Ulf Öhman

Prognosis in patients with obstructing colorectal carcinoma

Abstract Over a 30 year interval (1950 to 1979), 1,061 patients with colorectal carcinoma were seen; 148 presented with bowel obstruction and in this retrospective study were compared with those having nonobstructive tumors. The age and sex distribution did not differ between the groups. The curability rate was 53 percent, versus 72 percent for nonobstructed patients; the 5 year survival rate was 16 percent overall and 31 percent in curable cases, versus 37 and 50 percent for elective patients, respectively. Survival within tumor stages did not differ between the groups; the difference in outcome was mainly a result of obstructed patients having fewer stage A and more stage C lesions. Most right-sided growths were primarily resected, while the left-sided growths were mainly treated with staged resection. Operative mortality for curable patients was 8 percent, not different from the 7 percent rate in elective patients. The 5 year survival rate was 19 percent after primary and 35 percent after staged resection. It was concluded that patients with bowel obstruction secondary to colorectal carcinoma have low curability and survival rates, primarily because of advanced disease at the time of diagnosis and treatment.

Bladder and sexual function after surgery for rectal cancer

Bladder function and sexual potency were studied before and after surgery for rectal carcinoma. Urinary voiding after postoperative removal of indwelling catheter was impaired in seven of 22 men, leading to prostatic surgery in four. Two years later, eight of 16 men reported disturbed voiding, but no significant changes were found in bladder capacity, residual volume, flow rate, or detrusor pressure. Sexual potency was reduced in five of ten men, in one with retrograde ejaculation; and three did not achieve erection. Objective postoperative bladder disturbance was surprisingly rare. Symptoms of denervation were more commonly attributable to sympathetic rather than parasympathetic lesions, possibly as a result of more energetic dissection in the anteroposterior plane than along the lateral pelvic walls. No patient had total autonomic denervation. Wide indications are advocated for prostatic resection in patients who have prostatic symptoms in association with surgery for rectal carcinoma.

Effects of intraluminal pressure on regional blood flow in obstructed and unobstructed small intestines in the rat

Small bowel circulation in the rat was studied with the microsphere technique before and after 10 minutes of elevated intraintestinal pressure. A distal small bowel loop consisting of 10 vascular arcades was used. The specimens were inflated with nitrogen gas. Regional blood flow in both obstructed and unobstructed small bowels was significantly diminished by an intraintestinal pressure of 40 mm Hg. A pressure of 20 mm Hg impaired circulation only in the obstructed small intestine, whereas the unobstructed intestine did not show a similar decrease. These findings suggest that moderate intraluminal pressures can imply a potential hazard to the vulnerable capillary bed of an obstructed intestine. Hence, it is suggested that intraoperative decompression should be performed to avoid this postoperative threat to bowel viability.

Villous dysplasia: An ominous histologic sign in colitic patients

Preoperative biopsies and colectomy specimens from 40 patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis (of whom 20 had adenocarcinoma at colectomy) were searched for the presence of villous adenomatous changes with or without cellular dysplasia. Villous adenomatous changes were found in available preoperative punch biopsies in nearly 70 per cent of the patients with carcinoma, but in none of the preoperative punch biopsies from the 20 patients without cancer. Only three of the preoperative biopsies from patients with carcinoma showed severe dysplasia, and also one of the 20 colitic patients without carcinoma. The mucosal tip in villous edenomatous changes was usually covered by columnar epithelium without dysplasia. In preoperative punch biopsies from patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis, the presence of structures compatible with villous adenoma—even those without cellular dysplasia—should be considered an ominous histologic sign and, thus, an indication for panproctocolectomy.

