Background: Despite the reported advantages of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA), an ongoing debate exists about a possible increase in postoperative infectious complication rates. The analyses of risk factors associated with surgical site infections (SSIs) after LA, have been limited. Patients and Methods: One hundred twenty laparoscopic appendectomies performed over one year, were included in this retrospective study. The patients were divided into 2 group; group A was the one in which LA was done with using reusable retrieval bag and group B without using that. Demographic details, operative time, hospital stay and infective postoperative complications were recorded. Results: This patient groups were selected to be similar in both groups A and B in form of appendicitis types. Each group included 27 (45%) acute catarrhal appendicitis, 20 (33.3%) suppurative appendicitis and 13 (21.7%) perforated appendicitis, P = 1.0. The median patients ages were 21 years (range, 16 to 49) in group A and 25 years (range, 18 to 56) in group B, P = 0.053. Group A included 60 patients (35 males and 25 females) and group B 60 patients (32 males and 28 females), P = 0.071. Mean operative time in group A was 55.7 minutes and in group B was 57 minutes, P = 0.0231. Superficial wound infections were recorded in one patient (1.7%) in group A and in 8 patients (13.3%) in group B, P = 0.007. Intra-abdominal abscess formation was a complicated outcome in 2 patients (3.3%) of group B, P = 0.005. Mean hospital stay was 1.6 days in group A and 2.7 days in group B, P = 0.05. Conclusions: Surgical wound infections are less common by using reusable retrieval bag during laparoscopic appendectomy procedure. Also, using reusable retrieval bag has less cost.

Our procedure is safe, easy, and effective for fascial port site closures, especially in cases of difficult obese patients and oblique port wounds.

This study evaluated chemically the quantity of six biogenic amines "histamine, tyramine, putrescine, cadaverine, tryptamine and phenylethylamine" in forty hard cheese samples (Cheddar and Ras) (20 of each) sold in retail markets in Zagazig City Sharkia Governorate using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and correlation with compositional quantity of cheese (pH, salt%, moisture% and acidity%). Our results showed the mean values of pH, salt, moisture and acidity were (5.5±0.02 and 4.79±0.11), (1.53±0.04 and 4.42±0.05%), (40.45±0.24 and 38.64±0.34%) and (0.84 ±0.01 and 1.70±0.04%) in Cheddar and Ras cheese samples, respectively. The mean values of total biogenic amines were 12.65±2.7and 28.95±4.6 mg/100g in Cheddar and Ras cheese samples, respectively. There was a negative correlation between (pH value and moisture %) and biogenic amines production but the positive correlation was found between (salt and acidity %) and biogenic amines production. Finally, it was found that all Cheddar and Ras cheese samples were accepted according to maximum permissible limit of Egyptian organization standard (EOS, 2007) which is 20mg/100g. All samples were accepted according to maximum permissible limit of Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2001) which is 10mg/100g except 60 and 90 % of Ras cheese samples are accepted for histamine and putrescine, respectively. On conclusion, optimization and standardization of milk quality and hygiene during cheeses manufacturing and storage should be taken for human safety.

Background and purpose: Cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) appear to have pleiotropic effects independent of cholesterol level. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of pre-operative therapy with a statin (atorvastatin) on tumor proliferation in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Methods: Thirty cases with histologically proven breast cancer were subjected to treatment by atorvastatin 80 mg /day for at least 14 days before the final surgical procedure (MRM or BCS). Immunohistochemical expression of Ki-67 staining of breast tumor cells was evaluated to assess tumor proliferation in biopsy tissues before treatment with atorvastatin then in final surgical tissues specimens. Results: The median age of the patients was 49.5 ranging from 29 to 61 years. The vast majority of the patients had invasive duct carcinoma (IDC) and was positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors. The mean pretreatment Ki67 index was high in the majority of patients and was significantly associated with both tumor grade and estrogen receptor status (P = 0.001 and P= 0.003, respectively). The Ki67 index had decreased in the post-treatment samples after final surgery in 19 cases, increased in 8 cases and unchanged in 3 cases compared to the pre-treatment specimens. Tumor grade is a significant predictor of treatment response (p=0,05). Conclusion: Atorvastatin decreased tumor proliferation in breast cancer especially in high grade tumors and its role should be considered in the future studies.