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Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most aggressive neoplasms affecting people worldwide, with lower than one year rates of survival, especially if metastatic disease is encountered. In such cases palliative chemotherapy has been proposed, but the overall prognostic remains extremely poor. Meanwhile, in certain cases, spectacular response to chemotherapy has been observed, with significant reduction and even disappearance of the liver lesions. In this respect, attention was focused on establishing whether surgery might improve the outcomes in such cases. This is a literature review of the largest studies conducted on this issue.

Inflammatory pseudotumors of the liver are rare entities, only few cases being reported so far, pathogenesis of these lesions being scarcely understood. However since now multiple mechanisms have been proposed in order to explain the development of these lesions, the knowledge of their pathogenesis being mandatory in order to further orientate the therapeutic strategy. The current paper is a literature review of the largest studies which aimed to discuss the etiopathogenesis of the inflammatory pseudotumors of the liver.

Introduction. Ovarian cancer is characterized by a high capacity of relapse, even in cases in whom cytoreductive surgery with curative intent followed by platinum and taxanes-based chemotherapy were performed. In such cases, attention was focused on determining if iterative cytoreduction might improve the long-term outcomes and how far these boundaries can be pushed. While for secondary cytoreduction multiple studies have been conducted, for tertiary and quaternary cytoreduction data are significantly scarcer. The objective of the study. This paper aims to realize a systematic review of the studies published so far on the theme of quaternary cytoreduction. Methodology. We searched medical journals in English language published from January 2010 to December 2019. Results. Six studies involving 110 patients submitted to quaternary cytoreduction met the inclusion criteria. Data reported in the above mentioned studies demonstrate that quaternary cytoreduction can be safely performed both at the level of the lower and the upper abdomen, in order to maximize the debulking effort. However, a significantly lower number of cases will be considered candidates for this type of procedure, when compared to secondary or even tertiary cytoreduction, an adequate selection process being mandatory in order to minimize the postoperative risks. Conclusions. Although it is less frequently feasible when compared to secondary or tertiary cytoreduction, quaternary cytoreduction might be beneficial in selected cases.

Krukenberg tumors are ovarian metastases from different malignancies, most often originating from the gastrointestinal tract. However, in rare cases, other primary tumors, even with extra-abdominal location, might lead to the development of such lesions. Neither the mechanism of development, prognostic significance or therapeutic strategy are not clearly defined so far. It seems that these lesions are more frequently encountered in patients with BRCA1/2 mutations. Most often, Krukenberg tumors are bilateral lesions associated with ascites and with firm areas at the level of the ovarian surface. This paper aims to review existing data regarding Krukenberg tumors from breast cancer.

Uterine neuroendocrine tumors are extremely rare malignancies which are usually diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease and are associated with poor prognostic. Due to their rarity a standard therapeutic strategy as well as a standard diagnostic protocol is still missing, these patients being rather diagnosed and treated by extrapolation of the present guidelines for other types of neuroendocrine tumors. This is a literature review of the most relevant studies conducted on the issue of diagnostic and management of uterine neuroendocrine tumors.

The aim of this study is to analyze the feasibility and safety of left upper abdominal resections as part of debulking surgery. Case series presentation. Between January 2015 and August 2019, 32 patients were submitted to left upper abdominal resections. Left upper abdominal resections were performed as part of primary cytoreduction in 22 cases, as part of secondary cytoreduction in eight cases, and respectively as part of tertiary cytoreduction in two cases. The complexity of the resection increased from primary to secondary and tertiary cytoreduction; in the meantime, the rates of postoperative complications also increased with the attempt of cytoreduction. Therefore the postoperative morbidity rate was of 27% at the time of primary cytoreduction, 37.5% at the time of secondary cytoreduction and 50% at the time of tertiary cytoreduction. However, association of left upper abdominal resections leaded to a complete resection rate of 77% at the time of primary cytoreduction, 62.5% at the time of secondary cytoreduction and 50% at the time of tertiary cytoreduction. Conclusions. Left upper abdominal resections might increase the rates of complete debulking in the setting of advanced stage or relapsed ovarian cancer. However the complexity of procedures and the risk of postoperative complications increase with the number of attempts of debulking.

