Intraoperative Pathological Examination Research Articles

Feasibility of intraoperative pathologic examination for sentinel lymph nodes during sentinel node navigation surgery in early gastric cancer: results of pathologic protocol for SENORITA trial.

During sentinel node navigation surgery in patients with gastric cancer, intraoperative pathologic examination of sentinel nodes is crucial in determining the extent of surgery. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility and accuracy of intraoperative pathologic protocols using data from a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial. A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from the SEntinel Node ORIented Tailored Approach trials from 2013 to 2016. All sentinel lymph nodes were evaluated during surgery with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining using a representative section at the largest plane for lymph nodes. For permanent histologic evaluation, sentinel basin nodes were stained with HE and cytokeratin immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sections and examined with HE for three deeper-step sections at 200-μm intervals. The failure rate of identification by frozen section and the metastasis rate in non-sentinel basins were investigated. Of the 237 patients who underwent sentinel node basin dissection, 30 had lymph node metastases on permanent pathology. Thirteen patients had macrometastasis confirmed in frozen sections as well as FFPE sections (failure rate: 0%). Patients with negative sentinel nodes in frozen sections but micrometastasis in FFPE sections had no lymph node recurrence during the follow-up period (0%, 0/6). However, in cases with tumor-positive nodes in frozen sections, metastases in non-sentinel basins were detected in the paraffin blocks (8.3%, 2/24). The single-section HE staining method is sufficient for detecting macrometastasis via intraoperative pathological examination. If a negative frozen-section result is confirmed, sentinel basin dissection can be performed safely. Otherwise, standard surgery is required.

A surgical resection case of myxoma arising from the posterior wall of the left atrium complicated with complete atrioventricular block

An 80-year-old female was referred to our institution due to transient right upper limb weakness. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a tumor in the left atrium. The tumor was attached to the posterior wall of the left atrium near the atrioventricular node. Intraoperative pathological examination revealed that the tumor was a myxoma, and complete resection was successfully performed. However, she experienced persistent complete atrioventricular block postoperatively and required pacemaker implantation.

Ectopic epipericardial fat necrosis: a case report

BackgroundEpipericardial fat necrosis (EFN) is a rare disease in which local inflammation and necrosis occur in the adipose tissue surrounding the heart, particularly epicardial fat. Few cases of EFN in which surgical resection was performed have been reported. We report a case of EFN after surgical resection of a right extrapulmonary tumor, in which a malignant disease could not be excluded.Case presentationA 75-year-old male patient presented with fever and chest pain. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the chest revealed a lesion, 53 × 48 mm in size, with mixed fatty density spanning the middle and lower lobes of the right lung. Thoracic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a mass with mixed fat and soft tissue density in the same area; the lesion was contiguous with pericardial fatty tissue. The tumor was diagnosed as a liposarcoma or teratocarcinoma based on imaging results; however, the possibility of lung cancer could not be excluded. Finally, EFN was diagnosed based on the postoperative histopathological examination. The patient underwent surgical resection of the suspected right extrapulmonary tumor. The intraoperative findings revealed a mediastinal mass contiguous with pericardial fat located between the middle and lower lobes. Intraoperative pathological examination of the lesion was performed using a needle biopsy; however, no definitive diagnosis was made. The tumor may have invaded the middle lobe of the right lung, and partial resection of the right lower lobe was performed in addition to resection of the middle lobe of the right lung. The patient was followed up every 3 months without adjuvant therapy. No recurrence was reported at 1 year after surgery.ConclusionEFN should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an extrapulmonary tumor when continuity with the pericardial space is observed on MRI or other imaging studies. Surgical resection is useful in the diagnosis and treatment of EFNs. Preoperative three-dimensional reconstructive imaging and MRI should be used to identify vascular structures and confirm the continuity of the lesion with the surrounding tissues to ensure safe and rapid tumor removal.

Early Reconstruction with Locoregional-Free Flaps in Post-COVID-19 Rhino-orbital-cerebral Mucormycosis Craniofacial Deformities: A Single-Center Clinical Experience from India.

