[Study on diagnostic and therapeutic behavior in tumors of the medial-lower third of the rectum in 2 Italian regions].
The authors report about a survey on the behaviour of 51 departments of surgery in Lazio and Lombardia as to diagnosis, staging and therapy of carcinoma of the medium-lower one-third of the rectum. A set of 722 patients treated in 1993 was considered. A questionnaire was distributed and answers collected about the staging protocols, the therapeutic choices and some details of surgical technique as the ligation of the lower mesenteric artery or the extent of the lymphadenectomy. The results indicate some stable trends as to preoperative study (digital examination and fibre optic endoscopy in almost all cases) and as to the choice of the technique of anastomosis (43.1% of termino-terminal stapled anastomosis). Intrarectal ultrasound gains consensus but is still not much diffuse (18.6% of cases). Almost all of the participating Institutions agreed in joining further prospective studies.
Gennari
L
L
Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Istituto 4 Clinica Chirurgica.
Consorti
F
F
Lorenzotti
A
A
Bertario
L
L
Di Paola
M
M
D004724:Endoscopy; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013528:Surgical Staplers; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography