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Urogenital fistulas are abnormal communications between the female genital and urinary tract; while such fistulas, which are the most commonly encountered, are located between the vagina and urinary bladder and are caused by the local extension of a tumoral process. Another frequently encountered cause is represented by the obstetric one, leading to the development of uterovesical fistulas. However, many questions regarding the diagnosis and management of uterovesical fistulas remain unanswered. Therefore, the aim of this article was to review the existent data so far, with special attention being focused on the pathogenic mechanisms leading to this complication, on the modalities of diagnosis, and on the possible therapeutic strategies. Therefore, according to the time of diagnosis, uterovesical fistulas can be classified as early fistulas, diagnosed in the first months postoperatively and late fistulas, diagnosed within several years from the initial surgical procedure. For early fistulas, a conservative therapeutic strategy can be taken in consideration, while in cases diagnosed after a longer period of time, a surgical approach should be taken into consideration. Meanwhile, although a surgical approach can cure most of the cases, attention should be given towards preventive strategies such as provision of quality obstetric care with improvements of surgical skills.

Background/Aim: Pancreatic cancer represents the most lethal abdominal malignancy, the only chance for achieving an improvement in terms of survival being represented by radical surgery. Although it has been considered that venous invasion represents a contraindication for resection, recently it has been demonstrated that in regards to overall survival after radical resection, it is similar to the one reported after standard pancreatoduodenectomy. Case Report: A 53-year-old patient with no significant medical past was diagnosed with a borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma invading the superior mesenteric vein. The patient was submitted to pancreatoduodenectomy en bloc with superior mesenteric vein resection; the two jejunal veins were further anastomosed to the remnant portal vein. The postoperative outcome was favorable; the patient was discharged in the 10(th) postoperative day. Conclusion: Although technically more demanding, pancreatoduodenectomy en bloc with superior mesenteric vein resection and jejunal portal anastomosis is feasible and might offer a chance for long-term survival in borderline pancreatic head carcinoma invading the superior mesenteric vein.

Background/Aim: Leiomyoma is a rare benign tumor originating from smooth muscle fibres. In the respiratory tract, these tumors are rare and in the pleura, cases are exceptional, with only a few reported so far. This is the main reason we decided to present this case of primary leiomyoma of the visceral pleura. Case Report: We present a case of a 51-year-old asymptomatic patient who, during a routine medical examination using standard chest radiography, presented with a 3 by 2 cm homogenous mass in the right superior pulmonary area, tangent to the chest wall (same level with the 3(rd) rib). Further investigation using computed tomography (CT) in the chest confirmed the presence of a 31/18 mm solid mass in the right upper lobe, in contact with the parietal pleura. Surgery was performed for two reasons: i) removal of the tumoral mass and ii) establishing a histopathological diagnosis. Intraoperatively, a well-defined, homogenous, ivory white non-infiltrating mass was discovered in the right upper lobe on the visceral pleura and in close proximity to the minor fissure. The mass was removed with negative surgical margins and was left with healthy tissue. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry came as a surprise, establishing our diagnosis of leiomyoma. Conclusion: Primitive pleural leiomyoma must remain a possibility when considering the differential diagnosis of pleural tumors. The main course of treatment is complete surgical resection. In our case, long-term follow up did not present any local recurrence.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies affecting people worldwide. As it is frequently diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, the 5-year overall survival rate is

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.

Hematogenous path remains an important pathway of spread for ovarian cancer; the most commonly reported sites of involvement are represented by liver and lungs. The aim of this paper is to report a rare situation in which adrenal metastasis from ovarian carcinoma was encountered. Case report. The 55-year-old patient with previous history of surgically treated ovarian cancer was diagnosed at 18 months follow-up with an isolated lesion at the level of the right adrenal gland. After completing the biochemical analysis, in order to exclude an endocrine disorder, the final suspicion of diagnostic was of an adrenal metastasis and was submitted to adrenalectomy. The histopathological studies confirmed the presence of an adrenal metastasis of ovarian cancer. Conclusions. Although rare situations, adrenal metastases from ovarian cancer can be encountered and might be successfully treated by surgery with curative intent.

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.

