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Background: Hepatic interstitial T-lymphocytes (T-Li), Natural Killer (NK) and NK-T cells play an important role in both innate and adaptive immunity and contribute to the regulation of ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) after transplantation of abdominal organ. Methods: The cellular concentrations and phenotypes of NK, T-Li, NK-T were analyzed retrospectively in a consecutive series of hepatic perfusates after surgical removal of whole livers on the bench previously collected from adult multi-organ donors after brain death. (DBD), and compared with the demographic and pathological characteristics of the patients transplanted at our Institute with kidneys taken from the same donors. The liver interstitial cells were purified from the perfusate by density gradient centrifugation and the phenotype was determined by flow cytometric investigation using the following immunological markers: CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD56 in order to determine the relative percentage of T-Li, NK-T and NK cells. Results: The perfusates of 42 DBDs, and the related clinical outcome of kidney transplant recipients from 2010 to 2020, were analyzed. T-Li were significantly associated with the time in days of delayed functional recovery of transplanted kidneys (DGF) (p = 0.02), to onset of secondary infection from Cytomegalovirus (p = 0.03). On COX analysis, percent cell concentration of T-Li and time to DGF were significantly associated with an increased relative risk (HR) of organ survival (HR = 1.038, p = 0.04; and HR = 1.029, p = 0.01, respectively). The specificity of the NK and NK-T cell proportions were not associated with any relevant clinical outcomes in kidney transplant patients. Conclusions: The present study points to a new potential role of T-Li cells detected in the context of liver perfusate DBD, and could detect potential impacts in organ allocation, surgical harvesting techniques and in the analysis of IRI pathophysiological events after kidney transplants from multi-organ DBDs.

BACKGROUND The current curative approaches for ischemia/reperfusion injury on liver transplantation are still under debate for their safety and efficacy in patients with end-stage liver disease. We present the SIMVA statin donor treatment before Liver Transplants study. METHODS SIMVA statin donor treatment before Liver Transplants is a monocentric, double-blind, randomized, prospective tial aiming to compare the safety and efficacy of preoperative brain-dead donors' treatment with the intragastric administration of 80 mg of simvastatin on liver transplant recipient outcomes in a real-life setting. Primary aim was incidence of patient and graft survival at 90 and 180 d post-transplant; secondary end-points were severe complications. RESULTS The trial enrolled 58 adult patients (18-65 y old). The minimum follow-up was 6 mo. No patient or graft was lost at 90 or 180 d in the experimental group (n = 28), whereas patient/graft survival were 93.1% (P = 0.016) and 89.66% (P = 0.080) at 90 d and 86.21% (P = 0.041) and 86.2% (P = 0.041) at 180 d in the control group (n = 29). The percentage of patients with severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥IIIb) was higher in the control group, 55.2% versus 25.0% in the experimental group (P = 0.0307). The only significant difference in liver tests was a significantly higher gamma-glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase at 15 d (P = 0.017), (P = 0.015) in the simvastatin group. CONCLUSIONS Donor simvastatin treatment is safe, and may significantly improve early graft and patient survival after liver transplantation, although further research is mandatory.

Biliary leakage (BL) remains the most frequent and feared complication after hepatoresective surgery. Placement of the abdominal drainage at the end of liver surgery remains controversial due to the delicate balance between risks and potential benefits in case of BL. The study was aimed to detect possible risk factors for BL occurrence after liver surgery. We enrolled all oncologic patients who underwent liver resection from June 2016 to March 2021. BL was diagnosed according to the ISGLS definition. We have examined demographic characteristics of the patients, type of neoplasia, presence of cirrhosis, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and type of intervention. Uni- and multivariable analyses were performed to assess the predictive value of potential predictor of BL. A total of 379 patients were enrolled in the study, 16 (4.2%) of which developed BL. Among others, at univariate analysis the occurrence of BL was found to be associated with bilio-digestive anastomosis (OR: 9.75, C.I. 2.7–34.7, p < 0.001) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (OR: 0.09, C.I 0.01,–0.88, p = 0.039). Multivariable analysis selected the body mass index (OR: 1.21, 95%C.I.: 1.04–1.41, p = 0.015), anatomical resection (OR: 8.35, 95% C.I.: 2.01–34.74, p = 0.004), and blood loss (OR: 1.09, 95%C.I.: 1.05–1.13, p < 0.001). Identification of patients at greater risk of BL can help in the choice of positioning the drainage at the end of liver surgery.

