloxacin (750 mg twice daily) was administered to complete the 6-week course of antimicrobial therapy for bacterial spondylodiscitis. The patient regained complete motor function at 6 weeks after the first surgery. Inflammatory laboratory parameters were completely resolved at 3 months of follow-up, and back and leg pain resolved at 6 months of follow-up.

Accuracy of non-invasive liver stiffness measurement and steatosis quantification in patients with severe and morbid obesity.

Vibration controlled transient elastography (VCTE) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP™) have shown reliable performance predicting fibrosis and steatosis in normal- to overweight patients but have not been validated in severe to morbid obesity. This study aimed at determining the accuracy of VCTE, CAP™ and the composite score FibroScan-AST (FAST) in patients with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥35 kg/m2. Patients scheduled for bariatric-metabolic surgery underwent preoperative VCTE/CAP™ measurement, and intraoperative liver biopsy. The feasibility and accuracy of VCTE, CAP™ and the composite score FAST were retrospectively analysed to evaluate fibrosis, steatosis and active fibrotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH + non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score ≥4 + fibrosis grade ≥2] using per protocol (PP) and intent to diagnose (ITD) calculation. In total, 170 patients (median BMI 44.4 kg/m2) were included in the study. Liver biopsy showed NASH, simple steatosis, and normal livers in 60.6% (n=103), 28.8% (n=49), and 10.6% (n=18), respectively. VCTE and CAP™ delivered reliable results in 90.6% (n=154/170) and 90.5% (n=134/148). The AUC (PP) of VCTE, CAP™, and FAST were 0.687 (≥F2), 0.786 (≥F3), 0.703 (≥S2), 0.738 (S3), and 0.780 (active fibrotic NASH). The AUC increased to 0.742 (≥F2), 0.842 (≥F3), 0.712 (≥S2), 0.780 (S3), and 0.836 (active fibrotic NASH) in patients below the median BMI of 44.4 kg/m2. VCTE, CAP™ and FAST show acceptable accuracy for the detection of fibrosis, steatosis and NASH in a real-life cohort of patients with obesity. Accuracy improves in patients with a BMI <44.4 kg/m2.