Microwave ablation of a solitary colorectal liver metastasis complicated by stomach perforation and gastrocutaneous fistula - a case report.

BACKGROUND: Organ perforation secondary to thermal ablation is a rare but severe complication that can occur in certain patients, in whom tissue dissection and preservation cannot be adequately achieved. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 69-year-old man presented with a gastrocutaneous fistula 20 days after a microwave ablation of liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Besides skin rash, local tenderness, and gastric content discharge from a wound where the probe had been placed, no other signs or symptoms were present. The patient was treated surgically, and a wedge-shaped gastric resection was performed. His postoperative course was uneventful. After 8 months, the patient underwent the same procedure for local progression of the same lesion, using a pulsed MW antenna and a dedicated hydrodissection needle, without complications. CONCLUSIONS: A gastrocutaneous fistula is a rare complication of microwave ablation. However, adequate hydrodissection can minimize the risk for the development of these complications. Proper treatment of these complications does not preclude repeated usage of microwave ablation in the future.

A rare case of gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma in a 24-year-old male with achalasia complicated by postoperative aortoesophageal fistula due to stent placement and early local recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal cancer is the 8th most common and 6th most deadly malignancy worldwide. It is an aggressive type of cancer with poor prognosis, despite advances in therapeutic methods including those in thoracoabdominal surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It rarely manifests in young patients, but occurs frequently in older people. It has been related with achalasia regarding mainly the squamous cell carcinoma rather than the adenocarcinoma. Infiltrating esophageal tumors and radiotherapy can lead to the development of aortoesophageal fistula, a pathological communication between the aorta and the esophagus. CASE: We present the case of a 24-year-old male patient with a known history of achalasia for almost 15 years with a history of heavy smoking and drinking that presented with advanced lower esophageal adenocarcinoma. The patient was submitted, as per to his will, directly to Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy. One month later, dysphagia was manifested due to stenosis of the anastomosis, without any signs of local recurrence, and an esophageal metallic stent was placed. In the 3rd postoperative month, upper gastrointestinal bleeding presented due to an aortoesophageal fistula, caused by anastomotic dehiscence due to local recurrence and pressure from the stent, which was treated surgically. The patient, refusing chemotherapy at all stages, developed peritoneal carcinomatosis and died 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: Esophageal cancer is an aggressive type of cancer with a poor prognosis that is typically dia-gnosed in advanced stages. Despite the development of new therapeutic approaches, the high recurrence rate and the poor prognosis remain.

Implications of the presence of the vermiform appendix inside an inguinal hernia (Amyand's hernia): a systematic review of the literature.

PURPOSE: To identify and sum all available evidence pertaining to the management of Amyand's hernia (AH). METHODS: A systematic search of the MedLine, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases was performed for studies published until January 2020. RESULTS: In total, 111 studies incorporating 161 patients were identified, 96 (86.4%) being case reports, 11 (9.9%) case series, and 4 (3.7%) retrospective patient cohorts. Mean patient age was 58.5 ± 19.6 years with 136 (83.9%) being males and 25 (16.1%) females. Furthermore, 149 (92.5%) cases were right-sided hernias while 12 (7.5%) cases were left-sided. Overall, 62.3% of patients presented emergently and 77.3% of patients' cohort were eventually diagnosed with incarcerated AH. Preoperative diagnosis of AH was established in 23.1% of patients and was achieved either by ultrasound (25%) or CT scan (75%). Operative findings consisted of normal appendix in 73 (45.4%) cases, uncomplicated appendicitis in 62 (38.5%) patients, and perforated appendix in 26 (16.1%). Regarding patients with appendicitis, mesh placement was reported for 17 (21.2%), herniorrhaphy was performed for 51 (63.7%) while 12 (15.1%) patients did not undergo hernia repair during the initial operation. Mesh utilization rates were significantly higher in patients with a normal appendix. Seven cases involved AH containing appendiceal neoplasms. Thirteen cases (8.6%) of postoperative complications were documented and a single case of postoperative death. CONCLUSION: AH is a rare type of inguinal hernia usually complicated by appendicitis. Hernia reconstruction should be tailored to each patient individually according to the extent of inguinal canal inflammation.