Background/aim The right upper abdominal involvement is frequently encountered in patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. The aim of this paper is to study the safety and efficacy of extended resections at this level as well as to determine the sites of residual disease. Patients and methods Between January 2016 and December 2019, 26 patients submitted to right upper abdominal resections were identified. Results Peritoneal stripping and full thickness resections were the most commonly performed resections (in 57% and 19% of cases, respectively), followed by capsular liver resection and atypical liver resection (in 30% and 23% of cases, respectively) while the most common sites where resection was incomplete were the liver pedicle and porta hepatis. Exceptionally, one case necessitated performing a pancreatoduodenectomy as part of debulking surgery. Postoperatively, two cases developed serious complications and required reintervention; however, the overall mortality was null. Conclusion Right upper abdominal resections seem to be feasible and effective in order to maximize the debulking effort with acceptable risks arising from perioperative complications.

Background/aim During the last decade it has been widely demonstrated that venous involvement in pancreatic head cancer is not a sign of poor prognostic, while surgery with curative intent is feasible and with encouraging results. However, the location and extent of venous invasion can occasionally pose serious problems in terms of reconstruction. The aim of the paper is to describe a case in which total superior mesenteric and portal vein resection followed by reconstruction were successfully performed. Case report We present the case of a 74-year-old patient submitted to surgery for locally advanced pancreatic cancer invading the portal and superior mesenteric veins. Surgery consisting of pancreatoduodenectomy en bloc with portal vein and superior mesenteric vein resection was performed. The venous axis was reconstructed by using a venous cadaveric allograft originating from the external iliac vein. The postoperative outcome was favorable and the histopathological studies confirmed the local invasion of the resected venous structures. Conclusion The cadaveric venous allograft can be safely used in order to reconstruct the venous axis following extended vascular resections for pancreatic cancer.

Background/aim Ovarian cancer presents an aggressive tumor biology, a significant number of patients experiencing recurrent disease. The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of secondary debulking surgery for relapsed ovarian cancer. Patients and methods Between 2014 and 2018, debulking surgery for relapsed ovarian cancer was performed in 40 cases. Results Debulking surgery to no residual disease was achieved in 31 cases; among the remaining cases, an R1 resection was feasible in six cases, while in the remaining three cases an R2 resection was performed. The most commonly performed visceral resections were represented by rectosigmoidian resection, right colon resection, total or partial cystectomy and unilateral or bilateral ureteral resection. The early postoperative morbidity rate was 32.5% while the postoperative mortality rate was 2.5%. Conclusion Extended pelvic resections are feasible in patients with relapsed ovarian cancer and might be performed with acceptable rates of postoperative complications.

Ureteral endometriosis is characterized by the development of deep infiltrating islets of endometrial tissue affecting the ureter, the optimal management in such cases being still poorly defined. Once the techniques of laparoscopic surgery improved, this minimally invasive approach has been proposed with encouraging results in treating such cases. When it comes to the types of surgical procedure which are needed in such cases, they are chosen accordingly to the degree, extent and localization of the endometrial tissue. This is a literature review of the largest studies which were conducted on the theme of the laparoscopic management of ureteral endometriosis; the main analyzed parameters refer to the efficacy and safety of the procedure.

Deep infiltrating endometriosis is a debilitating disease which usually affects young women and significantly impacts on the quality of life. Due to the fact that it remains a benign condition which usually affects patients at the reproductive age, an aggressive, radical surgical procedure might be considered as a too mutilating one by certain cases. In consequence, attention was focused on treating these patients in a less invasive manner, procedures like rectal shaving or full thickness local excision being proposed. In the meantime, once the minimally invasive techniques evolved, laparoscopic surgery has been widely proposed in the last decade in order to treat this pathology. The current paper is a literature review of the largest studies which investigated and compared the outcomes after minimally invasive approach for deep infiltrating colorectal endometriosis.

Described for the first time in 1982, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms have been widely studied so far. According to the site of origin and location, it seems that these tumors have a specific risk of malignisation and therefore their type of treatment as well as the moment in which it should be applied should be carefully tailored. In this respect, multiple therapeutic strategies have been proposed, ranging from follow up and limited excision to total pancreatectomy. The current paper is a literature review of the largest studies conducted on the theme of the therapeutic strategies in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms.

Indocyanine green guided surgery has gained significant popularity in the last decade in different areas including colorectal, gynecological or even hepatic surgery. Moreover, recently published papers came to demonstrate the utility of the method in pancreatic surgery, providing a better identification of pancreatic lesions and bringing significant information regarding the local anatomy. The current paper represents a literature review of the most relevant studies published so far on this issue.

