Parathyroid fine needle aspiration with PTH washout: Can it lead to parathyroid cell seeding in primary hyperparathyroidism?

Although parathyroid fine-needle aspiration (P-FNA) with parathyroid hormone (PTH) washout is effective in detecting preoperative parathyroid lesions, it also presents risks such as fibrosis, hematoma, and, in rare cases, tumor seeding. This study aimed to investigate whether P-FNA with PTH washout leads to the seeding of parathyroid cells along the path of the needle. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients undergoing minimally invasive parathyroidectomy guided by preoperative PTH washout. Permanent pathology reports, imaging data, and postoperative serum parathyroid hormone and calcium levels were assessed to determine the effectiveness and safety of the procedure. Complications following P-FNA with PTH washout were also reviewed using data from the patient registration system of Bulent Ecevit University. The procedure accurately localized parathyroid adenomas in 87 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided parathyroidectomy following preoperative P-FNA and PTH washout. Postoperatively, 75 patients showed normal parathyroid hormone and calcium levels. Two patients required secondary surgery for contralateral adenomas. Critically, there was no evidence of P-FNA with PTH washout-induced parathyromatosis or seeding during the follow-up. Effective adenoma localization is crucial for successful minimally invasive surgery of hyperparathyroidism. Our study indicates that combining preoperative P-FNAB with PTH washout and imaging enhances adenoma detection, especially when intraoperative PTH measurements are not available, thus improving surgical outcomes. Notably, we found no evidence of cell implantation after P-FNA, suggesting the safety and efficacy of this method for preventing parathyroid cell seeding.

Can inflammatory indices predict sentinel lymph node status in patients with early-stage breast cancer?

Breast cancer research has focused on the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Axillary lymph node status is essential for primary breast cancer staging, recurrence, and survival. The current quest for precision medicine is to identify predictive markers that offer the advantage of individualized treatment options. This study aimed to investigate the value of inflammatory indices in predicting positive sentinel nodes in breast cancer. We studied 602 patients with early-stage breast cancer who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNB) at the Bülent Ecevit University General Surgery Clinic. We obtained data, including the clinical and demographic characteristics of the patients, such as age, histological type, and sentinel lymph nodes. Neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet, and monocyte counts were obtained from preoperative complete blood count test data from the patient registry. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic inflammatory index (SII), and sentinel lymph node biopsy were analyzed. Sentinel LAP was negative in 391 (65%) patients and positive in 211 (35%). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, no significant difference was found between SLNB positivity and negativity in terms of NLR, PLR, LMR, or SII. In contrast to previous research, NLR, PLR, LMR, or SII did not affect SLNB positivity prediction in our study.

Localization Techniques for Non-Palpable Breast Lesions: Current Status, Knowledge Gaps, and Rationale for the MELODY Study (EUBREAST-4/iBRA-NET, NCT 05559411).

BACKGROUND: Surgical excision of a non-palpable breast lesion requires a localization step. Among available techniques, wire-guided localization (WGL) is most commonly used. Other techniques (radioactive, magnetic, radar or radiofrequency-based, and intraoperative ultrasound) have been developed in the last two decades with the aim of improving outcomes and logistics. METHODS: We performed a systematic review on localization techniques for non-palpable breast cancer. RESULTS: For most techniques, oncological outcomes such as lesion identification and clear margin rate seem either comparable with or better than for WGL, but evidence is limited to small cohort studies for some of the devices. Intraoperative ultrasound is associated with significantly higher negative margin rates in meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Radioactive techniques were studied in several RCTs and are non-inferior to WGL. Smaller studies show higher patient preference towards wire-free localization, but little is known about surgeons' and radiologists' attitudes towards these techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Large studies with an additional focus on patient, surgeon, and radiologist preference are necessary. This review aims to present the rationale for the MELODY (NCT05559411) study and to enable standardization of outcome measures for future studies.

