Step-Up versus Open Approach in the Treatment of Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis: A Case-Matched Analysis of Clinical Outcomes and Long-Term Pancreatic Sufficiency.

Background/Objectives: Acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) with secondary infection of necrotic tissue is associated with a high rate of complications and mortality. The optimal approach is still debatable, but the minimally invasive modality has gained great attention in the last decade as it follows the principle of applying minimal surgical trauma to achieve a satisfying therapeutic objective. We compared clinical outcomes between the step-up approach (SUA) and open necrosectomy (ON) in the treatment of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Methods: A prospective cohort study over the period of 2011-2021 in a university teaching hospital was performed. Results of 99 consecutive patients with ANP who required surgical/radiological intervention were collected. A case match analysis (2:1) was performed, and the final groups comprised 40 patients in the OA group and 20 patients in the SUA group. Demographic, clinicopathologic, and treatment data were reviewed. Results: Baseline characteristics and disease severity were comparable between the two groups. The patients from the SUA group had a significantly lower morbidity rate and rate of pancreatic insufficiency. Death occurred in 4 of 20 patients (20%) in the SUA group and in 11 of 40 patients (27.5%) in the ON group (risk ratio with the step-up approach, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.26 to 1.99; p = 0.53). Conclusions: A minimally invasive step-up approach provides comparable outcomes to open necrosectomy in the treatment of ANP with infected pancreatic necrosis. While mortality and hospital stay were comparable between the groups, morbidity and pancreatic insufficiency were significantly lower in the SUA group. Further studies on a larger number of patients are required to define the place of SUA in the modern treatment of ANP.

Portomesenteric Reconstruction during Whipple Procedure Using Autologous Left Renal Vein Patch Graft in a Patient with a Gastric Cancer Recurrence.

The case of vascular reconstruction of the superior mesenteric and portal vein confluence using a left renal vein (LRV) graft has been researched in this paper. The patient was a 66-year-old female who presented with features of biliary obstruction. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan revealed bile duct dilatation and a common bile duct tumor mass. Four years ago, she underwent stomach resection with subsequent Billroth II gastrojejunostomy due to gastric cancer. After surgical resection, on histopathological and immunohistochemistry examination, a recurrence of previously resected poorly cohesive gastric cancer was found.

Approach to persistent ascites after liver transplantation.

Persistent ascites (PA) after liver transplantation (LT), commonly defined as ascites lasting more than 4 wk after LT, can be expected in up to 7% of patients. Despite being relatively rare, it is associated with worse clinical outcomes, including higher 1-year mortality. The cause of PA can be divided into vascular, hepatic, or extrahepatic. Vascular causes of PA include hepatic outflow and inflow obstructions, which are usually successfully treated. Regarding modifiable hepatic causes, recurrent hepatitis C and acute cellular rejection are the leading ones. Considering predictors for PA, the presence of ascites, refractory ascites, hepato-renal syndrome type 1, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatic encephalopathy, and prolonged ischemic time significantly influence the development of PA after LT. The initial approach to patients with PA should be to diagnose the treatable cause of PA. The stepwise approach in evaluating PA includes diagnostic paracentesis, ultrasound with Doppler, and an echocardiogram when a cardiac cause is suspected. Finally, a percutaneous or transjugular liver biopsy should be performed in cases where the diagnosis is unclear. PA of unknown cause should be treated with diuretics and paracentesis, while transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and splenic artery embolization are treatment methods in patients with refractory ascites after LT.

Case report: Urgent liver pathologies: All in one.

Ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a well-known serious complication of this most common primary liver malignancy. However, when HCC rupture is associated with other focal liver lesions, the diagnosis and therapy may be very challenging. Correct differentiation of focal liver lesions is of paramount importance for successful treatment. The aim of this report is to present a unique case of HCC rupture complicated with liver abscess, hematoma and portal vein thrombosis. We discuss possible pathophysiological mechanisms and radiologic findings of such clinical scenarios and review literature related to the management of HCC rupture.

