Foreign body ingestion: management of 167 cases.

We reviewed the management of 167 patients with foreign body ingestion from 1980 to 1986. Two patients (1.1%) refused treatment. Nonoperative management was attempted in 14 (8.4%) patients. Endoscopy was performed on 117 patients with an overall success rate of 85.5% and a complication rate of 1.7%. Surgical treatment was required in 51 (30.0%) patients, 14 of whom had previous unsuccessful endoscopy.

Cervical gastrostomy in the surgical treatment of oesophageal cancer by reconstruction with the stomach.

A technique of cervical gastrostomy is described. Cervical gastrostomy as an alternative to the use of an indwelling nasogastric tube after cervical oesophagogastrostomy after resection for cancer has been used in six patients and appears to have certain advantages in terms of effective gastric decompression, avoiding discomfort to the patient, and simplification of postoperative nursing. It may play a significant role in reducing postoperative mortality from aspiration pneumonitis and other pulmonary complications.

Congenital cystic dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts (Caroli's disease): report of a case and review of the literature.

A case of congenital cystic dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts (Caroli's disease) followed for more than 7 years is reported. This patient presented also with congenital hepatic fibrosis, gallstones, and biliary hypersecretion of more than 3,000 ml in 24 hours. An analysis of the literature relating to Caroli's disease disclosed 46 well-documented cases of both hepatic histopathology and biliary tree studies. Six cases (13%) were found to be isolated forms of intrahepatic cystic dilatations; 16 (34.7%) were associated with congenital hepatic fibrosis; 10 (21.7%) presented with either a choledochal cyst or nonobstructive extrahepatic biliary tree dilatation; and in 14 cases (30%) the three anomalies were found together in the same patient. After these findings, we think that congenital hepatic fibrosis, congenital cystic dilatations of the intrahepatic bile ducts (Caroli's disease), choledochal cyst and other nonobstructive dilatations of the extrahepatic biliary tree are possibly the same congenital disease with different levels of involvement.

Hydatid disease of the liver.

Our experience in the surgical management of hydatid disease of the liver in 212 patients over the past eighteen years is reviewed. The most frequent postoperative complications and mortality rates of elective and emergency procedures are presented, and the more frequently utilized operative technics are described. In the great majority of patients conservatism was the rule in excision of solitary or multiple cysts. It is important to establish whether or not hepatic cysts communicate with the biliary tree. In these cases, enteroanastomoses (such as cystjejunostomy or cystgastrostomy) may be utilized depending on the position of the cyst. Any associated biliary disease (such as lithiasis or fibrosis) should be taken care of at the same time. External cystic drainage (marsupialization) is contraindicated because of the high incidence of chronic external biliary fistula, secondary hemorrhage, sepsis, and postlaparotomy hernia. In those patients in whom the cyst has penetrated the diaphragm and communicates with the lung, treatment should be carried out in one stage whenever possible.