Axillary surgery after neoadjuvant therapy in initially node-positive breast cancer: international EUBREAST survey.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on axillary management after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in patients with clinically node-positive (cN+) breast cancer. To investigate current clinical practice, an international survey was conducted among breast surgeons and radiation oncologists. The aim of the first part of the survey was to provide a snapshot of international discrepancies regarding axillary surgery in this context. METHODS: The European Breast Cancer Research Association of Surgical Trialists (EUBREAST) developed a web-based survey containing 39 questions describing clinical scenarios in the setting of axillary management in patients with cN1 disease converting to ycN0 after NAT. The survey was then distributed to breast surgeons and radiation oncologists via 14 breast cancer societies between April and October 2021. RESULTS: Responses from 349 physicians in 45 countries were recorded. The most common post-NAT axillary surgery in patients with cN1 disease converting to ycN0 was targeted axillary dissection (54.2 per cent), followed by sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) alone (20.9 per cent), level 1-2 axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) (18.4 per cent), level 1-3 ALND (4 per cent), and targeted lymph node biopsy (2.5 per cent). For SLNB alone, dual tracers were most commonly used (62.3 per cent). Management varied widely in patients with ambiguous axillary status before initiation of treatment or a residual metastatic burden in the axilla after NAT. In patients with ycN+ tumours, ALND was the preferred surgical approach for 66.8 per cent of respondents. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the wide heterogeneity in surgical approaches to the axilla after NAT. To standardize the guidelines, further data from clinical research are urgently needed, which underlines the importance of the ongoing AXSANA (EUBREAST-3) study.

Intraoperative Ultrasound-Guided Excision of Non-Palpable and Palpable Breast Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Wire-guided localization (WGL) is the most frequently used localization technique in non-palpable breast cancer (BC). However, low negative margin rates, patient discomfort, and the possibility of wire dislocation have been discussed as potential disadvantages, and re-operation due to positive margins may increase relapse risk. Intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS)-guided excision allows direct visualization of the lesion and the resection volume and reduces positive margins in palpable and non-palpable tumors. We performed a systematic review on IOUS in breast cancer and 2 meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). In non-palpable BC, 3 RCTs have shown higher negative margin rates in the IOUS arm compared to WGL. Meta-analysis confirmed a significant difference between IOUS and WGL in terms of positive margins favoring IOUS (risk ratio 4.34, p < 0.0001, I2 = 0%). 41 cohort studies including 3291 patients were identified, of which most reported higher negative margin and lower re-operation rates if IOUS was used. In palpable BC, IOUS was compared to palpation-guided excision in 3 RCTs. Meta-analysis showed significantly higher rates of positive margins in the palpation arm (risk ratio 2.84, p = 0.0047, I2 = 0%). In 13 cohort studies including 942 patients with palpable BC, negative margin rates were higher if IOUS was used, and tissue volumes were higher in palpation-guided cohorts in most studies. IOUS is a safe noninvasive technique for the localization of sonographically visible tumors that significantly improves margin rates in palpable and non-palpable BC. Surgeons should be encouraged to acquire ultrasound skills and participate in breast ultrasound training.

Surgical Management of the Axilla in Clinically Node-Positive Breast Cancer Patients Converting to Clinical Node Negativity through Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Current Status, Knowledge Gaps, and Rationale for the EUBREAST-03 AXSANA Study.

In the last two decades, surgical methods for axillary staging in breast cancer patients have become less extensive, and full axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is confined to selected patients. In initially node-positive patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, however, the optimal management remains unclear. Current guidelines vary widely, endorsing different strategies. We performed a literature review on axillary staging strategies and their place in international recommendations. This overview defines knowledge gaps associated with specific procedures, summarizes currently ongoing clinical trials that address these unsolved issues, and provides the rationale for further research. While some guidelines have already implemented surgical de-escalation, replacing ALND with, e.g., sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or targeted axillary dissection (TAD) in cN+ patients converting to clinical node negativity, others recommend ALND. Numerous techniques are in use for tagging lymph node metastasis, but many questions regarding the marking technique, i.e., the optimal time for marker placement and the number of marked nodes, remain unanswered. The optimal number of SLNs to be excised also remains a matter of debate. Data on oncological safety and quality of life following different staging procedures are lacking. These results provide the rationale for the multinational prospective cohort study AXSANA initiated by EUBREAST, which started enrollment in June 2020 and aims at recruiting 3000 patients in 20 countries (NCT04373655; Funded by AGO-B, Claudia von Schilling Foundation for Breast Cancer Research, AWOgyn, EndoMag, Mammotome, and MeritMedical).

