[Chylothorax]. / Il chilotorace.

Chylothorax is the accumulation of chyle in the pleural space. In newborns the congenital form is often prenatal diagnosed, while the late variety originates to damage to the thoracic duct by cardiac surgery, diaphragmatic hernia, etc. Clinical presentation results from the accumulation of pleural fluid and the symptoms depends on the size of the effusion. The treatment needs both medical and surgical care. The pleural cavity should be drained via thoracocentesis, and total parenteral nutrition should be started. Afterward fat-free diet with the addition of medium-chain triglycerides could be initiate. Somatostatin and octreotide have been successfully employed, mainly in post-surgery chylothorax. Surgery should be considered when medical management fails. Some approaches are reported, and thoracic duct ligation, pleurodesis and pleuroperitoneal shunts are the most utilized. The prognosis of chylothorax depends on the etiology, and it is consequence of a variety of treatments that may influence the outcome.

Cryptorchidism with short spermatic vessels: staged orchiopexy preserving spermatic vessels.

PURPOSE: Patients with cryptorchidism can have such short spermatic vessels that it is impossible to place the testicle in a satisfactory scrotal position using conventional orchiopexy. In these cases the most commonly used operation is 1 to 2-stage Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy. We present our surgical experience using staged inguinal orchiopexy without section of the spermatic vessels in patients with short spermatic vessels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used 2-stage inguinal orchiopexy in 38 children with intra-abdominal testis or testis peeping through the internal ring and short spermatic vessels (7 bilateral). Spermatic vessels were not sectioned, but were lengthened through progressive traction of the spermatic cord wrapped in polytetrafluoroethylene pericardial membrane (Preclude). In the first stage we mobilized the spermatic cord in the retroperitoneal space and then wrapped it in the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. We subsequently attached the testis to the invaginated scrotal bottom. At 9 to 12 months we performed the second stage, which involved removing the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. RESULTS: From the first to the second stage we observed progressive descent of the testicle toward the scrotum. At 1 to 8-year followup after the second stage all 45 testicles were palpable in a satisfactory scrotal position with stable or increased testicular volume. CONCLUSIONS: This technique represents an alternative to Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy, which can be associated with a greater risk of testicular ischemia.

Total parenteral nutrition in patients with short bowel syndrome.

Nowadays short bowel syndrome (SBS) is quite frequent, because of more aggressive surgical and medical approaches to the management of neonatal intra-addominal catastrophes. Intestinal rehabilitation can be reached in case of SBS with a strategy that merges nutritional, pharmacologic and surgical approaches to achieve the ultimate goal of enteral nutrition. Long-term clinical nutrition which combines total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and enteral nutrition is required for the adaptation process. Long-term TPN can, however, be associated with mechanical, septic and metabolic complications, most of which have been consistently reduced by a better understanding of the prerequisites for its application and by improvements in parenteral solutions. Parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis (PNAC) and liver disease (PNALD) remain indeed the most worrisome complications and bear with them a high mortality rate. Their prevention will further improve the role of TPN in patients with SBS. The etiology of PNAC and PNALD, although elusive, is thought to be multifactorial and proposed theories also include problems arising from lipid emulsions. Parenteral nutrition, that includes n-3 fatty acids, appear to diminish the extent of the inflammatory response thought to be responsible for PNAC and PNALD. This article will attempt to review the role of TPN in the rehabilitation process and discuss energy and macronutrients requirements.