Background/Aims: The spleen is the third most common location of hydatid disease after liver and lung. The aim of this study was to analyse the long-term outcome of surgical treatment of patients with splenic echinococcosis comparing splenectomy with spleen-preserving surgery. Methods: During a period of 25 years (1976–2001), 19 (5.4%) patients with splenic echinococcosis were treated in our department out of 349 patients with abdominal hydatid disease. In 16 patients the spleen was the only organ involved, while in 3 patients the liver was also affected. Results: Eleven patients had splenectomy and in the other 8 the spleen was preserved: enucleation (n = 4), partial cystectomy and omentoplasty (n = 2) and cystojejunal Roux-en-Y anastomosis (n = 2). One (6%) patient died in the early postoperative period and 5 (29%) patients had postoperative complications. There was no significant difference between the splenectomy and spleen-preserving groups concerning median hospital stay and postoperative complication rate. The median follow-up in 15 patients was 52 (range 6–300) months. Two patients (13%) developed recurrence of the disease requiring re-operation at 2 and 3 years, respectively. Recurrence occurred in 1 (12%) patient in the splenectomy group and in 1 (14%) out of 7 patients in the spleen-preserving group. Conclusion: In the present series it was possible to preserve the spleen in 8 (42%) of 19 patients, without significant increase of recurrent echinococcosis.

Plummer-Vinson syndrome is characterized by dysphagia, iron deficiency, anemia and the presence of esophageal web or webs. Two cases of this syndrome are reported in middle-aged women, which were treated over the last eight years. Both patients presented with dysphagia, anemia, sideropenia, glossitis and cheilitis. Radiological examination of the pharynx showed the presence of webs in both cases. The patients were treated with iron supplementation, which resulted in elimination of the symptoms. Both patients remain in good general condition and without any dysphagic complaints, 5 and 8 years after the diagnosis, respectively.

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Obstructing colorectal carcinoma seems to be associated with high mortality rate, but long-term survival seems to be the same with non-obstructing carcinoma.

Radical lymph node resection of the retroperitoneal area is associated with the same rate of hospital morbidity, late urogenital morbidity, and total survival as is conventional surgery. It seems that there is a trend for improvement of survival particularly in stage III patients.