Benign Tumours and Pseudotumours Within the Porta Hepatis Masquerading as Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC), also referred to as Altemeier-Klatskins tumour, is a lethal primary extrahepatic carcinoma of biliary epithelial origin, arising within 2cm of the hilar confluence. Radical surgical excision provides the best chance for a cure; however, the management of patients with HC is challenging not only because of the need for a high level of skill in biliary and hepatic resections, but also because of the difficulty in reaching an accurate diagnosis preoperatively. In fact, the differential diagnosis of HC is a diagnostic dilemma which is currently persisting, as modern, sophisticated diagnostic modalities are not always able to provide a definitive preoperative diagnosis. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that alternative entities that mimic HC may be present in up to 25% of patients with hilar obstruction. This makes precise preoperative characterisation of a hilar stricture extremely important by preventing unnecessary, high-risk, major surgical procedures. Therefore, alternative benign entities masquerading as Altemeier-Klatskins tumour deserve an important place in the differential diagnosis of hilar obstruction. PURPOSE: Considering the important clinical implications that a precise diagnosis of the aetiological cause of a biliary obstruction at the liver hilum would have, this paper will focus on the differentiation between HC and benign hilar obstructions and will review benign tumours and pseudotumours masquerading as HC along with their specific diagnostic features.

The effect of glutamine and synbiotics on the healing of colonic anastomosis.

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal wound healing is an essential process for surgical reconstruction of the digestive tract. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of perioperative administration of glutamine and synbiotics on the biological behavior of intestinal mucosal barrier and the healing of colonic anastomosis in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 80 Wistar rats were divided in five groups. A: Control. B: Mechanical bowel preparation and antibiotics.C: Glutamine. D: Synbiotics. E: Glutamine and synbiotics. The animals were sacrificed on 3rd and 7th postoperative day. RESULTS: Zero mortality and no septic complications were noted. On 3rd postoperative days, a significant weight loss was observed in all groups in comparison with the preoperative weights, but on the 7th day in groups C and E, in contrast with the other groups, weight loss was not significant. On the 3rd postoperative day, neoangiogenesis, inflammatory infiltration and fibroblast activity were significantly enhanced in group E compared to control. On the 7th postoperative day in group E fibroblast activity was significantly enhanced and inflammatory infiltration was significantly limited compared to control. The bursting pressures as well as the hydroxyproline tissue content were significantly higher in the group E on 3rd and 7th postoperative days. The percentage of positive mesenteric lymph node cultures were significantly limited in group E compared to control. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of synbiotics in conjunction with glutamine resulted in increasing the mechanical strength of the anastomosis, thus increasing the bursting pressure and decreasing or effacing of anastomotic dehiscence and limiting bacterial translocation.

Pilonidal sinus: a comparative study of treatment methods.

INTRODUCTION: Pilonidal disease is a very common anorectal problem without a clinical consensus on its optimal management. OBJECTIVE: To compare the methods used by our clinic and determine the outcomes in relation to healing, hospitalization time and recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have studied all the cases of patients with pilonidal sinus that were treated surgically in our clinic from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1999. RESULTS: A total of 111 patients were treated of whom 92 (82,8%) were men and 19 (17,2%) were women. Ages ranged from 16 to 65 years with an average age of about 25,1 years. Of the 111 patients, 63 were treated with marsupializationand the remaining 48 were treated by excision (29 with open excision and 19 with the primary suture technique). One hundred and two (91,9%) patients were discharged from the hospital after the surgical procedure, while the remaining 9 patients were hospitalized for 24 hours. The healing time for marsupialization was 27,3 days, the primary suture technique was 11,7 days and the open excision method took 46,4 days. Recurrence was observed in 16 patients (14,4%). Recurrence appeared in 4 (6,35%) of the 63 patients subjected to marsupialization, 1 of the 29 patients subjected to open incision, and 11 (57,8%) of the 19 patients subjected to primary closure. CONCLUSION: In the absence of inflammation and/or recurrence, marsupialization is the surgical method of choice as it has a low percentage of recurrence and an acceptably short healing period.In apparently large, inflamed and recurrent situations, open excision is preferred.