Reoperation for primary hyperparathyroidism

Abstract The reasons for failure of the initial exploration and the results of reoperation were analyzed in 53 patients with a diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism, 29 of whom were referred after initial operations elsewhere. Seventy-nine reoperations were performed. Sternotomy was used in 15 patients, and in retrospect was necessary in only 5. There was no operative mortality. The reasons for initial failure were incorrect diagnosis in 6 patients, true recurrence in 4 and persistent disease in 43. Persistence was caused by surgical failure in two thirds and pathology failure in one third. Of 47 patients reoperated on for hyperparathyroidism, 39 (83 percent) were cured, a rate warranting this type of surgery. Analysis of a long-term series of initial operations demonstrates a persistence rate of 5 percent (24 of 461) and a recurrence rate of 1 percent (4 of 461) in this disease. The need for reoperation was less than 1 percent over the recent 5 year period.

Carcinoma of the Urachus: Review of the Literature and Report of Two Cases

Carcinoma of the urachus, although extremely rare, is important to recognize as the only possible treatment is surgical. The pathology, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis are presented in connection with two of the authors own cases. The diagnostic criteria for the disease are discussed, as well as its incidence.

Relation between early and advanced gastric cancer

Of 75 consecutive inpatients with gastric carcinoma during a 3.5 year period, 40 underwent operation with the intention of cure, 5 had palliative gastric resection and 30 had exploratory celiotomy only. Early gastric cancer was found in 11 cases, that is, 15 percent of patients with gastric carcinoma or 24 percent of patients subjected to gastrectomy. The patients with early gastric cancer were operated on with the intention of cure. Comparison with a previous series from the same geographic area shows that the ratio between early gastric cancer and all gastric cancer increased significantly. This improvement in the management of patients with gastric carcinoma can be ascribed to the use of gastroscopy and biopsy. The survival rates in patients with early gastric cancer are excellent. The prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer, on the other hand, is poor and has remained so for the last 30 to 40 years. Twelve of the 75 patients had gastric stump carcinoma; 2 of these were early gastric cancer. Screening of asymptomatic patients for gastric cancer is at present an impossible task in most Western countries, but the risk of cancer after partial gastrectomy for benign lesions makes screening desirable in this selected group of patients.

High dose rDNA human alpha2 Interferon therapy in patients with advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma: A phase II study

Eighteen patients with advanced and inoperable colorectal adenocarcinomas were treated with high doses of alpha 2 Interferon (Schering-Plough Corporation). The patients were randomized to receive either subcutaneous injections of 20 X 10(6) I.U./m2 three times weekly for 3 months, or pulsed treatments of 50 X 10(6) I.U./m2 daily, given intravenously, for 5 consecutive days every 4 weeks. No objective tumour regression was seen in any patient. The side effects were considerable.

Oral treatment with RU 41.740 (BiostimTM) in patients with advanced colorectal cancer: influence on the blood lymphocyte population

Twelve patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma received oral treatment with RU 41.740, an immunomodulatory drug obtained from Klebsiella pneumoniae. The patients received three courses of RU 41.740, each consisting of 8 mg daily for 7 consecutive days, with free intervals of 3 weeks. This treatment did not significantly change the distribution of various lymphocyte subsets in the blood or the NK activity of the lymphocytes. However, PHA reactivity of purified lymphocytes increased significantly and exhibited a 2-3-fold enhancement 3 weeks after the last course. Such an increase was not observed in lymphocyte preparations which were not depleted of monocytes. It is concluded that 41.740 may be immunopharmacologically active in man when administered by the oral route.

Carpal ganglia. A follow-up study.

A series of 202 carpal ganglia in 195 patients (149 dorsal and 53 volar) is presented. In 24 the treatment was conservative and in 178 it was surgical. The operative technique is described. The longterm results are known in 90% of the cases. Of the ganglia for which conservative treatment was given one-half disappeared spontaneously, often within a few months. Of those for which an operation had been performed 85% gave no further trouble, while in 2% there was pain of obscure cause. At the follow-up examination recurrence was recorded in 9% of the cases, while in a further 4% there had probably been a re-appearance at some earlier time, but it had regressed without signs or symptoms. The total recurrence rate after operation was thus 13% (dorsal 12%, volar 15%). The discussion deals with the indications for surgical measures, a group of cases with no macroscopic ganglion, the age distribution for the various sites of the ganglia and the recurrence rate after initial and subsequent operations.