Isolated abdominal trauma: diagnosis and clinical management considerations.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The scope of the present study is to review the topics of initial assessment, diagnosis and clinical management of an isolated abdominal trauma. RECENT FINDINGS: Progress in the management of trauma patients increasing survival includes a multidisciplinary approach involving multiple specialties at presentation. If immediate surgical intervention is needed, 'damage control' is the best option; if not, it has been proven that conservative management is superior to operative, in terms of survival for the majority of intraabdominal injury. 'Open abdomen' should be performed in major abdominal traumas when indicated. Early enteral feeding is beneficial, even in the presence of 'open abdomen'. SUMMARY: Abdominal trauma is a complex injury; the multidisciplinary approach has made nonoperative management feasible and effective. When surgical intervention is needed, it should be performed in an orderly fashion, within the context of the overall management.

Isolated primary pancreatic Wegener's granulomatosis: report of two cases.

CONTEXT: Chronic inflammatory vasculitis, namely Wegener's granulomatosis, is an autoimmune disease predominantly affecting the respiratory tract and rarely the mucosa of the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. We report two cases of isolated pancreatic manifestation of Wegener's granulomatosis, mimicking a tumor. CASE REPORTS: Two patients, a 57-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman, presented with isolated lesions thought to be pancreatic adenocarcinoma and both underwent surgical resection. On pathology, the lesions were found to be a granulomatous vasculitis and were considered to represent isolated pancreatic Wegener's granulomatosis, in the absence of other clinical features of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Benign diseases such as Tuberculosis may mimic pancreatic tumours diagnosed on cross-sectional imaging. Wegener's granulomatosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of an isolated pancreatic mass, in the absence of other cardinal symptoms for malignancy, due to the extensive surgery and risks involved in resection of pancreas.

Utility of drain fluid amylase measurement on the first postoperative day after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of pancreatic fistula (PF) may improve the outcome after pancreaticoduodenectomy, and exclusion of PF may allow earlier drain removal and accelerate recovery. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between drain fluid amylase on the first postoperative day (DFA(1)) and PF. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This work was designed as a prospective study and included patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy in a single center. For each patient, DFA was measured on the first and fifth postoperative days, and PF was defined by drainage of amylase-rich fluid on the fifth postoperative day (DFA(5) >300 U/l). A cut-off value of DFA(1) was derived, which yielded sensitivity and negative predictive value of 100% for predicting a PF. RESULTS: A total of 70 patients (47% male) who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure: 37; pylorus-preserving procedure: 33) between April 2009 and March 2010 were included. Nine of those patients developed a PF (grade A-2; B-5; C-2). There were two postoperative deaths (3%). The DFA(1) value significantly correlated with DFA(5) (Spearman rank coefficient 0.68; p < 0.0001). The median DFA(1) of patients with a PF (6,205; range 357-23,391) was significantly higher than in patients without a PF (69; range 5-5,180; p = 0.01; unpaired t test). No patient with a PF had a DFA(1) ≤350 U/l, compared to 48/61 patients (79%) without a PF. Using 350 U/l as a cut-off, a low DFA(1) excluded a PF with a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 100, 79, 41, and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Drain fluid amylase on the DFA(1) after pancreaticoduodenectomy stratifies patients according to likelihood of developing a PF.

Breast cancer liver metastases in a UK tertiary centre: Outcomes following referral to tumour board meeting.

INTRODUCTION: To assess the outcomes from multidisciplinary board meetings (MDM) for patients with breast cancer liver metastases (BCLM) and identify prognostic factors for survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of MDM records for patients referred with BCLM to a tertiary centre between 2005 and 2016. Patient demographics, clinicopathological factors and intervention type were analysed to find predictive factors for overall survival. RESULTS: 61 patients with BCLM were referred to the MDM. Treatment pathways included surgical resection (n = 23), radiofrequency ablation (RFA, n = 11), or chemotherapy (n = 27). Surgical resection patients had an improved median overall survival compared to chemotherapy (49 v 20mo; p < 0.001). RFA showed comparable survival benefit (37 v 20mo; p = 0.011). Resection and RFA showed no significant difference in survival over one another (49 v 37mo; p = 0.854). Survival analysis identified that resection (p = 0.002) and RFA (p = 0.001) were associated with improved overall survival compared to chemotherapy. Multivariate analysis identified extrahepatic disease (HR = 14.21; p = 0.044) and R0 resection (HR = 0.068; p = 0.023) as prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical resection of BCLM may improve the overall survival in selected patient groups. This study identifies a cohort of patients, without extrahepatic disease and responsive to chemotherapy, who may particularly benefit from surgery.

The effect of body position on compartmental intra-abdominal pressure following liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Current assumptions rely on intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) being uniform across the abdominal cavity. The abdominal contents are, however, a heterogeneous mix of solid, liquid and gas, and pressure transmission may not be uniform. The current study examines the upper and lower IAP following liver transplantation. METHODS: IAP was measured directly via intra-peritoneal catheters placed at the liver and outside the bladder. Compartmental pressure data were recorded at 10-min intervals for up to 72 h following surgery, and the effect of intermittent posture change on compartmental pressures was also studied. Pelvic intra-peritoneal pressure was compared to intra-bladder pressure measured via a FoleyManometer. RESULTS: A significant variation in upper and lower IAP of 18% was observed with a range of differences of 0 to 16 mmHg. A sustained difference in inter-compartmental pressure of 4 mmHg or more was present for 23% of the study time. Head-up positioning at 30° provided a protective effect on upper intra-abdominal pressure, resulting in a significant reduction in all patients. There was excellent agreement between intra-bladder and pelvic pressure. CONCLUSIONS: A clinically significant variation in inter-compartmental pressure exists following liver transplantation, which can be manipulated by changes to body position. The existence of regional pressure differences suggests that IAP monitoring at the bladder alone may under-diagnose intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome in these patients. The upper and lower abdomen may need to be considered as separate entities in certain conditions.

Use of an aberrant right hepatic artery arising from the superior mesenteric artery of the recipient for arterial reconstruction in liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to report a single centre experience of using a recipient's aberrant right hepatic artery (RHA) from the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) to establish inflow into liver allografts. MATERIAL/METHODS: All patients who had arterial reconstruction with an aberrant RHA were identified from a prospective database (1989-2004). Indications and outcomes were evaluated, with particular reference to arterial complications. RESULTS: An aberrant RHA was used in 27/2518 recipients (1%), including 6 paediatric recipients. Indications were replaced CHA (4), hypoplastic CHA (7), atheroma (12), previous conduit (1) and poor post-anastomotic flow (3). After a median of 42 months, arterial complications occurred in 2 paediatric recipients (hepatic artery thrombosis 1; arterial stenosis 1). Four patients developed anastomotic biliary strictures, and one paediatric recipient developed ischaemic cholangiopathy after hepatic artery thrombosis. Two patients underwent retransplantation (one patient with arterial stenosis). 1-year and 5-year patient survival rates were 85% and 81%. There were 6 deaths unrelated to vascular complications. CONCLUSIONS: In adult liver transplant recipients with an unsuitable common hepatic artery, an aberrant right hepatic artery may be used to establish arterial inflow. This technique may be associated with a higher rate of vascular complications in paediatric recipients, and should be used cautiously in this group.