[Acute abdomen caused by eosinophilic enteritis: six observations]. / Abdomen agudo causado por enteritis eosinofílica: a propósito de seis observaciones.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic enteritis is a rather rare condition characterized by infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract by eosinophils; as a casue of acute abdomen it is really exceptional. The etiology is unclear and its description in the literature is sparse, but associations have been made with collagen vascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, food allergy and parasitic infections as it was confirmed in one of our pathologic studies. CLINICAL CASES: From 1997 to 2011 six cases of eosinophilic enteritis that involved a small bowel segment were diagnosed. A partial resection by an irreversible necrosis was necessary in three of them; in the other three only a biopsy was necessary due to the inflammatory aspect of the affected loop causing the acute abdomen. CONCLUSIONS: Eosinophilic enteritis can originate acute abdomen processes where an urgent surgical treatment is necessary. The intraoperative aspect can be from a segment of small bowel with inflammatory signs up to a completely irrecoverable loop, where removing of the affected segment is the correct treatment, which can be done laparoscopically.

Antecedentes: la enteritis eosinofílica es un padecimiento raro y los casos de abdomen agudo que origina suponen un mínimo porcentaje. Su etiología aún no está aclarada pero se asocia con enfermedades del colágeno, intolerancias alimentarias e infestaciones por parásitos, como anisakis, descubierto en una de las histologías de nuestros casos. Casos clínicos: de 1997 a 2011 se diagnosticaron seis casos de abdomen agudo; en tres de ellos la enteritis eosinofílica causó necrosis irreversible de un segmento intestinal y hubo que practicar una resección intestinal segmentaria. En dos de ellos había un segmento intestinal con aspecto inflamatorio, que fue el único hallazgo causante del cuadro agudo y en los que sólo se practicó biopsia y otro caso donde fue un hallazgo sin relación con el proceso agudo. Conclusiones: la enteritis eosinofílica puede ocasionar cuadros de abdomen agudo que requieren intervención quirúrgica urgente. El aspecto intraoperatorio es el de un segmento con aspecto inflamatorio que puede llegar a ser macroscópicamente irreversible y donde sólo la resección parcial es el tratamiento correcto, que puede hacerse por vía laparoscópica.

[Breast metastases]. / Metástasis en mama.

Metastases in the breast resulting from extra-mammary tumours are infrequent, and the prognosis is poor. The main challenge in diagnosis is to differentiate between this condition and that of primary breast cancer so as to avoid unnecessary surgery. We present two cases that we encountered recently.

Results of biliopancreatic diversion after five years.

BACKGROUND: Gastric restrictive procedures, currently the most popular surgical operations for morbid obesity, have proved to be effective in initiating weight loss, but questions regarding their long-term efficacy in weight maintenance have arisen. Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) is a mixed and complex technique that has shown good long-term results. There are no series with long-term follow-up of BPD in Spain. We present >5 year results (average 67.9 +/- 15 SD mons, range 48-96), evaluating weight loss, morbidity and mortality after BPD. METHODS: 74 patients who underwent BPD and completed 5 or more years of follow-up were studied. The results have been analyzed in terms of weight loss (classification of Reinhold), improvement in morbidity, and improvement in quality of life (BAROS). RESULTS: 78.6% were women. Mean age was 38 +/- 11 years (18-61). Mean preoperative body mass index (BMI) was 54 +/- 8 kg/m(2). Progression of BMI: 1 year 34 +/- 6, 2 years 31 +/- 6, 5 years 33 +/- 7 and 7 years 31 +/- 3 kg/m(2). Excess weight loss at 1 year follow-up was 67%, at 2 years 75%, at 5 years 70% and at 7 years 71%. There were significant differences between morbidly obese (BMI <50 kg/m(2)) and super-obese (BMI >50 kg/m(2) ), with better results in the morbidly obese group. CONCLUSION: BPD shows long-term effectiveness in weight loss, co-morbidity improvement and quality of life. Protein, vitamin and oligoelement deficits may appear in the long-term, so that strict follow-up and supplementation of deficiencies are necessary.

Effect of vertical banded gastroplasty on hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia.

BACKGROUND: Operations for morbid obesity that are effective in inducing weight loss improve blood pressure, glycemic control and dyslipidemia. Our purpose was to study the effectiveness of VBG in improving hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemias in morbidly obese patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a cohort of 80 morbidly, obese patients was conducted. Characteristics of patients were: mean age 37 years; gender: women 65, men 15; mean initial BMI 49.5 kg/m2; follow-up > 5 years in 52 patients. Blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels and glycemia were assessed preoperatively and 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 months and every year after VBG. RESULTS: Hypertension resolved in 65.5% of patients (38 of 58), serum cholesterol level became normal in 34.28% of patients (12 of 35), triglyceride level became normal in 77.77% (7 of 9) and diabetes resolved in 55.55% (5 of 9). CONCLUSION: Weight loss induced by VBG improves blood pressure, triglyceride levels and glycemia. The beneficial changes occur early in the postoperative period and last 5 years or more, despite of the trend to regain some weight. Improvements in risk factors were greater in patients with higher preoperative values.