Aim of the Study Mucormycosis is a rare invasive and fatal fungal infection and its resurgence in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients has been a matter of grave concern. It is essentially a medical disease, but surgical debridement of necrotic tissues is of paramount importance leading to severe craniofacial deformities. In this case series, we present our experience with the feasibility of early reconstruction after surgical debridement. Case Series As a Dedicated COVID Center (DCH), the institute received the largest population of COVID-19 mucormycosis patients from the entire eastern region of the country between May 2021 and August 2021. More than 5,000 COVID-19 were admitted out of which 218 patients were diagnosed with mucormycosis. Nine patients, seven males and two females, with a mean age of 39 years with craniofacial mucormycosis underwent debridement and early reconstructions (2-4 weeks from first debridement and start of antifungal therapy) with free and pedicled flaps. All flaps survived and showed no evidence of recurrence. The average time of the early reconstruction after surgical debridement was 1.7 weeks once the course of systemic amphotericin B was received. Conclusion After aggressive surgical resection and a short course of antifungal therapy, early reconstruction can be done safely based on clinical criteria, as long as there is no evidence of hyphae invasion on wound edges in the intraoperative pathology examination.

Clinical application of parathyroid autofluorescence imaging in endoscopic thyroid surgery

Objective:To investigate the application value of near-infrared autofluorescence imaging in identifying and protecting parathyroid glands in endoscopic thyroid surgery. Methods:From May 2022 to February 2023, 158 patients who underwent endoscopic thyroid surgery in the Department of Thyroid and Breast Vascular Surgery of Guilin People's Hospital were selected. The endoscopic fluorescence camera system was used to monitor the parathyroid glands under autofluorescence during endoscopic thyroid surgery. A total of 214 pieces were collected, among which the first 15 cases that could not be preserved in situ during the operation needed to be autotransplanted or the tissue clamped parts that could not be clearly identified as parathyroid glands were sent to fast-frozen pathology to determine whether they were parathyroid glands. Results:Among the first 15 patients who could not be preserved in situ during the operation or whose anatomy could not be clearly defined, 23 parathyroid glands were detected by autofluorescence imaging, 21 parathyroid glands were confirmed by pathology, and 2 were adipose tissue, with an accuracy rate of 91.30%; 158 patients underwent surgery Blood calcium decreased 2 hours after operation compared with preoperative blood calcium（P<0.05）, decreased blood calcium 5 days after operation compared with preoperative blood calcium（P<0.01）, and increased slightly 5 days after the operation compared to blood calcium 2 hours after the operation, but the difference was not statistically significant（P>0.05）; while comparing parathyroid hormone（PTH）, PTH at 2 hours after operation decreased significantly compared with PTH before operation（P<0.01）, and PTH at 5 days after operation compared with PTH before operation PTH also decreased（P<0.01）, but increased compared with PTH 2 hours after operation（P=0.001）. Conclusion:In laparoscopic thyroid surgery, the application of near-infrared autofluorescence imaging technology can help surgeons quickly identify and protect parathyroid glands, and reduce the incidence of permanent hypoparathyroidism. Combining autofluorescence imaging, visual anatomy recognition under magnification of laparoscope, and intraoperative frozen pathological examination "trinity" method can improve the success rate of parathyroid gland recognition.

Effectiveness of one-stage total knee arthroplasty in treatment of advanced active knee tuberculosis