Anatomical liver resection guided by segmental portal inflow compression proved to be an efficient tool in order to maximize the curative surgical treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma. In this respect, in the last decades, once the concept of indocyanine guided surgery gained more field, the method has been also implemented in hepatic surgery. Therefore it seems that intravenous injection followed by portal pedicle clamping and liver inspection in infrared light inspection might delimitate the segments of the liver and might successfully guide the gesture of anatomical liver resection. The current paper is a literature review of the studies which analyzed the efficacy and safety of indocyanine green guided liver surgery.

Although it represents a benign condition, endometriosis is an important and sometimes debilitating health problem affecting women worldwide, associated with a high capacity of relapse. While the correlation between different endometrial pathologies, obesity and metabolic syndrome has been clearly demonstrated lately, the relationship between endometriosis and metabolic syndrome is far to be understood. The aim of this paper is to review the most relevant studies conducted on this issue.

Uterine leiomyoma represent a common finding in women at fertile age, being usually responsible for the apparition of metrorhagia and pelvic pain; in certain cases presenting large uterine fibroids, tumoral masses can be encountered at the clinical abdominal exam. However, in certain cases they can be responsible for the apparition of urinary signs such dysuria and pollakiuria due to their compression on the urinary bladder. The aim of this paper is to report the case of a 56-year-old patient who presented for oligo-anuria and bilateral ureteral hydronephrosis and who was diagnosed with a large intra-istmic leiomyoma with vaginal development which induced the development of acute urinary retention. The patient was submitted to surgery, a total hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy being performed.

With wide implementation of screening tests for the Human Papilloma Virus, the number of diagnosed cases of premalignant or early stages of cervical cancer has increased considerably. As a consequence, surgeons’ attention has focused on determining how best to limit the surgical procedure so the benefits of the procedure will not be surpassed by postoperative morbidity. In this respect, extended lymph node dissection, routinely associated so far with cervical cancer patients, has in the last decades been replaced with sentinel node detection and biopsy. Initially performed through radiocolloid injection, this method has undergone permanent changes in order to maximize its efficacy and safety. Although the laparoscopic approach had been widely used in the past, a new method has been proposed, i.e., the use of indocyanine green injection, which has yielded promising results for sentinel node detection in the early stages of cervical carcinoma. This paper reviews the literature of the most relevant studies conducted on this topic.

Due to the permanent discordance between the number of available liver grafts and the number of cases on the waiting lists, attention was focused on developing different solutions in order to increase the number of grafts. Once the technique of living donor has been proposed, the number of grafts increased but the gap between the number of available grafts and the cases on the waiting list is still significant. Therefore attention was focused on finding out other solutions such as splitting the graft or performing a domino liver transplant. The procedure of domino transplant consists of harvesting a graft from a young patient with metabolic disorders in which a healthy graft will be used and implants it to a marginal receiver. The method seems to associate minimal risks for the marginal donor to develop the metabolic disorder especially if the donor suffers from familial amyloid polyneuropathy; however, ethical issues in such cases are obvious. The aim of this paper is to analyse both the benefits of domino liver transplant and the ethical issues of the procedure.

Ex vivo liver surgery techniques have been proposed almost two decades ago in order to extend the indications and feasibility of liver resections for large, but not absolutely unresectable liver lesions. However, the procedure remains a demanding one, being associated with high risks of postoperative complications; therefore it should be performed only in specialized centers. This is a literature review of the largest studies conducted on the theme of ex vivo liver resection for tumoral pathology.

Ovarian cancer remains one of the most aggressive biological malignancies which is characterised by a high capacity of relapse even in cases in which a curative intent treatment is performed. In such cases the therapeutic options are rather limited, especially in platinum resistant lesions. The aim of this paper is to analyse the reported results after performing intraperitoneal heated chemotherapy in such cases.

Anal cancer is a rare digestive malignancy with high propensity to spread via lymphatic route, leading to the apparition of metastases at the level of superficial inguinal and perirectal stations. However, prophylactic irradiation of all these fields is not recommended due to the inacceptable high risks of complications when compared to the rates of metastases. Therefore, sentinel lymph node biopsy has been routinely associated in order to determine which cases present lymphatic metastases and could benefit most after irradiation. This is a literature review of the largest studies conducted on the subject of sentinel lymph node biopsy in anal cancer patients.

