[Vulvar mass in neonatal period : spot the difference]. / Diagnostic différentiel d'une masse vulvaire en période néonatale.

We report the cases of two female newborns who present, at the first day, a interlabial mass. In both cases, the antenatal scans were normal, and the clinical examination in the delivery room didn't reveal any other abnormality. Similar features may suggest the same diagnosis. However, in the first case, it is a paraurethral cyst which causes the bulging of vaginal introitus whereas, in the second infant, it is an imperforated hymen. Paraurethral cysts are uncommon and even more so among infants. The diagnosis is primarily clinical, and ultrasound confirms the diagnosis and verifies the absence of other associated anomalies. These cysts usually resolve spontaneously. Rarely, they can lead to urinary retention. The second diagnosis, imperforate hymen, is the most common congenital malformation of the female genital tract. It can lead to hydrocolpos with the upstream accumulation of vaginal secretion and sometimes induce a hydrometrocolpos, with vaginal and uterine dilatation. The resulting mass can cause obstruction of surrounding urinary or digestive structures. Surgical management is generally necessary.

Nous rapportons le cas de deux nouveau-nés de sexe féminin qui présentaient une masse au niveau vulvaire, dans les premiers jours de vie. Dans les deux cas, le reste de l'examen clinique était sans particularité et aucune anomalie n'avait été décelée en anténatal. Les présentations cliniques semblables peuvent faire évoquer le même diagnostic. Pourtant, dans le premier cas, c'est un kyste para-urétral qui cause la masse alors que, dans le second, c'est une imperforation de l'hymen. Ces deux pathologies sont peu fréquentes chez les nourrissons. Leur diagnostic est avant tout clinique et l'échographie permet à la fois de confirmer celui-ci et de vérifier l'absence d'autres anomalies. La plupart du temps, les kystes para-urétraux régressent spontanément. Cependant, ils peuvent parfois être la cause d'une rétention urinaire. En cas d'imperforation de l'hymen, la réalisation d'un acte chirurgical est, par contre, nécessaire afin d'éviter des complications plus tardives. Un hydrocolpos peut y être associé, il est dû à la rétention de sécrétions vaginales en amont. La masse engendrée peut provoquer une obstruction des structures avoisinantes.

A not so harmless mass: Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma complicated by a Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon.

A vascular mass localized in the face and the neck was displayed by ultrasonography in a 38-week-old male fetus. At birth, the mass was bulky and purplish. The newborn breathed spontaneously but with severe desaturation. During laryngoscopy, we observed an obstruction of the larynx with a left-shift caused by the hemorrhagic mass. Blood analysis revealed anemia, severe thrombocytopenia, and coagulation disorders. The diagnosis of kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) complicated by a Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP) was put forward and treatment with propranolol, corticoids, and vincristine was initiated. Platelets were transfused daily for 8 days but did not resolve the thrombocytopenia. At day 8, we added sirolimus to the treatment and noted a rapid response with the normalization of the platelet count within 1 week and a significant regression of the mass. In this paper, we review the clinical and biological features of hemangioendothelioma associated with KMP and discuss its current and future treatment. Sirolimus seems to be very promising.

[A rare case of placental chorioangioma associated with neonatal disseminated hemangiomatosis]. / Association rare d'un choriangiome et d'une hémangiomatose néonatale diffuse.

Placental chorioangioma is a benign vascular tumor. Lesions larger than 4 cm may cause fetal and maternal complications. Its association with disseminated neonatal hemangiomatosis is rarely described. We report a case of a large chorioangioma associated with an hydrops foetalis and disseminated neonatal hemangiomatosis. The relationship between placental chorioangioma and hemangioma is briefly discussed.

[The role of continent perineal colostomy in surgical emergencies of the distal bowel]. / Il ruolo della colostomia perineale continente nelle emergenze chirurgiche del grosso intestino.

