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Low back pain (LBP) is a frequent and major health problem. Paraspinal muscles play an important role in trunk movements, help--ing to maintain posture and spinal stability. Changes of paraspinal muscle morphology and function are described in patients with chronic LBP. Macroscopic changes can be evaluated by CT and especial-ly by MRI, while microscopic changes are as-ses-sed by muscle bio-psy. There is evidence available in literature stat--ing that atrophy of paraspinal muscles and increased fat deposits in the paraspinal muscles are significantly as-sociated with non-specific LBP, especial-ly with chronic LBP. From a dif-ferential dia-gnostic point of view, changes in paraspinal muscles as-sociated with LBP must be distinguished from paraspinal muscle involvement in patients with axial myopathies, but these are rare. The aim of this paper is to highlight the structural and functional changes of paraspinal muscles in patients with chronic non-specific LBP. A dia-gnostic algorithm for chronic LBP as-sociated with degeneration of paraspinal muscles to exclude the presence of axial myopathy is presented. The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manu-script met the ICMJE "uniform requirements" for biomedical papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Cíl: Zhodnotit bezpečnost a účinnost endoluminální ireverzibilní elektroporace (IRE) žlučových cest provedené v oblasti jaterního hilu. Metodika: Endoluminal IRE proximálním choledochu byla provedena na 20 porcinních modelech s použitím endoluminální katétru. Výkon byl proveden technikou otevřené laparotomie z důvodu peroperačního sledování účinku IRE na okolní tkáně. Endoluminální katétr se skládá ze tří IRE elektrod (1 cm délky) připojené kolem obvodu expandéru po 120 stupních. Elektroporace byla provedena následujícími parametry: počet impulzů 50-90, napětí 1200-2000 V mezi každý pár elektrod. Všechny porcinní modely byly usmrceny 1-22 dní po zákroku. Vyšetření pomocí magnetické rezonance v den výkonu, po 3 dnech a 21dní po výkonu a následné histopatologické zhodnocení bylo využito pro zhodnocení účinku a komplikací. Výsledky: Výkon endoluminální IRE byl technicky úspěšně proveden ve všech porcinních modelech. Všechna zvířata přežila definovanou dobu studia. Periablační edém v hepatoduodenalním ligamentu a sousední jaterní tkáni byl měřen volumetricky v den operačního výkonu (2,5-42,0 ml). Periablační edém měl tendenci k zmenšování během sledovaného období o 7-27% za den. Ve dvou modelech jsme prokázali tekutinové kolekce v okolí hepatoduodenálního ligamenta a v jednom případě hematom, ve všech případech gradient napětí byl více než 1800 V/cm. Měřená hloubka nekrózy na histopatologických vzorků se pohybovala mezi 3-6 mm. Závěr: Z hlediska našich zkušeností je nová endoluminální technika IRE žlučových cest v oblasti jaterního hilu v porcinním experimentu proveditelná a dobře předvídatelná. Bezpečnost této metody závisí na zvolení protokolu ablace s optimálními parametry, především intenzity elektrického pole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cíl: Získat data o intervenčních nevaskulárních a onkologických výkonech radiologických pracovišť v jednotlivých nemocnicích České republiky, data následně zpracovat a podat informace o různých typech výkonů a jejich distribuci v rámci nemocnic, měst a krajů České republiky. Přednáška navazuje na již přednesené práce na kongresech CSIR v letech 2015 a 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To demonstrate advantages of spectral dual-layer computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE). To compare D-dimer values in patients with PE and concomitant COVID-19 pneumonia to those in patients without PE and COVID-19 pneumonia. To compare D-dimer values in cases of minor versus extensive PE., Methods: A monocentric retrospective study of 1500 CT pulmonary angiographies (CTPAs). Three groups of 500 consecutive examinations: 1) using conventional multidetector CT (CTC), 2) using spectral dual-layer CT (CTS), and 3) of COVID-19 pneumonia patients using spectral dual-layer CT (COV). Only patients with known D-dimer levels were enrolled in the study., Results: Prevalence of inconclusive PE findings