Duodenal carcinoma remains a very rare pathology, the most efficient therapeutic strategy remaining intensively debatable. However, it seems that the most appropriate therapeutic approach for each case can be established depending on the dimensions and stage of the tumor and according to the tumoral localization. Although initially it has been proposed that in all cases in which resection is feasible a duodenopancreatectomy should be performed, nowadays the therapeutic strategy has been submitted to permanent changes, more conservative approaches such as endoscopic full thickness resection or pancreas preserving duodenal resection being proposed with encouraging results. This is a literature review of the largest studies which investigated the feasibility of duodenal resections for duodenal malignant tumors.

Gastric cancer has been for a long period of time one of the most aggressive malignancies due to the fact that it was usually diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease. However, in the last decades, introduction of upper digestive endoscopy on a wider scale led to a higher detection of this malignancy in earlier stages. Therefore, surgery with curative intent and, in consequence, better long-term outcomes, has been reported. In order to maximize the effect of surgery and to minimize the postoperative complication rates, in the Eastern studies the concept of sentinel lymph node biopsy has been implemented with satisfactory results. This is a literature review of the studies conducted so far on the theme of sentinel lymph node detection in gastric cancer patients.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains one of the most aggressive malignancies worldwide which is unfortunately associated with very poor long-term survival. However, it seems that the only option in order to improve the outcomes of these patients remains radical surgery consisting of in block resection of the tumor and the surrounding tissues. When it comes to the extent of the lymph node dissection, a permanent debate still exists between the eastern and the western countries; while the Western countries consider that an extended lymph node dissection increases the postoperative complication worthwhile, the Eastern countries consider that this should be the treatment of choice as long as these tumors usually disseminate on the lymphatic route. In order to establish what patients could benefit most from an extended lymph node dissection, certain authors proposed performing the sentinel lymph node biopsy technique. This is a literature review of the largest studies conducted on this theme.

Colorectal cancer represents one of the most common malignancies reported worldwide, associated with an increased risk of hepatic metastases development. Historically, the development of liver metastases from colorectal cancer has been associated with extremely poor rates in terms of survival. Improvement of the surgical techniques, as well as of the perioperative outcomes, in association with the development of new chemotherapeutic agents lead to a better survival; however, in certain cases with unresectable liver metastases, association of chemotherapy and resection can be no longer feasible due to the extent of the disease. In such cases liver transplantation has been proposed with promising results. However, this therapeutic strategy is only indicated when the absence of extrahepatic disease is documented. This is a literature review of the largest studies which focused on the topic of liver transplantation for unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

The role of sentinel lymph node detection was clearly demonstrated in patients diagnosed with gynecologic malignancies such as breast, endometrial, cervical or vulvar cancer. Therefore, the method provides an adequate staging of the disease with minimal postoperative complications when compared to classical extended lymphadenectomy. Recently, the method has been successfully reported in vaginal cancer patients. This is a literature review of the current papers published so far on the issue of sentinel lymph node detection in vaginal cancer patients. Although only few cases have been reported so far, it seems that sentinel lymph node biopsy in vaginal cancer patients represents a safe, effective and feasible method to diminish the rates of unnecessary extended lymph node dissection in vaginal cancer patients. However, due to the rarity of the disease in association with the low number of cases reported so far, the method is not part of the therapeutic standard protocol for this disease, larger studies still being needed.

Performing radical surgery for locally advanced vulvar cancer is usually associated with the occurrence of large perineal defects. In order to provide a better healing process of the perineal wound, different reconstructive techniques have been proposed. We present the case of a 63-year-old female patient diagnosed with locally advanced vulvar cancer for which a left hemivulvectomy with bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection was performed. After completion of the resection phase, the reconstruction with gracilis myocutaneous flap was performed. The patient developed a non-union of the flap. However, it slowly healed without any surgical re-intervention. Gracilis myocutaneous flap seems to be an effective and feasible method of perineal reconstruction after extended perineal resection for gynecological malignancies, including vulvar cancer. The method appears effective even in pre-irradiated patients with larger perineal wounds resulting after total pelvic exenteration for locally advanced gynecological malignancies.