To investigate the effectiveness of one-stage total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the treatment of advanced active knee tuberculosis. The clinical data of 38 patients with advanced active knee tuberculosis who received one-stage TKA between January 2011 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 20 males and 18 females. The age ranged from 20 to 84 years, with an average of 52.8 years. The body mass index ranged from 17 to 36 kg/m 2, with an average of 23.05 kg/m 2. The preoperative C reactive protein (CRP) was (23.49±4.72) mg/L, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was (45.95±8.82) mm/1 h. The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score was 48.8±9.1. During the operation, the infected lesions of the knee joint were completely removed, and the operative area was repeatedly soaked with 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and 0.5% povidone iodine solution. The intraoperative pathological examination confirmed the tuberculosis of the knee joint, and systemic anti-tuberculosis treatment was performed. The operation time, postoperative hospitalization stay, postoperative anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy time, and complications were recorded. CRP and ESR were recorded and compared before and after operation. Anteroposterior and lateral X-ray films of the knee joint were taken to evaluate whether the prosthesis had signs of loosening and sinking, and to determine whether there was recurrence of tuberculosis. The knee joint function was evaluated by HSS score. With treatment failure due to any reason as the end event, the survival time of prosthesis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival curve. All operations were successfully completed without fracture, vascular and nerve injury, deep vein thrombosis, and other complications. All incisions healed by first intention after operation. The operation time ranged from 80 to 135 minutes, with an average of 102.76 minutes; postoperative hospitalization stay was 5-16 days, with an average of 9.7 days; the duration of postoperative anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy ranged from 1 to 18 months, and the median duration was 12 months. All 38 cases were followed up 3-133 months (mean, 63.7 months). At last follow-up, CRP was (4.88±1.24) mg/L and ESR was (13.00±2.97) mm/1 h, both of which were significantly lower than those before operation ( t=20.647, P<0.001; t=20.886, P<0.001). During the follow-up, 3 patients (7.89%) had tuberculosis recurrence. Two patients had tuberculosis recurrence due to withdrawal of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy at 1 and 2 months after operation, respectively. One patient was cured after debridement, preservation of prosthesis and anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy for 12 months, and 1 patient was cured after oral administration of anti-tuberculosis drugs for 12 months. Another 1 patient had recurrent tuberculosis and mixed infection ( Corynebacterium gehreni) at 2 months after operation, and the infection was not controlled after debridement, and finally the thigh was amputated. Except for the patients with recurrent infection, no complications such as prosthesis loosening, periprosthetic fracture, and periprosthetic infection were found. At last follow-up, the HSS score of the knee joint was 86.8±4.8, and the knee joint function significantly improved when compared with that before operation ( t=-31.198, P<0.001). Prosthesis survival time was (122.57±5.77) months [95% CI (111.25, 133.88) months], and the 10-year survival rate was 92.1%. One-stage TKA combined with postoperative antituberculous chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced active knee tuberculosis can achieve satisfactory infection control and joint function.

Comparison of frozen section accuracy with final pathology results in early clinical stage of endometrioid type endometrial cancer

Objectives: We aimed to compare the accuracy of the depth of myometrial invasion determined by intraoperative frozen section in the early clinical stage of endometrioid type endometrial cancer, with the result of the final postoperative paraffin section. Methods: The study was carried out with 102 patients who were diagnosed with type 1-2 endometrioid endometrial cancer in the gynecology clinic of the state hospital between January 2015 and 2019. Retrospective demographic data, clinical characteristics, and pathology results of the patients who underwent surgical staging were recorded. Results: The mean age of the patients was 59.3 ± 9.1 years and 82.3% of the patients were in the postmenopausal period. The mean age of patients with a depth of myometrial invasion&amp;lt;1/2 was lower than myometrial invasion&amp;gt;1/2, which was statistically significant (p &amp;lt; 0.001). According to the final postoperative pathology results, 93.1% (n = 95) of the cases were diagnosed as FIGO stage 1. The subgroups were 66.7% stage 1a and 26.4% stage 1b. When the stage and grade distribution was made according to the final postoperative pathology result, stage 1a grade 2 endometrial cancer was the most common with a rate of 43.1%. Concordance of the intraoperative and postoperative pathology results for the depth of myometrial invasion was 84.3%, the specificity was 100%, the positive predictive value was 100%, and the negative predictive value was 86.76%. Conclusions: The accuracy of the intraoperative frozen section in endometrial cancers is quite higher. For this reason, intraoperative pathological examination results are important in terms of minimizing the complications of unnecessary surgery.

Ectopic spleen in testicular parenchyma: case report

Clinical case description: This report presents the case of a 32-year-old man with palpable solid nodule in the left testicle with a diagnostic hypothesis of testicular cancer, which turned out to be splenic tissue through pathological anatomy analysis. Relevance: The splenogonadal fusion is a rare and benign congenital anomaly related to the presence of ectopic spleen tissue in the gonadal parenchyma, caused by fusion between these two tissues during the fifth or sixth week of embryonic development. This condition is of great importance because its diagnosis is difficult and often confused with other gonadal disorders such as testicular neoplasm. Clinical implications: The most common consequence of this testicular disorder is the unnecessary orchiectomy, in which a variety of cases are submitted. To avoid testicle removal, intraoperative pathological examination can be used in these cases. Conclusions: The ectopic spleen in testicular parenchyma is a rare condition and its diagnosis is difficult. It is important to consider this condition as a differential diagnosis in testicular disorders, especially in the case of diagnostic hypothesis of testicular cancer, so that testicle removal can be prevented by the use of intraoperative pathological exam.