Background/aim Endometrial cancer is one of the most commonly encountered malignancies among obese women worldwide, a strong causality relationship being established between the two entities. Furthermore, obesity is also associated with metabolic syndrome; the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of metabolic syndrome on the postoperative outcomes of patients with endometrial cancer. Patients and methods Data of 23 patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer and metabolic syndrome were retrospectively reviewed and compared to the those of a control group of patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer in the absence of metabolic syndrome. Results Patients in the first group presented significantly higher values of body mass index when compared to the control group. There were no significant differences in terms of stage, histopathological subtype or degree of differentiation between the two groups. The completeness of cytoreduction was lower among patients with metabolic syndrome, however, this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.08). Although the rate of complete debulking was lower among those with metabolic syndrome, the rates of postoperative complications were significantly higher. Conclusion The association of metabolic syndrome significantly influences the risk of postoperative complications in patients with endometrial cancer; moreover, in certain cases, it might preclude the achievement of freedom from residual disease.

Background/aim The presence of the superior left vena cava represents a rare anomaly of the thoracic venous system. Case report An asymptomatic case of this type of anomaly, discovered as an accident during investigations for a different pathology (superior left pulmonary lobe tumor), is presented. A 56-year-old, heavy smoker was admitted in our clinic with a tumoral mass in the left superior pulmonary lobe discovered during a routine chest x-ray. Physical and clinical examination was normal. However, transthoracic echography noted a coronary sinus enlargement, which led to the suspicion of a thoracic venous anomaly. Contrast chest computed tomography pointed out a venous anomaly at the level of the left hemithorax originating from the cervical region, crossing the aortic arch and draining in the coronary sinus. During the examination, contrast substance was not detected in the right superior vena cava, either early or late during the computed tomography. During surgery the presence of a persistent left superior vena cava was observed, coming from the cervical region, crossing lateral to the aortic arch and draining in the coronary sinus. Conclusion The presence of an enlarged coronary sinus should warn the surgeon about the possibility of a thoracic venous anomaly. Identifying a persistent left superior vena cava is important due to its clinical implications, especially during certain procedures such as mounting central venous lines, cardiac cannulation or implantation of cardiac stimulators.

Background/aim The presence of extensive lesions of peritoneal carcinomatosis is found in a significant number of cases of extended digestive resection surgery, such as subtotal colectomy. The aim of this study was to report a series of 17 cases that necessitated performing subtotal colectomy as part of cytoreductive surgery for advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Patients and methods Between 2012 and 2020 subtotal colectomy was associated as part of the debulking effort in 17 cases. Results The median age at the time of surgery was 59 years, while the initial stage at the time of diagnosis was IIIC in 14 cases, and respectively IV in three cases. Optimal debulking surgery was achieved in all cases. The continuity of the digestive tract was reestablished in 11 cases, while in the remaining 6 cases a terminal ileostomy was performed. Conclusion Extended digestive tract resections may be needed in certain cases in order to maximize the debulking effort in patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer.

Background/aim Azygos vein aneurysm (AVA) is a rare thoracic pathological entity that mimics a posterior mediastinal mass as well as a right paratracheal mass. Usually asymptomatic, AVA is often accidentally discovered during routine chest x-rays; however, depending on the aneurysm size and complications, some symptoms may be present. The aim of this paper is to report a case of idiopathic AVA and to discuss its aetiology, embryonic origin, symptoms, complications, diagnostic methods and treatments. Case report A 74-year-old female was investigated for diffuse thoracic pain and submitted to standard chest x-ray, which identified a right paratracheal, well-defined, homogenous opacity, considered to be part of the mediastinal shadow. The patient was further submitted to thoracic computed tomography, which confirmed the presence of a tumoral mass at the level of the right paratracheal area. The patient was submitted to surgery and the tumoral mass was resected; however, the tumor proved to be a completely thrombosed aneurism of the azygos vein arch. Conclusion AVA is a rare pathology that must be taken into consideration during the differential diagnosis of right postero-superior mediastinal masses.