differed significantly between CTS and CTC (0.8 % vs. 5.4 %, p < 0.001). In all groups, D-dimer levels were significantly higher in PE positive patients than in patients without PE (CTC, 8.04 vs. 3.05 mg/L; CTS, 6.92 vs. 2.57 mg/L; COV, 10.26 vs. 2.72 mg/L, p < 0.001). There were also statistically significant differences in D-dimer values between minor and extensive PE in the groups negative for COVID-19 (CTC, 5.16 vs. 8.98 mg/L; CTS 3.52 vs. 9.27 mg/L, p < 0.001). The lowest recorded D-dimer value for proven PE in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was 1.19 mg/L., Conclusion: CTPAs using spectral dual-layer CT reduce the number of inconclusive PE findings. Plasma D-dimer concentration increases with extent of PE. Cut-off value of D-dimer with 100 % sensitivity for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia could be doubled to 1.0 mg/L. This threshold would have saved 110 (22 %) examinations in our cohort., Competing Interests: This research received no specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Supported by Ministry of Health, Czech Republic - conceptual development of research organization (FNBr, 65269705)., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Introduction: The study identifies risk factors predicting cervical spine fracture on CT based on information in the referral form., Methods: All patients aged over 18 years with a CT scan of the head and cervical spine completed at the University Hospital Brno in the year 2019 to exclude any fresh trauma were included in the retrospective study. The analyzed potential risk factors included gender, age over 65 years, unconsciousness or impaired consciousness, mechanism of injury, paresthesia or plegia suspected to be associated with trauma, cervical spine pain, other neurological symptomatology, presence of cervical collar, presence of intracranial hemorrhage on head CT, and presence of skull fracture on head CT., Results: In total, a cervical or upper thoracic spine fracture was described in 51 of 1177 patients (4.3%). Statistically significant risk factors for cervical spine fracture on CT scan were identified as mechanism of injury similar to car accident or jumping into water (OR 2.52; p=0.004), pain of the cervical spine (OR 1.81; p.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common malignant liver tumor in adults and thermal ablation and transarterial embolization are important methods of therapy. Thermal ablation can be used in early stages. Methods based on the transarterial approach, especially transarterial chemoembolization, play an important role in intermediate stage diseases. The success of procedures depends not only on the biological nature and the size of the tumor, on the technical design of the procedure and on the patient's response to treatment, but also on the molecular changes associated with these procedures. In addition to classic predictive and prognostic factors including age, patient comorbidities, Child-Pugh score, tumor characteristics, presence of large surrounding vessels, and portal vein thrombosis, molecular prognostic and predictive factors (serum biomarkers) are often mentioned in studies. Currently, only a-fetoprotein is routinely used as a prognostic biomarker; however, there are studies referring to new serum biomarkers that can potentially help to classical markers and imaging methods to determine the cancer prognosis and predict the success of therapy. These biomarkers most often include g-glutamyltranspeptidase, des- g-carboxyprothrombin, some types of microRNAs, inflammatory and hypoxic substances, whose serum levels are changed by the intervention therapies. Evaluation of these molecules could lead to the optimization of the medical intervention (choice of therapy method, timing of treatment) or change the management of patient follow-up after interventions. Although several biomarkers have shown promising results, most serum biomarkers still require validation in phase III studies., Purpose: The aim of this work is to present a comprehensive overview of classical and molecular biomarkers that could potentially help in the prognostic stratification of patients and better predict the success and effect of radiological intervention methods.