Background: Laparoscopic microwave thermal ablation (LMWTA) is a well-established alternative treatment to liver resection for treatment of liver tumors. The aim of this study was to describe our experience in LMWTA for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatic patients. Materials and Methods: A study group of 61 consecutive HCC patients treated with LMWTA from January, 2013 to May, 2020 were considered for this study. Patient characteristics, liver function test, operational characteristics, and complications were recorded. Results: Of the 61 patients who underwent LMWTA, median age was 64 (interquartile range [IQR]: 58-71) years, mean body mass index was 26.2 (IQR: 23.2-29.4); 44 patients (72%) presented with an hepatitis C virus etiology, 46 (75%) were Child-Pugh Class A, median model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was 8.0 (IQR: 7.0-9.4). Viral infection was confirmed to be the most important risk factor in determining progressive cirrhotic evolution with HCC expression. Conclusions: LMWTA is a safe alternative treatment to traditional surgery, and can be combined with surgery.

Aim: The purpose of this study is to assess the benefit of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) given recurrence and future need for liver transplantation (LT). Methods: Data on liver resections were gathered from the Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico-Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad alta specializzazione (IRCCS-ISMETT) from 2003-2021. A retrospective analysis of 1408 consecutive adult patients who had a liver resection was performed with categorization based on the underlying disease process. A sub-analysis studied the 291 patients who had an LLR with an intention to transplant approach after LLR. Results: From 2012 to 2020, ISMETT’s mean annual LLR rate was 45%. Data suggests that a laparoscopic approach to iterative surgical treatment for HCC has demonstrated protective benefits. Compared to open surgery or LT, LLR is protective against the risk of de-listing, post-transplant patient death, tumor recurrence, adhesions, and bleeding in a cirrhotic patient. Kaplan Meier’s analysis showed no difference between post-LT survival curves for those with prior open abdominal surgery or LLR (P = 0.658). Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery has important protective advantages over laparotomy surgery for the surgical treatment of HCC, particularly since treatment is not always curative. LLR can be considered a bridge therapy for transplantation, ensuring less crowding of waiting lists, a desirable condition in areas of donor storage.

The use of expanded criteria donors is one of the strategies used to overcome the gap between the demand for organs and the number of donors. Physicians debate the extent to which marginal grafts can be used. In recent years, normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) has been used to test liver viability before transplantation. Grafts underwent NMP whenever histological steatosis was > 40% or there were at least three Eurotransplant criteria for expanded criteria donor (ECD). We used NMP to test 19 grafts, 3 from donation after type 3 controlled cardiac death (DCD), and 16 from donation after brain death (DBD). Only two grafts from DBD were not transplanted, because perfusion proved they were not suitable (total of 17 transplanted grafts of 19 tested grafts). Kaplan–Meier survival estimates at 30, 90, 180, and 1year after transplant were all 94% (95% CI 84–100%); estimated 3-years survival was 82% (95% CI 62–100%). Overall survival rates did not differ from those of patients transplanted with non-perfused grafts from an ECD. In our experience, the use of very marginal grafts preventively tested by NMP does not negatively influence the patient’s outcome, and increases the number of transplants in low donation areas.

Iatrogenic surgical biliary duct injuries (SBDIs) following cholecystectomy are dramatic events and are correlated with significant extensions of hospital stay and worsening outcomes.

Background One of the major issues related to the living donor liver transplantation recipient outcome is still the high rate of biliary complication, especially when multiple biliary ducts are present and multiple anastomoses have to be performed. Case presentation and conclusion We report a case of adult-to-adult right lobe living donor liver transplantation performed for a recipient affected by alcohol-related cirrhosis with MELD score of 17. End-stage liver disease was complicated by refractory ascites, portal hypertension, small esophageal varices and portal gastropathy, hypersplenism, and abundant right pleural effusion. Here in the attached video we described the adult-to-adult LDLT procedures, where a right lobe with two biliary ducts draining respectively the right anterior and the right posterior segments has been transplanted. LDLT required a biliary reconstruction using the native cystic and common bile ducts stented trans-papillary with two 5- French 6 cm long soft silastic catheter. None major complications were detected during post-operative clinical courses. Actually, the donor and the recipient are alive and well. The technique we describe in the video, allow to keep the biliary anastomoses protected and patent without having the risk of creating cholestasis and the need of invasive additional procedure. No living donor right lobe transplantation should be refused because of the presence of multiple biliary ducts.