Cholangiocarcinoma represents an extremely aggressive digestive malignancy associated with very poor survival rates in the absence of a treatment with curative intent. Moreover, an important per cent of patients are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, when resection with curative intent is no longer feasible. When it comes to cases which can be submitted to surgery, radical resection, including lymph node dissection, seems to be one of the most important therapeutic strategies in order to improve survival. This is a literature review of the most relevant studies which were focused on analyzing the impact of lymph node status on the overall survival of surgically treated hilar cholangiocarcinomas

Merkel cell carcinoma represents an aggressive histopathological subtype of skin cancer with a high propensity to spread via lymphatic route. Once the benefits of the sentinel lymph node detection have been proven in malignant melanoma, the effectiveness of the method was investigated further on in Merkel cell carcinoma, as long as the two tumoral subtypes seem to have a common embryological origin. Surprisingly, the results reported so far in Merkel cell carcinoma are rather confusing, the method not being so far associated as part of the standard therapeutic protocol. However, it seems that the method plays a certain role in identifying the high risk patients and further tailoring the therapeutic strategy. This is a literature review of the most eloquent studies conducted on this theme.

Thyroid cancer has been usually treated by total or near total thyroidectomy in association with cervical lymph node dissection and followed by adjuvant oncological and endocrinological treatment. In order to maximize the effect of the surgical approach and to minimize the perioperative rates of complications, certain authors proposed the introduction of the sentinel node detection; however, the method has certain particularities due to the complex lymphatic anatomy of the cervical region. This is a literature review of the more significant studies conducted so far on this theme.

Colorectal cancer represents one of the most encountered malignancies worldwide, with a high capacity of lymphatic spread. Therefore, the lymph node status plays a crucial role in order to tailor the adjuvant treatment and to decrease the recurrence rates. In consequence, performing the sentinel lymph node detection in colorectal cancer patients should orientate the surgeon’s attention on the lymphatic basins of drainage and, furthermore to orientate the lymph node dissection. However, the method has certain particularities in colorectal patients depending on the location of tumor, on the size and on the type of associated neoadjuvant therapy. This is a literature review of the most relevant studies conducted on this theme.

Background/Aim: Clear cell vaginal adeno­carcinomas are rare tumors occurring in women which are usually treated by chemo radiotherapy with good outcomes. However, in certain cases, this treatment is not associated with complete response and a further surgery is needed. Case Report: We present the case of a 38-year-old patient diagnosed with stage IVA clear cell vaginal cancer who had been previously submitted to radio chemotherapy and in whom the lesion persisted after the oncological treatment; therefore, the patient was proposed for surgery with curative intent. The tumor was resected by performing an anterior pelvic exenteration with good outcomes, the patient being discharged in the seventh postoperative day. At one-year follow-up the patient remains free of recurrent disease. Conclusion: Pelvic exenteration with curative intent might be the option of choice for persistent locally advanced clear cell vaginal cancer.

Background/aim Although pelvic exenteration is an aggressive surgical procedure, it remains almost the only curative solution for patients diagnosed with large pelvic malignancies. Patients and methods We present a series of 100 patients submitted to pelvic exenteration with curative intent. Results The origin of the primary tumor was most commonly represented by cervical cancer, followed by, endometrial cancer, rectal cancer, ovarian cancer and vulvo-vaginal cancer. An R0 resection was confirmed in 68 cases, while the remaining 32 cases presented lateral positive resection margins or perineal positive margins. The postoperative morbidity rate was 37% while the mortality rate was 3%. As for the-long term outcomes, the median overall survival time was 38.7 months, being most significantly influenced by the origin of the primary tumor. Conclusion Although pelvic exenteration is still associated with an increased morbidity, an important improvement in the long-term survival can be achieved, especially if radical resection is feasible.

Background/aim Pancreatic cancer remains asymptomatic for a long period of time, being frequently diagnosed when vascular invasion is already present. Such cases are widely known as borderline lesions. The aim of this study was to identify the effectiveness of vascular resection in this subgroup of patients. Patients and methods Fifteen such cases were submitted to surgery with curative intent. Results Eight cases were diagnosed with borderline resectable lesions with portal vein invasion and were submitted to per primam resection and seven cases were initially diagnosed with arterial invasion and had been initially submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by resection. In all cases portal vein resection was needed while in other four cases association of superior mesenteric artery resection was performed. Postoperatively, five patients developed complications requiring reoperation, three of whom died at the end of the first postoperative month. The histopathological studies confirmed the completeness of resection in all cases. Conclusion Vascular resections in pancreatic cancer resections remain demanding procedures, and are reserved for cases in which a radical resection is feasible.