Purpose: Identification of prognostic survival factors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in a single center in 2005-2018., Background: Transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma is indicated in Barcelona Liver Cancer Clinic (BLCC) stage B. This stage includes a very large group of patients unsuitable for curative treatment, who are in a good clinical condition and do not show extra-hepatic spread. The aim of this retrospective analysis is to identify factors influencing patient survival and to divide the patients into subgroups based on these risk factors., Materials and Methods: All patients with HCC indicated for TACE in complex oncological center in 2005-2018 were included in the analysis. The survival rates from the 1st TACE were evaluated in relation to HCC on computed tomography/magnetic resonance prior to the 1st TACE (size of the biggest lesion, single/multiple lesions, unilobar/bilobar involvement), presence and severity of liver disease (cirrhosis, Child-Pugh, portal vein thrombosis) and a combination of other invasive treatment (resection, percutaneous ablation) (single and multivariate analysis). The survival of HCC patients was compared according to the year of the dia-gnosis and the year of the 1st TACE (log-rank test)., Results: Out of 382 patients, 157 (29 women) of them were treated with TACE (540 TACEs in total, median 3 TACEs per patient). The most important risk factors for survival were the presence of portal vein thrombosis (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.279), bilobar involvement (HR = 2.257), lesion size (HR = 1.125/cm) and Child-Pugh B in chronic liver disease (HR = 1.922). Based on these risk factors, the patients were divided into 3 prognostic groups with different median survival (52.1 vs. 21.5 vs. 9.0 months)., Conclusion: Based on the retrospective analysis, predictive factors of HCC survival after TACE were identified and the patients were divided into 3 prognostic groups based on these factors.

Purpose: To compare the accumulation and effect of liposomal doxorubicin in liver tissue treated by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and irreversible electroporation (IRE) in in vivo porcine models., Materials and Methods: Sixteen RFA and 16 IRE procedures were performed in healthy liver of two groups of three pigs. Multi-tined RFA parameters included: 100 W, target temperature 105°C for 7 min. 100 IRE pulses were delivered using two monopolar electrodes at 2250 V, 1 Hz, for 100 µsec. For each group, two pigs received 50 mg liposomal doxorubicin (0.5 mg/kg) as a drip infusion during ablation procedure, with one pig serving as control. Samples were harvested from the central and peripheral zones of the ablation at 24 and 72 h. Immunohistochemical analysis to evaluate the degree of cellular stress, DNA damage, and degree of apoptosis was performed. These and the ablation sizes were compared. Doxorubicin concentrations were also analyzed using fluorescence photometry of homogenized tissue., Results: RFA treatment zones created with concomitant administration of doxorubicin at 24 h were significantly larger than controls (2.5 ± 0.3 cm vs. 2.2 ± 0.2 cm; p = 0.04). By contrast, IRE treatment zones were negatively influenced by chemotherapy (2.2 ± 0.4 cm vs. 2.6 ± 0.4 cm; p = 0.05). At 24 h, doxorubicin concentrations in peripheral and central zones of RFA were significantly increased in comparison with untreated parenchyma (0.431 ± 0.078 µg/g and 0.314 ± 0.055 µg/g vs. 0.18 ± 0.012 µg/g; p < 0.05). Doxorubicin concentrations in IRE zones were not significantly different from untreated liver (0.191 ± 0.049 µg/g and 0.210 ± 0.049 µg/g vs. 0.18 ± 0.012 µg/g)., Conclusions: Whereas there is an increased accumulation of periprocedural doxorubicin and an associated increase in ablation zone following RFA, a contrary effect is noted with IRE. These discrepant findings suggest that different mechanisms and synergies will need to be considered in order to select optimal adjuvants for different classes of ablation devices.

