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Background: Art therapy has a long history of applications in cognitive and motor rehabilitation. More recently, a growing body of scientific literature has highlighted the potential of virtual reality in neurorehabilitation, though it has focused more on the technology itself than on the principles adopted in digital scenarios., Methods: This study is a single-blind randomized controlled trial conducted on 40 patients with stroke, comparing conventional therapy (physical therapy for the upper and lower limbs, for posture and balance, cognitive therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and specific therapy for swallowing, bowel, and bladder dysfunctions) to a protocol in which the upper limb physical therapy was substituted with art therapy administered by means of virtual reality exploiting the so-called Michelangelo effect., Results: After 12 sessions, patients in the virtual art therapy group showed a significantly greater improvement in independence in activities of daily living, as assessed by the Barthel Index (interaction of time and group: p = 0.001). Significant differences were also found in terms of upper limb muscle strength (Manual Muscle Test, p < 0.01) and reduction in spasticity (Ashworth scale, p = 0.007) in favor of the experimental group. In the virtual art therapy group, the effectiveness of the intervention was significantly correlated with patient participation (Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Participation Scale: R = 0.41), patient satisfaction (R = 0.60), and the perceived utility of the intervention by the therapist (R = 0.43)., Conclusions: These findings support the efficacy of virtual art therapy leveraging the Michelangelo effect. Further studies should also focus on cognitive domains that could benefit from this type of approach.

Background: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy for cN+ breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is controversial because the false-negative rate (FNR) is high. Identification of three or more SLNs with a dual tracer improves these results, and inclusion of a clipped lymph node (CLN) (targeted axillary dissection [TAD]) may be even more effective., Methods: A retrospective, single-institution analysis of consecutive cN+ patients undergoing NAC from 2019 to 2021 was performed. Patients routinely underwent placement of a clip in the positive lymph node before NAC, and TAD was performed after completion of therapy., Results: The study analyzed 73 patients, and the identification rate for CLN was 98.6% (72/73). A complete response in the lymph nodes was achieved for 43 (59%) of the 73 patients. Overall, the CLN was not a SLN in 18 (25%) of 73 cases, and for women who had one or two and those who had three or more SLNs identified, this occurred in 11 (32%) and 7 (21%) of 34 cases, respectively. Failure of SLN or TAD to identify a positive residual lymph node status after NAC occurred in 10 (15%) of 69 and 2 (3%) of 73 cases, respectively (p = 0.01). In four cases, a SLN was not retrieved (5.5%), and two of these cases had a positive CLN. In three cases, the CLN was the only positive node and did not match with a SLN, directing lymphadenectomy and oncologic management change in two cases. Therefore, 7 (10%) of 73 cases had a change in surgical or oncologic management with TAD., Conclusions: For a conservative axillary treatment in this setting, TAD is an effective method. It is more accurate than SLN alone and allows management changes. Further studies are warranted., (© 2024. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Background: Intraoperative examination of retro-areolar margin (IERM) often is used during nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) for cancer, but there is no robust data regarding its real advantage., Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing NSM for cancer with omission of IERM according to institutional protocols from 2016 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The decision to maintain or remove the Nipple-Areola Complex (NAC) after definitive pathology was taken at the multidisciplinary meeting., Results: Among 162 women operated in the study period, the presence of neoplastic cells within 2 mm from the inked retroareolar margin (RAM) was detected at permanent pathology in 17 cases (10.5%). Nipple-Areola-Complex (NAC) was removed postoperatively in five patients (3%) for margins <1 mm, the other 12 were observed, whereas postoperative NAC necrosis required surgical removal in additional five cases (3%). The NAC was thus preserved in 152 of 162 patients (94%). At multivariate analysis, RAM ≤2 mm was associated with radiological tumor-to-nipple distance less than or equal to 1 cm (p = 0.04) and Ki67 label index ≥ 20 (p = 0.04), whereas multifocality/multicentricity showed a trend towards significance (p = 0.07). At a median follow-up of 46 months, five locoregional relapses occurred (3%), only one of them involving the NAC (0, 6%). Locoregional relapse and overall survival for patients with RAM > or < 2 mm were not different., Conclusions: IERM is not routinely necessary during NSM for cancer, because its omission is associated with a very low return to the operating room, it is oncologically safe, and associated pitfalls are avoided. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings., (© 2023. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Background: Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) is increasingly used for women with breast cancer who are not candidates for conservative surgery. The authors previously reported satisfying results with NSM after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT)., Methods: From 2010 to 2020, 1072 women underwent mastectomy at the authors' institution. In this group, 433 NSMs were performed (40%). The only contraindications to NSM were close proximity to the nipple-areola complex (NAC), bloody discharge, and Paget disease., Results: In 112 cases involving 111 women, NSM followed NACT (group 1), whereas it was performed as primary surgery in 321 instances involving 306 women (group 2). At 5 years, local relapse was 7% in group 1 and 2% in group 2, although in the multivariate analysis, locoregional relapses (LRRs) did not differ between the two groups. An increased incidence of local relapse was associated with higher tumor stage (stage III; p = 0.046) and age younger than 51 years (p = 0.038). For 34 (30.3%) of the 111 women in group 1 with a pathologic complete response (pCR), no LRRs were recorded. Only one NAC recurrence was observed. Overall survival with each tumor stage did not differ between the two groups. No differences in complications were observed. Cosmetic results were satisfying in 83.8% of the cases and did not get worse after NACT., Conclusions: The study data definitively confirm that NSM is safe even after NACT, with good cosmetic results and complications comparable with those in the primary surgery setting. Tumor stage and age were the only independent factors for local relapse. Patients with pCR enjoyed optimal locoregional control., (© 2023. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Hemodynamically Unstable Pelvic Trauma is a major problem in blunt traumatic injury. No cosensus has been reached in literature on the optimal treatment of this condition. We present the results of the First Italian Consensus Conference on Pelvic Trauma which took place in Bergamo on April 13 2013. An extensive review of the literature has been undertaken by the Organizing Committee (OC) and forwarded to the Scientific Committee (SC) and the Panel (JP). Members of them were appointed by surgery, critical care, radiology, emergency medicine and orthopedics Italian and International societies: the Italian Society of Surgery, the Italian Association of Hospital Surgeons, the Multi-specialist Italian Society of Young Surgeons, the Italian Society of Emergency Surgery and Trauma, the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care, the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, the Italian Society of Medical Radiology, Section of Vascular and Interventional Radiology and the World Society of Emergency Surgery. From November 2012 to January 2013 the SC undertook the critical revision and prepared the presentation to the audience and the Panel on the day of the Conference. Then 3 recommendations were presented according to the 3 submitted questions. The Panel voted the recommendations after discussion and amendments with the audience. Later on a email debate took place until December 2013 to reach a unanimous consent. We present results on the 3 following questions: which hemodynamically unstable patient needs an extraperitoneal pelvic packing? Which hemodynamically unstable patient needs an external fixation? Which hemodynamically unstable patient needs emergent angiography? No longer angiography is considered the first therapeutic maneuver in such a patient. Preperitoneal pelvic packing and external fixation, preceded by pelvic binder have a pivotal role in the management of these patients.Hemodynamically Unstable Pelvic Trauma is a frequent death cause among people who sustain blunt trauma. We present the results of the First Italian Consensus Conference.