Although the exact incidence of cervical cancer cases in pregnant women is not known, undoubtedly is the most common gynecological malignancy diagnosed during pregnancy. Association between the two entities does not seem to influence the oncological outcomes. However, the management of these cases remains a real challenge for the obstetrician and for the onco-gynecologist, fighting for two lives being necessary. Moreover, due to the rarity of cases, there are no standard guidelines, the therapeutic strategy being influenced only by small case series and observational studies. This is a literature review of the current therapeutic options available for the management of such cases.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis with breast cancer origin is an uncommon situation, which usually develops late during the evolution of the disease. The development of such lesions is commonly associated with an aggressive histology (such as lobular carcinoma) and advanced stage at diagnostic and is usually associated with a poor outcome. The positive diagnostic of peritoneal carcinomatosis with breast cancer origin can be sustained only if a biopsy from the tumoral nodules demonstrates the mammary origin of the lesions. In order to improve the outcome of these patients cytoreductive surgery alone or in association with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy has been proposed. However, more studies are still needed in order to include the method as part of the therapeutic strategy of these patients.

Central cholangiocarcinoma represents a very aggressive malignancy associated with poor survival rats especially due to the fact that most patients are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease when curative resection is no longer feasible. In order to try improving the long-term outcomes of these patients, especially in unresectable cases liver transplantation has been proposed with promising results. This is a literature review of the largest studies focused on this subject. Cholangiocarcinomas remain aggressive tumors with poor outcomes whenever surgery with curative intent is not feasible. Currently, the largest experience accumulated consists of neoadjuvant external beam radiotherapy in association with beam radiation, 5 fluorouracil and capecitabine followed by orthotopic liver transplantation. Following this therapeutic protocol excellent long-term outcomes have been reported even if vascular involvement is present.

Appendicitis is an inflammatory disease caused by obstruction of the appendiceal lumen. It represents one of the most common abdominal pathologies in clinical practice. Appendicitis has a well-defined range of signs and symptoms but is harder to diagnose in elderly patients because of less specific symptomatology, a wide differential diagnosis, and communication problems. The perforation rate in the elderly is 50–70%, rising with age (particularly above age 80), compared with a perforation rate of 20–30% in the general population, suggesting that symptoms may appear mild while the case may actually be severe. With rising life expectancy and thus an increase in elderly patients presenting with appendicitis symptoms, and to further the experience of the young clinician, we report the case of an 88-year old woman who was admitted to the hospital’s emergency ward, with acute hypogastric pain that radiated to the back and to the entire abdomen. Appendicitis was diagnosed, followed by surgical procedure and the patient recovered well.

Pancreatic head cancer is frequently associated with invasion of the surrounding vascular structures, such cases being considered for a long period of time as unresectable. Improvement of the vascular surgery techniques allowed association of extended vascular resections and reconstructions, increasing in this way the percentage of patients benefiting from radical surgery. We present the case of a 47-year-old male patient with no significant medical history diagnosed with a large pancreatic head tumor invading the common and proper hepatic artery as well as the portal vein. The venous reconstruction was performed using a synthetic prosthesis while the left hepatic artery was sutured to the left gastric artery; meanwhile the right hepatic artery was reconstructed using the splenic artery. In conclusion, extended hepatic artery resection followed by arterial reconstruction in association with portal vein resection and prosthetic replacement might be needed in cases presenting large pancreatic head tumors with vascular invasion.

Due to the wide introduction of screening tests, patients with neoplastic diseases of the uterine cervix trend to be diagnosed in early stages of the disease, and less invasive surgical procedures are needed in certain cases. In this respect, the technique of sentinel lymph node dissection has been widely implemented as part of the therapeutic strategy, indocyanine green (ICG) being one of the most reliable markers for sentinel lymph node detection. However, it seems that this agent is extremely useful in order to achieve better short-term and long-term results after cervical cancer surgery, due to its capacity to determine the uterine vascular perfusion in cases in which conservative treatment, such as trachelectomy, is performed, as well as to prevent and treat lower limb lymphedema. A literature review was conducted of the studies which focused on the role of ICG utility in cervical cancer patients besides sentinel lymph node detection, special focus was given to vascularization preservation and lower limb lymphedema prevention and treatment.