Accessory cleido-occipitalis muscle: case report and review of the literature.

An aberrant muscular fascicle, the so-called "accessory cleido-occipital muscle", originated from the anterior border of the cleido-occipital portion of the right trapezius muscle, was detected during a routine dissection of a female cadaver. The aforementioned muscular bundle coursing in the posterior cervical triangle, almost parallel to the anterior border of the trapezius muscle, inserted ultimately to the clavicle's medial third. In addition, prior to its insertion, the muscle provided a fibrous arch attached to the midportion of clavicle, overlying the main trunk of supraclavicular nerves. We noted that during abduction of the right arm, the fibrous arch entrapped the supraclavicular nerve trunk, presumably leading to sensory disturbances in nerve's area distribution. We review the relative restricted data in the available literature concerning that muscular variant and elucidate its importance during differential diagnosis of a mass and surgical exploration of the posterior cervical triangle.

Hernia mesh repair of the anterior abdominal wall and antibiotic chemoprophylaxis: multiple doses of antibiotics failed to prevent or reduce wound infection.

BACKGROUND: Mesh repair of the anterior abdominal wall hernias is a popular technique and commonly accepted among the majority of surgeons. The technique used most frequently today is the free tension technique. It is uncertain whether antibiotic prophylaxis is necessary to prevent post operative wound infection, especially when a foreign body like a polypropylene mesh is used. METHODS: We have studied retrospectively the patients who received surgical treatment in our department for anterior abdominal wall hernia during the period of January 1995 -December 2004. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on the doses of antibiotics administered. RESULTS: In 780 out of 1245 cases, a mesh of polypropylene was used. In our sample, we excluded 221 patients due to diseases that made the use of antibiotics necessary. We have studied the frequency of superficial and deep infections in correlation with the use of antibiotics (cephalosporin of second generation or a combination of ampicillin plus sulbactam). CONCLUSION: No difference was observed in the incidence of surgical trauma infection in relation to the duration and the doses of antibiotic cover. The wound infection rate in the current study does not support the use of multiple doses of antibiotics, as this rate does not differ from the rates of infection reported in the literature. Further studies are needed to clarify if antibiotic chemoprophylaxis with one dose or no chemoprophylaxis should be recommended.

Intraperitoneal administration of local anesthetics in laparoscopic surgery: pharmacological, anatomical, physiological and pathophysiological considerations.

Local anesthetics, because of their ability to cause a reversible blockade in transmission of impulses along the central and peripheral neural pathways are used to induce analgesia. In laparoscopic surgery procedures, the reduction of postoperative pain is one of the biggest benefits compared with open surgery. However, the pain is not completely absent after laparoscopic surgery. The intraperitoneal administration of local anesthetic intraoperatively in laparoscopic surgery can reduce the intensity of postoperative pain. This method has been in use since the early nineties and seems to be effective. The purpose of this review is to assess the pharmacology of local anesthetics, the anatomy and physiology of the peritoneum, the physiology of preemptive analgesia, and the pathophysiology of pain and review the data from the use of this method so as to make it more effective. For the safest and longest intraperitoneal administration of local anesthetics the following significant points must be taken into consideration: administration of local anesthetic should be done at the beginning, in short-term intervention and both at the beginning and end of surgery for longer-term intervention, administration of local anesthetic should be combined with a vasoconstrictor, usage of solutions of small volume and high concentration of local anesthetic, coverage of the greatest possible surface of the parietal peritoneum (by using a nebulizer), adherence to a waiting period of 10-15 minutes after administration of local anesthetic and usage of a safe and longer duration local anesthetic like levobupivacaine.

Primary gallbladder cancer discovered postoperatively after elective and emergency cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Gallbladder cancer is a rare neoplasm associated with high mortality and poor prognosis. It is usually correlated with cholelithiasis and presents more commonly in elderly and female patients. Diagnosis is seldom made preoperatively because of the indolent progression of the tumor. METHODS: The hospitalization and surgical records of our surgical department were examined from January 1992 to December 2001, searching for patients who had undergone cholecystectomy. Additionally, the histopathological diagnoses of the same period were studied searching for patients with the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer established post-operatively and not intraoperatively by frozen section. RESULTS: In the period of 1992- 2001, a total of 1,536 cholecystectomies took place and 14 cases of gallbladder cancer were diagnosed postoperatively. The ratio of men to women is 3/ 11 with a mean age of 69.4 years. The clinical symptoms were nonspecific and mortality was 57%. CONCLUSION: In most cases gallbladder cancer is diagnosed after cholecystectomy and even in these cases it can be in an advanced stage and the prognosis of this rare neoplasm is poor.

