Pancreatic true cysts--diagnosis and treatment difficulties.

Pancreatic true cysts represent a rare, heterogeneous group of pancreatic tumors; therapeutic strategy is based on patient's general status, cyst topography, and especially the estimated risk of malignancy. This paper aim is to present 7 cases of pancreatic true cysts, operated on a six years period (January 2004-January 2010) in our surgical clinic: 2 men and 5 women, aged between 24-61 years old; cyst diameter varies between 3.5-15 cm, tumor location being pancreatic head in two cases and the distal pancreas in 5 cases. Surgical treatment consisted in cyst enucleation (two cases), splenopancreatectomy (three cases), duodenopancreatectomy (one case), and subtotal splenopancreatectomy (one case). Histology was represented by serous cystadenoma (one case), mucinous cystadenoma (2 cases), intraductal papillary mucinous cystadenoma (one case), and papillary cystadenocarcinoma (3 cases).Postoperative results were good in all cases, with 3 postoperative pancreatic external fistulas, resolved conservatory; no case of post-pancreatectomy diabetes mellitus was registered. In conclusion, surgical removal of the pancreatic cystic tumors is necessary, especially due to the risk of malignancy, at least in the absence of rigorous histological proofs of benignancy. Postoperative results are favorable in terms of postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Carcinoid tumour of the appendix: problems of diagnosis and treatment.

Carcinoids (neuroendocrine tumours) are considered the most common primary appendiceal neoplasm. Primary appendiceal tumours are uncommon. Routine histopathological examination of appendicectomy specimens is justified given the not infrequent incidental finding of appendiceal tumours. In cases of appendicitis in the elderly, the index of suspicion for epithelial tumours of the appendix should be raised. Moreover, once the diagnosis of an adenomatous lesion is made, colonoscopic examination of the entire large bowel is mandatory given the frequency of synchronous colorectal neoplasia in our population. In our study, we review 3 cases of carcinoid tumor of the appendix and describe their presentation, treatment and outcome. They are often diagnosed incidentally after histopathological examination of the vermiform appendix submitted in the course of the management of another clinical diagnosis. Appendectomy is appropriate for lesions < 1 cm but for lesions over 2 cm in diameter there is a significant increase in metastatic spread and thus right hemicolectomy is required in such cases. Appendiceal carcinoid tumours are found in 0,3 - 0,9 per cent of patients undergoing appendicectomy. Controversy exists over the management following appendicectomy, especially with regard to the role of right hemicolectomy in patients with tumours smaller than 2 cm in diameter.

Parietal abdominal endometriosis following Cesarean section.

Endometriosis is a pathological feature induced by the presence and ectopic development of islets of endometrial active cells. The most common site of occurrence is the genital system, causing specific gynecological pathology. The extragenital localization of endometriosis is rare, but it is more severe and it may have a malignant local evolution, although its structures remain benign. The endometrial inclusions in the abdominal wall scar are iatrogenic "implants", created at the same time with the surgical operation, performed on patients with genital endometriosis. The only curable treatment of this topography of endometriosis is the surgical removal of all the pathological tissue, through a large excision. The hormonal therapy is adjuvant. Our study presents three cases treated in our clinic; the most important objective was to establish the etiological diagnosis and, subsequently, the large excision of the lesions.

[Postoperative enteral feeding in digestive anastomosis with proximal oesophageal partner]. / Nutritia enterala postoperatorie în anastomozele digestive ce au ca partener proximal esofagul.

This paper aim is to discuss the advantages of enteral postoperative feeding on patients submitted to surgery finalized through an eso-digestive anastomosis; in these cases enteral feeding is often delayed 5-8 days after the surgery, and in case of an anastomotic dehiscence may be even impossible. Also, the paper promotes duodenostomy as an important enteral feeding way, and discusses the indications and contraindications of different enteral nutrition pathways in such cases. There were studied 230 cases, 149 cases submitted to cancer surgery and 81 cases with benign condition surgery followed by an eso-digestive anastomosis, in which the following enteral nutrition pathways was practiced: nasogastric or naso-esojejunal feeding tube (55 cases); Witzel jejunostomy (28 cases); gastrostomy (79 cases); duodenostomy (68 cases). Postoperative morbidity induced exclusively by the enteral nutrition pathway was encountered in 36% of patients. On patients with an eso-gastric cervical anastomosis or esogastric thoracic anastomosis we used jejunostomy as enteral feeding path and a gastric tube passed by pyloric canal for gastric decompression. In cases of esophageal reconstruction for benign esophageal strictures gastrostomy remains the best feeding method. Duodenostomy was practiced as a feeding pathway in cases of total gastrectomy with esojejunal anastomosis, with closure of the duodenal stump.