Intraoperative ultrasound imaging and sono-scintigraphic concordance improves success rates of minimally invasive parathyroidectomy

Background/aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sono-scintigraphic correlation on the success of minimal invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) via surgeon performed continuous intraoperative sonographic guidance in patients operated for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) without intact parathormone (PTH) measurement. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of a prospective database was conducted to review patients who underwent MIP (July 2017-October 2019). The screened parameters were preoperative PTH level, preoperative ultrasonography (US), preoperative scintigraphy, intraoperative US, intraoperative frozen section analysis, postoperative PTH level, and permanent pathology rep ort. Intraoperative intact PTH measurement was not employed due to institutional policy. Results: Preoperative US alone localized the specific side (right/left, inferior/superior) of abnormality in 54 out of 74 (72.97%) cases. Scintigraphy alone localized the specific side in 58 (78.37%) cases. The sensitivity of preoperative US and scintigraphy alone was 76.05% and 86.56%, respectively. Sono-scintigraphic discordance was present in 6 cases (8.1%) and intraoperative real-time US predicted accurate localization of adenoma in 4 (66.6%) and scintigraphy in 2 (44.4%) patients. The frozen section analysis confirmed parathyroid cells in all cases evaluated. Conclusion: Sono-scintigraphic concordance with intraoperative real-time imaging increases surgical success rates in cases where MIP is planned under the circumstances of limited resources regarding unavailability of intact PTH measurement.

Innovative Standards in Oncoplastic Breast Conserving Surgery: From Radical Mastectomy to Extreme Oncoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Oncoplastic breast conserving surgery (OBCS), which is the current procedure of choice for eligible BC patients, describes a philosophy that prioritizes oncologic and cosmetic outcomes. However, knowledge gaps regarding training, acceptance, and practice preclude standardization and make it difficult to design algorithmic guidelines to optimize individualized management in the era of precision medicine. SUMMARY: The harmony between patient expectations and oncologic goals creates the state of the art of OBCS. Nevertheless, to achieve these goals, multidisciplinary approach is a must. Surgical decisions require a comprehensive evaluation including patient factors, tumor biology, genetics, technical considerations, and adjunct therapies. Moreover, the quality-of-life (QOL) issues should be considered as the highest level of priority with a shared decision making instituted on realistic discussions with the patient. KEY MESSAGES: The standardization in OBCS should be initiated via defining a breast surgeon who should gain theorical and practical competence on techniques via national or international educational programs. The algorithmic patient assessment with appropriate documentation before and after surgery should be established. A simple and safe global lexicon should be designed regarding techniques to be proposed and quality metrics to be considered. Additionally, international multicenter prospective trials should be instituted to overcome knowledge gaps. It is evident that OBCS is the perfect union of science with art. Nevertheless, at the very end, the question is not the nature of the surgeon/artist who would be the extremist, the innovator, or the conservative, but the patient's satisfaction, prognosis, and QOL that conclude the cascade of state of the art of OBCS.

Turkish national consensus on breast cancer management during temporary state of emergency due to COVID-19 outbreak.

OBJECTIVES: Cancer care is excessively influenced by the COVID-19 outbreak for various reasons. One of the major concerns is the tendency for delayed surgical treatment of breast cancer patients. The outbreak has urged clinicians to find alternative treatments until surgery is deemed to be feasible and safe. Here in this paper, we report the results of a consensus procedure which aimed to provide an expert opinion-led guideline for breast cancer management during the COVID-19 outbreak in Turkey. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used the Delphi method with a 9-scale Likert scale on two rounds of voting from 51 experienced surgeons and medical oncologists who had the necessary skills and experience in breast cancer management. Voting was done electronically in which a questionnaire-formatted form was used. RESULTS: Overall, 46 statements on 28 different case scenarios were voted. In the first round, 37 statements reached a consensus as either endorsement or rejection, nine were put into voting in the second round since they did not reach the necessary decision threshold. At the end of two rounds, for 14 cases scenarios, a statement was endorsed as a recommendation for each. Thirty-two statements for the remaining 14 were rejected. CONCLUSION: There was a general consensus for administering neoadjuvant systemic therapy in patients with node-negative, small-size triple negative, HER2-positive and luminal A-like tumors until conditions are improved for due surgical treatment. Panelists also reached a consensus to extend the systemic treatment for patients with HER2-positive and luminal B-like tumors who had clinical complete response after neoadjuvant systemic therapy.

