The aim of this review was to analyze the difficulties in diagnosing and treating elderly patients with cutaneous melanoma. It focused on the main causes for late diagnosis and relatively poor prognosis in these patients. Early detection of melanoma is vital to reduce mortality in these patients and surgery is often curative. Adequate treatment of elderly patients with melanoma requires knowledge of the clinical features and histopathology of the disease, and the therapeutic options. This review also examined the main surgical procedures for primary melanoma and regional lymph node staging, and the curative and palliative procedures indicated for those elderly patients with advanced disease. It is expected that several molecular genetic factors will soon provide further prognostic information of possible benefit for elderly patients with melanoma.
The aim of our study was to establish whether ultrasonography can be proposed as the main diagnostic technique for the follow-up of soft tissue sarcoma (STS). In 26 patients with previous history of STS, a sonographic examination was carried out using a 5 MHz linear transducer to identify early local recurrences. Sonography was performed every 3 months and a computed tomographic (CT) control was made when the sonogram showed findings strongly suggestive of recurrence. STS recurrences were detected by sonography in 20 of 26 patients (77%) and were confirmed by histologic examination. In six cases, sonographic results were uncertain and in three of these the recurrence was ascertained by biopsy. CT scan provided a correct diagnosis in 16 patients (61.5%) and only in cases with lesions greater than 5 cm in diameter. From our experience we conclude that high frequency sonography is a most accurate noninvasive approach in early detection of STS recurrences. CT plays an important role in the cases amenable to surgery treatment and is recommended to obtain a better assessment of anatomic connection between tumor and adjacent structures.
We report on the modern surgical management of peripheral lymphedema. An adequate diagnostic route is essential: it has to include patient history and clinical examination, an isotopic lymphography, an accurate study of the venous circulation, and in cases of angiodysplasia, an accurate study of the artery circulation. Based on over 25 years of clinical experience (more than 1,000 patients), the role of derivative and (in those cases where a venous disease is associated with lymphostatic pathology) reconstructive lymphatic microsurgery is particularly underlined, in comparison with conservative medico-physical treatment, to which it is complementary. "Debulking" surgery can be used just in properly selected patients for minor operations with only cosmethic-reductive purposes. With a follow-up even over 15 years after surgery, positive results from lymphatic microsurgery can be achieved in more than 80% of cases, especially in patients at precocious stages.
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