A case of hyalinizing trabecular tumor of the thyroid gland

The patient was a 63-year-old man. In year X-3, neck ultrasonography (US), performed as part of a complete medical checkup, revealed a mass in the right thyroid lobe. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology was performed at the Otolaryngology department. Although papillary carcinoma could not be ruled out, the mass was classified as a class III tumor. Although neck US performed in years X-2 and X-1 showed no changes in the thyroid mass, the patient noted discomfort in the neck and requested the resection of the thyroid mass. Thus, surgery (right hemi-thyroidectomy) was performed in year X. The right hemi-thyroidectomy was conventionally performed; however, lymph node dissection was not performed because no swollen regional lymph nodes were observed. The mass was pathologically diagnosed as a hyalinizing trabecular tumor (HTT) based on hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunostaining. HTT of the thyroid is a rare tumor exhibiting peculiar features, as proposed by Carney et al. in 1987. It is a special type of tumor originating from the follicular epithelium that cytologically and histologically resembles a papillary carcinoma. While this tumor is often suspected to be a papillary carcinoma by FNA cytology, a definite diagnosis is often made based on intraoperative or postoperative pathological examination. Our case suggests that when preoperative FNA cytology reveals many intranuclear inclusions and nuclear grooves, HTT should be considered, in addition to papillary carcinoma.

Deep-learning-based semantic segmentation of autonomic nerves from laparoscopic images of colorectal surgery: an experimental pilot study.

The preservation of autonomic nerves is the most important factor in maintaining genitourinary function in colorectal surgery; however, these nerves are not clearly recognisable, and their identification is strongly affected by surgical ability. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a deep learning model for the semantic segmentation of autonomic nerves during laparoscopic colorectal surgery and to experimentally verify the model through intraoperative use and pathological examination. The annotation dataset comprised videos of laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The images of the hypogastric nerve (HGN) and superior hypogastric plexus (SHP) were manually annotated under a surgeon's supervision. The Dice coefficient was used to quantify the model performance after fivefold cross-validation. The model was used in actual surgeries to compare the recognition timing of the model with that of surgeons, and pathological examination was performed to confirm whether the samples labelled by the model from the colorectal branches of the HGN and SHP were nerves. The dataset comprised 12,978 video frames of the HGN from 245 videos and 5198 frames of the SHP from 44 videos. The mean (±standard deviation) Dice coefficients of the HGN and SHP were 0.56 (±0.03) and 0.49 (±0.07), respectively. The proposed model was used in 12 surgeries, and it recognised the right HGN earlier than the surgeons did in 50.0% of the cases, the left HGN earlier in 41.7% of the cases and the SHP earlier in 50.0% of the cases. Pathological examination confirmed that all 11 samples were nerve tissue. An approach for the deep learning-based semantic segmentation of autonomic nerves was developed and experimentally validated. This model may facilitate intraoperative recognition during laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Some aspects of surgical strategies in patients with thyroid cancer with metastatic lesions of the neck lymph nodes

