Retroperitoneal paraganglioma-Is pre operative embolization useful?

INTRODUCTION: Paragangliomas (PG) are rare tumors derived from chromaffin cells that are located outside the adrenal gland and are capable of producing catecholamines. The treatment is based on a surgical resection, and there is controversy regarding the usefulness of previously carrying out an embolization and what is the most adequate surgical approach. CLINICAL CASE: We will present a 17-year-old woman with a retroperitoneal tumour in contact with the aorta and the inferior vena cava, treated with embolization prior to the surgical resection via laparotomy. DISCUSSION: The PG tumors are very infrequent and originate in the extra-adrenal chromaffin cells that exist in the vicinity of the components of the autonomic nervous system. Most of them (86%) produce catecholamines, are unique, sporadic, benign and more frequent in middle-aged women. Since they are radioresistant tumors, the only possibility for a cure is by a complete surgical excision. The preoperative embolization has been described mainly as the treatment of cervical PG, although its use in abdominal PG is more controversial and is not done in a systematic manner. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that the embolization of abdominal PG is not free of risks and that it has not been demonstrated that it significantly reduces the peri-operative bleeding or the surgical time. Probably, the embolization should be reserved for intensively hypervascularized and larger PGs.

Laparoscopic treatment of retroperitoneal cystic mesothelioma. Two cases reported.

Retroperitoneal cystic mesothelioma is a very rare lesion. The pathogeny is unclear and establishing a preoperative diagnosis versus others retroperitoneal cystic lesions is difficult. Thus, with increasing experience in laparoscopic retroperitoneal surgery, the use of this approach for exploration of a retroperitoneal mass of unknown origin may provide an alternative to classic open surgery and all the benefits of laparoscopy. We present two cases treated laparoscopycally and review the literature.

[Complications due to spilled gallstones and surgical clips left in the abdomen during laparoscopic cholecystectomy]. / Complicaciones por cálculos y clips intraabdominales abandonados durante una colecistectomía laparoscópica.

The presence of biliary gallstones and surgical clips in the abdominal cavity after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy can cause complications, which even though they are uncommon, can be serious. We carried out a review of the various complications, their incidence, related risk factors, ways to deal with them and recommendations to reduce morbidity associated with the presence of ectopic material (gallstones and surgical clips) in the peritoneum.

[Laparoscopic splenectomy due to torsion of a wandering spleen]. / Esplenectomía laparoscópica por torsión de un bazo ectópico (wandering spleen).

Wandering spleen is an uncommon entity, characterized by the anomalous position of the spleen, caused by the absence or laxity of its suspensory ligaments. The most common symptoms are usually due to intermittent or complete torsion of the splenic pedicle with subsequent infarction. We report a case of torsion of a wandering spleen. Laparoscopic splenectomy was performed and recovery was uneventful. Although few cases of wandering spleen treated laparoscopically have been reported in the literature, laparoscopy has been demonstrated to be a safe technique for the treatment of this entity.