1.Anatomy and physiology of cisternostomy.
Iype CHERIAN ; Giovanni GRASSO ; Antonio BERNARDO ; Sunil MUNAKOMI
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2016;19(1):7-10
Cisternostomy is defined as opening the basal cisterns to atmospheric pressure. This technique helps to reduce the intracranial pressure in severe head trauma as well as other conditions when the so-called sudden "brain swelling" troubles the surgeon. We elaborated the surgical anatomy of this procedure as well as the proposed physiology of how cisternostomy works. This novel technique may change the current trends in neurosurgery.
Cisterna Magna
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surgery
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Craniocerebral Trauma
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surgery
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Humans
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Intracranial Pressure
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Microsurgery
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Ventriculostomy
2.Bilateral Breast Metastases from Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Gastric Cancer during Pregnancy: Is There a Method to Its Madness?
Erica QUAQUARINI ; Alessandro VANOLI ; Mara FRASCAROLI ; Alessandra VIGLIO ; Marco LUCIONI ; Daniele PRESTI ; Gessica LOBASCIO ; Andrea PIETRABISSA ; Antonio BERNARDO ; Marco PAULLI
Journal of Gastric Cancer 2020;20(1):106-114
Breast metastases of extramammary malignant neoplasms are rare, with an incidence of 0.3%–2.7% among all malignant mammary tumors. Breast metastases from gastric carcinoma are very rare (<0.1%), and this event is even rarer during pregnancy. Herein, we describe a 39-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of an Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC) that was characterized by prominent tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Three years after undergoing radical surgery, the patient developed bilateral breast nodules during her pregnancy. A breast biopsy was performed, and histology confirmed a diagnosis of EBVaGC; tumor cells showed positivity for cytokeratin 8/18 and E-cadherin, and negativity for cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin 20, cytokeratin 5/6, caudal type homebox 2, androgen receptor, mammaglobin, gross cystic disease fluid protein-15, and estrogen and progesterone receptors. We also discuss the main diagnostic pitfalls. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an EBVaGC with lymphoid stroma that developed breast metastases during pregnancy.
3.Minimally Invasive versus Open Surgery for Spinal Metastasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
David Eugenio HINOJOSA-GONZALEZ ; Andres ROBLESGIL-MEDRANO ; Juan Bernardo VILLARREAL-ESPINOSA ; Eduardo TELLEZ-GARCIA ; Luis Carlos BUENO-GUTIERREZ ; Jose Ramon RODRIGUEZ-BARREDA ; Eduardo FLORES-VILLALBA ; Hector R. MARTINEZ ; Mario BENVENUTTI-REGATO ; Jose Antonio FIGUEROA-SANCHEZ
Asian Spine Journal 2022;16(4):583-597
Bones are the third most common location for solid tumor metastasis affecting up to 10% of patients with solid tumors. When the spine is involved, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae are frequently affected. Access to spinal lesions can be through minimally invasive surgery (MIS) or traditional open surgery (OS). This study aims to determine which method provides an advantage. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Inventory for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines, a systematic review was conducted to identify studies that compare MIS with OS in patients with spinal metastatic disease. Data were analyzed using Review Manager ver. 5.3 (RevMan; Cochrane, London, UK). Ten studies were included. Operative time was similar among groups at -35.23 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI], -73.36 to 2.91 minutes; p=0.07). Intraoperative bleeding was lower in MIS at -562.59 mL (95% CI, -776.97 to -348.20 mL; p<0.00001). OS procedures had higher odds of requiring blood transfusions at 0.26 (95% CI, 0.15 to 0.45; p<0.00001). Both approaches instrumented similar numbers of levels at -0.05 levels (95% CI, -0.75 to 0.66 levels; p=0.89). We observed a decreased need for postoperative bed rest at -1.60 days (95% CI, -2.46 to -0.74 days; p=0.0003), a shorter length of stay at -3.08 days (95% CI, -4.50 to -1.66 days; p=0.001), and decreased odds of complications at 0.60 (95% CI, 0.37 to 0.96; p=0.03) in the MIS group. Both approaches revealed similar reintervention rates at 0.65 (95% CI, 0.15 to 2.84; p=0.57), effective rates of reducing metastasis-related pain at -0.74 (95% CI, -2.41 to 0.94; p=0.39), and comparable scores of the Tokuhashi scale at -0.52 (95% CI, -2.08 to 1.05; p=0.41), Frankel scale at 1.00 (95% CI, 0.60 to 1.68; p=1.0), and American Spinal Injury Association Scale at 0.53 (95% CI, 0.21 to 1.37; p=0.19). MIS appears to provide advantages over OS. Larger and prospective studies should fully detail the role of MIS as a treatment for spine metastasis.