Objective — to improve the surgical treatment of patients with thyroid cancer with metastatic lesions of the neck lymph nodes by means of an individual approach to diagnostics, intraoperative imaging, and choice of optimal surgical technique.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The analysis involved results of examinations and treatment of 749 patients. The following was taken into account: complaints, thyroid and lymph nodes ultrasound, thyroid hormones level, results of general clinical examinations. Levels of parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, magnesium, total and ionic calcium were determined at the preoperative stage. In some cases, computer tomography results were included. A fine‑needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy was performed to all patients. Women prevailed: 607 from 749 (81.0%; 95% CI 78.0—83.8). The mean age of the patients was 51.3% (45.6—59.1) years. The causes of disease included: colloid nodular goiter 566 (75.6%; 95% CI 72.3—78.6), nodular (adenomatous) goiter with follicular neoplasm 72 (9.6%; 95% CI 7.6—12.0), papillary carcinoma 54 (7.2%; 95% CI 5.5—9.3), suspicious for papillary thyroid carcinoma (according to the cytology results) 17 (2.3%; 95% CI 1.3—3.6), medullary carcinoma 12 (1.6%; 95% CI 0.8—2.8), anaplastic thyroid cancer 6 (0.8%; 95% CI 0.3—1.7), other tumors 22 (2.9%; 95% CI 1.8—4.4). Statistical processing of the obtained results was carried out by using the standard program package «Statistica 6.0 for Windows» (StatSoft, USA).&#x0D; Results. Surgical interventions were performed in 89 of 749 (11.9%; 95% CI 9.7—14.4) patients with malignant tumors of the thyroid gland. The variety of surgical procedures performed on the thyroid gland: thyroidectomy performed in 81 of 89 patients (91%; 95% CI 83.1—96.0), hemithyroidectomy in 8 of 89 patients (9.0%; 95% CI 4.0—16.9). The reasons for the hemithyroidectomy: in 2 of 89 patients (2.2%; 95% CI 0.3—7.9) the diagnosis was not confirmed by express histological examination with suspicion for papillary thyroid carcinoma. In 6 other cases, single micro adenocarcinomas that ranged in size from 0.4 to 0.8 mm were found, without invasion into the tumor capsule, which was confirmed during a planned pathological examination. Lymphodisection of the central tissue, as an addition to thyroidectomy, was performed by us in 76 of 89 cases (85.4%; 95% CI 76.3—92.0). Metastatic lesions of the central tissue during pathological examination were found in 29 (32.6%; 95% CI 23.0—43.3) patients with papillary carcinoma, in 5 with medullary cancer (5.6%; 95% CI 1.8—12.6), in 6 cases with anaplastic thyroid cancer (6.7%; 95% CI 2.5—14.1). In 11 patients (12.4%; 95% CI 6.3—21.0) due to the metastatic spread to the platysma of the lateral triangle of the neck, its excision was performed. In 9 (10%; 95% CI 4.7—18.3) patients were performed thyroidectomy with sheath‑fascial excision (removal) of the neck tissue. The precession method was used to visualize the upper laryngeal nerve in order to prevent traumatization. The upper parathyroid glands served as the first anatomical landmark of the recurrent nerve, which were identified in 72 (80.9%; 95% CI 71.2—88.5) patients. Temporary unilateral vocal fold paresis was observed in 3 (3.4%; 95% CI 0.7—9.5) patients. Wound drainage was carried out separately by leaving micro‑drainage, for active aspiration, which was evacuated in 2 days.&#x0D; Соnclusions. One of the main prerequisites for the high‑quality performance surgery of thyroid gland is the precise nature of surgical manipulations with careful observance of tactical and technical requirements for a surgeon: timely identify and precisely mobilize. The choice of the final surgical intervention on lymphatic collectors in thyroid cancer is directly dependent on the preoperative and intraoperative pathological examination. However, given the substantial proportion of metastatic lesions of the central zone lymph nodes (level VI), the technical complexity of repeated operative interventions in this area, it is recommended to perform a preventive removal of the central fiber.

Validity of intraoperative macroscopic pathological examination of breast surgical margin after neoadjuvant systemic treatment and breast-conserving surgery

Validity of intraoperative macroscopic pathological examination of breast surgical margin after neoadjuvant systemic treatment and breast-conserving surgery

Impact of intraoperative frozen section pathology on the treatment outcome of unilateral papillary thyroid microcarcinoma and its influencing factors-a retrospective cohort study.

