An Extraordinary Case of Isolated Duodenal Injury after Blunt Abdominal Trauma.

Duodenal injuries are rare due to their preserved retroperitoneal location. They are mostly observed after deep penetration or high-impact blunt trauma. They are difficult to diagnose and treat. Our purpose was to report a case of duodenal injury after blunt trauma with the review of the literature. A 20-year male patient was brought to Emergency Department with abdominal pain after an accident, in which he was stuck between a reversing truck and a pole. Rigidity in all abdominal quadrants was detected. Free pelvic fluid was observed in computed tomography (CT). There was a grade II laceration at the fourth part of the duodenum. The laceration was primarily sutured, and a naso-jejunal tube was placed. The patient was discharged on postoperative day-8 with uneventful recovery. In suspicion of duodenal trauma, a meticulous anamnesis, careful physical examination, proper imaging technique at appropriate timing, and surgical exploration are important to reduce morbidity and mortality. Imaging findings of retroperitoneal organ injuries can be non-specific. We suggest that surgical exploration should be the first choice of treatment in cases with acute abdomen findings. Key Words: Blunt trauma, Acute abdomen, Duodenum, Retroperitoneum.

Endoscopic Resection of Upper Gastrointestinal Subepithelial Tumours: Our Clinical Experience and Results.

Upper gastrointestinal subepithelial tumours (SETs) are generally asymptomatic and clinically insignificant and have malign, borderline and benign variants. In advanced endoscopic procedures, histopathological diagnosis and endoscopic resection are possible and feasible. In this study, we examined our approach to upper gastrointestinal subepithelial tumours and our clinical results. Adult patients who applied to Surgical Endoscopy unit between January 2014 and January 2015 were included in the study. The patients' files and final histopathological diagnoses were recorded and analysed retrospectively for this single-center study. SET lesion lower than 30 mm and the lesion whose endoscopic submucosal dissection attemption was included in the study. The total of 8 patients were four female (50%) and four male (50%), aged 31-66 years (median, 53 years). The tumoral lesions were located 4 (50%) patients in esophagus, 3 (37.5%) patients in stomach and one (12.5%) patient in duodenum and their diameter ranged from 5 to 30 mm (median, 14 mm). Post-interventional no complications or abdominal symptoms were encountered. Also, in early follow-ups for six months, no recurrence was observed. Our experiences together with literature reported here, indicated endoscopic resection is a safe and effective method of treatment for most patients with upper gastrointestinal SETs.

A rare case of acute mechanical intestinal obstruction: Colonic endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a disease seen in women at reproductive age, characterized by extrauterine localization of endometrial tissue. Colonic endometriosis rarely causes acute mechanical intestinal obstruction (AMIO). It may also be presented with pelvic pain, dyspareunia, tenesmus, painful defecation related to the menstrual cycle. In the literature, 3-37% of the gastrointestinal location was reported and AMIO was observed in 7-23% of these cases. There are only few cases of mechanical obstruction related to sigmoid endometriosis mimicking colon malignancy. In this study, we aim to report a case of a 40-year-old patient with AMIO developed secondary to colonic endometriosis in light of the literature. The patient was discharged with full surgical recovery after the Hartmann procedure was performed, and the pathological diagnosis was reached as endometriosis. At the post-operative sixth-month colostomy, closure and bilateral oophorectomy were performed with the patient's will. The patient was discharged with surgical recovery and is still being regularly followed up. Endometriosis is a gynecological disease that may occur in all organ systems even though the most common location is the overs. Gastrointestinal located endometriosis should, therefore, be kept in mind in the etiology of AMIO in women at reproductive age and the related symptoms should be questioned in differential diagnosis.

Factors affecting postoperative hypocalcemia after thyroid surgery: Importance of incidental parathyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated effects of incidental parathyroidectomy, surgical technique, and presence of thyroiditis or hyperthyroidism on occurrence of postoperative persistent or transient hypocalcemia. METHODS: Patients who underwent thyroidectomy at Istanbul Medeniyet University between 2013 and 2015 were included in the study. Patient information, postoperative serum calcium levels, and pathology reports were investigated retrospectively. Group 1 was made up of patients who were found to have hypocalcemia (calcium ≤8.5 mg/dL) according to postoperative serum level and normocalcemic patients were placed in Group 2. Groups were compared statistically in terms of rate of incidental parathyroidectomy, surgical technique, and presence of thyroiditis or hyperthyroidism. RESULTS: Mean age was 49.8±12.8 years (range: 20-88). A total of 417 patients were included in the study, 74 (17.7%) were male and 343 (82.3%) were female. Group 1 consisted of 205 (49.2%) patients who had hypocalcemia according to postoperative serum level, and remaining 212 (50.8%) patients were placed in Group 2. In Group 1, 38 (18.5%) patients had incidental parathyroidectomy, and with only 18 (8.5%) patients in Group 2, a statistically significant relationship was found between incidental parathyroidectomy and hypocalcemia (p=0.003). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of presence of thyroiditis or hyperthyroidism between groups. There was statistically significant decrease in postoperative hypocalcemia rate in patients with lobectomy compared to patients with bilateral total thyroidectomy or central neck dissection (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Risk of postoperative hypocalcemia may be reduced with lobectomy for selected patients. In addition, delicate dissection during thyroidectomy is important in order to protect parathyroid glands and prevent hypocalcemia.