Background The adoption of extended criteria for donors remains the best strategy to widen the pool of available liver graft against the chronic shortage of donors. Benchmarking in liver transplantation (LT) offers the unprecedented opportunity to compare clinical outcome measures to a set of validated reference values. We aimed to evaluate the impact of marginal grafts usage in a cohort of low-risk benchmark cases from an area with a very low rate of deceased donation. Methods A cohort of low-risk benchmark cases was identified from all adult patients who underwent LT at our center. Among these patients, those transplanted with a graft from an extended-criteria donor (ECD) were identified. Benchmark metrics (length of hospital and intensive care unit stay, incidences of mortality, graft loss, and postoperative complication) were compared with benchmark cutoffs and between the 2 groups. Results Two hundred forty-five patients satisfied the inclusion criteria, 146 (60%) of whom received an organ from an ECD. Overall, all benchmark metrics where within the cutoffs limits, except for graft loss (14% vs 11%) and mortality (10% vs 9% 1 year after LT). The ECD group was associated with more grade III complications (60% vs 45%, P = .031), graft loss (18% vs 8%, P = .038), and mortality (14% vs 4%, P = .009). Hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis was found to be associated with less mortality (odds ratio = 0.42, P = .048). Conclusion While ECD graft usage is associated with slightly worse prognosis, our experience suggests that their use can be considered safe, especially when matched on hepatocellular carcinoma recipients.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Recent years have seen a considerable shift to a more conservative management of the axilla in patients with positive axillary sentinel lymph nodes. The aim of this study was to determine whether some breast cancer patients with a preoperative ultrasound-guided needle aspiration biopsy proven positive node could potentially be spared an axillary lymph node dissection according to the ACOSOG Z0011 trial criteria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed involving 623 breast cancer patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection after either ultrasound-guided needle aspiration biopsy proven positive node or sentinel lymph node biopsy. RESULTS: Patients with fine needle aspiration biopsy-proven positive node had worse prognosis and a higher nodal burden (6.7 vs 1.9 nodes, p

Background: Liver resection (LR) remains the best therapeutic option for patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with preserved hepatic function and who are not eligible for liver transplantation. After its inception, the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol was widely used for treating patients with liver cancer, although there are still no clear indications for improving upon it in both open and laparoscopic surgery. Objective: This study aims to describe our institute's experience in the application of the ERAS protocol in a cohort of HCC patients, and to explore possible factors that could have an impact on postoperative outcomes. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed our experience with LR performed from September 2017 to January 2020 in patients treated with ERAS protocol, focusing on describing impact on postoperative nutrition, analgesic requirements, and length of hospitalization. Demographics, operative factors, and postoperative complications of patients were reviewed. Results: During the study period, 89 HCC patients were eligible for LR, and 75% of patients presented with liver cirrhosis. The most prevalent among etiologic factors was hepatitis C virus infection (53 patients out of 89, 60%), followed by nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (18 patients, 20%). The median age was 70 years. Liver cirrhosis did not have an impact on postoperative course of patients. Patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery and nonanatomic LR experienced low complication rates, shorter length of stay, and shorter time of intravenous analgesic requirements. Conclusions: Continual refinement with ERAS protocol for treating HCC patients based on perioperative counseling and surgical decision-making is crucial to guarantee low complication rates, and reduce patient morbidity and time for recovery.