Most patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma have a good prognosis. Excessive resection of thyroid and cervical lymph nodes is an important reason for affecting the quality of life of patients after surgery. Intraoperative rapid frozen pathological examination is an important step in the development of a surgical plan for thyroid cancer (especially micropapillary carcinoma); however, whether it affects the treatment outcome remains unclear. The clinicopathological data of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) patients who underwent surgery in our center from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with unilateral low-risk PTMC who underwent radical surgery were selected as the main research subjects. The negative results of intraoperative frozen section of the central lymph node (CLN) of the affected side were the experimental group, and the positive results were the control group. Subjects with lesions larger than 10 mm and those who did not undergo intraoperative frozen section pathological examination were excluded. After excluding other risk factors for recurrence, we calculated the proportion of patients requiring radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment among those with metastases detected by intraoperative rapid frozen section pathology and its influencing factors. Patient data were analysed using SPSS version 20. Continuous variables were presented as means when symmetrical or as medians and ranges when asymmetrical. Categorical variables were presented as proportions. A P value <0.05 was considered significant. A total of 564 PTMC patients were included, among whom 122 patients (21.6%) underwent total thyroidectomy due to the presence of metastases in the ipsilateral CLNs. Compared with the experimental group, the patients with male, young age and tumor located in the middle and lower pole in the control group had higher lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). The proportion of patients requiring postoperative RAI treatment for unilateral low-risk PTMC is relatively low, and the possibility that an intraoperative frozen pathological finding will change the treatment outcome is low. However, the need for postoperative RAI therapy notably increases when the intraoperative frozen pathological analysis reveals ipsilateral CLN metastases, especially in males, younger patients, and/or patients with lesions located in the middle and lower poles.

Intraoperative Glioma Grading Using Neural Architecture Search and Multi-Modal Imaging.

Glioma grading during surgery can help clinical treatment planning and prognosis, but intraoperative pathological examination of frozen sections is limited by the long processing time and complex procedures. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging provides chances for fast and accurate real-time diagnosis. Recently, deep learning techniques have been actively explored for medical image analysis and disease diagnosis. However, issues of near-infrared fluorescence images, including small-scale, noise, and low-resolution, increase the difficulty of training a satisfying network. Multi-modal imaging can provide complementary information to boost model performance, but simultaneously designing a proper network and utilizing the information of multi-modal data is challenging. In this work, we propose a novel neural architecture search method DLS-DARTS to automatically search for network architectures to handle these issues. DLS-DARTS has two learnable stems for multi-modal low-level feature fusion and uses a modified perturbation-based derivation strategy to improve the performance on the area under the curve and accuracy. White light imaging and fluorescence imaging in the first near-infrared window (650-900 nm) and the second near-infrared window (1,000-1,700 nm) are applied to provide multi-modal information on glioma tissues. In the experiments on 1,115 surgical glioma specimens, DLS-DARTS achieved an area under the curve of 0.843 and an accuracy of 0.634, which outperformed manually designed convolutional neural networks including ResNet, PyramidNet, and EfficientNet, and a state-of-the-art neural architecture search method for multi-modal medical image classification. Our study demonstrates that DLS-DARTS has the potential to help neurosurgeons during surgery, showing high prospects in medical image analysis.

Breast cancer combined with contralateral neck lymph node metastasis: a case report

BackgroundContralateral neck lymph node metastasis is rare in primary breast cancer. Its clinical staging and treatment principles lack authoritative guidelines. A case of a 30-year-old breast cancer patient with contralateral neck lymph node metastasis is presented. The clinical treatment is discussed in combination with current research.Case presentationA 30-year-old woman presented with a right breast mass for 5 months and left neck lymph node enlargement for 5 days. Mammography showed a 33 mm*14.3 mm mass in the inner quadrant of the right breast. The ultrasound showed several hypoechoic nodules on the left side of the neck. Rapid intraoperative pathological examination diagnosed a right breast malignant tumor and poorly differentiated carcinoma of the left cervical lymph nodes. Then, right mastectomy was performed immediately. The patient was scheduled to undergo chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, radiotherapy and endocrine therapy after the operation. The long-term efficacy remains to be seen.ConclusionThe infrequent presentation of breast cancer with metastasis to the contralateral neck lymph node can be challenging for standard therapies.

