Chagas disease and liver transplantation: Experience in Argentina using real-time quantitative PCR for early detection and treatment.

BACKGROUND: Chagas disease (CD) is an endemic zoonosis that occurs in Latin America and is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Early detection of T. cruzi in liver transplant recipients at risk may avoid complications from CD. The aim of this study was to examine the pre-operative evaluation and follow-up of CD after liver transplantation (LT) of patients at risk of CD using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for T. cruzi. METHODS: Between January 2009 and June 2016, 13 (12.7%) of 102 LTs performed in recipients at risk for CD without specific postoperative prophylaxis were prospectively evaluated using qPCR for T. cruzi. Four seronegative patients received livers from seropositive donors (R-/D+) and 9 seropositive recipients received livers from seronegative donors (R+/D-). A cohort of 89 patients without risk for CD during the same time period was analyzed as controls. RESULTS: A positive qPCR for T. cruzi prior to LT was found in 2/9 (22.2%) seropositive recipients, and both achieved early response after therapy. The cumulative incidence of positive parasitemia after LT was higher in R+/D- than R-/D+ (37.7% vs 0%, P = .17). R+/D- transplant patients with positive qPCR achieved therapeutic response without manifestations of acute CD. LT outcomes at 1 year were similar in patients at risk of CD and in controls not at risk for CD. CONCLUSION: A small proportion of T. cruzi-seropositive candidates presented positive parasitemia before LT. After LT, qPCR allowed detection of parasitemia leading to use of preemptive therapy in all R+/D- with T. cruzi replication. No cases of T. cruzi parasitemia occurred in R-/D+.

Solid pseudopapilar neoplasm of the pancreas.

Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas is a rare entity, more frequent in women between the 2nd and 4th decades. The diagnosis is usually incidental and it can be reached by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Subsequent pathological confirmation is necessary for an adequate treatment. A retrospective study of six cases was carried out. All the patients were female, between 14 and 56 years of age, in which 50% the tumor were an incidental finding. We had three cases located in the head and three in the body of the pancreas. We performed three pancreaticoduodenectomies and three distal pancreatectomies with splenic preservation, without disease recurrence.

El tumor sólido-quístico de páncreas es poco frecuente y predomina en mujeres entre la segunda y la cuarta décadas de la vida. Los pacientes son generalmente asintomáticos. El diagnóstico se realiza por imágenes con tomografía o resonancia magnética, y con la posterior confirmación patológica para poder ofrecer un tratamiento adecuado. Presentamos una serie de seis casos. Todas las pacientes fueron de sexo femenino, de entre 14 y 56 años. El 50% fueron un hallazgo incidental. Tuvimos tres casos localizados en la cabeza y tres en el cuerpo del páncreas. Se realizaron tres duodenopancreatectomías cefálicas y tres pancreatectomías distales con preservación esplénica, con buena evolución y sin recidiva.

Uterus transplantation in a sheep model: novel surgical technique with long-term survival and uterus vitality. First case series in Argentina.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a sheep autologous uterus transplantation (UT) program with an innovative surgical technique and assess long term uterus vitality and animal survival. METHODS: A novel surgical technique consisting of the procurement of the complete uterus and the two ovaries, back table vascular reconstruction, and subsequent implantation in the same animal, performing only two arterial and two venous anastomoses. RESULTS: Four autologous transplantations were performed; anesthesia and surgery were well tolerated by all the animals without complications. Direct observation and Doppler US performed a week after UT and laparoscopy performed three months later confirmed uterus vitality. All animals were alive more than a year after transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study was the first to describe a novel surgical technique for sheep uterus autologous transplantation in Latin America, showing long-term survival and uterus vitality.

Mielolipoma retroperitoneal perirrenal: reporte de un caso.