Intraoperative ultrasonography-guided surgery: An effective modality for breast conservation after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.

Margin status is one of the significant prognostic factors for recurrence in breast-conserving surgery (BCS). The issue that merits consideration for oncologic safety and cost-effectiveness about the modalities to assure clear margins at initial surgical intervention remains controversial after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). The presented study aimed to assess the impact of intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS)-guided surgery on accurate localization of tumor site, adequacy of excision with clear margins, and healthy tissue sacrifice in BCS after NAC. Patients who had IOUS-guided BCS ater NAC were reviewed. No patient had preoperative localization with wire or radiotracer. Intraoperative real-time sonographic localization, sonographic margin assessment during resection, macroscopic and sonographic examination of specimen, and cavity shavings (CS) were done as the standard procedure. No frozen assessment was performed. One hundred ninety-four patients were included, in which 42.5% had pCR. IOUS-guided surgery accomplished successful localization of the targeted lesions in all patients. Per protocol, all inked margins on CS specimens were reported to be tumor-free in permanent histopathology. No re-excision or mastectomy was required. For a setting without CS, the negative predictive value (NPV) of IOUS rate was 96%. IOUS was found to over and underestimate tumor response to NAC both in 2% of patients. IOUS-guided surgery seems to be an efficient modality to perform adequate BCS after NAC with no additional localization method. Especially, when CS is integrated as a standard to BCS, IOUS seems to provide safe surgery for patients with no false negativity and a high rate of NPV.

Surgeon performed continuous intraoperative ultrasound guidance decreases re-excisions and mastectomy rates in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative ultrasound guided (IUG) breast conserving surgery (BCS) is being increasingly embraced by breast surgeons worldwide. We aimed to compare the efficacy of IUG-BCS for palpable and nonpalpable breast cancer with respect to margin status, re-excision rate, tissue sacrifice and cost-time analysis. METHODS: Intraoperative localization protocol includes intraoperative ultrasound prior to excision to localize the lesion and guide the initial resection. The excised specimen was then examined visually and by palpation and the specimen and cavity was examined with ultrasound. Frozen sections were obtained routinely from a portion of all six faces of the resected specimen, and shaved cavity margins were sent for permanent histology. RESULTS: Of the 208 patients, 57.2% had nonpalpable tumors. The sensitivity of ultrasound localization was 100%. Negative margins were achieved in 92.43% of nonpalpable and 91.01% of palpable lesions at initial procedure. The involved margins were correctly identified by the surgeon via specimen sonography in 95.4% of cases. Final positive margin rate was 2.4%. Calculated resection ratio and time analysis revealed nothing significant. CONCLUSION: IUG-BCS is an invaluable and effective modality for obtaining clear surgical margins with optimum resection volumes and reducing re-operations. Furthermore, by means of this algorithm, in case of shaving cavity margins of the tumor bed for permanent analysis, frozen section evaluation might be omitted.

Regional Clinical and Biochemical Differences among Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND: Environmental habitat may play a role in clinical disparities of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) patients. AIMS: To compare preoperative clinical symptoms and associated conditions and surgical findings in patients with pHPT, living in different geographical regions from the Black Sea, Mediterranean and Anatolia regions. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, clinical-based multi-centric study of 694 patients with pHPT. METHODS: Patients from 23 centers and 8 different geographical regions were included. Data related to baseline demographics, clinical, pathologic and treatment characteristics of 8 regions were collected and included age, gender, residential data, symptoms, history of fracture, existence of brown tumor, serum total Ca and p levels, serum parathormone (PTH) levels, serum 25-OH vitamin D levels, bone mineral density, size of the resected abnormal parathyroid gland(s), histology, as well as the presence of ectopia, presence of dual adenoma, and multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN)- or familial-related disease. RESULTS: The median age was 54. Asymptomatic patient rate was 25%. The median PTH level was 232 pg/mL and serum total Ca was 11.4 mg/dL. Eighty-seven percent of patients had an adenoma and 90% of these had a single adenoma. Hyperplasia was detected in 79 patients and cancer in 9 patients. The median adenoma size was 16 mm. Significant parameters differing between regions were preoperative symptoms, serum Ca and p levels, and adenoma size. All patients from South-East Anatolia were symptomatic, while the lowest p values were reported from East Anatolia and the largest adenoma size, as well as highest Ca levels, were from Bulgaria. CONCLUSION: Habitat conditions vary between geographical regions. This affects the clinicopathological features of patients with pHPT.

