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Aim: Rectal cancer shows a high incidence in older patients, however, only few reports focused exclusively on rectal cancer with the exclusion of the surgery of the colon. This retrospective study aims to compare short-term and long-term outcomes for rectal cancer in patients more than 75 years old with that observed in younger patients., Material of Study: Four hundred consecutive patients operated on for primary rectal adenocarcinoma were collected in a prospective institutional database and divided into two groups: group 1 (≥ 75 years, n =98); group 2 (<75 years, n= 302). Sphincter-saving restaurative proctectomy was the only procedure considered. Main clinical and pathological data, morbidity, clinical anastomotic leakage, reoperation rate, 30-day mortality, overall survival, and cancer-related survival were assessed and compared., Results: In our experience, advanced age itself is not a contraindication for surgical sphincter-saving proctetomy in rectal cancer patients, although it is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Overall survival is lower in patients over 75 age, but cancer-related survival is not different between the two groups., Conclusions: In our experience, advanced age itself is not a contraindication for surgical sphincter-saving proctetomy in rectal cancer patients, although it is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Overall survival is lower in patients over 75 age, but cancer-related survival is not different between the two groups., Key Words: Outcomes, Rectal Cancer, Elderly, Sphincter-saving, Surgery.

Gastrointestinal duplication is a congenital rare disease entity. Duplication cyst of the stomach with pseudo stratified columnar ciliated epithelium is extremely rare. The very appearance of a gastric duplication cyst in an adult can present a diagnostic dilemma. In majority of reported cases, the diagnosis is established during surgical exploration. We report on a 34 year-old female patient suffering from repeated episodes of epigastric pain and gastroesophageal reflux. Abdominal computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasound demonstrated a intramural lesion attached to the gastric fundus, suggestive of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). At exploratory laparotomy a non-communicating cyst, was found along the greater curvature of the stomach in the esophagogastric transition. The lesion was excised along with an adjacent sleeve of the stomach and esophagus wall because shared muscular layer with the stomach and esophagus. The final pathologic examination revealed that the inner wall of the cyst was lined by a pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium (respiratory type) and, in part, columnar and gastric foveolar epithelium. Even though a panel of imaging modalities is available, it is still difficult to obtain a preoperative diagnosis. Duplication cyst can be mistaken for a soft tissue tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. There is no therapeutic algorithm. Surgical treatment is recommended for symptomatic cases.