Diverting colostomy is commonly required in surgical emergencies of the distal colon, especially if the patient is in poor condition. This paper shows that the colostomy could be unnecessary in most cases. In the last 10 years, 6 patients (4 with high-risk or postoperative complicated Hirschsprung disease, 1 with intestinal neuronal dysplasia and 1 with iatrogenic rectal stenosis obstruction) have been submitted to primary continent perineal colostomy-modified Duhamel's procedure. The modified technique consists of the exteriorization of the normal colon or ileum by a retrorectal and trans-anal way, while the excision of redundant tissue and rectal spur section are postponed at least for 10 days. In personal experience this peculiar surgical approach allows to avoid not only the complications due to the fashioning of a contraindicated primary anastomosis, but even those due to stomy performance and its closure, promoting good anatomo-functional results in all patients. The advantages of modified Duhamel's operation compared to other procedures (Swenson-Pellerin or Soave pull-through) depend on the rapidity of execution and on the quality of short and long term outcome.

Day surgery: the value of monitored anesthesia care and intraoperative monitoring.

Recently an increasing percentage of patients is receiving care and surgical procedures in Day Surgery (DS), undergoing local or loco-regional anesthesia techniques, to which many patients appear to be rather reluctant and show fear and anxiety. The anesthesiologist can resolve this problem administering i.v. hypnotic and analgesic drugs and adjusting their level to patient's needs and type of surgery. They increase the patient's compliance to DS care and contribute to its diffusion. Nowadays, commonly used drugs permit quick changes of anesthesia depth with a fast and safe recovery but these require an appropriate monitoring in order to prevent and rapidly detect the onset of complications. In this study we analyze the peculiarity of Monitored Anesthesia Care and the appropriate intraoperative monitoring especially regarding the use of pulse oximetry.

Gastric Peristalsis Control by Mono Situ Electrical Stimulation: a Preliminary Study.

BACKGROUND: This study was initiated 3 years ago when antral gastric stimulation was first used successfully to reduce free feeding in swine. METHODS: Three swine weighing 45 kg each were implanted with one subserosal bipolar electrode, positioned in the antrum, close to the pylorus, at the anterior side of the lesser gastric curvature. RESULTS: During 4 hours of kethamine anesthesia we paced the stomach by various patterns of electrical stimulation and obtained both forward and backward peristalsis, as well as gastric peresis. CONCLUSION: Variations in antral electrical stimulation produce characteristic patterns of forward and reverse peristalsis.

Long-term Effects of Gastric Pacing to Reduce Feed Intake in Swine.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to show the effect of chronic antral gastric electrical stimulation on the feeding behavior of swine. METHODS: Three groups of swine were investigated; first group control-group, second group- 8 months of electrical antral stimulation (10 Volts; 450 micros; Hertz 100; Mode: Cycling; on time 3.25 s; off time 5.15 s), the third group- 3 months of stimulation with modification of the following parameters- amplitude 8 Volts, Hertz 5. All animals were nourished with a commercial balanced dry feed ad libitum. RESULTS: Group one demonstrated continued increased weight gain. After 90 days of stimulation, group two noted a net decrease of food intake from 12% to 16%, followed by a net cyclical weight loss 30 days later (2 weeks of weight gain followed by 1 week of weight loss). The percentage difference between group one and two in increasing weight was- 12 to 29% respectively. The feed output of the stimulated group (group two) was 12.8 less compared with the control. Finally, group three was used to test a lower stimulation rate, resulting in a shorter rest during feeding and a 7% increase in consumption compared with control. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term antral gastric pacing influences the alimentary behavior of swine. We attempt to extrapolate this influence in humans for possible attendant applications in patients with consumption dysfunction (e.g. bulimia and/or anorexia).

[Hemodynamic and metabolic impairment during hepatectomy: effect of continuous dobutamine infusion]. / Alterazioni emodinamiche e metaboliche in corso di intervento di emiepatectomia: effetto dell'infusione continua di dobutamina.