The Efficacy of Intraoperative Single Dose Methylprednisolone on Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Function After Thyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Primary endpoint is to determine whether intraoperative steroid affect post-thyroidectomy recurrent laryngeal palsy or not Background: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy is an important complication of thyroid surgery. Injuries can either be permanent or temporary. Prevention or shortening the recovery period of temporary palsies is an area of interest. Some surgeons prefer to use corticosteroids for this purpose as is used for facial nerve palsies although there are conflicting data in the literature. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of perioperative single dose methylprednisolone on RLN function. METHOD: 438 nerves under risk in 237 surgeries are investigated in two groups. Group 1, patients are administered a single intraoperative dose of methylprednisolone (1mg/kg) intravenously for 220 nerves under risk. 218 nerves under risk in Group 2 were operated and followed without methylprednisolone. The demographic data of the patients, operation time, the final pathology reports, incidence of RLNP and recovery time are documented and compared. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was determined in terms of age, sex distribution, number of nerves under risk and the operation time between groups. There were 3 unilateral RLNP in each group and the mean recovery time for Group 1 and 2 palsies were 20.4 and 19.8 days respectively, without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The presented data indicates that a single intraoperative dose of steroid does not seem to effect the rate and recovery period of RLNP in thyroid surgery.

Diagnostic adequacy of surgeon-performed ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules.

BACKGROUND: Surgeon-performed ultrasonography (US) of thyroid nodules might serve as a potential therapeutic guide to designate accurate surgical or clinical intervention. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic adequacy of surgeon-performed ultrasonography guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of thyroid nodules, the factors responsible for diagnostic adequacy and the impact of surgeon-performed US on treatment approach. METHODS: Retrospective review of a single surgeon performed 621 US-guided FNABs without on-site cytological specimen assessment. Outside US findings were compared to the surgeon-performed US. Measured variables and outcomes for the study included diagnostic adequacy rates and the effects of detected differences between US reports on treatment variability. RESULTS: Diagnostic adequacy rate of surgeon-performed US-guided FNAB was determined to be 94.52% without on-site specimen evaluation by cytologist. Non-diagnostic specimens occurred in 34 of 621 (5.48%) nodules. The differences detected between the outside US and surgeon-performed US altered invasive treatment algorithm in 30 (5.47%) patients. FNAB was avoided for 15 (2.7%) patients. Total thyroidectomy became the preferred surgical option in 15 (2.7%) patients after the discovery of additional nodules in the contralateral lobe. CONCLUSION: Surgeon-performed US offers clear clinical benefits in terms of diagnostic yield of FNAB with providing valuable additional data that might alter surgical treatment approach.

Does intraabdominal use of Ankaferd Blood Stopper cause increased intraperitoneal adhesions?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate whether intraabdominal Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) causes increased intraabdominal adhesion formation and to determine any side effects of ABS in vivo. METHODS: The present experimental study was designed to examine the effects of Ankaferd solution on peritoneal adhesion formation in a rat model of cecal abrasion. Intraperitoneal adhesions were assessed macroscopically and histopathologically on the 10th postoperative day. The possible adverse affects of ABS on liver and lung tissues were analyzed histopathologically, and blood chemistry was also evaluated. RESULTS: Our study revealed that ABS reduced intraperitoneal adhesion formation in an experimental rat model. The blood chemistry was not disturbed due to ABS administration. Intraperitoneal administration of ABS led to some minor changes in the lungs and serosal surfaces of the intestines, with minor architectural changes in the liver that were not considered as toxic. Further studies with various application doses and routes with more detailed cellular analysis are thus warranted to clarify the possible pleiotropic and adverse effects of this new agent away from hemostasis. CONCLUSION: There was less intraperitoneal adhesion formation in the ABS group than in the control group and saline group. Intraperitoneal administration of ABS has no toxic effects on blood chemistry or the lungs, kidneys and the liver, but it has some minor adverse effects.