Case report: two cases of spontaneous intramural duodenal hematoma associated with pancreatitis.

Intramural duodenal hematoma (IDH) is a rare entity and is generally associated with trauma. Spontaneous (nontraumatic) intramural duodenal hematoma is associated with bleeding disorders, anticoagulation therapy, alcoholism, pancreatitis, tumours  and duodenal ulcers. We report two cases of spontaneous intramural duodenal hematoma in middle-aged men who subsequently developed pancreatitis. The underlying pathophysiology is still unclear. In the cases described, it is not clear whether the intramural duodenal hematoma contributed to the development of pancreatitis or pancreatitis has contributed to the development of IDH.

Association of Atraumatic Splenic Rupture and Acute Pancreatitis: Case Report with Literature Review.

Atraumatic splenic rupture is an uncommon complication of acute pancreatitis. This article presents a case of a 35-year-old patient presenting with acute pancreatitis who subsequently developed a splenic vein thrombosis and splenic rupture requiring a laparotomy and splenectomy. This rare but life-threatening complication requires prompt recognition and management in patients with pancreatitis who develop sudden hemodynamic instability.

Concomitant Presence of Hydatid Cyst and Colorectal Liver Metastasis

A 65-year-old man, with signs of acute colon obstruction, was diagnosed with rectal tumour and liver hydatid cyst. Additionally, a focal liver lesion in segment 1 was detected. Moreover, physical examination revealed hepatomegaly and abdominal distension. Thus, rectal resection and small liver lesion biopsy was performed. Serological and pathohistological analyses showed concomitant presence of hydatid cyst and colorectal metastasis in the liver. Hence, the cyst was treated with anthelmintic therapy, and patient lived another year after the diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, cases of concomitant hydatid cyst and colorectal liver metastasis has never been reported; thus, this article addresses a unique case of coexistence between these two serious liver diseases.

Intramural Stomach Gas with Hepatic Portal Venous Gas Indicating Spontaneous Stomach Necrosis.

Intramural gas in the stomach associated with hepatic portal venous gas is a rare entity, which suggests ischemic or infectious pathology of the stomach. We report a case of a 73-year-old man who presented with epigastric pain and nausea of 6 hours duration followed by hematemesis. The patient had pale skin, anemia, and a diffusively tender and distended abdomen. Abdominal radiography and computed tomography (CT) revealed gas in thickened gastric wall and gas in intrahepatic portal vein branches. Surgery was indicated, which consisted of partial gastrectomy with Roux en esophago-jejunal anastomosis. Postoperative course was uneventful, and pathohistological analysis indicated stomach wall necrosis with emphysametous gastritis (EG). The patient was free of symptoms at 2 years follow-up. Intramural gas in the stomach should always be meticulously investigated to differentiate between emphysematous gastritis and gastric emphysema, as this would direct the therapeutic approach to be adopted.

Rupture of suppurated liver hematoma into the anterior abdominal wall in a patient with Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome.

We report a case of ruptured liver hematoma as a result of suppurated arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in a patient with Rendu-Osler-Weber (ROW) syndrome. The patient presented with unexplained fever and upper right abdominal pain associated with microcytic anemia. A computed tomography scan revealed increasing subcapsular liver hematoma and features of liver abscess. Intraoperatively, a left liver hematoma mixed with pus was found that was attached to the anterior abdominal wall. Surgery included left lateral bisegmentectomy, while pathohistological analysis showed AVM and genetic tests confirmed ROW. This is the first such life-threatening surgical case of ROW complication reported in the scientific literature.

