The authors have no competing interests to declare. The study was not supported by any external grant.

Background: Much attention has been recently focused on the role of fertility-sparing surgery in patients with ovarian cancer. However, few data are currently available on the feasibility of conservative approaches in women with disease extending beyond the ovaries. Aim: This review article aims at summarizing the oncologic and obstetric outcome of patients with stage II-III ovarian cancer treated with fertility-sparing surgery. We also describe a successful conservative management of a stage IIC endometrioid ovarian carcinoma. Methods: A literature search through Medline was carried out to locate published articles using the following keywords for selection: ‘Fertility-sparing surgery and ovarian cancer'. From every single case series, we retrieved data on patients with stage II-III disease submitted to conservative surgery. Results: We identified 21 patients with stage II-III disease receiving fertility-sparing surgery. Recurrent disease was observed in 9 women (42.8%), and 5 (23.8%) of them died of disease. In contrast, a successful obstetric outcome has been reported in 3 cases (14.2%). Conclusions: Radical surgical staging remains the standard of care for all women with stage II-III disease. A fertility-sparing approach may be considered only in the presence of a favorable histology and a very strong fertility desire.

Enterococcal bacteremia has acquired considerable importance in recent years, mainly due to an increased number of cases that occur during hospital admission. We describe the episodes of enterococcal bacteremia in adult patients recorded at our hospital. Between January 2000 and December 2013, 117 episodes were analyzed. Sixty one percent (61%) of the patients were male and 39% female. The mean age was 68. Predisposing factors were present in 91% of patients. The primary source of infection was intraabdominal. Enterococcus faecalis was responsible for 65% of the cases; E. faecium for 28%; and other species for 7%. Thirty four percent (34%) of cases were polymicrobial bacteremia. All E. faecalis isolates were susceptible to ampicillin and vancomycin. Eighty eight percent (88%) of E. faecium were resistant to ampicillin and 54% to vancomycin and teicoplanin. In our hospital, Enterococcus is the sixth pathogen causing nosocomial bacteremia, with high incidence of ampicillin and vancomycin-resistant E. faecium.

Microorganisms of the genera Corynebacterium, specie pseudodiphtheriticum are a part of the indigenous microbiota of human skin and oropharinx. Nevertheless in recent decades these bacilli are emerging as opportunistic pathogens causing clinically significant infections in patients with previous compromise. We report the case of a 76 years old female patient, with a history of hypertension, hypothyroidism, type 2 diabetes and chronic renal failure, who presented pneumonia during their stay at the intensive care unit. The induced sputum revealed a representative sample with monomicrobial gram positive pleomorphic coryneform rods (Gram stain) and cultures demonstrated the presence of C. pseudodiphtheriticum as the only bacteria recovered. The pacient received an empirical third generation cephalosporin medication with a succesfull recovery.

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