Mitigation of indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal lesions by a potent specific type V phosphodiesterase inhibitor.

AIM: To investigate the gastroprotective effect of vardenafil against indomethacin-induced gastric damage. METHODS: Forty-eight female Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 6 groups. Group 1 received saline only. Group 2 (indomethacin) received indomethacin. Rats in group 3 and 4 were pretreated with different doses of famotidine. Group 5 and 6 were pretreated with different doses of vardenafil. Rats in groups 3 to 6 received 25 mg/kg indomethacin 30 min after pretreatment. The animals were sacrificed 6 h later and their stomachs were opened. Gastric lesions were counted and measured. The stomach of each animal was divided in two parts for histopathological examinations and nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) assays, respectively. RESULTS: There were no gastric mucosal lesion in the saline group but all rats in the indomethacin group had gastric mucosal ulcerations (ulcer count; 6.25 +/- 3.49, and mean ulcer area; 21.00 +/- 12.35). Ulcer counts were diminished with famotidine 5 mg/kg (4.12 +/- 2.47, P > 0.05), 20 mg/kg (2.37 +/- 4.43, P < 0.05), vardenafil 2 mg/kg (4.37 +/- 3.06), and vardenafil 10 mg/kg (1.25 +/- 1.38, P < 0.05) compared to the indomethacin group. Gastric mucosal lesion areas were diminished with famotidine 5 mg/kg (8.62 +/- 2.97, P < 0.001) , famotidine 20 mg/kg (0.94 +/- 2.06, P < 0.001), vardenafil 2 mg/kg (6.62 +/- 5.87, P < 0.001), and vardenafil 10 mg/kg (0.75 +/- 0.88, P < 0.001) compared to the indomethacin group. MDA levels were significantly higher in indomethacin group (28.48 +/- 14.51), compared to the famotidine 5 mg/kg (6,21 +/- 1.88, P < 0.05), famotidine 20 mg/kg (5.88 +/- 1.60. P < 0.05), vardenafil 2 mg/kg (15.87 +/- 3.93, P < 0.05), and vardenafil 10 mg/kg (10.97 +/- 4.50, P < 0.05). NO concentration in gastric tissues of the famotidine groups were significantly increased (P < 0.05), but the NO increases in the vardenafil groups were not statistically significant. Histopathology revealed diminished gastric damage for pretreatment groups compared to the indomethacin group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Vardenafil affords a significant dose-dependent protection against indomethacin induced gastric mucosal lesions in rats.

Fournier's Gangrene after Open Hemorrhoidectomy without a Predisposing Factor: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature.

Fournier's gangrene (FG) is a fatal synergistic infectious disease with necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum and abdominal wall along with the scrotum and penis in men and vulva in women. An unpredictable case of FG two weeks after open hemorrhoidectomy in a previously healthy 55-year-old male is described. Full-thickness patchy skin necrosis of the perianal, perineal and scrotal region associated with rectal perforation was detected on admission. Prompt radical debridement together with aggressive fluid resuscitation and broad-spectrum antibiotic administration was initiated. Because of rectal involvement, diverting sigmoid colostomy was fashioned. The patient survived after two additional local debridements. Nevertheless, loss of sphincter function due to massive muscle destruction led to permanent colostomy. Our case together with others reported in the literature illustrates that, although rare, FG after open hemorrhoidectomy represents a life-threatening complication to otherwise healthy patients. The development of fever and urinary retention should draw the attention of the surgeon, even if the presentation is delayed. The current literature only briefly mentions the potential risk of FG after such a common surgical procedure. However, devastating complications occur more often than anticipated. This disastrous complication without predisposing factor is discussed along with a literature review.

Lipoma within inverted Meckel's diverticulum as a cause of recurrent partial intestinal obstruction and hemorrhage: a case report and review of literature.

Lipoma within an inverted Meckel's diverticulum presenting with hemorrhage and partial intestinal obstruction is an exceptional clinical entity. We report a case of 47-year-old male with a history of recurrent episodes of partial intestinal obstruction and melena due to a subserosal lipoma located in the base of an inverted Meckel's diverticulum. According to our knowledge, this is the first case of a lipoma within a Meckel's diverticulum giving rise to this clinical scenario without the existence of heterotrophic gastric or pancreatic tissues.