Systemic neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer frequently causes morphological lesions involving hepatic microvasculature. Sinusoidal obstruction, complicated by perisinusoidal fibrosis and veno-occlusive lesion of the non-tumoral liver revealed by this study, should be included in the list of the adverse side-effects of colorectal systemic chemotherapy, in particular related to the use of oxaliplatin.

Histological tumor regression of HCRM to chemotherapy corresponds to fibrosis overgrowth and not to increase of necrosis. TRG should be considered when evaluating efficacy of chemotherapy for HCRM. Histological tumor regression was most common among oxaliplatin-treated patients and associated with better clinical outcome.

SummaryBackground and objectives Renal infarction is an arterial vascular event that may cause irreversible damage to kidney tissues. This study describes the clinical characteristics of patients with renal infarction according to underlying mechanism of vascular injury.Design, setting, participants, & measurements This study retrospectively identified 94 patients with renal infarction diagnosed between 1989 and 2011 with the aim of highlighting potential correlations between demographic, clinical, and biologic characteristics and the etiology of renal infarction. Four groups were identified: renal infarction of cardiac origin (cardiac group, n=23), renal infarction associated with renal artery injury (renal injury group, n=29), renal infarction associated with hypercoagulability disorders (hypercoagulable group, n=15), and apparently idiopathic renal infarction (idiopathic group, n=27).Results Clinical symptoms included abdominal and/or flank pain in 96.8% of cases; 46 patients had uncontrolled hypertension at diagnosis. Laboratory findings included increase of lactate dehydrogenase level (90.5%), increase in C-reactive protein level (77.6%), and renal impairment (40.4%). Compared with renal injury group patients, this study found that cardiac group patients were older (relative risk for 1 year increase=1.21, P=0.001) and displayed a lower diastolic BP (relative risk per 1 mmHg=0.94, P=0.05). Patients in the hypercoagulable group had a significantly lower diastolic BP (relative risk=0.86, P=0.005). Patients in the idiopathic group were older (relative risk=1.13, P=0.01) and less frequently men (relative risk=0.11, P=0.02). Seven patients required hemodialysis at the first evaluation, and zero patients died during the first 30 days.Conclusions This study suggests that the clinical and biologic characteristics of patients can provide valuable information about the causal mechanism involved in renal infarction occurrence.

Composite tissue allotransplantations can be indicated when autologous transfers fail to restore human appearance. We report the reproducibility, difficulties, serious adverse events and outcomes of our patients. Five patients were included in a registered clinical research protocol after thorough screenings assessed by an independent expert committee systematically discussing the alternative options. One patient suffered from plexiform neurofibromas, two from third degree burns and two from gunshot injuries.They were included on a national waiting list with a dedicated face procurement procedure. Transplants were harvested from heart beating brain-dead donors before other tissues and organs. Induction immunosuppressive therapy included antithymocyte globulins, steroids, mycophenolate mophetil and tacrolimus. Maintenance therapy included the last three ones associated with extracorporeal-photopheresis. Four patients were transplanted with 7-to 38-month followup. One could not due to multiple panel reactive antibodies after 18 months on waiting list. Acute cellular rejections were controlled by conventional treatment. Opportunistic infections affected all patients and lead one patient to die two month after the transplantation. Voluntary facial activity appeared from 3 to 5 month. Face transplantation has been reproducible under conventional immunosuppression. Major improvements in facial aesthetic and function allowed patients to recover social relations and improved their quality of life.