Reportamos el caso de una paciente con síndrome de Rendu-Osler-Weber y rotura de un hematoma hepático supurado como resultado de una malformación arteriovenosa. La paciente presentó fiebre inexplicable y dolor abdominal superior derecho asociado con anemia microcítica. La tomografía computarizada reveló un aumento del hematoma hepático subcapsular y las características del absceso hepático. Durante la cirugía se encontró un hematoma hepático izquierdo mezclado con pus que estaba unido a la pared abdominal anterior. La intervención incluyó bisegmentectomía lateral izquierda. El análisis histopatológico mostró malformación arteriovenosa y las pruebas genéticas confirmaron el síndrome de Rendu-Osler-Weber. Este es el primer caso quirúrgico potencialmente mortal de complicación de síndrome de Rendu-Osler-Weber reportado en la literatura científica.

Clinical course of patients with pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) before and after DBS surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with a progressive clinical course. In addition to symptomatic therapy, DBS has been increasingly recognized as a potential therapeutic strategy, especially in severe cases. Therefore, we wanted to report our experience regarding benefits of DBS in five PKAN cases in 3-year follow-up study. METHODS: Five genetically confirmed PKAN patients from Serbia underwent GPi-DBS. To assess clinical outcome, we reviewed medical charts and applied: Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living Scale (S&E), EQ-5D questionnaire for quality of life, Patient Global Impression of Improvement (GPI-I), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS), Barry Albright Dystonia Scale (BAD). Patients were evaluated in five visits: at the disease onset, 5 years after the onset, before surgery, 6 months and 14-36 months after the surgery. Improvement of 20% was accepted as significant. RESULTS: Overall, dystonia significantly improved after GPi-DBS at 6 and 14-36 months postoperatively, when assessed by the BFMDRS and BAD. However, two patients failed to improve considerably. Four patients reported improvement on GPI-I, while one remained unchanged. Three patients reported significant improvement, when assessed with S&E and FIM. EQ-5D showed the most prominent improvement in the domains of mobility and pain/discomfort. CONCLUSION: Three out of our five patients experienced beneficial effects of the GPi-DBS, in up to 36 months follow-up. Two patients who had not reached significant improvement had longer disease duration; therefore, it might be reasonable to recommend GPi-DBS as soon as dystonia became disabling.

Urgent Surgical Treatment of GIST of Esophago-Gastric Junction in a Patient with Giant Hiatal Hernia.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), being the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, arise most commonly in stomach (60-70%) and small intestine (20-25%) while other sites of origin are rare. In most cases, they are diagnosed accidentally due to their indolent clinical course; however, 10-30% have malignant potential. Gastric and esophageal GISTs carry a better prognosis than small bowel GISTs of similar size and mitotic rate. Complete surgical resection is the only potentially curative procedure, but despite its success, at least 50% of patients develop recurrence or metastases. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib gave positive results in treatment of unresectable, metastatic or recurrent GISTs. We present the case of a 69-year-old woman with a large unresectable GIST of esophago-gastric junction with multiple bilobar liver metastases who underwent an emergent palliative surgery due to diffuse bleeding from the tumor. Twelve months after the surgery, patient is still alive and stable under imatinib therapy with no signs of local recurrence of the disease. This example suggests that patients with locally advanced GISTs with distant metastases may benefit from surgery in terms of prolonged survival and quality of life.

Chemical management of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease patients.

INTRODUCTION: Levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LID) appears in more than 50% of Parkinson's disease patients after 5 years of treatment and clinicians always have to ensure that there is a balance between the beneficial effect of the treatment and the potential complications. AREAS COVERED: In this review, the authors discuss the treatment of LID. Treatment can be divided into strategies for preventing their occurrence, modification of dopaminergic therapy, and providing more continuous dopaminergic stimulation as well as the use of nondopaminergic drugs. EXPERT OPINION: Amantadine is currently considered the most effective drug for the treatment of LID. Several compounds developed to target adenosine, adrenergic, glutamatergic, and serotonergic receptors have shown to significantly decrease dyskinesias in animal models. However, despite promising preclinical results, translation to clinical practice remains challenging and majority of these compounds failed to decrease LID in randomized controlled trials with moderate-to-advanced parkinsonian patients. Despite promising results with nondopaminergic drugs, treatment of dyskinesias is still challenging and largely due to their side effects. Future research should focus on developing treatments that can provide continuous dopaminergic delivery throughout the day in a noninvasive manner. Studies on the impact of the early administration of long-acting formulations of levo-3,4-dihydroxy-phenylalanine on dyskinesias are also necessary.