Laparoscopic surgery decreases postoperative pain, shortens hospital stay, and returns patients to full functional status more quickly than open surgery in a variety of surgical procedures. This study was undertaken to evaluate laparoscopic techniques as applied to aortic surgery. Nine patients underwent elective hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery, 8 for obliterative disease and 1 for an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. Five patients had a left aorto-femoral bypass, 3 patients an aorto-bifemoral bypass, and 1 patient an aorto-aortic bypass after aneurysmectomy. There were no laparotomic conversions and all procedures were completed with transperitoneal hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery. Mean aortic clamping time was 39 minutes and mean operative time 194 minutes. Mean blood loss was 500 ml and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.2 days without major complications. At control examinations all grafts were patent. Hand-assisted laparoscopic aortic surgery is feasible, safe, and effective. In selected cases it may be a valid surgical procedure in addition to conventional and endovascular surgery. The advantages observed in our patients were minimal tissue trauma, less postoperative pain and faster postoperative recovery.

The surgical treatment of lung cancer in elderly patients is correlated with a lot of complications that in most cases are cardiopulmonary type; for this reason, in past times these patients were left out of the surgical treatment. Today, the progress of surgical, diagnostic and anesthetic techniques permit to execute pulmonary resections in patients older than 70 years too. The aim of this study is to evaluate postoperative complications and long-term and long-term survival in patients under and over the age 70. Between January 1990 and June 2000 we have assessed 172 patients with lung neoplasm. We have divided patients in two groups: those younger than 70 years of age (group 1, n = 119) and those older than 70 years of age (group 2, n = 53). Postoperative mortality for group 2 was 7.5% and for group 5.1%. The overall postoperative complication rate for group 2 was 30.2% and for group 1 10.9%. Within group 1 main complications have been of surgical type (61.5%) while in group 2 medical type (cardiopulmonary), with higher frequency in patients ASA 3 or ASA 4. The mortality at 12 months for non-neoplastic causes was 10.2% for group 2 and 2.5% for group 1. On the contrary, the mortality at 12 months for neoplastic causes was 8.2% for group 2 and 6.7% for group 1. We haven't noticed an important correlation between the extension of the resection and the recurrence of disease. The survival at 3 years was 46.5% for group 1 and 41% for group 2 and associated with neoplastic causes.