4.Response to: Letter to the Editor, Minimally Invasive versus Open Surgery for Spinal Metastasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
David Eugenio HINOJOSA-GONZALEZ ; Andres ROBLESGIL-MEDRANO ; Juan Bernardo VILLARREAL-ESPINOZA ; Eduardo TELLEZ-GARCIA ; Luis Carlos BUENO-GUTIERREZ ; Jose Ramon RODRIGUEZ-BARREDA ; Eduardo FLORES-VILLALBA ; Jose Antonio FIGUEROA-SANCHEZ
Asian Spine Journal 2021;15(5):710-712
5. Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminth infections among school-age children in the Cagayan Valley, the Philippines
Ryan LABANA ; Vimar ROMERO ; Analette GUINTO ; Alvin CARIL ; Kimberly UNTALAN ; Alejandro REBOA ; Lanieleen Jerah AROCHA ; Khristine SANDOVAL ; Kristel Joy CADA ; Gary Antonio LIRIO ; Iris Rowena BERNARDO ; Julieta DUNGCA
Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine 2021;14(3):113-121
Objective: To identify the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) among school-age children in the Cagayan Valley, the Philippines, assess their level of awareness on the disease, and determine predisposing factors of the disease. Methods: A total of 478 Grades III-V school-age children in Pamplona and Sanchez-Mira School Districts in the Cagayan Valley answered the questionnaire assessing their knowledge, attitude, and practices on STH, subjected to anthropometric measurements, and provided faecal samples for parasitologic assessment (direct smear, Kato-Katz, and formol-ether concentration techniques). Results: The participants of the study, with 55.86% females, were 8 to 14 years old. Their nutritional status was assessed 'normal' (84.31%), 'severely wasted' (6.49%), 'wasted' (5.23%), 'overweight' (2.72%), and 'obese' (1.26%). The prevalence of infection with at least 1 STH species was 25.99% in Pamplona and 19.40% in Sanchez- Mira. Overall, the prevalence of heavy intensity was 7.11% for Ascaris lumbricoides and 1.67% for Trichuris trichiura. All hookworm infections had light intensities. The majority of the school-age children had a low score in the KAP test. In knowledge of STH, 'stunted growth as a symptom of infection' was associated with a lower risk of Ascaris lumbricoides infection (OR 0.448; 95% CI 0.212, 0.945; P=0.035) while 'playing with soil as a mode of transmission' was associated with an increased risk of Ascaris lumbricoides infection (OR 2.067; 95% CI 1.014, 4.212; P=0.046). In attitude towards STH, 'I think I have intestinal worm now' was associated with a higher risk of Ascaris lumbricoides infection (OR 1.681; 95% CI 1.061, 2.662; P=0.027). Conclusions: The prevalence rate of Ascaris lumbricoides among the school-age children in the Cagayan Valley shows the need to further intensify intervention in the area to meet the threshold set by the World Health Organization. The identified predictors of infection, which concerns the school-age children's knowledge and attitude toward STH, can be used in augmenting intervention programs in the future.
6.Anti-urolithiatic activity of sambong (Blumea balsamifera) extract in Ethylene Glycol-induced Urolithiatic Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Althea Samantha C. Agdamag ; Larielyn Hope C. Aggabao ; Mary Sheena C. Agudo ; Francis Louis M. Alcachupas ; Jeremiah Carlo V. Alejo ; Shari A. Altamera ; Jose Nicolo D. Antonio ; Jeric L. Arbizo ; Jose Joaquin H. Arroyo ; Daniel Raphael D.G. Bañ ; ez ; Vincent Bryan B. Balaong ; Nicole Audri R. Belo ; Noel L. Bernardo ; John Jefferson V. Besa ; John Harvey M. Beza ; Tammy L. Dela Rosa
Acta Medica Philippina 2020;54(1):31-35
Objective:
The study aimed to determine if Blumea balsamifera inhibits calcium oxalate stone formation in the kidneys through determination of the number of calcium oxalate stones in the renal cortex and the percent mass of calcium oxalate.
Methods:
Post-test only control group design was used using five treatment groups with placebo as the negative control, potassium citrate as the positive control, and 50%, 100%, and 200% sambong treatment. Urolithiasis was induced through ethylene glycol and ammonium chloride. Each treatment group was administered its corresponding treatment solution once daily for twenty-one days. Histopathologic examination and kidney homogenate analysis were done to determine the degree of deposition of calcium oxalate stones in renal tissues and the oxalate content, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA and post hoc Gabriel's Pairwise Comparisons Test.
Results:
The 100% sambong treatment group showed the least mean number of stones while the positive control and 50% sambong treatment group exhibited the highest anti-urolithiatic activity in terms of oxalate content of the kidney homogenate.
Conclusion
It can be concluded from the study that Blumea balsamifera inhibits calcium oxalate stone formation in the kidneys with the 100% and 50% sambong treatment most effective in decreasing number of stones and oxalate content of the kidney homogenate, respectively.
Urolithiasis
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Kidney