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Surgical management of primary hyperparathyroidism has undergone several chances in recent years and historically has required bilateral neck exploration with identification of the parathyroid adenoma together with three normal glands. The intraoperative hormone assay allows a more limited procedure by confirming complete removal of hypersecreting tissue. The Authors report surgical treatment of 24 consecutive hyperparathyroidism and conclude that evaluation of intraoperative hormone assay accurately predicts the determination of adequacy of resection and the correct outcome of surgery in patients with parathyroid adenomas.

Results are presented concerning the first two cycles of a breast cancer screening program carried out by USSL 41 (the local social health center). 38,000 women were examined in a period ranging from 1987 to 1993 and more than 250 early stage tumors were diagnosed. Early detection by screening is confirmed by tumor size and nodal involvement. Overall, this program carried out in Brescia met requirements set by international and national scientific committees. Good results were obtained as far as quality standards are concerned. The importance of screening is evaluated concerning surgical treatment undergone by the patients. The study of surgical treatment clearly shows the gradual progression of conservative surgery deviating from more destructive operations.

The authors report their experience using biofragmentable anastomosis ring (BAR) in bowel anastomosis. Starting January 1993 to February 1994, 46 intestinal anastomoses were performed using BAR, and particularly 39 end-to-end colo-colostomies, 2 end-to-side colo-colostomies and 5 end-to-side ileo-colostomies. 35 patients were affected by colonic neoplasm, 5 patients by diverticular colonic complications- and 5 patients by several unusual bowel diseases. Four emergency operations were performed, while 42 patients had an accurate bowel preparation before surgery. In this series of patients one case of preoperative mortality is reported, due to massive pulmonary embolism. Instead several minor complications occurred in other patients, such as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (one case), basal pleuritis (one case), hyperpyrexia (three cases), temporary subocclusion or delayed canalization (five cases). Only one patient suffered from intestinal occlusion induced by adhesions and a second laparotomy was required. Delayed canalization seems to be caused by the small size of the BAR employed (25 mm) or by inadequate intestinal preparation, that usually occurs in emergency operations. After surgery all patients were followed up and 18 of them were examined by coloscopy six months after surgery. No clinical problem connected with bowel anastomosis was reported and all anastomosis looked quite previous and resilient. No anastomotic stenosis was found. In our experience and from recent reviewed reports, BAR seems to be a rapid, effective and safe device for sutureless bowel anastomosis.

Several authors assumed that spleen was resistant to neoplastic dissemination because of spleen metastasis are rare in relation to the incidence of metastasis in other parenchymatous organs. We report a clinical case of a symptomatic solitary spleen metastasis in cystic-looking bladder cancer; afterwards we'll examine real incidence of secondary splenic injury. In autopsy studies, the incidence of splenic metastatic spread is in contrast with the rarity of clinical manifestations of solitary metastasis. The case reported is really uncommon: a voluminous single metastasis, cystic-looking, with splenomegaly, abdominal pain and rapid onset. In the presence of a high malignancy primitive tumor, the evaluation of the effective utility of the surgical treatment carried out is premature, because of the relatively short follow-up. On the other hand, the painful symptomatology, the risk of disruption in peritoneal cavity, the impossibility to make inquiries about the nature of the cystic mass, imposed, in our opinion, a surgical treatment.

The relationship between hyperthyroidism and carcinoma of the thyroid is still uncertain. The incidence of thyroid carcinoma ranges from 0.3 to 16.6%. Between 1984 and 1994 the Authors observed 9 patients affected with thyroid cancer and toxic nodular goiter (4 patients) or Basedow disease (2 patients) or scintigraphic evidence of single hyperfunctioning nodule (3 patients). Six out of the 9 cases were diagnosed as papillary cancer, while three as follicular cancer. A carcinoma was diagnosed before operation in only one case, while in the other 8 patients, the diagnosis was obtained by histological examination of the specimen. Four patients underwent subtotal thyroidectomy, while five patients underwent radical lobectomy. All patients are alive and in good health; the average follow-up was 48 months.

The clinical and histopathologic characteristics of a case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the esophagus are reported. The authors reviewed the literature on the matter and stressed the more aggressive behaviour of the tumor that differs from the same tumor of the salivary glands and other anatomical sites. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice, however the aggressiveness of the tumor requires, also, a chemo and radiotherapeutic approach.

We describe a clinical case presenting 2 rare features. The first was a spontaneous aortocaval fistula which had developed from rupture of an atherosclerotic aortic aneurysm into the inferior vena cava. The second infrequent feature depended on the unusual method by which the diagnosis was performed. In fact, using an echo-color Doppler flow imaging (HP 77020A ultrasound system) with a 2.5 MHz echocardiographic probe abdominal examination showed an aneurysm of the descending aorta that communicated to a dilated inferior vena cava. Furthermore, flow study with color Doppler showed a continuous turbulent, mixed (arterial and venous) blood flow into the inferior vena cava.