Rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor: an unusual presentation of an uncommon pathology (a case report).

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are a rare form of neoplasm. The stomach is the commonest location while gastrointestinal bleeding and pain are the usual presentations. Rectal GIST has been reported in literature as a rare occurrence. We report the rare case of a 37-year-old man who presented with large bowel obstruction and acute urinary retention arising from a rectal GIST. Radiological investigations showed features in keeping with intestinal obstruction. He had a divided colostomy and tumour debulking. Histology of tumour revealed a rectal GIST and immunohistochemical staining was positive for CD34 and CD117. Postoperatively Imatinib was commenced and patient did well. We report this case to highlight the unusual symptoms that may arise from a rare pathology like rectal GIST and the need to consider an alternative diagnosis-such as GIST, in a young adult presenting with large bowel obstruction in the absence of risk factors for bowel adenocarcinoma.

Management of Thyroglossal Cyst in Adults: A Single-Institution Experience.

OBJECTIVES: Thyroglossal duct cyst (TDC) is the most common congenital anterior neck mass in clinical practice. Due to its congenital origin, presentation in adulthood is uncommon with only 7% of cases presenting in this age group. Data are therefore limited on the management of TDC in adults, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study describes the pattern of the presentation and treatment outcomes, following the management of TDC in a series of adults in a Nigerian tertiary hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of all adult patients with TDCs over a 5-year period was carried out. Sociodemographic data, operative details, and postoperative outcomes were obtained and presented as descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Seven adult patients, including five males and two females, were managed during the period. Their ages ranged from 19 to 60 years, with a mean of 37 ± 16.4 years. All the patients presented with anterior neck swellings which had been present for a median duration of 3 years. Cysts were located in the infrahyoid position in all instances, and all had Sistrunk operation over a mean operative time of 78 ± 16 min. There were no intraoperative complications. The mean duration of the postoperative stay was 2 days. There was no recurrence after a median follow-up period of 15 months. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the rarity of TDC in adults and describes a single institution's experience with the management of adult cases of TDC using the classical Sistrunk operation.

Nigerian Surgical Trainees' Work Schedule: It is Time for a Change!

BACKGROUND: Unregulated work schedules have deleterious effects on trainees' productivity and patients' safety. For these reasons, duty hours have been capped in many developed countries. Such regulations, however, appear to be lacking in many parts of Africa, and the effects of unregulated work hours in this part of the world have only been scantily documented. This study evaluated the work schedule of Nigerian surgical trainees, and its impact on their wellbeing, as well as assessed the perception of trainees towards capped duty hours. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 650 Nigerian Resident Doctors in surgical specialties was conducted in November 2020. Enquiries were made about their work schedules using a purpose-designed questionnaire, developed using Google Forms®. The data were analysed using the IBM SPSS version 23. RESULTS: The mean weekly work hours of surgical residents was 122.72 ± 34.17 h. Majority (228, 40.4%) of the residents had cumulative call hours of ≥ 72 h per week. One-half (283, 50.1%) of them worked continuously for up to 48-72 h during calls, with mean daily sleep hours of 3.53 ± 1.42 h during calls. The majority (558, 98.8%) of respondents had post-call clinical responsibilities. Seventy-five percent of the respondents reported hazards from prolonged work hours, and an overwhelming majority (530, 93.8%) desire official limits on work hours. CONCLUSION: Prolonged, unregulated work schedules appear to be the norm among Nigerian surgical trainees. This trend calls for urgent measures, to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences on both physicians and patients.