Occult metastasis from the initial tumor and a de novo second primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were recognized as the main causes for the onset of early and late HCC recurrence, after liver resection (LR). This study aims to compare the time to recurrence after LR for HCC in which a margin ≤ 1mm or > 1mm was achieved. A single-center retrospective study involving 256 patients was conducted from June 2005 to June 2019. HCC patients resected with a radical surgical approach were investigated and stratified into groups A (resection margins ≤ 1mm) and B (> 1mm), as measured on final pathologic assessment. Kaplan–Meier estimators were used to estimate the probability of recurrence, and the log-rank test was used to compare groups. Uni- and multivariable (stepwise) Cox regression models were used to assess the effect of several HCC pathological characteristics. Twenty patients were excluded for the presence of microscopic tumor invasion at pathologic analysis (R1); 236 patients underwent radical (R0) LR, and were included in the study and divided into group A (n = 61, 26%), and group B (n = 175, 74%). No differences between the two groups were detected regarding: epidemiology, tumor characteristics, type of LR, and follow-up. The estimated probability of recurrence for group A and group B at 12 and 24months was 27% and 38%, and, 33% and 46%, respectively. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression model estimates showed that tumor grading (HR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2–3.4, p = 0.006), number of nodules (HR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0–1.4, p = 0.015), and extension of the resection (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0–1.1, p = 0.047) were independent risk factors for HCC recurrence, with no significant effect of margin status on time to recurrence. A R0 approach that considers a margin of resection > 1mm does not improve the likelihood of HCC recurrence. Otherwise, our experience confirms that biologic tumor characteristics are the principal factors predictive of local and systemic recurrence.

Highlights • Total thyroidectomy is a safe and effective treatment for Graves’ disease. • It is associated with a very low incidence rate of post-operative complications. • Total thyroidectomy offers a rapid and definitive control of hyperthyroidism and its related symptoms., Purpose Thyroidectomy is the preferred approach as the definitive treatment for Graves’ disease. The outcomes for total thyroidectomy in a large series of 594 patients, who were observed in the last decade, will be presented in this study. Methods The study concerned a retrospective review of 594 patients, undergoing a total thyroidectomy for Graves’ disease. The incidence of complications and outcomes on hyperthyroidism and correlated symptoms resolution were also evaluated. Results The mean age of the patients was of 44.7 ± 12.7 years and 456 patients (76.7%) were females. The mean gland weight was 67.3 ± 10.8 g (range: 20–350 g) and, in 397 patients (66.8%), the gland weighed >40 g. The mean operative time was 125 ± 23.1 min (range: 65–212 min). Temporary and permanent hypocalcaemia developed in 241 (40.6%) and 3 patients (0.5%), respectively. Temporary and permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy were recorded in 31 (5.2%) and 1 patients (0.16%) respectively. No patient developed a thyroid storm. On multivariate analysis, patient age ≤50 years (Odds ratio: 1; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.843–0.901) and thyroid weight >40 g (Odds ratio: 1; 95%, Confidence Interval: 0.852–0.974), were mainly associated with the occurrence of complications. Conclusion This high-volume surgeon experience demonstrates that total thyroidectomy is a safe and effective treatment for Graves’ disease. It is associated with a very low incidence rate of post-operative complications, most of which are transitory; therefore, it offers a rapid and definitive control of hyperthyroidism and its related symptoms.

Background: The gap between organ availability and patients on the waiting list for deceased donor kidney transplants has resulted in the wide use of extended criteria donors (ECDs).We aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of single kidney transplantation (KT) performed at our institute with standard criteria donor (SCD) or ECD grafts, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network definition. Patients and methods. Our retrospective analysis studied 115 adult recipients of KT from January 2016 to July 2018, with kidney grafts procured from adult donors after brain or circulatory death, performed at our institute. Among the 2 recipients’ groups, we compared the incidence of early graft loss, delayed graft function, hospitalization, and surgical complications. We compared the evaluation of time to early graft loss with Kaplan-Meier estimators and curves; the hypothesis of no difference in time to graft loss between the 2 groups was tested using the log-rank statistics. Results: Of the 103 deceased donor kidney transplants during the study period, 129 grafts were used after the regional network sharing allocation. More frequently, ECDs had a greater body mass index than SCDs (25.2 ± 3.9 vs 27.7 ± 5.0, P = .005) and type II diabetes mellitus (0% vs 18%, P = .002). KT recipients who received an ECD graft (73, 63.5%) were older (59.8 ± 9.8 vs 45.2 ± 15.4, P < .001) and presented a higher rate of delayed graft function (56% vs 24%, P = .001). Post-transplant graft loss did not differ among the 2 groups. Conclusion: Based on clinical experience in a single transplant center, ECD use for KTs is crucial in facing the organ shortage, without impairing post-deceased donor kidney transplant outcomes.

