Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract. They constitute a significant percentage ranging from 1-2 % of all the gastrointestinal neoplasms [11]. Knowledge on the molecular biology and behavior of these tumours is still not very clear. The clinicopathologial features are variable and surgical resection with chemotherapy is the main modality of treatment. We have retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological features, treatment and prognosis of 150 patients managed in the Department of Surgery. Retrospective review of the records of 150 patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumours and managed during the period January 2006 to December 2011. Clinicopathological features, immunohistochemistry, mitotic index, surgical resection adjuvant chemotherapy and survival analyzed. One hundred and fifty patients diagnosed with GIST and treated were reviewed. Ninety five of them were males (63.3 %). The tumour was most commonly seen during the fourth and fifth decades of life. Abdominal pain (52 %), intestinal bleeding (40 %) and abdominal mass (25 %) were the common clinical symptoms. Sixty percent of the tumours (90/150) were located in the stomach followed by small bowel (20 %) and duodenum (14.6 %). One hundred and thirty-five patients underwent excision of the tumour and five patients had multi organ resection of the adjacent organs like spleen, tail of the pancreas and kidney.

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Schistosome infections are renowned for their ability to induce regulatory networks such as regulatory T cells (Treg) that control immune responses against homologous and heterologous antigens such as allergies. However, in the case of co-infections with hepatitis C virus (HCV), schistosomes accentuate disease progression and we hypothesized that expanding schistosome-induced Treg populations change their phenotype and could thereby suppress beneficial anti-HCV responses. We therefore analysed effector T cells and n/iTreg subsets applying the markers Granzyme B (GrzB) and Helios in Egyptian cohorts of HCV mono-infected (HCV), schistosome-co-infected (Sm/HCV) and infection-free individuals. Interestingly, viral load and liver transaminases were significantly elevated in Sm/HCV individuals when compared to HCV patients. Moreover, overall Treg frequencies and Helios(pos) Treg were not elevated in Sm/HCV individuals, but frequencies of GrzB(+) Treg were significantly increased. Simultaneously, GrzB(+) CD8(+) T cells were not suppressed in co-infected individuals. This study demonstrates that in Sm/HCV co-infected cohorts, liver disease is aggravated with enhanced virus replication and Treg do not expand but rather change their phenotype with GrzB possibly being a more reliable marker than Helios for iTreg. Therefore, curing concurrent schistosome disease could be an important prerequisite for successful HCV treatment as co-infected individuals respond poorly to interferon therapy.

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PurposeData on operable gastric cancer from India is sparse. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical details, histopathological demographics, and 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) associated with operable, non-metastatic gastric cancer in a dedicated upper gastrointestinal (GI) surgical unit in India.Materials and MethodsData for patients diagnosed with operable gastric cancer between January 2006 and December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Data were collected from electronic hospital records in addition to mail and telephonic interviews when possible.ResultsA total of 427 patients were included. The tumor was located in the pyloro-antral region in 263 patients (61.7%). Subtotal gastrectomy was performed in 291 patients and total gastrectomy in 136 patients. Tumor stage classification revealed 43 patients (10.0%) with stage I, 40 patients (9.4%) with stage IIA, 59 patients (13.9%) with stage IIB, 76 patients (17.8%) with stage IIIA, 96 patients (22.5%) with stage IIIB, and 113 patients (26.4%) with stage IIIC disease. Follow-up data were available for 71.6% of the patients with a mean duration of 32.4 months. Five-year DFS and OS were 39% and 59%, respectively.ConclusionsDespite presenting at an advanced stage, the 5-year DFS and OS of patients with operable gastric cancer treated at a dedicated upper GI unit of a tertiary care center in India was good.

Wandering spleen (WS) is a hypermobile spleen that, due to the laxity of its ligaments, is prone to torsion. We report a case of a 45-year-old multiparous woman who presented with acute abdominal pain and a tender palpable mass. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed a WS with torsion. She underwent an emergency splenectomy and was discharged after an uneventful recovery. She was readmitted with splanchnic venous thrombosis and was managed with therapeutic low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and discharged. Twenty days later, she presented with new-onset abdominal pain. She had not complied with LMWH as advised. The thrombosis had progressed, leading to small bowel gangrene, requiring resection and a stoma. Due to frequent metabolic disturbances, an early reversal of stoma was performed. She was lost to follow-up thereafter. This case highlights a rare indication for emergency splenectomy and one of its major postoperative complications.

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Background Textbook outcome has been proposed as a tool for the assessment of oncological surgical care. However, an international assessment in patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer has not been reported. This study aimed to assess textbook outcome in an international setting. Methods Patients undergoing curative resection for oesophageal cancer were identified from the international Oesophagogastric Anastomosis Audit (OGAA) from April 2018 to December 2018. Textbook outcome was defined as the percentage of patients who underwent a complete tumour resection with at least 15 lymph nodes in the resected specimen and an uneventful postoperative course, without hospital readmission. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with textbook outcome, and results are presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95 per cent confidence intervals (95 per cent c.i.). Results Of 2159 patients with oesophageal cancer, 39.7 per cent achieved a textbook outcome. The outcome parameter ‘no major postoperative complication’ had the greatest negative impact on a textbook outcome for patients with oesophageal cancer, compared to other textbook outcome parameters. Multivariable analysis identified male gender and increasing Charlson comorbidity index with a significantly lower likelihood of textbook outcome. Presence of 24-hour on-call rota for oesophageal surgeons (OR 2.05, 95 per cent c.i. 1.30 to 3.22; P = 0.002) and radiology (OR 1.54, 95 per cent c.i. 1.05 to 2.24; P = 0.027), total minimally invasive oesophagectomies (OR 1.63, 95 per cent c.i. 1.27 to 2.08; P < 0.001), and chest anastomosis above azygous (OR 2.17, 95 per cent c.i. 1.58 to 2.98; P < 0.001) were independently associated with a significantly increased likelihood of textbook outcome. Conclusion Textbook outcome is achieved in less than 40 per cent of patients having oesophagectomy for cancer. Improvements in centralization, hospital resources, access to minimal access surgery, and adoption of newer techniques for improving lymph node yield could improve textbook outcome.