Background: Hepatic cancer patients who cannot undergo surgical resection of tumour are candidates for methods of interventional radiology - transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or thermal ablative (TA) therapy. Both methods are causing characteristic changes in liver tissue (inflammatory immune response, hypoxia, elevated temperature, tissue destruction) which are accompanied with systemic secretion of cytokines or microRNAs (miRNAs). The aim of our study was to investigate whether the level of circulating miRNAs related to hypoxia (miR-21 and miR-210), liver injury (miR-122) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (miR-200a) could reflect systemic effect of these intervention techniques., Materials and Methods: Study consisted of 10 primary hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with TACE and 10 patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer treated with TA. Thermal ablation was performed using the radiofrequency or microwave generator (RITA, Microsulis, AngioDynamics,Inc), for TACE drug eluting beads (DCBeads, Biocompatibles Ltd.) were used. Tumours were evaluated using RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours), mRECIST (modified RECIST) criterion and volumetry. For all patients we determined concentrations of miRNA in blood plasma samples from four time points (before intervention, immediately after intervention, 24 hours after intervention, 1 week after intervention) using TaqMan® Assays and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction method., Results: After both intervention techniques we observed changes in circulating miRNA levels. In TA cases we observed significant increase of miR-122 and miR-200a concentrations immediately after intervention, on the contrary in TACE we observed increase in miRNA concentration at time point 24 hours after intervention (miR-21, miR-210, miR-122, miR-200a). Increased concentration of circulating miRNA was followed by subsequent decline to initial level. These changes were consistent with presumed biological effect of TA and TACE on tumour tissue., Conclusion: Data of this pilot study show potential usage of circulating miRNA for monitoring of systemic effect of thermal ablative and intraarterial therapies. This work was created at Masaryk University as part of the project MUNI/A/1574/2018 and it was supported by Czech Ministry of Health grants No. 15-32484A, 16-31765A and 16-31314A. The authors declare they have no potential confl icts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers. Submitted: 1. 3. 2019 Accepted: 4. 3. 2019.

Background: Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4 associated sclerosing cholangitis is a rare inflammatory disease of the biliary tract. Although it is a very progressive condition, it responds to steroid therapy. IgG4 associated sclerosing cholangitis can mimic pancreatic carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and primary sclerosing cholangitis; therefore, it is very important to obtain a differential diagnosis. IgG4 sclerosing cholangitis is a biliary form of IgG4 related systemic disease, in which afflictions of more organs is afflictions of more organs are common, typically biliary form together with pancreatic one. Nonspecific symptoms are obstructive icterus, fatigue, and weight loss. Atypical imaging of the biliary tree and pancreas can be used to distinguish it from other diseases. Laboratory data show elevation of bilirubin, liver enzymes, IgG4 and total IgG concentrations. Sometimes IgE is also elevated with the eosinophilia, oncomarker CA 19-9 and autoimmune antibody is sometimes detected., Case: This article presents a case of IgG4 sclerosing cholangitis and its related findings. The patient was intially referred for suspected pancreatic tumour, the presumed diagnosis was later changed to cholangiocarcinoma type 4 with concurrent autoimmune pancreatitis. Atypical imaging in cholangiography made us suspect IgG4 inflammation and the diagnostic process began., Conclusion: The diagnosis of this disease uses so called HISORt criteria. It is a very complex process in which the success of steroid therapy as a final step can be conclusive, as it was in our case. It is essential to exclude a malign neoplastic growth. The authors declare they have no potential confl icts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers. Submitted: 5. 12. 2018 Accepted: 10. 1. 2019.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are rare malignant mesenchymal tumours with an incidence of 1 in 100,000. They represent only 5% of gastrointestinal tumours. The GISTs are mainly located in the stomach (60-70%) and in the rectum in &lt; 5% of cases. In the case of localized, resectable tumours, the treatment is surgical resection. Depending on the size and localization of the tumour in the rectum, either a local excision, rectal resection with anastomosis, or abdominoperitoneal amputation with permanent stoma can be performed. In contrast to carcinomas, the metastasis of GISTs into lymph nodes is rare; therefore, from an oncological point of view, lymphadenectomy in the form of mesorectal excision is not required. Neoadjuvant treatment using tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKI) is recommended for tumours larger than 5 cm and in case of tumours infiltrating surrounding organs or sphincters in order to achieve complete resectability, less mutilating and continent procedure. In GISTs with a positive resection line, re-resection can be attempted. Adjuvant TKI therapy can be considered in cases of CD117 positivity and after resections of GISTs with medium and high-risk malignant behaviour. The TKI treatment is also indicated in cases of unresectable and metastatic GISTs., Methods: Data obtained from the GIST registry by the 1st January 2017, when 10 centres in the Czech Republic were contributing to the registry, were analysed., Results: We analysed 1,095 patients out of which 45 (4.1%) had GIST localized in the rectum. The average age of the patients was 60 years. There were significantly more males (68.9%; p = 0.0007) and symptomatic patients (62.2%; p = 0.034). In total, 82% of the patients underwent surgery. Local excision was performed in 37.8%, resection of the rectum with anastomosis in 29.7%, and Miles operation in 29.7%. In the cohort, most tumours were 2-5 cm in size and almost half of the tumours presented a high risk of malignant behaviour. Systemic treatment was reported in 73% of patients. A complete remission was achieved in 80% of patients with GIST of the rectum. The median survival rate was 11.3 years and the 5-year survival rate is 90.6%., Conclusion: Despite the success of TKI treatment, the only potentially curative method of rectal GISTs is a surgical R0 resection. Given the relatively rare frequency of these tumours, proper diagnosis and treatment is demanding. Therefore, these patients should be preferably treated in specialised centres. This work was supported by grant MH CZ - RVO (FNBr, 65269705).  The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers. Submitted: 19. 12. 2018 Accepted: 2. 2. 2019.