El mielolipoma es un tumor benigno de baja incidencia cuya localización más frecuente son las glándulas suprarrenales. Histológicamente se caracteriza por células con precursores mieloides y eritroides mezcladas con tejido adiposo maduro. El diagnóstico en general es incidental en una prueba de imagen. Clínicamente cursa asintomático, aunque los de mayor tamaño tienen más riesgo de complicaciones como sangrado o efecto de masa. Los hallazgos incidentales < 4 cm se deben controlar con imágenes; los > 7 cm, o que generen síntomas, deben ser tratados de forma quirúrgica. Se reporta un caso de mielolipoma extrasuprarrenal en un paciente de 78 años.Myelolipoma is a relatively rare benign tumor which is most commonly located in the adrenal glands. Histologically is characterized by eritroid and myeloid precursor cells intermixed with mature adipose tissue. The diagnosis is generally incidental in abdominal imaging studies. Clinically most are asymptomatic, nevertheless larger tumors are at greater risk for complications such as hemorrhage or compression of surrounding structures. Incidental findings smaller than 4 cm should be followed-up by imaging. Tumors measuring more than 7 cm or those that are symptomatic a surgical approach is mandated. We present the case of a 78-year-old man with an extra-adrenal myelolipoma.

[Hepatic Parasitosis: Atypical presentation] / Parasitosis Hepática: Presentación atípica.

Benign solid liver tumors are composed by a heterogeneous group of lesions. Hepatic parasitosis is an infrequent etiological cause of benign solid liver tumors. Objective. To present the case of a patient with benign solid liver tumors treated with right portal vein embolization and, later, with hepatectomy. Clinical case. 60-year-old, male patient diagnosed with multiple solid liver tumors, due to a generalized case of jaundice. The decision to perform surgery was made on the basis of the clinical symptoms and the impossibility of discarding malignancy through complementary tests. Before surgery, hepatic volumetry and right portal vein embolization were done to increase future hepatic remnant. Right hepatectomy and hepatic resection of segment IVa were performed. The patient evolved positively from jaundice and the anatomopathological results showed a lesion related to hepatic parasitosis. Conclusion. In the presence of a solid liver tumor, it is necessary to rule out the malignant etiology of the lesion. If this is not possible, or if the patient continues with the symptomatology, surgical resection is prescribed, taking into account the volume of the hepatic gland and future hepatic remnant.

Los tumores hepáticos sólidos benignos están formados por un grupo heterogéneo de lesiones. Las parasitosis hepáticas conforman una causa etiológica poco frecuente de tumores hepáticos sólidos benignos. Objetivo. Reportar el caso de un paciente con tumores hepáticos solidos benignos tratado con embolización portal derecha y posteriormente hepatectomía. Caso clínico. Paciente de 60 años, sexo masculino, al cual se le diagnostican múltiples tumores hepáticos sólidos, debido a cuadro de ictericia generalizada. Debido al cuadro sintomático, y al no poder descartar malignidad con las pruebas complementarias, se decide realizar cirugía. Previamente se realiza volumetría de la glándula hepática y embolización portal derecha para aumentar el remanente hepático futuro. Se realiza hepatectomía derecha y segmentectomía hepática IVa. Evoluciona con mejoría del cuadro ictérico y el resultado anatomopatológico informa lesión vinculable a parasitosis hepática. Conclusión. Ante la presencia de un tumor hepático sólido, es necesario descartar etiología maligna de la lesión. Si no es posible descartar esto, o si el paciente persiste con sintomatología, la resección quirúrgica está indicada, teniendo en cuenta el volumen de la glándula hepática y del remanente hepático futuro.

Duodeno pancreatectomía cefálica laparoscópica / Laparoscopic cephalic pancreatectomy duodenum / Pancreatectomia cefálica laparoscópica duodeno

Apertura ligamento gástro-cólico, acceso a transcavidad de los epiplones. Descenso ángulo hepato-colónico, maniobra Kocher. Sección de vasos gastroepiplóicos derechos. Sección de antro gástrico. Sección de arteria pilórica y gastroduodenal. Pasaje retropancreático, sección cuello páncreas. Decruzamiento retromesentérico, sección de primera asa. Liberación proceso uncinado, sección vía biliar. Linfadenectomía pedículo hepático. Extracción de pieza. Ascenso de yeyuno vía retromesentérica, confeccionando anastomosis: hepático-yeyuno. Pancreato-yeyunal. Ducto-mucosa, tutorizada a exterior. Apertura mesocolon-transverso, pasaje de yeyuno y sección. Gastro-yeyuno anastomosis, por vía trasmesocolónica. Confeccionando anastomosis al pie en Y de Roux, 60 cm de anastomosis previa. Drenajes sobre anastomosis pancreático-biliar fijándolos a piel.