Thoraco-abdominal injuries: the general surgeon's perspective.

BACKGROUND: Thoraco-abdominal traumatic injuries affect the inferior part of the thoracic cavity and the superior part of the abdominal cavity. This study summarizes five years of our surgical department's experience in the diagnosis and management of thoracoabdominal trauma patients. METHODS: We examined records from our surgical and emergency room departments from January 1996 to December 2000, and selected patients with thoraco-abdominal injuries. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were treated who suffered coexisting trauma of the thoracic and abdominal cavity. Males represented the majority of patients and mean age was 38.2 years. Traffic accidents were the major cause (55%) followed by criminal acts of violence (32%) and falls (13%). The most common thoracic injuries were rib fractures (40%) and simple lung contusions (35%) and the abdominal organs most commonly injured were the spleen (35%), liver (25%) and kidney (20%). Surgical interventions were performed in 68% of patients, whereas the remaining patients were treated conservatively. CONCLUSIONS: Thoraco-abdominal injuries are characterized by high heterogeneity and can provide significant decision-making challenges. The accurate diagnosis of all coexisting injuries is critically important, as the diagnosis will determine surgical or non-operative management of these injuries.

Neuroendocrine tumor of the cystic duct.

Neuroendocrine tumours of the extrahepatic bile ducts are extremely rare with less than 70 cases having been reported in the literature. Neuroendocrine tumours are neoplasms of variable malignant potential that arise from the embryonic neural crest cells. They most commonly occur in young females and usually present with painless jaundice. Preoperative diagnosis is seldom made and neuroendocrine tumours are usually incidentally found during abdominal surgical intervention for other indication. Due to their indolent biological behaviour aggressive surgical treatment is recommended. We present a case of an incidentally discovered neuroendocrine tumour of the cystic duct in a 41 year old woman following laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallbladder microlithiasis. The present case is the 8th case of cystic duct NET and the 63rd of extrahepatic bile duct NET. While a rare location for a NET, it is important to report cases of biliary tract neuroendocrine tumours in order for their pathogenesis and physical history to be clarified.

Abnormal bilateral drainage of testicular veins: embryological aspects and surgical application.

A combination of unusual bilateral drainage of the testicular veins observed in a male cadaver utilized for educational and research purposes is prescribed. In specific, the right testicular vein was terminated on the right renal vein at almost right angle, whereas the left testicular vein was bifurcated into a lateral component drained into the left renal vein and a medial component opened into the inferior vena cava close to its confluence with the left renal vein. Such a co-existence of bilateral testicular vein termination is very rarely presented in the literature. The main goal of this study is to provide an embryological development model for these variants and to highlight the likely occurrence of these anomalies to the surgeon of the region. The awareness of these venous anomalies can facilitate the surgeons in order to ligate properly and adequately the abnormal venous terminations and collaterals reducing that way the recurrence rate of varicocele.

A single-centre experience of the treatment of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms: clinical and anatomic characteristics of open versus endovascular repair.

AIM: The treatment of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms is a constant challenge for vascular surgeons and can be achieved either by endovascular repair or by an open surgical technique. Endovascular repair presents a higher 30-day survival rate. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and anatomical characteristics and the outcomes of these two treatment techniques. METHODS: Our study sample comprised patients who presented at the emergency department of a General Regional Hospital with rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm between January 2003 and December 2008. Of the 43 patients who were treated, 23 underwent open surgical repair and 20 underwent endovascular repair. RESULTS: Comorbidities, age, clinical presentation and anatomical characteristics didn't present statistically significant differences in the two groups. Patients in the endovascular repair group were transfused with less units of blood and fresh frozen plasma (P=0.001) and had shorter stay in the intensive care unit (P=0.042). The 30-day mortality rate was 43% for open surgical repair and 35% for endovascular treatment (P=0.627), while the overall in-hospital mortality rate was 61% and 50% (P=0.474), respectively. CONCLUSION: When certain anatomical characteristics are present and the hemodynamic condition of the patient allows it, endovascular treatment appears to be associated with better survival rates, both 30-day and overall.

Duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumor presenting with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding treated with segmental resection.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are considered to derive from the interstitial cells of Cajal or their precursors and are defined by their expression of c-kit protein (CD117) that is positive in 95% percent of cases. These are rare mesenchymatous tumours, while they represent the most common mesenchymal tumours of the alimentary tract. The majority of GISTs develop in the stomach and small intestine and more rarely in the rectum, colon, esophagus and mesentery; only 3-5% of all GISTs are located in the duodenum. The presenting symptoms include early satiation, dysphagia, bloating, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding, either acute or chronic. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for localized, non-metastatic, resectable GISTs. We present a case of duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumour of the third portion of the duodenum that presented with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding treated with segmental duodenal resection.

Lymphoepithelioma-like gastric carcinoma presenting as giant ulcer of the lesser curvature: case report.

Lymphoepithelioma-like gastric carcinoma (LELGC) has special clinicopathologic features that differentiate it from the common gastric adenocarcinoma. LELGC is a rare neoplasm of the stomach with an incidence of 1-4% of all gastric cancers and is characterized by desmoplastic stroma uniformaly infiltrated by abundant lymphocytes and plasma cells. LELGC is closely associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), with 80-100% of LELGC being EBV-positive. LELGC has a male predominance, occurs in elderly people and is usually located in the upper and middle portion of the stomach. We report a rare case of lymphoepithelioma-like gastric carcinoma located in the lesser curvature at the border of the gastric body to the pyloric antrum.

Incidentally discovered white subcupsular liver nodules during laparoscopic surgery: biliary hamartoma and peribiliary gland hamartoma.

During routine laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon may encounter the presence of small white subcapsular liver nodules, either solitary or multiple. The lesions may mimic liver metastasis and in many cases are not demonstrated in the preoperative ultrasound or computed tomography. The aim of this article is to familiarize the laparoscopic surgeon with the incidental discovery of these nodules which represent the two types of intrahepatic benign bile duct proliferations and include biliary hamartomas, which are usually multiple benign malformations of the intrahepatic bile ducts, and peribiliary gland hamartoma, which is usually solitary and consists of a benign epithelial tumor of the liver derived from bile duct cells.

Streptococcus mutans: a rare cause of retroperitoneal abscess.

Retroperitoneal abscesses are uncommonly encountered clinical entities and they represent serious surgical infections associated with significant mortality rates because of their insidious clinical manifestations and diagnostic difficulty. The source of retroperitoneal infections is usually an organ contained within or abutting the retroperitoneum, usually the kidney and the microorganisms most commonly isolated are gram-negative bacilli. Gram-positive cocci, mainly staphylococcal species and rarely streptococcal species, are a less common cause of retroperitoneal abscess and are usually isolated in cases of hematogenous spread. Treatment of retroperitoneal abscesses includes identification and treatment of underlying conditions, intravenous antibiotics and adequate surgical drainage of all well-defined collections. We present a rare case of retroperitoneal abscess caused by monomicrobial Streprococcus mutans infection and discuss the possible pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment.

Mesothelial mesenteric cyst in patient with ascending colon cancer. Case report.

Mesenteric cysts are rare cystic malformations of the mesentery. They are usually located at the iliac mesentery. Clinically most mesenteric cysts are asymptomatic, but sometimes they present with non-specific abdominal symptoms. Diagnosis can be aided using US, CT and MRI but careful interpretation of the images and high index of suspicion of this rare condition is essential for the correct diagnosis, which cannot always be preoperatively established. The therapeutic method of choice is complete surgical excision of the cyst which minimizes the possibility of recurrence. Histopathologically they are classified in six group. We present a case of a mesothelial mesenteric cyst in patient with colon cancer. The cyst was misdiagnosed as urinary bladder diverticulum in the preoperative CT scan.