Walter F. Becker

Primary lymphoma of the gastrointestinal tract.

Primary gastrointestinal lymphoma represents approximately 1% of all gastrointestinal neoplasms. Gastric involvement is more common than small or large intestine and carries a better prognosis. Abdominal pain and weight loss may be the only manifestations and may be present for months or years before the diagnosis is made. Perforation and obstruction occur infrequently. Multiple tumors constitute 8% of cases. Although barium studies and endoscopy reveal the lesion in a high percentage of cases, exploratory celiotomy is not infrequently required for diagnosis. Only one-third of lymphomas are confined to the bowel at laparotomy. Histologically one-third are reticulum cell sarcomas and the remainder lymphosarcoma or lymphocytic lymphoma. Five year survival overall was 38%. Curative resections yielded a survival of 60% regardless of site while palliative resections offered only a 17% chance of cure. As expected, survival was inversely proportional to extent of nodal spread. Postoperative radiotherapy is recommended for residual disease.

Pioneers in Thyroid Surgery

The extirpation of the thyroid gland for goiter typifies, perhaps, better than any operation the supreme triumph of the surgeons art.

Changing patterns in the management of pancreatic pseudocysts.

The records of patients treated from 1938 through June, 1974, for pancreatic cysts have been reviewed. There was 205 cysts including 168 pseudocysts, 21 neoplastic, 13 retention, and 3 congenital pseudocysts. An analysis of two eras has been made: cysts treated prior to 1962 (56 patients) and cysts treated after 1962 (98 patients). In the earlier era 66.4% of patients were treated by external drainage and 34% by excision or internal drainage. By marked contrast in the more recent era only 27% were treated by external drainage and 73% by excision or internal drainage. The recurrence rate fell from 27% in the earlier era to 6% in the modern era. Improved morbidity was evidenced by a reduction from 32.2% to 15.3% in additional procedures required. Individualization in the treatment of pseudocyts with adherence to establish criteria for procedure selection with increased reliance on excision or internal drainage, as well as early diagnosis and timely intervention have improved the results of surgical therapy in this disease.