Background: Liver transplantation (LT) is the only definitive and curative treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the Italian score for organ allocation (ISO) in terms of the waiting-list mortality, probability of LT, and patient survival after LT. Patient and methods: All of the adult patients on the waiting list for LT at our institute from January 2014 to December 2017 were included in the study. The probabilities of death while on the waiting list, dropout from the list, and LT were compared by means of cumulative incidence functions, in a competing risk time-to-event analysis setting. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate and compare the probability of death and to find potential risk factors for waiting-list death. Results: There were 286 patients on the waiting list for LT during the study period, 122 of whom entered the waiting list prior to the implementation of ISO (Group A) and 164 afterward (Group B). Group A had 62 transplants, and Group B had 116 transplants. Group B showed a lesser probability of death (P = .005) and a greater probability of transplant (P < .001) compared to Group A. In the 2 groups, post-transplant survival was similar. Conclusion: Based on preliminary clinical experience from a single transplant center, the ISO allocation system demonstrated an overall reduced probability of patient death while on the waiting list without impairing post-LT survival, suggesting that the ISO system might represent an improved method of organ allocation, with a more beneficial distribution of livers.

Introduction Laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LLDN) has become the standard procedure for living kidney transplantation. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a multimodal perioperative management aimed at facilitating rapid patient recovery after major surgery by modifying the response to stress induced by exposure to surgery. This association can further reduce hospital stay, surgical stress, and perioperative morbidity of living kidney donors. Material and methods In this retrospective analysis conducted at our institute, we compared the first 21 patients who underwent LLDN enrolled with the ERAS protocol with 55 patients who underwent LLDN with the fast-track protocol in the 5 years prior to ERAS protocol implementation. Results We evaluated 76 consecutive patients. After ERAS protocol implementation, elderly living donors had a shorter hospital stay and a faster return to normal life compared with the same age group of patients in the previous period. There were no major differences in median postoperative hospital stay and no meaningful differences in the percentage of complications after surgery and hospital readmissions. Conclusions The introduction of the ERAS protocol for patients undergoing LLDN compared with the traditional protocol led to a reduction in postoperative hospitalization in elder donors, without determining a raise in the number of hospital complications and readmissions.

No abstract available

The incidence of splenic metastases secondary to colorectal cancer is very low; these lesions have been more frequently reported as secondary to breast, lung, and ovarian cancer. Splenic metastases are particularly common in melanoma; their incidence has been reported as being as high as 34% at autopsy [1]. Most cases of secondary splenic metastases have been described in patients with tumors of the left colon while only few cases being reported as originating from right colon tumors (Table 1). The finding of a splenic mass in the absence of a history of malignancy suggests a primary lesion (lymphoma, hematoma, etc.), while a history of oncological disease raises the possibility of a secondary lesion [2].

Background The association between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a controversial question that is still under debate, its pathological significance and the eventual clinical implications of this association remaining unclear. Methods The data regarding 305 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided in two different groups. A first group made up of 142 patients undergoing surgery for differentiated thyroid carcinoma was compared to a control group of 142 analogous subjects operated for normofunctioning goiter. A second group was made up of 163 patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy (TT) with pre-operative diagnosis of HT. Results In the first group of patients an association with HT was found in 28,6% of the patients with final histopathological diagnosis of PTC versus 7,7% of the patients with histopathological diagnosis of multinodular goiter, which was a significant difference (p

Background Liver transplantation is the best treatment for end-stage liver disease. The interruption of the blood supply to the donor liver during cold storage damages the liver, affecting how well the liver will function after transplant. The drug Simvastatin may help to protect donor livers against this damage and improve outcomes for transplant recipients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the benefits of treating the donor liver with Simvastatin compared with the standard transplant procedure. Patient and methods We propose a prospective, double-blinded, randomized phase 2 study of 2 parallel groups of eligible adult patients. We will compare 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month graft survival after LT, in order to identify a significant relation between the two homogenous groups of LT patients. The two groups only differ by the Simvastatin or placebo administration regimen while following the same procedure, with identical surgical instruments, and medical and nursing skilled staff. To reach these goals, we determined that we needed to recruit 106 patients. This sample size achieves 90% power to detect a difference of 14.6% between the two groups survival using a one-sided binomial test. Discussion This trial is designed to confirm the effectiveness of Simvastatin to protect healthy and steatotic livers undergoing cold storage and warm reperfusion before transplantation and to evaluate if the addition of Simvastatin translates into improved graft outcomes. Trial registration ISRCTN27083228.