Background: To evaluate survival benefit in patient undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by national registry data analysis and comparison of regions with unequal usage of interventional radiology procedures., Materials and Methods: A total of 4,343 patients with primary diagnosis of HCC between 2010-2016 were extracted from the databases of The Czech National Cancer Registry. The analysis was supported by data from the National Registry of Paid Health Services and the Death Records Database. Primary treatment option was categorized as liver resection, ablation, TACE and chemotherapy. The regional data analysis provided information of interventional radiology procedures frequency for primary treatment of HCC. The 14 main regions were symmetrically divided to group with well-developed interventional radiology service and low-developed interventional radiology service according the frequency of stage adjusted interventional radiology procedure usage (&lt; 15%, &gt; 15%). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression were used for survival and hazard ratios (HR) analyses., Results: Only 1,730 patients had assessed any primary treatment option, 16.5 % (285) were treated by TACE. Median of survival were significantly different in regions with well and low developed interventional radiology service for whole study population (13.2 vs. 6.5 months, p &lt; 0.001), patients treated in regions with well-developed interventional radiology service had lower risk of death during treatment (HR 0.73; 0.66-0.81). The patient treated by TACE had median of survival 15.8 months (13.5-18.1), while the survival was not significantly different in region groups., Conclusion: The usage of anticancer therapies based on interventional radiology procedures is a huge factor influences the survival of HCC patient according population-based data. Studies gathering data from cancer register databases can provide further information on treatment effectiveness. This work was created at Masaryk University in the project &#8222;Oncological radiological interventions and their benefit in complex oncological treatment, comparison of dedicated oncological treatment results data of the Czech republic II&#8220; (MUNI/A/1574/2018), supported by Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. This publication was additionally suported by Ministry of Health grant No. 15-32484A. The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers. Submitted: 1. 3. 2019 Accepted: 4. 3. 2019.

Despite several studies, the role and timing of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the case of acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) remains a subject of discussion.There is a clear indication of early ERCP within 72 hours in patients with ABP andcholedochal obstruction, moreover the ERCP within 24 hours in cases of cholangitis. However, the role of ERCP in patients with ABP without symptoms of cholangitis or concrements obstructing the bile duct is controversial. If ABP is indicated for the ERCP, the earlier the ERCP is performed the less complications it is associated with. The decision to perform ERCP is often based on findings from a biochemical and transabdominal ultrasound examination. The results of these examinations may, but may not, confirm the presence of stones in the choledochus. An effective and safe method approaching the sensitivity of ERCP in the diagnosis of concrements in the choledochus is endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and magnetic resonance cho-langiopancreatography (MRCP). The cholecystectomy should be performed to prevent a recurrence of pancreatitis and biliary problems after the successfully treatment of ABP. Key words: acute biliary pancreatitis choledocholithiasis cholangitis endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Spontaneous retroperitoneal hematoma is a serious complication of anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy. Its incidence has increased in recent years due to an increasing number of patients on this treatment. A number of case series have been described in the literature. In the vast majority of cases, the hemodynamically stable patients were treated either conservatively or by selective radiological embolization of the bleeding source. A surgical approach is reported as a last choice in the cases where the conservative therapy fails, radiological intervention is unavailable, in patients with continuous bleeding or in patients who develop abdominal compartment syndrome. In our case report, we present a patient on anticoagulation therapy for deep venous thrombosis complicated by massive retroperitoneal bleeding: surgery was used as the method of first choice and the treatment was successful. Key words: retroperitoneal hematoma bleeding anticoagulation treatment surgery.

