Chron’s Disease is a chronic inflammatory intestinal disease, first described at the beginning of the last century. The disease is characterized by the alternation of periods of flares and remissions influenced by a complex pathogenesis in which inflammation plays a key role. Crohn’s disease evolution is mediated by a complex alteration of the inflammatory response which is characterized by alterations of the innate immunity of the intestinal mucosa barrier together with a remodeling of the extracellular matrix through the expression of metalloproteins and increased adhesion molecules expression, such as MAcCAM-1. This reshaped microenvironment enhances leucocytes migration in the sites of inflammation, promoting a T_H1 response, through the production of cytokines such as IL-12 and TNF-α. IL-12 itself and IL-23 have been targeted for the medical treatment of CD. Giving the limited success of medical therapies, the treatment of the disease is invariably surgical. This review will highlight the role of inflammation in CD and describe the surgical approaches for the prevention of the almost inevitable recurrence.

With evolving treatment strategies aiming at prevention or early detection of metachronous peritoneal metastases (PM), identification of high-risk colon cancer patients becomes increasingly important. This study aimed to evaluate differences between pT4a (peritoneal penetration) and pT4b (invasion of other organs/structures) subcategories regarding risk of PM and other oncological outcomes. From eight databases deriving from four countries, patients who underwent curative intent treatment for pT4N0-2M0 primary colon cancer were included. Primary outcome was the 5-year metachronous PM rate assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Independent predictors for metachronous PM were identified by Cox regression analysis. Secondary endpoints included 5-year local and distant recurrence rates, and 5-year disease free and overall survival (DFS, OS). In total, 665 patients with pT4a and 187 patients with pT4b colon cancer were included. Median follow-up was 38 months (IQR 23-60). Five-year PM rate was 24.7% and 12.2% for pT4a and pT4b categories, respectively (p = 0.005). Independent predictors for metachronous PM were female sex, right-sided colon cancer, peritumoral abscess, pT4a, pN2, R1 resection, signet ring cell histology and postoperative surgical site infections. Five-year local recurrence rate was 14% in both pT4a and pT4b cancer (p = 0.138). Corresponding five-year distant metastases rates were 35% and 28% (p = 0.138). Five-year DFS and OS were 54% vs. 62% (p = 0.095) and 63% vs. 68% (p = 0.148) for pT4a vs. pT4b categories, respectively. Patients with pT4a colon cancer have a higher risk of metachronous PM than pT4b patients. This observation has important implications for early detection and future adjuvant treatment strategies.

Intrapancreatic accessory spleen (IPAS) is an uncommon finding of pancreatic mass. Differential diagnosis with pancreatic tumor, especially with non-functional neuroendocrine tumor (NF-NET), may be very hard and sometimes it entails unnecessary surgery. A combination of CT scan, MRI, and nuclear medicine can confirm the diagnosis of IPAS. 68-Ga-Dotatoc PET/CT is the gold standard in NET diagnosis and it can allow to distinguish between IPAS and NET. A 69-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for an incidental nodule in the tail of the pancreas with focal uptake of 68-Ga-dotatate at PET/CT. NET was suspected and open distal splenopancreatectomy was performed. Pathologic examination revealed an IPAS. This is the second IPAS case in which a positive 68Ga-Dotatoc uptake led to a false diagnosis of pancreatic NET. Here is a proposal of a literature review.