Background/Aim: Locally advanced pancreatic cancer has been considered for a long period of time as an unresectable lesion and therefore, all patients have been traditionally addressed to the oncological services for palliative purposes. However, due to the wide usage of newer oncological agents in association with improved surgical techniques, radical surgical procedures became feasible. The aim of this study was to present the different surgical procedures that were performed in locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients in order to achieve radical resections. Patients and Methods: Between 2019 and 2020, six cases were submitted to pancreatic and vascular resections in Fundeni Clinical Hospital. Results: In all cases, surgery with curative intent was attempted; portal vein resection was performed in five cases, whereas arterial resection was performed in three cases. Reconstruction was performed by direct re-anastomosis, by placing cadaveric or synthetic grafts. The postoperative outcomes were favourable in all cases. Conclusion: Vascular resections can be safely associated with pancreatic resections in cases presenting locally advanced pancreatic lesions, with acceptable morbidity rates.

Background/Aim: Locally advanced liver tumours with vascular invasion have been considered for a long period of time as unresectable lesions, so the patient was further deferred to oncology services for palliation. However, improvement of the surgical techniques and the results reported so far came to demonstrate that extended hepatic and vascular resections might be safely performed in such cases and might significantly improve the long-term outcomes. Materials and Methods: A 61-year-old patient was diagnosed with a caudate lobe tumour invading the inferior cava vein and the right hepatic pedicle. Results: The patient was successfully submitted to surgery, and an extended right hepatectomy en bloc with cava vein resection was performed; the continuity of the cava vein was re-established by the placement of a synthetic graft. The postoperative outcome was uneventful. Conclusions: Although initially considered as a formal contraindication for resection, vascular invasion of the greater vessels should not preclude surgery if complete resection is achievable.

One of the most common types of cancer worldwide (9th most commonly diagnosed) is renal cell carcinoma (RCC). It is more common in developed countries and it usually develops in individuals between 60 and 70 years of age. The earlier the disease is identified, the lower the morbidity. Therefore molecular markers that exist in blood and urine may be used for earlier detection and diagnosis but also for the follow-up of the patient after treatment, whether surgical or oncological. The trend is to analyze the gene and protein expression as they constitute a source for new biomarkers. These markers are promising but in clinical practice regarding disease management, they are rarely used. Biological markers can be employed in many tumors because they can identify the prognostic value for individual treatment. However, markers for RCC are not validated, and their analysis is currently under investigation. Previous findings have demonstrated that the metastatic potential of RCC can be predicted using the biological features of the tumor cell. It is believed that the transformation from epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype gives the tumor cell the ability to metastasize. The purpose of this review was to identify the most valuable tumor markers that can be clinically used for the prognosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with renal tumors.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis, as well as the presence of liver metastases from colorectal cancer, has been long considered as the sign of a systemic disease, transforming the patient into a candidate for palliation and best supportive care. However, in recent decades, progress in the field of medical and surgical oncology has allowed scientists worldwide to produce curative therapeutic strategies for these cases such as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) or extended liver resection. In addition, the association of these two therapies has also been performed with encouraging results. The aim of the current study was to review articles published thus far in regard to the association of these two therapeutic strategies, in order to identify which cases can benefit the most, which is the most efficient agent or combination of agents, and whether these types of therapy should be performed as monotherapy or as a two-stage procedure.

Background/Aim: Vesico-uterine fistulas represent a rare type of genito-urinary fistulas; however, due to the increasing incidence of Caesarean section (C-section) in the last decade, this abnormal communication between the urinary and genital tracts has been reported more often after such surgical procedures. The aim of the current article was to report the case of a 28-year-old patient who was submitted to surgery for a vesico-uterine fistula seven years after a C-section. Case Report: The 28-year-old patient with a previous history of four vaginal deliveries and one C-section was self-presented to the Gynecology Department for cyclic hematuria and diagnosed with a vesico-uterine fistula after injecting methylene blue in the uterine cavity during hysteroscopy. The patient was further submitted to surgery, and a parcelar myometrectomy en bloc with parcelar cystectomy, cystography, and prophylactic salpingectomy was performed. The postoperative outcome was uneventful. Conclusion: Although vesico-uterine fistulas represent rare events, they should be considered, especially in young patients with a previous history of C-section.