Rationale: Advanced stage ovarian cancer is rarely encountered in pregnant women, due to the high number of ultrasound imagistic studies performed during this period. The clinical course of patients diagnosed with advanced stage ovarian cancer is similar in pregnant and nonpregnant women. Patient concerns: We present the case of a 27-year-old woman initially submitted to emergency surgery for ovarian cyst torsion in the ninth week of gestation, at that moment ovarian cystectomy being performed. Diagnoses: The histopathological studies demonstrated the presence of a moderately differentiated epithelial ovarian cancer. Interventions: Although the interdisciplinary team decided for staging surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy beginning from the second trimester of pregnancy, both the patient and her family refused this strategy and opined for total hysterectomy en bloc with bilateral adnexectomy. Surprisingly, intraoperatively both ovaries had a tumoral aspect, whereas peritoneal carcinomatosis nodules were found in the Douglas pouch. Therefore, the neoplastic process was staged as a IIIC epithelial ovarian cancer, a total hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy, Douglas pouch peritonectomy, omentectomy, pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection being performed. Outcomes: The patient was discharged in the sixth postoperative day and was confined to the oncology service in order to be submitted to the standard taxanes and platinum based chemotherapy. Lessons: Although ovarian cancer has been rarely reported during pregnancy, this diagnostic should be taken in consideration whenever persistent adnexal masses are encountered.

Background and objectives: To identify the risk factors for para-aortic lymph node metastases in cases with presumed early stage ovarian cancer. Materials and methods: Between 2014 and 2019, 48 patients with apparent early stage ovarian cancer were submitted to surgery. In all cases, pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection was performed for staging purposes. Results: Among the 48 cases we identified nine cases with positive pelvic lymph nodes and 11 cases with positive para-aortic lymph nodes. The positivity of the retrieved lymph nodes was significantly correlated with the histopathological subtype represented by serous histology (p = 0.02), as well as with the degree of differentiation (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Patients with serous ovarian carcinomas in association with a poorer degree of differentiation are at risk of associated lymph node metastases even in presumed early stages of the disease. Therefore, lymph node dissection should be performed in such cases in order to provide adequate staging and tailoring of further treatment.

Background/aim The role of upper abdominal resection as part of debulking surgery for advanced-stage or relapsed ovarian cancer has been widely debated. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of upper abdominal resection as part of tertiary cytoreduction. Patients and methods Between 2005 and 2019, 11 cases presenting upper abdominal recurrences after surgically treated ovarian cancer were submitted to surgery with radical intent. Results Complete debulking surgery was feasible in eight cases, optimal debulking was performed in two cases, while in one case a suboptimal resection was performed. The most commonly performed upper abdominal resections consisted of liver resection in seven cases, splenectomy in four cases, diaphragmatic resection in three cases, pancreatic tail resection in two cases and partial gastrectomy in another two cases. Postoperative complications were encountered in two cases, while postoperative mortality was null. Conclusion Extended upper abdominal resection can be safely performed in order to increase the chances of optimal debulking surgery at the time of tertiary cytoreduction.

Introduction: Extended pelvic resection might be the option of choice in patients presenting locally advanced cervical cancer. However, the possibility of a co-existence of an ectopic, pelvic kidney that is invaded by such a tumor is extremely rare. Case Presentation: A 54-year-old female patient, diagnosed with locally advanced cervical cancer in the presence of a pelvic kidney, was submitted to surgery with curative intent. A large, abscessed cervical tumor invading the urinary bladder and the rectum was found, so a total exenteration was planned. Intraoperatively, tumor invasion of the left kidney, which was found in an ectopic, pelvic position was also encountered; therefore, total pelvic exenteration in association with a left nephrectomy was successfully performed. Conclusions: The presence of an ectopic, pelvic disposition of the kidney makes it susceptible to be invaded by locally advanced pelvic tumors; in such cases, a nephrectomy might also be needed.

Although sentinel lymph node mapping has been widely implemented in gynecological malignancies in order to minimize the number of unnecessary lymph node dissections and to diminish postoperative morbidity rate, little is known about ovarian cancer sentinel lymph node mapping. This article presents a literature review regarding the effectiveness, safety and benefits of this method. Sentinel lymph node detection in early stage ovarian cancer seems to be a safe and effective method, able to minimize the rate of patients submitted to unnecessary lymph node dissection. The second goal of the procedure, to minimize the risk of missing involved lymph nodes, seems also to have been achieved, most studies reporting a very small number of cases diagnosed with positive non-sentinel lymph nodes. Considering all these data we can note that this procedure is not yet included as part of the standard therapeutic protocol, so that further studies would be necessary to include it as a common therapeutic approach in the case of patients with early stage ovarian cancer.