Following surgical liver resection haemodynamic and metabolic impairment, potentially responsible for post-operative hepatic failure may occur. In this prospective, randomized study such impairments and the effect on them of continuous peri-operative infusion of dobutamine were examined. Twelve patients, scheduled for hepatectomy, were divided in two groups: Group I was treated with an infusion of dobutamine 6 micrograms/kg/min from 10 minutes before the induction of anaesthesia till the fifth postoperative hour; Group II was considered as the control group. The main haemodynamic parameters, gastric pHi and serum lactate level were examined. No significant differences were detected in heart rate, parameters of pressure and SvO2. In both groups, during portal clamp, SVR increased while Cl and DO2 decreased with respect to basal and the other intra- and postoperative values. Gastric pHi decreased in both groups after portal clamp. These alterations were significantly lower in the group treated with dobutamine when compared with the control group. Serum lactate level increased in both groups. This increase was lower in Group I. Differences between groups were not statistically significant. In conclusion, during hepatectomy important haemodynamic and metabolic impairments occur. Dobutamine, by reducing such impairments, can be usefully employed in this kind of surgery.

[The neuroendocrine and metabolic response to surgical stress]. / La risposta neuro-endocrina e metabolica allo stress chirurgico.

Surgical stress and post-operative pain evoke complex neuroendocrine and tissue responses aiming at defence from injury and recovery of body integrity. Such a reaction appears to be a real "hormonal storm" which is mainly induced by Sympathetic Nervous System and sympatho-adrenomedullary and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal systems activation and, in the periphery, by the release of inflammatory mediators at the site of injury. These substances by means of complex regulatory mechanisms and reciprocal interactions induce significant cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory and immunologic changes. However, this response may became excessive and contribute to an increase in postoperative morbidity and mortality. Since pain is a major factor in neuroendocrine response triggered by surgical injury every effort must be made to achieve effective intra and post-operative pain control.

[Postoperative pain in pediatric patients]. / Il dolore post-operatorio nel paziente pediatrico.

Surgery is an unpleasant experience which is always related to a period of pain. In the pediatric patient this results in an important effective and metabolic-neuroendocrine manifestation. After a short review of the methods recently used to evaluate pain-qualitatively as well as quantitatively, we focused on the different techniques and drugs which can be used by the anesthesiologist to achieve an adequate control of the pain symptoms. The aim is to provide devices which can be used for different groups of age in order to guarantee the maximum efficacy in pain control with the least side effect and invasiveness.

[Treatment of pain in advanced-stage intra-abdominal neoplasms]. / Il trattamento del dolore nelle neoplasie endoaddominali in fase avanzata.

Different types of pain are present in far advanced intra-abdominal cancer, sometimes in the same site too. An accurate semeiological analysis of pain is important because different types of pain often differently respond to the available therapeutical tools. In this paper the results and the complications of the most important methods of pain management in far advanced intra-abdominal cancer are examined. Analysis of the data reveals that the association of more methods, pharmacological and non, should be a rule rather than the exception.

[Effectiveness of regional anesthesia for loco-regional carotid surgery. Retrospective review of 147 interventions]. / Validità dell'anestesia loco-regionale nella chirurgia della carotide. Studio retrospettivo su 147 interventi.

The Authors present a retrospective review that compares general anesthesia with regional anesthesia performed during carotid endarterectomy surgery. The study includes 147 procedures, performed on 144 patients: 76 had general anesthesia and 71 had regional anesthesia. After emphasizing the importance of conscience preservation during regional anesthesia to allow a simple and secure monitoring of the patient's neurologic functions, the Authors point out the decrease of peri- and postoperative accidents, whether neurologic or not, obtained with regional anesthesia. Another essential advantage of this technique is the possibility to insert the transitory shunt only when objectively necessary, ulteriorly reducing neurologic complications. Cervical plexus block is primarily indicated for high risk patients with instable neurologic simptomatology, severe stenosis of the contralateral carotid, coronary heart disease. The technique has proved to be of easy execution, safe and well accepted by the patient and the surgeon.