Radiological methods and procedures have become not only an inseparable part of the diagnosis of primary and secondary liver tumors, but also therapy and disease management of patients with colorectal cancer. The most common primary liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, can be treated with curative intent by surgical approach as well as navigational radiological interventions. Palliative methods include transarterial chemoembolization, which is suitable for more than half of patients during treatment. extends treatment options even in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who fail at standard therapies. In addition to thermal ablation in oligometastatic disease, intravascular procedures (chemoembolization and regional chemotherapy, preoperative portal vein embolization) can be used. By modern intervention approaches in patients with malignant biliary tract stenosis, we are able to refine and accelerate the diagnosis, to improve quality of life and to extend patients' survival.

Introduction: Volvulus of the gallbladder is one of very rare diseases ranked among acute abdomen conditions. Only case reports are described in the literature. The disease presents with acute biliary ailments, often reminiscent of acute cholecystitis. It is more common in frail elderly women and its preoperative diagnosis is very difficult, and therefore this finding is encountered intraoperatively in most cases., Case Report: In our case report we present the case of a female patient where the volvulus of the gallbladder was found as a surprising discovery during surgery., Conclusion: Gallbladder volvulus is a rare disease that presents as acute abdomen. It is most often diagnosed intraoperatively. Cholecystectomy is the most appropriate therapeutic method.Key words: gallbladder volvulus - acute abdomen - floating gallbladder.

Introduction: The frequency of R1 resections for pancreatic cancer in studies where a non-standardized protocol of pathological evaluation of the specimen is used varies from 17 to 30%. The aim of our study is to apply the standardized (so-called Leeds) protocol of resected pancreatic specimen pathological examination, and to evaluate the frequency of R1 resections for pancreatic cancer using this new protocol., Material and Methods: Ninety-one patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer were included in the study. This group was divided into two subgroups: patients examined by the Leeds protocol (n=20) and those examined by a non-standardized pathological protocol (n=71). The R1 resection rate was evaluated separately in each group. The positivity rate of every individual resection margin was specified in the Leeds protocol group. The correlation of R1 resection rate and "tumour - resection margin distance" parameter was evaluated. The tumour infiltration of peripancreatic adipose tissue was assessed in the non-standardized group., Results: In the Leeds protocol subgroup, R1 and R0 resection rate was 60% (12/20) and 40% (8/20), respectively. Resection line positivity rates were as follows: dorsal 45% (9/20), ventral 35% (7/20), VMS 20% (4/20), cervical 20% (4/20), AMS 15% (3/20). The correlation between the tumour - resection line distance and R1 resection frequency was the following: direct infiltration 30% R1, tumour-resection margin border 0.5 mm 50% R1, 1mm 60%, 1.5 mm 75% R1, 2 mm 80% R1, >2 mm 80% R1. If the criterion of resection line positivity ( 1mm) was set, the R1 resection rate difference between the two groups was of statistical significance. In the subgroup where the non-standardized protocol was used (n=71), R1 resection was recorded in 25 (35.2%) patients. The main cancer-positive areas were peripancreatic adipose tissue in 26.8% (19/71) of cases, and VMS, AMS or retroperitoneal line in 8.5% (6/71), respectively. R0 resection was achieved in 46 (64.8%) patients. The statistically significant (p=0.046) difference in R0 and R1 resection rates was detected (Leeds protocol and non-standardized one: R0 40.0% vs. 64.8% and R1 60.0% vs. 35.2%, respectively) in the studied groups., Conclusion: The rate of R1 resections for pancreatic cancer increased in all studies, including ours, where the standardized (Leeds) protocol of pancreatic specimen pathological examination was used. The higher R1 resection rate when using the Leeds protocol is approaching to the local recurrence rate of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, the Leeds protocol can provide more realistic evaluation of local radicality of pancreatoduodenectomy and can also offer more accurate evaluation of the surgical and adjuvant therapy of pancreatic cancer.