The nonparasitic cysts of the spleen are uncommon and their pathogenesis has not been precisely determined. Often asymptomatic, the cysts are recognised during an investigation of the abdomen for other pathological conditions; if present, the symptoms are not specific and mild. The authors report two cases of non parasitic cysts of the spleen: in the first case the onset of the disease was insidious, with dyspeptic symptoms and epigastric pain; in the second case, the cyst was initially interpreted like a metastatic localisation of a an abdominal melanoma.

Riedel's thyroiditis is a very rare disease of unknown aetiology, occasionally associated with retroperitoneal and mediastinal fibrosis. It is a benign condition, but may be confused with an anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid. The differential diagnosis with anaplastic carcinoma is assured only by intraoperative biopsy. The Authors report a clinical case: symptoms were a progressive enlargement of the thyroid gland, left recurrential palsy, dyspnoea and dysphagia. The surgical treatment was total thyroidectomy, performed with bilateral neurolysis of recurrent nerves. The patient was also under adjuvant corticosteroid treatment.

Submandibular gland excision is proposed in the treatment of neoplastic and non neoplastic diseases; this surgical procedure can be performed by transoral or transcervical approach. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that cervical approach must be preferred because it is safer and allows a wider exposition of the surgical field. From 1970 to June 1995, 54 patients (47 with chronic sialadenitis, 7 with benign tumors and 7 with malignant tumors) were submitted to excision of the submaxillary gland. Of the 54 resections performed, 2 were completed with "functional" cervical lymphadenectomy and 1 with Radical Neck Dissection in pts. with malignant neoplasms. There were no postoperative deaths; complications occurred in 1 patient (1/54 = 1.8%) as a iatrogenic permanent lesion of the maxillary branch of the facial nerve (in detail 0/47 patients with benign disease and 1/7 (14.7%) patients with malignant disease). The cervical approach for the resection of the submaxillary gland is preferred to the transoral approach for the lower risk of iatrogenic lesions of the lingual and hypoglossal nerves and the possibility of curative resections in case of malignant neoplasms. A regulated and experimented technique through the cervical approach also lowers the risk of a lesion of the maxillary branch of the facial nerve.

Cervical paragangliomas are uncommon benign or malignant neoplasms, originated from the stem cells of the neural crest. Up to date it is still not easy to define properly their biological behaviour, the possible multicentric location and the association with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasias. After a wide review of recent diagnostic, pathological and clinical notions, the Authors report their experience, from 1970 to 1995, of 10 patients affected by sporadic paraganglioma and 1 by familial multicentric neoplasm localized on carotid bodies of both sides, left vagus nerve and left hypoglossus nerve. All patients but one were treated by a curative resection of the neoplasm; in one case only an explorative laparotomy was possible because of the visceral and vascular involvement.

Total thyroidectomy at present depicts a diffuse surgical procedure in the management of benign and malignant disease of thyroid gland. It is followed by a low incidence of iatrogenic damages (nervous lesions or permanent hypoparathyroidism), just like subtotal thyroidectomy and lower than surgery for nodular recurrences. Authors present the surgical technique they follow to perform total thyroidectomy, used in over 400 cases of benign thyroid diseases operated since 1986. The most important points of this surgical procedures are represented by exposure and sparing of inferior laryngeal nerve and by preservation of parathyroid function. Parathyroid glands can be exposed to direct surgical trauma but, more often, they are injured by damage of their vascular supply. To avoid this complication, vascular ligations of inferior thyroid artery have to be done never on the trunk of the artery, but on its branches just near the glandular capsula. Sparing of inferior laryngeal nerves comports the exposure of this structure for all its cervical course especially in the terminal edge, when the nerve is nearest to the gland. Systematical application of illustrated procedure has produced no operative mortality, no inferior laryngeal nerve permanent palsy, transient hoarseness in 0.5%, and transient symptomatic hypocalcemia in 2.7%.