Cutaneous basosquamous carcinoma is a variant of basal cell carcinoma that is characterized by histopathological features of both basal and squamous cell carcinoma. Due to its local invasiveness, high frequency of recurrence, and its metastatic potential, it is considered to be one of the most aggressive subtypes of basal cell carcinoma. We present the case of an 81-year-old male who was admitted to the hospital with incessant hemorrhage arising from a cutaneous tumor that later proved to be a basosquamous carcinoma. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the time, the patient did not seek medical attention as soon as the bleeding was observed, although he did present when the symptom increased in intensity and became incessant. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a cutaneous basosquamous carcinoma that presents with a massive life-threatening hemorrhage tumor, thus endangering the patient's life. The clinical and histopathological features, the behavior and the treatment of cutaneous basosquamous carcinoma are further reviewed in this article.

Background/Aim: Thymomas are a rare type of mediastinal tumors with a slow growth rate. Because of this, they are well tolerated and patients usually present with large masses, which can extend in either of the thoracic cavities. The surgical approach for such tumors is dictated by the size and localization of the mass. Case Report: We present the case of a patient with a large thymoma, resected through surgery performed by left antero-lateral thoracotomy. The patient presented in our clinic with a persistent cough, dyspnea, chest pain and tightness. Standard thoracic X-ray revealed a bilateral increase in size of the mediastinal shadow, mainly on the left side, with well-defined margins and subcostal intensity. A thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan discovered a tumoral mass within the antero-superior mediastinum, with compression of the mediastinal organs; presentation being suggestive for a thymoma. Surgery was performed, removing a 15/13/10 cm thymoma with a weight of 1126 g. Pathological examination as well as immunohistochemistry confirmed our diagnosis of type AB thymoma, stage I Masaoka–Koga. Conclusion: In conclusion, surgical treatment remains the main therapeutic option in thymomas, but it is often difficult to perform due to tumor size and local invasion. However, even in large thymomas of stages I and II, surgery can be performed using an antero-lateral thoracotomy.

Pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with respiratory failure can severely affect the pulmonary functional status and may aggravate it through pulmonary suppuration, by recruitment of new parenchyma and hemoptysis, which can sometimes be massive, with lethal risk by flooding the bronchus. The treatment consists of a combination of medical therapy, surgery and interventional radiology. In small lesions, less than 2-3 cm, medical therapy methods may be sufficient; however, in invasive forms (larger than 3 cm) surgical resection is necessary. Surgical resection is the ideal treatment; nevertheless, when lung function does not allow it, action must be taken to eliminate the favorable conditions of the infection. In such cases, whenever the lung cavity is peripheral, a cavernostomy may be performed. Four cases of lung cavernous lesions colonized with aspergillus, in which the need for a therapeutic gesture was imposed by repeated small to medium hemoptysis and by the progression of respiratory failure, were evaluated, one of which is presented in the current study. Cavernostomy closure can be realized either surgically with muscle flap or spontaneously by scarring, after closure of the bronchial fistulas by epithelization and granulation. There were no recurrences of hemoptysis or suppurative phenomena. There was one death, a patient with severe respiratory failure caused by superinfection with nonspecific germs. However, in the case presented in this study, the patient recovered following cavernostomy, which seems to be an effective and safe method for cases in which lung resection is not feasible.

Gastric cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies especially when diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease; most often patients diagnosed later during the progression of their disease will present a certain degree of peritoneal contamination such as positive peritoneal cytology or peritoneal metastatic nodules. In such cases most often they then progress to peritoneal carcinomatosis and succumb to the disease within one year. In order to increase the lifespan in such cases multiple therapeutic strategies have been proposed such as radical surgery and intraperitoneal heated chemotherapy or direct intraperitoneal chemotherapy followed by radical surgery. To date, the benefits of intraperitoneal heated chemotherapy at the time of resection have been widely investigated; however the method is still associated with increased rates of perioperative complications. Therefore, attention was focused on investigating the benefits of such procedures as neoadjuvant therapies followed by radical surgery. The aim of the present review was to examine the most efficient therapeutic strategies in advanced-stage gastric cancer such as neoadjuvant laparoscopic heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy, perioperative heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy and neoadjuvant systemic and peritoneal chemotherapy.