LAPAROSCOPIC APPENDECTOMY DOES NOT INCREASE THE RATE OF NEGATIVE APPENDECTOMY along with a lower rate of perforated appendicitis - RESULTS IN 1899 PATIENTS at Zagreb UHC.

- Laparoscopic appendectomy is the method of choice of many professional societies owing to its many advantages. The question arises whether surgeons urge more easily to laparoscopic exploration due to its less invasiveness, faster recovery and adequate exploration of the entire abdominal cavity than to observation in unequivocal cases. This retrospective analysis (2009-2016) included 1899 patients undergoing laparoscopic (lap) or gridiron intra-abdominal approach treated at Zagreb University Hospital Centre. The analysis included total negative appendectomy, negative-negative appendectomy (normal appendix and no other pathology found), and negative-positive appendectomy (normal appendix but another pathology found) in children (≤16 years) and adults. There was no statistically significant difference in the rates of negative appendectomy (children) - lap vs. open (p=0.24); negative appendectomy (adults) - lap vs. open (p=0.15); negative-negative appendectomy (children) - lap vs. open (p=0.36); negative-negative appendectomy (adults) - lap vs. open (p=0.21); negative-positive appendectomy (children) - lap vs. open (p=0.53); negative-positive appendectomy (adults) - lap vs. open (p=0.56); and laparoscopy group negative appendectomy in children vs. adults (p=0.56). There was a statistically significantly higher perforation rate with the open approach in total (p<0.0001), in children (p<0.0001) and in adults (p=0.02). There was no statistically significant difference between adults and children in the perforation rate with laparoscopic approach (p=0.24) and perforation rate with open approach (p=0.29). Results confirmed that there was no statistically significant difference in the rate of negative appendectomy in all subgroups. It is concluded that laparoscopic appendectomy should be offered as the method of choice in any patient population with suspicion of acute appendicitis.

Brain Calcification and Movement Disorders.

Brain calcifications may be an incidental finding on neuroimaging in normal, particularly older individuals, but can also indicate numerous hereditary and nonhereditary syndromes, and metabolic, environmental, infectious, autoimmune, mitochondrial, traumatic, or toxic disorders. Bilateral calcifications most commonly affecting the basal ganglia may often be found in idiopathic cases, and a new term, primary familial brain calcification (PFBC), has been proposed that recognizes the genetic causes of the disorder and that calcifications occurred well beyond the basal ganglia. PFBC, usually inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, is both an intrafamilial and an interfamilial heterogeneous disorder, clinically characterized by an insidious and progressive development of movement disorders, cognitive decline, and psychiatric symptoms, but also cerebellar ataxia, pyramidal signs, and sometimes isolated seizures and headaches/migraines. Heterozygous mutations in four genes (SLC20A2, PDGFRB, PDGFB, XPR1) have recently proved to be the causes of the autosomal dominant forms of PFBC, also suggesting disrupted phosphate homeostasis as "an underlying and converging" pathophysiological mechanism. However, to date, it is not possible to anticipate with acceptable certainty any of known genetic causes of PFBC on the basis of the type, severity, pattern of distribution, or combination of movement disorders (mainly parkinsonism, with or without tremor, but also dystonia, chorea, paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia, orofacial dyskinesia, and gait and speech disorders).

A Synchronous Occurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Echinoccocal Liver Cyst - Can Parasite Promote Carcinogenesis? Literature Review and Classification Proposal.

