Voluminous paraumbilical hernia containing the pancreas - An unusual cause of acute pancreatitis: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: The paraumbilical hernia sac often contains the omentum, the small bowel, and less commonly the colon. The herniation of the pancreas through a paraumbilical hernia is extremely rare and has been reported only by two cases in the literature; moreover, acute pancreatitis secondary to this condition is a particularly unusual event. CASE REPORT: We present a very unusual case of a 67-year-old female patient with a voluminous paraumbilical hernia containing the pancreas, complicated by acute pancreatitis. Laboratory data revealed an elevation of the pancreatic enzymes. An intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen demonstrated a large hernia sac containing multiple viscera, including the pancreas. The patient underwent emergency laparotomy with a diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. CONCLUSION: The clinicians should consider this rare condition in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with large paraumbilical hernias associated with classical symptoms of acute pancreatitis, particularly in the absence of typical risk factors for pancreatitis. An intravenous contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scan should be performed immediately in these patients. We recommend the patients and the surgeons to consider prompt surgical repair for paraumbilical hernias to avoid further complications and the higher incidence of morbidity and mortality associated with emergency surgeries.

Limitations of Continuous Neural Monitoring in Thyroid Surgery.

Continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring is currently the gold standard technique available to prevent recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries. It significantly reduces the complication rate compared with intermittent intraoperative neuromonitoring, and represents significant progress in thyroid surgery, particularly in cases of more difficult dissections. There are, however, some technological and interpretative limits related to the lack of standardization of continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring and the prolonged length of time employed in the surgical positioning of the probe, despite various proposed approaches to the vagal nerve. Nonetheless, this method can be considered a safe and modern approach to thyroid surgery that reduces post-surgical complications and provides useful information.