The prognostic value of sentinel lymph node (SLN) micrometastases in invasive breast cancer patients is still widely debated. Even if, in the absence of unequivocal guidelines, the axillary lynphadenectomy is not still performed in the routine clinical care of these patients.We have retrospectively analyzed 897 patients with operable invasive breast cancer and clinically negative axillary lymph nodes underwent conservative surgery or total mastectomy with SLN biopsy. Two groups of patients with SLN micrometastases and isolated tumor cells (ITC) were considered, the first one treated with completion axillary dissection, the second one not followed by further surgical axillary procedure. The incidence of axillary recurrences has BEEN evaluated in both groups and only in the first group of patients the involvement of the remaining lymph nodes was analyzed.Micrometastases were found in 67 (7.4%) patients and ITC in 8 (0,9%) patients. 14 (20.9%) patients with micrometastases and 1 (12.5%) patient with ITC underwent completion axillary dissection. 53 (79.1%) patients with micrometastases and 7 (87.5%) with ITC didn't receive further surgical axillary procedure. No axillary recurrences were found during a median follow up of 65.7±8.69 months in both groups of patients.Based on the results and according to some recent randomized trials we can say that completion axillary dissection can be safely avoided when micrometastases are found in sentinel lymph nodes. It should be performed anyway, depending on the analysis of the biomedical profile of the tumor.Breast Carcinoma, Micrometastases Axillary Lymphonode Dissection, Sentinel Lymphonode.Il significato prognostico delle micrometastasi nel linfonodo sentinella nelle pazienti affette da carcinoma della mammella è ancora ampiamente dibattuto. Anche se, in assenza di univoche linee guida, nella pratica clinica la linfadenectomia ascellare in queste pazienti non viene più eseguita di routine. Abbiamo condotto uno studio retrospettivo su 897 pazienti affette da carcinoma invasivo della mammella con linfonodi ascellari negativi, sottoposte a chirurgia conservativa o a mastectomia totale con biopsia del linfonodo sentinella. Le pazienti in cui è stata diagnostica la presenza di micrometastasi del linfonodo sentinella sono state considerate in due diversi gruppi. In un primo gruppo, trattato con linfadenectomia ascellare totale è stata valutata l’incidenza di metastasi a carico dei rimanenti linfonodi ascellari. Un secondo gruppo non ha ricevuto alcun trattamento aggiuntivo dell’ascella e le pazienti sono state seguite con controlli periodici clinico strumentali. In entrambi i gruppi è stata valutata l’incidenza di eventuali recidive ascellari. All’esame istologico estemporaneo ed al successivo esame istologico definitivo del linfonodo sentinella, in 51 pazienti (6,83%) sono state evidenziate micrometastasi, in 8 pazienti (1,07%) erano presenti cellule tumorali isolate. Quindici di queste pazienti sono state sottoposte a linfadenectomia ascellare totale. Solo in 2 casi (13,33%) sono state ritrovate metastasi a carico dei rimanenti linfonodi ascellari. Quarantaquattro pazienti non hanno ricevuto alcun trattamento aggiuntivo dell’ascella. In queste pazienti nessuna recidiva ascellare è stata registrata durante un follow-up medio di 125,7±9,65 mesi (range 42- 102 mesi). Sulla base dei risultati ottenuti in questo studio ed in linea con alcuni recenti trials randomizzati si ci sentiamo di concludere che la linfadenectomia ascellare può essere evitata nei casi con micrometastasi nel linfonodo sentinella. Una sua eventuale indicazione può essere valutata caso per caso considerando come fattori di rischio per la recidiva ascellare alcune caratteristiche biomorfologiche del tumore primitivo.