Quantitative Assessment of Rectal Washout With Irrigation and Aspiration

Local recurrence of rectal cancer is defined as any evidence of relapse within the small pelvis after surgical resection of the primary tumor. After removal of a rectal tumor, necrotic cellular debris and viable exfoliated cancer cells are present in the rectal lumen; using saline or povidone-iodine solution, many surgeons perform rectal washout beyond an occlusive clamp to remove these exfoliated malignant cells, which may lead to local recurrence. A meta-analysis showed that intraoperative rectal washout at the surgical anastomosis site can reduce the risk of local recurrence after rectal cancer resection. Therefore, intraluminal lavage is useful to prevent local recurrence. Although intraoperative rectal washing is considered to be important, there is probably room for improvement on this method. We described the idea of a new transanal irrigation and aspiration system for small rectal contents. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of a new rectal washout system using a chemiluminescent imaging system. We attempted to evaluate and compare the washout efficiency between this new system and the conventional irrigation system using a cylindrical rectum model. Our results implied that, at the same volume of solution, the irrigation–aspiration rectal washout system was more effective than the irrigation washout system. This new rectal washout system was easy to use and allowed a good washout. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first report that evaluated the efficacy of a rectal washout system using quantitative data.

Cytopathology of neoplastic meningitis: A series of 66 cases from a tertiary care center

Background: Neoplastic meningitis (NM) is a condition characterized by leptomeningeal involvement by metastatic carcinoma. Detection of exfoliated malignant cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) due to meningeal metastasis is frequently associated with diverse neurologic presentations. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study of all cases of NM diagnosed in CSF samples over a 20-year period at a tertiary care referral center, the cytomorphologic features were reviewed. Results: Sixty six cases of NM were identified of which 36 already had an established diagnosis of malignancy while in 30 patients, there was no previously known tumor. The most common known primary in the former group was breast followed by ovary. Single cell pattern, cellular cannibalism, moderate cytoplasm and rounded nuclei were seen in breast and lung tumors. Papillary architecture and cytoplasmic vacuolation were seen in the ovarian primaries. Melanin pigment was seen in malignant melanoma. Conclusion: CSF cytology is an important tool for diagnosis of NM. Cytomorphologic features helped in diagnosis and for prediction of the primary site. Correct identification of this condition is important as it has therapeutic and prognostic implications.