Background: Locally advanced pancreatic cancer invading the surrounding vascular structures has long been considered as unresectable and, therefore, patients were usually submitted to palliative chemotherapy. Case Report: We present the case of a 44-year-old male investigated for weight loss and abdominal pain and diagnosed with a locally advanced pancreatic tumor invading the celiac axis. An endoscopic ultrasound was performed and a biopsy was retrieved demonstrating the presence of a moderately differentiated pancreatic adenocarcinoma. After discussing with the patient the risks and the benefits of performing an extended surgical procedure, the patient consented to distal pancreatectomy en bloc with celiac axis resection. Postoperatively, the patient was submitted to low-molecular-weight heparin therapy for 3 weeks followed by oral anticoagulant for 2 months. Histopathological studies confirmed the presence of a moderately differentiated pancreatic adenocarcinoma invading the celiac axis and described negative resection margins. Conclusion: Although celiac axis invasion has been considered for a long period of time as a sign of unresectable disease due to the high rates of perioperative complications, it seems that in selected cases, surgery can be safely performed with curative intent, especially if negative resection margins are achieved.

Bladder tumors are frequently diagnosed urologic malignant diseases with an extremely high recurrence rate compared to other neoplastic tumors. Urothelial bladder carcinomas are mostly identified in their incipient form, as non-muscle invasive, but despite that, a third of them develop into aggressive recurrent disease. The diagnosis of bladder carcinoma at this moment is established using cytology and cystoscopy and is a great challenge for clinicians due to the lack of sensitivity. Urinary biomarkers could improve and enhance the diagnosis and screening techniques and determine a more accurate recurrence rate. However, bladder cancer is a heterogeneous disease and the existence of a single marker test with reduced cost is unlikely; thus, until then, the use of a panel of markers to obtain valuable information is inevitable even though suboptimal for use. To improve this deadlock, new biomarker panels should be identified and prepared to equalize the cost-efficiency balance. The present paper is a literature review concerning the most commonly used tumor markers in urinary bladder cancer as well as the most commonly encountered genetic modifications in such patients.

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.

Chondroid lipoma is a rare benign lesion affecting the breast, in which the diagnosis of malignancy is difficult to be excluded during preoperative studies. In this respect, a correct histopathological diagnosis is mandatory in order to avoid overdiagnosis and subsequently overtreatment. In the present study, the case of a 61-year-old patient who self-referred for the development of a large tumor at the level of the left breast is reported. Biopsy raised the suspicion of a chondroid lipoma; thus, the patient was submitted to conservative surgery. The lesion was completely excised by performing a total mastectomy. The histopathological studies confirmed the presence of chondroid lipoma, with no signs of malignant transformation. At the 24-month follow-up interval no signs of recurrence were detected. In conclusion, although it may reach significant dimensions, giant chondroid lipoma of the breast is a benign lesion that may benefit from conservative treatment and does not recur.

Despite the development of imagistic methods, the differential diagnosis of a right atrial mass may be difficult to be established, the most common pathologies which should be taken in consideration being represented by thrombus, tumors, prominent crista terminalis, or vegetation of infectious endocarditis. In this study, we present the case of a 63-year-old man with chronic kidney disease, in hemodialysis (HD) with a silicone central venous catheter (CVC) with the incidental transthoracic echocardiography (transthoracic echocardiogram, TTE) finding of a tumoral mass of 35x26 mm in the right atrium (RA), not related with the catheter, which was diagnosed as right atrial myxoma and underwent surgical excision. After reviewing the histopathology probe, the diagnosis of right atrial thrombus was confirmed. In conclusion, differentiating intracardiac right atrial masses (RAMs) could may prove challenging. In our patient, clinical presentation and the preoperative investigations could not differentiate the right atrial thrombus from a myxoma, and only the postoperative histopathology diagnosis was able to guide correct diagnosis.

Paragangliomas are extremely rare neuroendocrine tumors. We report a case of a 44-year-old man with hypertension who presented a tumoral mass located retroperitoneally at the aortic bifurcation which included both the common iliac arteries and the posterior left iliac vein, who experienced an unpredictable intraoperative cardiac arrest with electromechanical dissociation at 5 min after laparotomy. After successful resuscitation and hemodynamic stability, the lesion was fully excised. In the course of tumor manipulation, the patient developed a major hypertensive crisis with peak systolic blood pressure over 280 mmHg. Pathologic examination revealed the presence of diffuse proliferation of large and medium-sized mature adipocytes consistent with paraganglioma diagnosis. The patient was discharged at home on the seventh postoperative day. He did not present evidence of recurrence at the one-year follow-up. In conclusion, paragangliomas can require particular management due to their location but also due to their capacity to discharge substances which might induce life-threatening intraoperative complications.