Agenesis of the gallbladder diagnosed by magnetic resonance cholangiography: report of a case and review of the literature.

Gallbladder agenesis (GA) is a rare congenital anomaly of the biliary system often associated with other congenital abnormalities. Patients become symptomatic in 23% of cases (Richards et al., 1993). GA is often misinterpreted as other diseases, therefore, leading to unnecessary surgery. Many of these patients develop a typical symptomatology of cholelithiasis that leads them to operating theatre. If an operative procedure is done, it is better to remain at the level of laparoscopy because further surgical investigation may lead to detrimental biliary tract injuries (Waisberg et al., 2002). We present a case of GA, diagnosed by magnetic resonance with cholangiopancreatography.

Harmonic scalpel compared to conventional hemostasis in thyroid surgery.

The aim of this study was to determine whether conventional hemostasis (CH) or the harmonic scalpel (HS) results in shorter operative times for thyroidectomy and to evaluate the incidence of postoperative complications with each approach. In this study, 85 consecutive patients undergone open thyroidectomy were randomized into two groups: group CH (conventional hemostasis with classic technique of tying and knots, resorbable ligature, bipolar diathermy) and group HS (harmonic scalpel). Demographics, pathological characteristics, thyroid size, operative time, blood loss, and complications using the Student's t-test and χ (2)-test. The two groups were similar regarding age and sex. There were no intraoperative complications. There was no difference between the two techniques regarding the amount of blood loss for different procedures. No significant differences were found between the two groups concerning mean thyroid weight and mean hospital stay (2.2 days in HS vs. 3.7 in CH; P > 0.05). The mean operative time was significantly shorter in the HS group (47.2 min vs. 79.2 min; P < 0.001). Two (4.7 %) transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsies were observed in the CH group and no one (0 %) in the HS group. No patient developed permanent palsy. Postoperative transient hypocalcemia occurred more frequently in the CH group (21/43, 48 % vs. 7/42, 16 %). In patients undergoing thyroidectomy, HS is a reliable and safe tool. Comparing with CH techniques, its use reduces operative times, postoperative pain, drainage volume, and transient hypocalcemia.

Leiomyosarcoma of the female breast: report of a case.

Sarcomas of the breast account for less than 1% of breast tumors. Leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare form of primary breast sarcoma. We presented here a case of primary leiomyosarcoma of the breast in a 44-year-old woman. We present a case of primary leiomyosarcoma of the breast in a middle-aged female in whom fine-needle aspiration cytologic features uneventful.

Angiomyolipoma of the right adrenal gland.

Adrenal angiomyolipoma is rare. Only four cases have been reported so far. These are commonly found in Kidney but extrarenal sites are also mentioned. Angiomyolipoma arising in adrenal is very rare entity, usually asymptomatic, diagnosed incidentally on radiological investigation of abdomen for other conditions. We report our experience with a 45-year-old woman who presented with epigastric discomfort. A computerised tomography (CT) scan showed an adrenal mass. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed and the histopathological features confirmed the diagnosis of adrenal angiomyolipoma. The patient recovered without any complications following surgery.

Gallstones associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and metabolic syndrome in patients with symptomatic gallstones undergoing laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy. METHODS: A study of 95 patients was performed. Simultaneous liver biopsies were taken during cholecystectomy between 2006 and 2007. There were no postoperative complications. Patients with significant alcohol intake, hepatitis B or C (virus-positive), autoimmune diseases, and Wilson's disease were excluded. Demographics, liver function tests, lipid profile, and ultrasound findings of patients with and without non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were compared. RESULTS: A total of 95 patients completed the study. The mean age was 52.15 years, and 29 patients were male and 66 female. Fifty-two patients (55%) had biopsies compatible with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. CONCLUSIONS: Fifty-five percent of patients with gallbladder stones had associated non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Awareness of this association may result in an earlier diagnosis. The high prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with gallbladder stone may justify routine liver biopsy during cholecystectomy to establish the diagnosis and stage and possibly direct therapy.

[Pregnancy-related, rarely-seen spontaneous lumbar artery rupture]. / Hamilelige bagli nadir görülen spontan lomber arter rüptürü.

Some arterial aneurysm ruptures can be seen during pregnancy. However, spontaneous rupture of the lumbar artery in pregnancy are very rare. In that manuscript we present a 22 year old female who is 8 months pregnant, seen at a peripheral hospital for suspicion of placenta decolmant. When the fetal heart sounds were missed, the patient was transported to our hospital. We reoperated on her as an emergency. We found that a spontaneous rupture of the lumbar artery.