Background: This study was conducted to determine the factors which may affect the incidence and recurrence of breast cancer in patients treated at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC). Methods: Utilizing hospital records, a case-control study was done on all breast cancer patients, treated at the VSMMC from January 200 to December 2007, comparing those who developed recurrence and those who did not. Results and Conclusions: Of the total of 404 patients treated at VSMMC during this period, only 370 patients (91.6%) with complete records were retrieved and included in the study. Overall recurrence rate was 17.8%. Age, parity, menopausal status nor family history of breast cancer, tumor characteristics, nor adjuvant therapy compliance, were the same for the two groups. More patients without recurrence underwent hormonal therapy (P=0.113). Those patients with recurrent breast cancer more often had positive lymph nodes (P=0.007). Key words: recurrent breast cancer
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Objectives: To determine if ultrasound can increase the accuracy of fine needle aspiration biopsy in confirming malignancy in clinically malignant breast masses. Methods: Clinically malignant breast masses underwent ultrasound, fine needle aspiration biopsy/cytology, and tissue biopsy. Accuracy of each test and in combination were calculated using histopathology as gold standard. Results: The accuracy of ultrasound alone was only 67.5% sensitivity of 90.0%, specificity of 33.3%, positive predictive value of 67.2% and negative predictive value of 68.8%, while FNAB alone has an accuracy of 89.2%, sensitivity of 90.0%, specificity of 87.9%, postive predictive value of 91.8%, and negative predictive value of 85.3%. With concordant findings in ultrasound and FNAB, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value are 94.3%, 97.6%, 81.8%, 95.3%, and 90%, respectively. Conclusion: With concordant findings in ultrasound and FNAB, accuracy in confirming malignancy is 94.3%. Key words: breast cancer, breast ultrasonography, fine needle aspiration biopsy/cytology
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Objective: The objective of this study was to define and describe the anatomy of possible recipient arteries in the upper extremity that can be used for free tissue transplantation in a cadaveric model and to present clinical cases making use of these identified vessels. Methods: An anatomic study was carried out to define the possible recipient arteries in the upper extremity that can be used for free tissue transplantation on embalmed cadavers were dissected from the shoulder up to the wrist. The upper extremity was divided into two zones: Zone I was from the coracoid to the medial epicondyle of the humerus and Zone II was from the medial epicondyle up to the radial styloid of the wrist. Three clinical cases for Zone I and two clinical cases for Zone II are presented. Results: At least seven recipient arterial sites in Zone I and five recipient arterial sites in Zone II were suitable for microvascular anastomosis in cases of composite tissue transplantation in the upper extremity. In Zone I recipient sites, the thoraco-dorsal and posterior humeral circumflex arteries have the largest external diameter of around 4.3mm. The smallest external diameter was found to be the superior ulnar collateral artery at 2.0mm. In Zone II, the largest external diameter was found in the radial and ulnar arteries with an average diameter of 3.9mm. The smallest external diameter was the anterior interosseous artery at only 2mm. Conclusion: The upper extremity has many suitable recipient arterial sites for composite tissue transplantation. The knowledge regarding the location, vessel diameter and length will enable the microsurgeon to plan out the reconstructive procedure and know alternative recipient arterial sites when doing composite tissue transplantation of the upper extremity. Key words: recipient artery, composite tissue transplantation, upper extremity flaps
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Whipple operation, or open pancreaticoduodenectomy, is perhaps one of the most technically challenging operations in the abdomen. The overall perioperative mortality rate is about 2% to 5% and with operative morbidity of about 25% to 45%. In the past, minimally invasive techniques were only used for laparoscopy, staging of pancreatic cancer, and palliative procedures for unresectable pancreatic cancer. Recent advances in operative techniques and instrumentation have empowered laparoscopic surgeons to perform virtually all procedures in the pancreas, including the Whipple procedure. Presented is the first case of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy. Key words: laparoscopy, laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy
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In this paper, a total of 467 species of medicinal plant, belonging to 109 families have been reported used by Yao (Dao) ethnic minority living in Bavi National Park’s buffer zone. Forty-four species have been identified as frequently used and twenty-nine species of high priority for conservation. Principal Components Analysis revealed that abundance of medicinal plants and number of medicinal plants listed in the Vietnamese Essential Drug List are negatively, significant correlated to PCA1 which dominated by altitude, slope, vegetation disturbance, number of tree species, canopy height of trees and grass cover. While number of high priority conservation and number of frequently used medicinal plants are positively correlated with PCA1.
In this paper, a total of 467 species of medicinal plant, belonging to 109 families have been reported used by Yao (Dao) ethnic minority living in Bavi National Park’s buffer zone. Forty-four species have been identified as frequently used and twenty-nine