Background/aim Cardiac papillary fibroelastomas (CPF) are benign tumors, frequently asymptomatic, characterized by a mobile pedunculated mass that arises from the endocardium. When CPF is located in the left ventricle, it may protrude into the left ventricular outflow tract and affect hemodynamics. They are highly thrombogenic, and can also cause some life-threatening events such as cerebral and peripheral embolization. Case report We herein report a case of a 74-year-old female admitted to our center with palpitations and dyspnea on exertion. Her past medical history revealed that she had had a transient ischemic attack 7 months before presentation. Echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intracardiac mass anchored in the anteroapical interventricular septum without interference with aortic or mitral valve functionality. Surgical resection of the left ventricular mass was performed through the left apical ventriculotomy approach. Histopathological examination of the tumor was suggestive of papillary fibroelastoma. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged home on the eighth postoperative day, with no recurrence at 6 months. Conclusion Although left ventricular papillary fibroelastomas are benign tumors, they carry a high risk for embolic complications and therefore surgery should be proposed, the transapical approach being a safe and effective method.

Background Pulmonary cystadenoma is a very rare benign tumor of the lung with slow growth rate and most often, asymptomatic. Case report We present the case of a 58-year-old patient admitted in the hospital for coughing with hemoptoic sputum. Standard thoracic radiography revealed a 4/5 cm macronodular opacity in the right inferior lobe, paracardiac. Thoracic computed tomography (CT) with contrast discovered a 3.8/4.7 cm homogenous mass in the right inferior lobe. After intraoperative assessment of the lesion a lower right lobectomy with mediastinal and local lymphadenectomy was performed. Conclusion Pulmonary mucinous cystadenoma is one of the primary pulmonary mucinous cystic neoplasia (PMCT) alongside PMCT of low malignancy and pulmonary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (PMCAC). Because of this and because of the clinical and imagistic similarities between these main entities, establishing a preoperative diagnosis becomes very difficult. Therefore, histopathological and immunohistochemistry studies are mandatory in order to establish the correct diagnosis.

Background/aim The aim of this study is to report a case series of three patients who developed postoperative severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, although the initial tests were negative. Patients and methods Between April and September 2020, three patients submitted to pancreatoduodenectomy developed SARS-CoV-2 infection; their outcomes were compared to those of a similar group in which the postoperative outcomes were uneventful. Results There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of pre- and intraoperative outcomes; however, all of the three cases who developed SARS-CoV-2 infection postoperatively required re-admission in the intensive care unit and a longer hospital in stay. The overall mortality rate was null. Conclusion Patients submitted to pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic head cancer who develop SARS-COV-2 infection postoperatively need a more appropriate supportive care; however, the overall mortality does not appear to increase, justifying, in this way, the continuation of programmed oncological of surgeries.

Background/aim The incidence of early pregnancy loss widely varies according to age, being considerably higher in older women. Severe congenital malformations play an important role in pregnancy loss, having a high risk of recurrence. Congenital heart defects are the most common congenital abnormalities, thus the diagnosis of such malformations in aborted embryos is important for establishing both a possible cause for pregnancy loss and for correctly counseling the parents. Pathologic examination of the heart that is only a few millimeters in size, is very challenging. Patients and methods A pathologic examination protocol using transverse microscopic sections at the level of the 4-chamber and 3-vessel planes is proposed for heart evaluation. Results Two 9-10 gestational weeks embryos were microscopically examined using transverse slides of the thorax. The 4-chamber and 3-vessel slides were analyzed and compared to 11-13 weeks ultrasound images of the 4-chamber and 3-vessel views from 10 cases. The pathologic examination provided a detailed view of the ventricles, atria and great vessels, sometime surpassing even the ultrasound examination that was performed at a later gestational age. Conclusion We consider our proposed pathologic examination protocol feasible for evaluating normal heart structures and ruling out severe congenital heart disease.

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.