Concomitant presence of hydatid cyst and hepatocellular carcinoma is a very rare clinical scenario especially in a previously non-diseased liver. Including our case here reported, there are 12 cases of synchronous HCC and hydatid cyst found in the scientific literature and 3 of them were found in a patient with non-diseased liver. We provide detailed review of all reported cases with additional highlights on etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of both HCC and echinococcal disease. Although there is a small number of patients, possible relation between these 2 liver lesions should be investigated and standardized classification should be established. This will help us to understand the nature of HCC carcinogenesis, identify diagnostic features of liver lesions and choose the most appropriate type of treatment.

Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 heals rat colovesical fistula.

To establish the effects of BPC 157 on the healing of rat colovesical fistulas, Wistar Albino male rats were randomly assigned to different groups. BPC 157, a stable gastric pentadecapeptide, has been used in clinical applications-specifically, in ulcerative colitis-and was successful in treating both external and internal fistulas. BPC 157 was provided daily, perorally, in drinking water (10µg/kg, 12ml/rat/day) until sacrifice or, alternatively, 10µg/kg or 10ng/kg intraperitoneally, with the first application at 30min after surgery and the last at 24h before sacrifice. Controls simultaneously received an equivolume of saline (5.0ml/kg ip) or water only (12ml/rat/day). Assessment (i.e., colon and vesical defects, fistula leaking, fecaluria and defecation through the fistula, adhesions and intestinal obstruction as healing processes) took place on days 7, 14 and 28. Control colovesical fistulas regularly exhibited poor healing, with both of the defects persisting; continuous fistula leakage; fecaluria and defecation through the fistula; advanced adhesion formation; and intestinal obstruction. By contrast, BPC 157 given perorally or intraperitoneally and in µg- and ng-regimens rapidly improved the whole presentation, with both colon and vesical defects simultaneously ameliorated and eventually healed. The maximal instilled volume was continuously raised until it reached the values of healthy rats, there were no signs of fecaluria and no defecation through the fistula, there was counteraction of advanced adhesion formation or there was an intestinal obstruction. In conclusion, BPC 157 effects appear to be suited to inducing full healing of colocutaneous fistulas in rats.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors of the duodenum.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are rare soft-tissue tumors that can occur at virtually any anatomical site. We report the case of a 58-year-old male with an IMT of the fourth part of the duodenum who presented with signs and symptoms of high intestinal obstruction and bilious vomiting. The patient underwent a surgical resection of the fourth part of the duodenum with end-to-end duodenojejunal anastomosis. The follow-up period of 6 months was uneventful with no evidence of recurrence. According to our knowledge, only six cases of duodenal IMTs have been reported in the literature thus far, and this is the first report of a duodenal IMT sited at the fourth part of the duodenum. The duodenum is among the rarest sites of IMTs. Signs and symptoms resulting from diagnostic imaging investigations are nonspecific and inadequate to obtain diagnosis accurately. In most cases, surgical treatment is considered a cure for IMTs. There is no evidence of deaths caused by duodenal IMT. IMT of the duodenum is a possible diagnosis in differential diagnosis of tumor-like lesions of the duodenum.

Thigh abscess as an extension of psoas abscess: the first manifestation of perforated appendiceal adenocarcinoma: case report.

A 65-year-old woman presented with a painful, swollen, red right thigh and the mild pain in the right abdomen without nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea that lasted for 1 week. Laboratory findings revealed elevated inflammatory markers. Computed tomography of the right thigh, abdomen and pelvis showed an abscess formation in the adductor muscles draining from the abscess that completely occupied the right retroperitoneum up to the diaphragm, dissecting downward through the inguinal canal. Appendix was enlarged with an appendicolith. Emergent exploratory laparotomy revealed a perforated appendix with psoas abscess. Pathohistological diagnosis revealed adenocarcinoma of the appendix. Thigh abscess is an uncommon condition with insidious clinical presentation. Therefore, early recognition and setting of the correct diagnosis enables adequate treatment avoiding additional complications and in some cases potential life-threatening conditions. When upper leg abscess is suspected or proven abdominal examination is mandatory.