Clinical analysis of 81 cases of intravenous leiomyomatosis confined to pelvic cavity

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, treatment and recurrence factors of intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) confined to the pelvic cavity after the operation. Methods: The clinical data of 81 patients who underwent surgery and were pathologically diagnosed with IVL at Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University from January 2014 to March 2021, were analyzed retrospectively to explore the influencing factors of postoperative recurrence of IVL, including age, gravidity and parity, surgical methods, intraoperative conditions and so on. Results: (1) Clinical features: the age of 81 IVL patients was (43.9±8.1) years old; increased menstrual volume in 26 cases (32%, 26/81), prolonged menstrual period in 31 cases (38%, 31/81), frequency and urgency to urinate in 4 cases (5%, 4/81), abdominal pain and abdominal distension in 8 cases (10%, 8/81), and pelvic masses in 34 cases (42%, 34/81). IVL was diagnosed right in 4 of 72 patients (6%, 4/72) underwent preoperative ultrasound, right in 11 of 51 patients (22%, 11/51) underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and right in 4 of 19 patients (4/19) underwent CT. (2) Treatment: all patients with IVL underwent surgical treatment. Surgical procedure: myomectomy in 37 cases, total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy in 19 cases, total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-ophorectomy in 25 cases. Surgical approach: hysteroscopic operation in 6 cases, transabdominal operation in 52 cases, laparoscopic operation in 23 cases. Fifty-three cases underwent rapid intraoperative pathological examination, 17 cases (32%, 17/53) of them were diagnosed right as IVL. (3) Influencing factors of IVL postoperative recurrence: among 81 patients with IVL, 3 cases were lost to follow-up, and 8 cases (10%, 8/78) had recurrence during follow-up. Age<35 years, number of pregnancies<2, number of births<2, number of fibroids ≥10, abnormal appearance of fibroids (long, vermicular, beadlike, cystic, etc.) and IVL invasion into adjacent vessels were all the risk factors influencing postoperative recurrence of IVL (all P<0.05). Methods of operation, ovariectomy or not, IVL invasion or not, maximum diameter of IVL, abundant blood vessels near uterine fibroids were not associated with postoperative recurrence of IVL (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The clinical manifestations and preoperative auxiliary examination of IVL are lack of specificity. Doctors need to pay attention to young patients with uterine fibroids, and choose the appropriate surgical scope when the characteristic manifestations of IVL be found during the operation, or the right diagnoses of IVL in the surgery's rapid intraoperative pathology be examined, and should remove the IVL lesions to reduce the recurrence as far as possible.

CT-Assisted Improvements in the Accuracy of the Intraoperative Frozen Section Examination of Ground-Glass Density Nodules.

Objectives The intraoperative frozen section examination (IFSE) of pulmonary ground-glass density nodules (GGNs) is a great challenge. In the present study, through comparing the correlation between the computed tomography (CT) findings and pathological diagnosis of GGNs, the CT features as independent risk factors affecting the examination were defined, and their value in the rapid intraoperative examination of GGNs was explored. Methods The relevant clinical data of 90 patients with GGNs on CT were collected, and all CT findings of GGNs, including the maximum transverse diameter, average CT value, spiculation, solid component, vascular sign, air sign, bronchus sign, lobulation, and pleural indentation, were recorded. All the cases received thoracoscopic surgery, and final pathological results were obtained. The cases were divided into three groups on the basis of pathological diagnosis: benign/atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS)/microinvasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), and invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC). The CT findings were analyzed statistically, the independent risk factors were identified through the intergroup bivariate logistic regression analysis on variables with statistically significant differences, and a receiver operating curve (ROC) was plotted to establish a logistic regression model for diagnosing GGNs. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the coincidence rate of the rapid intraoperative and routine postoperative pathological examinations of the 90 cases with GGNs. The relevant clinical data of 49 cases with GGNs were collected. Conventional rapid intraoperative examination and CT-assisted rapid intraoperative examination were performed, and their coincidence rates with routine postoperative pathological examinations were compared. Results No statistical differences in the onset age, gender, smoking history, and family history of malignant tumors were found among cases with GGNs in the identification of benign/AAH, AIS/MIA, and IAC (P = 0.158, P = 0.947, P = 0.746, P = 0.566). No statistically significant difference was found among the three groups in terms of CT findings, such as lobulation, bronchus sign, pleural indentation, spiculation, vascular sign, and solid component (P > 0.05). The air sign, the maximum transverse diameter of GGNs, and average CT value showed statistically significant differences among the groups (P < 0.001, P < 0.05, P < 0.001). Bivariate logistic regression analysis was performed on three risk factors, and the predicted probability value was obtained. A ROC curve was plotted by using the maximum transverse diameter as a predictor for analysis between the groups with benign/AAH and AIS/MIA, and the results demonstrated that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.692. A ROC curve was plotted by using the predicted probability value, maximum transverse diameter, and average CT value as predictors for distinguishing between the groups with AIS/MIA and IAC, and the results showed that the AUC values of the predicted probability value, maximum transverse diameter, and CT value were 0.920, 0.816, and 0.772, respectively. A regression model [Logit (P) = 2.304 − 2.689X1 + 0.302X2 + 0.011X3] was established to identify GGNs as IAC, obtaining AUC values of up to 0.920 for the groups with AIS/MIA and IAC, the sensitivity of 0.821, and the specificity of 0.894. The coincidence rate of rapid intraoperative and routine postoperative pathological examinations taken for modeling was 79.3%, that of conventional IFSE and postoperative pathological examination in prospective studies was 83.7%, and that of CT-assisted rapid intraoperative and postoperative pathological examinations was 98.0%. The former two were statistically different from the last one (P = 0.003 and P = 0.031, respectively). Conclusion The air sign, maximum transverse diameter, and average CT value of the CT findings of GGNs had superior capabilities to enhance the pathologic classification of GGNs. The auxiliary function of the comprehensive multifactor analysis of GGNs was better than that of single-factor analysis. CT-assisted diagnosis can improve the accuracy of rapid intraoperative examination, thereby increasing the accuracy of the selection of operative approaches in clinical practice.