Background/aim Thoracic neurogenic tumors are most frequently located in the posterior part of the mediastinum or on the chest wall, along the intercostal nerves. Schwannomas are very well tolerated for a long period, until the tumor reaches a large size and compression of the neighbouring mediastinal organs, chest wall or spine appears. The purpose of this article was to present a case of a giant right forth intercostal nerve Schwannoma, completely resected by a right antero-lateral thoracotomy. In addition, intrathoracic giant neurogenic tumors are a rarity. Case report The patient presented with only diminished tolerance to physical activity with no other obvious symptoms. Standard chest radiography revealed a well-defined opacity of subcostal intensity, occupying two thirds of the right hemithorax, forming a common body with the mediastinal shadow. Thoracic computed tomography (CT) identified a 21/11 cm solid mass that compresses the right lung and the right main bronchus with both a solid component and a central liquid area. Open surgery was performed in order to remove the tumor, which was 20.5/12.5/9 cm in size and weighed 1,830 g, well defined, with no invasion of the adjacent organs, having a solid-fibromatous aspect as well as a central necrotic area. The origin of the tumor was confirmed from the posterolateral part of the forth intercostal nerve. Pathology examination and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of a benign Schwannoma. Conclusion Benign intrathoracic Schwannomas are asymptomatic for long periods and the main therapeutic option is complete surgical resection. The surgical approach, either open or video-assisted is dictated by the localisation of the tumor, local extension and most importantly the size of the neurogenic mass.

Although superior mesenteric artery stenosis is a relatively common situation, it is rarely symptomatic due to the fact that in a significant number of cases an adequate collateral circulation exists. The aim of this study is to report a case in which arterial reconstruction was needed due to the absence of such a patent collateral circulation. The 47-year-old patient was investigated for chronic postprandial pain and was diagnosed with superior mesenteric artery stenosis. Percutaneous treatment was the initial option of choice but the patient rapidly became symptomatic again. Therefore surgery was performed, the segment of arterial stenosis was resected and the arterial continuity was re-established by using a synthetic prosthesis. The postoperative outcome was uneventful, the patient was discharged in the seventh postoperative day under anticoagulant therapy. In conclusion, superior mesenteric artery reconstruction by using a synthetic prosthesis can be useful in cases presenting chronic mesenteric ischemia and failure of percutaneous treatment.

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.

Pulmonary carcinoid tumors represent bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine neoplasms which might synthetize serotonin, histamine, bombesin or other types of hormones responsible for the development of a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms, known as carcinoid syndrome. Data of 98 patients submitted to surgery for bronchial carcinoid tumors in the Thoracic Surgery Clinic of the 'Marius Nasta' Institute of Pneumophtisiology between 2014 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were submitted to paraclinical tests, imagistic studies (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging), bronchoscopy and biopsy in order to have a positive diagnostic of pulmonary carcinoid. The most common clinical symptoms at the time of presentation were: Persistent cough followed by dyspnea and recurrent pulmonary infections. The main neuroendocrine syndromes found were Cushing and Carcinoid Syndrome. All patients were submitted to surgery with curative intent consisting of wedge resection (in 4 cases, 4.08%), lobectomy (in 79 cases, 80.61%), bilobectomy (in 5 cases, 5.1%) and pneumonectomy respectively (in 10 cases, 10.2%). In all cases neuroendocrine specific symptoms disappeared once the carcinoid tumor was removed. In conclusion, bronchial carcinoid tumors have a positive outcome in most cases. Specific neuroendocrine markers as well as neuroendocrine syndrome disappears once the tumor is removed.

Background/aim The presence of "omental cake" has been considered since long as a negative prognostic factor in patients diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer. The aim of this paper was to study the impact of "omental cake" presence on the perioperative outcomes in advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Patients and methods Between 2015 and 2020, 85 patients were submitted to surgery for advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Results Among cases diagnosed with "omental cake" the rate of complete cytoreduction was significantly diminished when compared to cases in which this entity was not revealed. In the meantime, the presence of omental cake among cases in which complete debulking was achievable was significantly associated with a higher number of digestive resections when compared to the other cases submitted to surgery and in which tumoral transformation of the omentum was encountered. Conclusion The presence of "omental cake" is associated with a higher rate of incomplete resections. However, in cases in which complete debulking was achieved, the presence of omental cake was associated with a significantly higher number of digestive tract resections.