Insulinomas are the most common functioning endocrine tumors of the pancreas. Most of them are well-differentiated tumors, with benign or uncertain behavior at the time of diagnosis. Surgery is considered to be the only curative treatment modality. We present the first case report of a 75-year-old woman with functioning insulinoma of the pancreatic body, which was destroyed by laparoscopic-assisted radiofrequency ablation. Hypoglycemic paroxysms disappeared immediately after surgery. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged on the eighth postoperative day. There was a new onset of diabetes mellitus, without any further hypoglycemic paroxysm from surgery to the present-4 months. Laparoscopic-assisted radiofrequency ablation is shown to be a feasible and safe method for the treatment of functioning pancreatic insulinoma.

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate our experience with the treatment of postoperative anastomotic leaks and benign esophageal perforations with covered biodegradable stents., Materials and Methods: From 2008 to 2010, we treated five men with either an anastomotic leak or benign esophageal perforation by implanting of covered biodegradable Ella-BD stents. The average age of the patients was 60 (range, 38-74) years. Postoperative anastomotic leaks were treated in four patients (1 after esophagectomy, 1 after resection of diverticulum, 2 after gastrectomy). In one patient, perforation occurred as a complication of the treatment of an esophageal rupture (which occurred during a balloon dilatation of benign stenosis) with a metallic stent., Results: Seven covered biodegradable stents were implanted in five patients. Primary technical success was 100%. Clinical success (leak sealing) was achieved in four of the five patients (80%). Stent migration occurred in three patients. In two of these patients, the leak had been sealed by the time of stent migration, therefore no reintervention was necessary. In one patient an additional stent had to be implanted., Conclusion: The use of biodegradable covered stents for the treatment of anastomotic leaks or esophageal perforations is technically feasible and safe. The initial results are promising; however, larger number of patients will be required to evaluate the capability of these biodegradable stents in the future. The use of biodegradable material for coverage of the stent is essential.

Background/aims: To prospectively evaluate our palliative management of unresectable cholangiocarcinoma (CC) treated with tailored multimodal oncological therapy., Methods: Between January 2005 and January 2010, 50 consecutive patients with unresectable CC and jaundice were palliated with percutaneous drainage. Forty-three patients underwent metallic-stent implantation followed by brachytherapy. Patients were divided into two arms: the intra-arterial chemotherapy arm (IA arm, n=17) consisted of patients treated with locoregional treatment (IA admission of Cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, or chemoembolization with Lipiodol) and/or systemic chemotherapy, while the systemic chemotherapy arm (IV arm, n=23) included all the other patients, who were treated only with systemic chemotherapy., Results: In total, 78 metal self-expandable stents were placed. Hilar involvement with mass-forming and periductal infiltrating types of CC (84%) was predominant. The average number of percutaneous interventional procedures was 11.61 per patient (range, 4-35). The median overall survival from diagnosis of disease for all patients was 13.5 months (range, 11.0-18.8 months). The median overall survival times were 25.2 months (range, 15.2-31.3 months) and 11.5 months (range, 8.5-12.6 months) in the IA and IV arms, respectively (p<0.05). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates in the IA and IV arms were 88.2%, 52.9%, and 10.1% and 43.5%, 25.4, and 0%, respectively. There were no major complications (WHO III/IV) due to interventional procedures., Conclusions: We could reach acceptable prognosis in patients with unresectable CC using complex tailored oncological therapy. However, the main limitations of prolonging survival are performance status, patient compliance and the maintaining of biliary tract patency.