Horseshoe appendix: a extremely rare anomaly.

Appendiceal anomalies are extremely rare malformations. We presented the case of a patient 43-year-old who had undergone emergency surgery for bowel occlusion. Incidentally we have found an "horseshoe-shaped" appendix which removed. After review of the literature we have introduced this appendiceal variant in a complete classification of appendiceal anomalies.

[Soft tissue sarcoma--problems of diagnosis and treatment]. / Sarcoamele de parti moi--probleme de diagnostic si tratament.

Soft tissue sarcomas are a rare group of cancers compromising 1% of all malignancies and there has been a slight increase in incidence. We present 3 cases of soft tissue sarcomas (the tumors were located to the right axilary region, perianal and dorsale face of the left leg) hospitalized in 2nd Surgical Clinic of Emergency Hospital of Craiova and we discuss the difficulties of diagnosis and treatment. The classification and characterization of soft-tissue sarcomas have evolved as the information supplied by histologic analysis has been supplemented with that provided by immunohistochemical analysis. Surgical resection involving wide margins, with or without radiotherapy, offers the best chance of cure in the absence of metastatic disease. There is little evidence that local recurrence increases the likelihood of metastatic spread, although debate on this point continues. Except for rhabdomyosarcomas and Ewing's sarcomas, the use of adjuvant chemotherapy generally does little to influence the natural history of the disease. In conclusion surgical treatment is mainstay of treatment for soft-tissue sarcomas and is usefull the prompt diagnosis for decrease the risk of local recurrence and metastatic disease.

Axillary and perianal leiomyosarcoma: report of two cases.

Soft tissue leiomyosarcoma is a relatively rare malignant tumor. It may be difficult to be distinguished from gastrointestinal stromal tumors and Schwann cell neoplasms. To make a correct identification of soft tissue leiomyosarcoma, immunostaining with several smooth muscle differentiation markers (actin, calponin and desmin), and negative staining results with S100 (to rule out Schwann cell neoplasm), c-kit and CD34 (to rule out gastrointestinal stromal tumors) is needed. Prompt diagnosis and referral are desirable, since the size of the tumor at presentation is a continuous variable for the risk of local recurrence and metastatic disease. Chemosensitivity varies according to the tumor subtype, and the tumor grade, the patient's age, performance status, and the timing of metastatic disease further influence the likelihood of a response and survival. Chemotherapy is palliative for most patients with unresectable or metastatic disease. Ifosfamide and doxorubicin are routinely used in this setting; doxorubicin as a single agent is considered the drug of choice.

[Esophago-digestive anastomosis dehiscence]. / Dehiscenta anastomozelor esofagodigestive.

This paper aim is to discuss the main etiopathogenic aspects responsible for eso-digestive anastomotic leakage, as well as prophylactic and therapeutic measures of this postoperative complication. There were studied 173 consecutive eso-digestive anastomosis: 103 anastomosis performed for malignancy and 70 anastomosis for benign conditions. Surgical operations followed by an eso-digestive anastomosis were: esophageal reconstruction for benign esophageal caustic strictures (n=67); total gastrectomy (n=55); total esophagectomy (n=13); total esophagectomy plus total gastrectomy (one case); eso-gastrectomies (n=34); upper gastric pole resection (n=2); distal esophageal resection (n=1). Eso-digestive anastomosis topography were cervical (n=81), intrathoracic (n=37) and abdominal (n=57). There were 30 eso-gastrostomies, 81 eso-jejunostomies, and 62 eso-colostomies. There were recorded 24 eso-digestive anastomotic dehiscences (13.8%): 14 in the cervical region (17.2% out of 81 cervical anastomosis); 5 intrathoracic leakages (14.2% out of 35 anastomosis); 5 intraabdominal anastomotic dehiscences (8.7% out of 57 intraabdominal anastomosis). Four patients died as an anastomotic leakage consequence: two patients died after cervical eso-gastrostomy dehiscences, one patient died after an intrathoracic eso-jejunostomy leakage, and one patient died after intraabdominal eso-gastrostomy leakage. In conclusion, we analyze postoperative results, emphasizing the role of discovering and removal of predisposing factors which may lead to an eso-digestive anastomotic leakage.

Loco-regional advanced colorectal cancer: diagnostic and therapeutic features.

