James R Hines

Cystosarcoma phylloides is a breast neoplasm that has a frequently unpredictable clinical course. We made a retrospective study of 25 patients with this disease in an attempt to evaluate the indicators of aggressive behavior. In our series, older patient age, nulliparity, rapid tumor growth, pain, and large size of tumors increased the suspicion of malignancy but were not always reliable indicators of malignancy. Skin ulceration, tumor necrosis, and infiltrating tumor margins were the ...

The hospital records and radiographs of 44 patients diagnosed as having superior mesenteric artery syndrome were reviewed using strict clinical and radiographic criteria. Only six (14.6 percent) of the patients fulfilled these criteria, suggesting over-diagnosis of the disorder. An acute change in clinical status, such as an operation or complication of a medical disease, appeared to precipitate the superior mesenteric artery syndrome in these patients, all of whom had chronic ...

Phytobezoars often follow gastric surgery for peptic ulcer disease. Billroth I resections have a high incidence of gastric bezoars, especially if accompanied by vagotomy. The larger opening of a Billroth II resection may result in intestinal bezoars with obstruction in the narrow terminal ileum. Gastric bezoars can be treated with enzymes or can be broken up by endoscopy; only rarely is operative removal required. Intestinal bezoars can be treated by long-tube and enzyme instillation but ...