Idiopathic scrotal hematoma in a neonate.

Background: Neonatal scrotal hematoma is considered a surgical emergency in the neonatal period. Up to recently, immediate surgical exploration was considered the gold standard for the diagnosis and treatment in the underlying causes. Objective: In this article, we present a case of idiopathic scrotal hematoma in a neonate. Method: It was managed conservatively with clinical and ultrasonographic follow-up. Result: The hematoma had gradually subsided, and any surgical intervention was avoided to the neonate. Conclusion: With good clinical and imaging follow-up, some cases could be managed nonoperatively.

[Primary peritonitis in the newborn: a recently recognised disease]. / Peritonite primitiva in neonati. Una entità nosologica recentemente riconosciuta.

BACKGROUND DATA: Neonatal primary peritonitis (or autonomic bacterial peritonitis) is a diffuse peritoneal inflammation without any obvious visceral cause. It is a disease rarely described during the neonatal period. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to make the surgical community aware of it, in an attempt to help a prompt diagnose and to avoid any unnecessary surgery in patients admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: It concerns the description of 7 cases of newborns affected by primary peritonitis during their hospitalization in the NICU, underlining their signs and symptoms along with all additional paraclinical tests and the final outcome. RESULTS: Primary peritonitis was identified in 7 neonates (5 females and 2 males). Despite the severity of their symptoms (e.g., abdominal sensibility, a long standing ileus etc.) none of them had sustained any surgery and the mortality was nil. CONCLUSIONS: Neonatal primary peritonitis should always be taken into account in such circumstances. The final outcome, despite the initial clinical severity, is favorable with the appropriate conservative therapy

Development of an animal model of fibrous cholangitis in pigs.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to develop a model of fibrous cholangitis in the offspring of gravid domestic pigs through the administration of 1,4-phenylene diisothiocyanate (DITC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six young domestic pigs and two gravid pigs with their offspring (21 pigs) were used as experimental models and six wild-type animals were used as controls. All pigs were divided into five main groups and five subgroups, according to their developmental stage and time of exposure to DITC. The following histopathological characteristics were quantitatively evaluated on a scale of 0-5: ductal proliferation, periportal fibrosis, inflammatory infiltration, periductal fibrosis and edema, intraluminal fibrosis, duct wall thickening, epithelial apoptosis, and arterial hyperplasia/hypertrophy. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed for most of the histopathological markers between the group of pigs' offspring that received DITC at early gestation and their control group. Moreover, the group of animals that were exposed to the agent at early gestation exhibited significant differences for all histopathological characteristics compared to the animals that were exposed at late gestation. On the other hand, no statistically significant differences were observed between the group of animals that received the agent at late gestation and their healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of DITC to domestic pigs in early pregnancy may induce histopathological patterns of fibrous cholangitis to their offspring imitating biliary atresia. This model may provide insight to the pathogenesis of the obstructive cholangitis in pigs.