The objective of this study is to analyze the main diagnostic and therapeutic aspects in locally advanced colorectal cancers, related to recent advances published in the medical literature. The paper analyzes 2nd Surgical Clinic cases of advanced colorectal cancers over a five year period: 224 such patients operated on, with 79.9% tumor resectability (64.4% with radical intent); in 12.94% extended resections were necessary in order to achieve primary tumor removal. Overall morbidity and mortality rate were 52.23% and 7.14%, respectively. In conclusion it has been emphasized that improvements are necessary to be made in order to achieve a good staging of disease and, as therapeutic feature, in locally advanced cases extended resections may be perform with acceptable risks for the patients.

[Sentinel nodes in patients with breast cancer]. / Ganglionul santinela în cancerul de sân.

The aim of this paper is to debate, on the basis of medical literature review, the importance of detection the sentinel nodes in surgery of breast cancer. The beginning of the paper emphasized the problems of the sentinel nodes definition, and then we discuss the dates related to the history and the importance of the sentinel nodes knowledge that consist in the avoidance of axillary lymph nodes dissection in patients with breast cancer N-. Afterwards, we present the indications for detecting the sentinel nodes and the criterion to exclude from the detection of the sentinel nodes. As a part of the results of surgery sentinel nodes, we present dates about the techniques of detection the sentinel nodes, the place of injection of the radiopharmaceuticals, the size of the radiocolloid. Finally, we come up in the conclusion that the identification of the sentinel nodes is useful and possible for majority of the patients with breast cancer T1 or T2N0M0.

Ectopic osteogenesis in the rectus sheath.

Although was published many cases of ectopic osteogenesis of traumatic, neurogenic cause or hereditable form, the etiology of ectopic osteogenesis remaining unknown. We present ectopic osteogenesis in the rectus abdominal sheath. The study material was represented from fragments of ectopic bones discovered in rectus sheath of four patients suffering iterative surgical abdominal interventions. The pieces of ectopic bone were decalcified and then were made to the standard techniques (paraffin inclusion, general techniques dyeing). The process of ectopic osteogenesis was analyzed through microscopically study to seriated sections of discovered piece, finding the presence of the hematopoesis foci. We conclude that is important identifying and characterizing the osteoinductor agents because these allowed the study of osteogenesis to the cellular level and make an estimation of the abnormally bone developing mechanisms. A possible osteoinductor factor has been considerate the non-absorbable wound closure material.

[Hemorrhagic intestinal lymphangioma --report of a case]. / Limfangiomul intestinal hemoragic--prezentare de caz.

This paper presents the case of a male patient, 57 years old, admitted to the hospital for upper digestive bleeding revealed by melena stools. The upper digestive endoscopy has not discovered the source of bleeding. Conventional medical therapy, with hemostatics, proton pump blockers and transfusion, failed to stop the bleeding, requiring emergency surgery for stopping the bleeding. The intraoperative exploration discovered three submucosal formations with dimensions between 0,5 and 0,75 cm, who ulcerated the jejunal mucosa, situated at 20-25cm from the duodeno-jejunal angle. The pathologic report described haemorrhagic intestinal lymphangioma. The excision of the sub-mucosal haemangioma stopped the bleeding.

[Rectal cancer--diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties]. / Cancerul de rect--probleme de diagnostic si tratament.

This paper aim is to analyze the main diagnostic and therapeutic aspects in rectal cancer; for this purpose we analyzed the Craiova's Surgical II Clinic statistics and we report them to the present literature. There were 179 rectal cancers, diagnosed over 10 years period (between 1995 and 2004); 163 cases were operated on, in 62 cases (38.03%) the surgical intervention aim being curative; global resection of tumor was 84.66%. The operation was preceded by preoperative radiotherapy in 82 cases; all cases diagnosed in the last four years in curative stage of disease were treated by preoperative radiotherapy. The postoperative mortality was 3.68% (6 cases) and the morbidity rate (55 cases - 33.74%) is still important, mainly because of the associated diseases. In conclusion we emphasize the importance of untimely diagnosis and the obligatorily sequential treatment: preoperative radiotherapy curative surgical resection - postoperative adjuvant treatment.

[Crohn's disease. Clinical and therapeutical considerations]. / Boala Crohn. Consideratii clinicoterapeutice.

Crohn's disease is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory condition of the intestinal tract of unknown etiology. Most commonly the disease affects the small bowel, the colon and the rectum. The acute and aggressive forms can evolve fast, mimicking an acute surgical illness, requiring surgical intervention in emergency. Surgical therapeutical option, in this condition, must be determined strictly by establishing a correct intraoperative diagnosis, through macroscopic features and histologic evidence. Because it is an incurable disease with variable evolution, marked by recurrence, that involves repeated surgical intervention, the surgical treatment (often resection), must be most conservative from the small bowel. We present 3 cases of surgical interventions with emergency characteristics (bowel obstruction through fitobezoar, colonic tumors obstruction of colon splenic angle, urachal infected tumors). In these cases the diagnosis was established intraoperatively and the surgical intervention was adapted to the particular cases.

[Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) with jejunum localisation, unusual source of digestive bleeding. Considerations about two cases]. / Tumora stromala gastrointestinala (GIST) cu localizare jejunala, sursa rara de hemoragie digestiva. consideratii pe marginea a doua cazuri.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are those gastrointestinal tumors , which expression antigens for CD 117 and CD 34. GIST arise from c - kit gene mutation through inadequate function of KIT enzyme (thyroxine kinase). However, the name is gastrointestinal stromal tumor, their localisation maybe under esophagus, stomach, duodenum, small bowel or colorectal.. CT scanning shows tumoral mass with nonspecific affiliation thanks to this development extraluminal and exophytic. Digestive hemorrhage, through GIST with small bowel localisation was called "obscure" because of impossibility to detect preoperative a bleeding source. We present, two cases of hemorrhage through GIST with jejunal localisation, male 70 years old with 10 cm tumor, discovered through CT scanning such as tumoral mass in left hypochondrium and female 55 years old, with 3 m tumor, discovered through emergency laparotomy for severe digestive bleeding. Also, it is discussed the possibility of intraoperative diagnosis, criterion to appreciate benign and malign features of the tumors and to determine their mitotic index for the supervision of these two cases.

[Severe nosocomial infection of soft tissue in general surgery]. / Infectiile nosocomiale severe ale partilor moi în chirurgia generala.

This paper aim is to emphasize the severity of soft tissue nosocomial infections, determined by anaerobic bacteria associated with Gram-negative aerobic bacteria: 50% mortality, higher economic costs, disabling morphologic and functional sequels. We present the pathogenic, clinical and therapeutically problems which characterize this type of postoperative infections.

[Unusual late complication after esophagoplasty type Gavriliu II for esophageal stenosis from chemical burns--cancer of the esophagoplasty tube]. / Complicatie tardiva rara dupa esofagoplastie tip Gavriliu II pentru stenoza esofagiana postcaustica--cancerul tubului de esofagoplastie.

We present the case of a 56 year old female, who in 23 years after esophagoplasty type Gavriliu II, with pre-sternal tube for esophageal chemical burn stenosis, develops a cancer in the upper third of the gastric tube, with a fast evolution to malnutrition, through lumen obturation. The evolution post-esophagoplasty was marked by malfunction of the neo-esophagus, characterized through dysphagia and distal dilatation, requiring many abdominal and pre-sternal reinterventions. The objective of the present surgical intervention was to assure a way for enteral nutrition (gastrostomy for feeding) and to extirpate the gastro-esophagoplasty tube. It is discussed the characteristic feature of the case: the difficulty of the stage-evolutive integration of this malignant disease location, the etiopathogenic factors that contributed to the malignant evolution of the antral portion of the gastro-esophagoplasty tube, the limits of the surgical treatment.

[Primary retroperitoneal tumors--diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties]. / Tumorile retroperitoneale primitive--probleme de diagnostic si tratament.

This paper emphasizes the diagnosis and therapeutic difficulties in primary retroperitoneal tumors. There were analyzed 68 primary retroperitoneal tumors (1992-2002): 16 (23.5%) benign tumors, 39 (57.35%) malignant tumors and 13 tumors with unknown histological structure. The preoperative diagnosis was clinically suggested and confirmed by ultrasound and CT examination; the operability was always established by laparotomy. All cases were operated on: complete resection of tumor was possible in 39 cases (57.35%); partial resection in 11 cases (16.17%) and 18 (26.47%) cases were inoperable. There were 5 major intraoperative vascular lesions: 1 inferior vena cava lesion, 1 superior mesenteric vein lesion, 1 left common iliac vein lesion and 2 lumbar artery lesions. Postoperative mortality was represented by 2 cases. Postoperative complication was represented by 3 postoperative hemorrhages, 2 severe pulmonary infections, 1 postoperative evisceration, 1 postoperative acute pancreatitis and 1 acute myocardial infarction. In conclusion the primary retroperitoneal tumors represent a challenge for all surgeons, especially due to surgical approach difficulties, because of problems in tumors intraoperative exploration and resection and because of difficulties in hemostasis.

[The megaureter--a possible complication after resected retroperitoneal tumor]. / Megaureterul--complicatie posibila dupa tumori retroperitoneale operate.

The authors present a very rare complication of a retroperitoneal tumor resection: unilateral iliopelvic segmental megaureter. This condition was subsequently complicated with a diffuse peritonitis caused by parietal microperforations.