Re: Kupski T, Małek M, Mor I. The association of a risk group with positive margin in the intraoperative and final pathology examination after robotic radical prostatectomy. Cent European J Urol. 2021; 74: 491-495.

Re: Kupski T, Małek M, Mor I. The association of a risk group with positive margin in the intraoperative and final pathology examination after robotic radical prostatectomy. Cent European J Urol. 2021; 74: 491-495.

A Deep Learning Approach for Detecting Colorectal Cancer via Raman Spectra.

Objective and Impact Statement. Distinguishing tumors from normal tissues is vital in the intraoperative diagnosis and pathological examination. In this work, we propose to utilize Raman spectroscopy as a novel modality in surgery to detect colorectal cancer tissues. Introduction. Raman spectra can reflect the substance components of the target tissues. However, the feature peak is slight and hard to detect due to environmental noise. Collecting a high-quality Raman spectroscopy dataset and developing effective deep learning detection methods are possibly viable approaches. Methods. First, we collect a large Raman spectroscopy dataset from 26 colorectal cancer patients with the Raman shift ranging from 385 to 1545 cm. Second, a one-dimensional residual convolutional neural network (1D-ResNet) architecture is designed to classify the tumor tissues of colorectal cancer. Third, we visualize and interpret the fingerprint peaks found by our deep learning model. Results. Experimental results show that our deep learning method achieves 98.5% accuracy in the detection of colorectal cancer and outperforms traditional methods. Conclusion. Overall, Raman spectra are a novel modality for clinical detection of colorectal cancer. Our proposed ensemble 1D-ResNet could effectively classify the Raman spectra obtained from colorectal tumor tissues or normal tissues.

Could Fluorescein Staining in Low-Grade Glial Tumors Guide for Peroperative Differentiation of Pathological Types?

To define whether characteristics of fluorescein staining help to distinguish low grade gliomas intraoperatively. We studied 46 patients with supratentorial newly diagnosed noncontrast-enhancing LGGs removed by fluorescence guidance under the YELLOW 560 nm filter. Patients who were treated between July 2019 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical data were collected from patient records. Patients? intraoperative video recordings, pathological examination, and preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were analyzed and compared for each patient after the operation. Histopathologically, patients were divided into WHO Grade 2 oligodendrogliomas, diffuse astrocytomas (IDH mutant, 1p19q negative tumors), and pre-glioblastomas (IDH wild type, 1p19q negative tumors). Resection margins were checked using controls contrastenhanced cranial MRI at the postoperative 24 and72 hours. Our observations indicate that fluorescein primarily stains diffuse astrocytomas (IDH mutant, 1p19q negative tumors) and pre-glioblastomas (IDH wild type, 1p19q negative tumors) rather than WHO Grade 2 oligodendrogliomas. Fluorescein staining might be an option to determine tumor borders in WHO Grade 2 glial tumors, particularly for those with a higher malignancy potential.