Neonatal scrotal haematoma: mimicker of neonatal testicular torsion.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical features of neonatal scrotal haematoma and distinguish them from those of neonatal testicular torsion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five neonates presenting with an acute scrotum and initial diagnosis of neonatal testicular torsion were found to have neonatal scrotal haematoma. In one case the diagnosis was surgical and in four subsequent cases the diagnosis was by colour Doppler ultrasonography, and surgery was avoided. Four of the five children had risk factors associated with neonatal scrotal haematoma, including bleeding diathesis, birth trauma and high birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of including haematoma in the differential diagnosis of the acute neonatal scrotum is emphasized, as is the value of contemporary Doppler ultrasonography in making this diagnosis.

Peritoneal mesothelioma in a case of inguinal hernia. A review of the literature.

The peritoneal mesothelioma (PM) is a rare, benign or malignant, primary tumour, arising from the peritoneal membrane. The most frequent histological form is the malignant one with an incidence of 2-2.6 new cases per million per year. The symptomatology is insidious and poses difficult problems in the diagnosis and the treatment. Instrumental diagnostic investigations are useful only in the diagnostic orientation. Only the pathologic examination allows to distinguish a peritoneal carcinomatosis from PM. The prognosis of MPM is pour. An intense multimodal therapy, combining surgery with CT and RT, increases the survival rates in the patients with MPM. It has been proposed that hernia of abdominal wall play a role in the pathogenesis of this tumor. We believe that hypothesis seems unlikely considering the enormous discrepancy between the incidence of hernial pathology and PM.

Life-threatening hypophosphatemia after right hepatic lobectomy for live donor adult liver transplantation.

Life-threatening hypophosphatemia (phosphorus < 1.0 mg/dL) has been reported only once after liver resection for tumor and was associated with a significant increase in postoperative complications. Hypophosphatemia is associated with reversible cardiac dysfunction, hypoventilation, and impaired immunity. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of hypophosphatemia after elective right hepatic lobectomy for live donor adult liver transplantation (LDALT), investigate the associated complication rate and surgical outcome of live liver donors, and determine the efficacy of prospective treatment with phosphate repletion as part of total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Evaluation of 30 donors who provided 30 right-lobe grafts between December 1998 and January 2000 was performed. Of the initial 18 live liver donors (group 1), 10 donors were treated with TPN that contained slightly more (35 +/- 8 mmol/d) than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of phosphorus (30 mmol/d) starting on postoperative day 1. The last 12 donors (group 2) were prospectively studied and administered similar TPN with 2 times the RDA for phosphorus (60 mmol/d). All donors in group 1 developed hypophosphatemia that was either life threatening (phosphorus < 1.0 mg/dL) in 70% or severely depleted (phosphorus, 1.5 to 1.1 mg/dL) in 30%. With more aggressive phosphate repletion (group 2), only 8% developed life-threatening (phosphorus < 1.0 mg/dL) hypophosphatemia and 30% developed severe (phosphorus, 1.1 to 1.5 mg/dL) hypophosphatemia. Results suggest that hypophosphatemia is a universal event after LDALT and may have contributed to the observed complications in this study. Repletion of phosphorus at twice the RDA abrogates the incidence of hypophosphatemia and may reduce donor morbidity. Institutions performing LDALT should carefully monitor live liver donors for hypophosphatemia and correct abnormal phosphate levels. Additional studies are needed to determine whether more aggressive parenteral repletion can prevent postoperative hypophosphatemia and thus improve outcomes.

Vascular reconstruction in urology.

Vascular reconstructive surgery in urology includes techniques of revascularization of the renal artery for renovascular hypertension or ischemic nephropathy in situ or extracorporeal renal artery reconstruction. The indications for aortorenal bypass, extra-anatomic bypass, or simultaneous aortic substitution and renal revascularization are based on the cause, location, and extent of the vascular lesion. Techniques of bench surgery mainly depend on location of the renal artery disease and availability of autologous graft material.

[Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the pancreas]. / Istiocitoma fibroso maligno del pancreas.

The authors report a case of pancreatic malignant fibrous histiocytoma (approximately 22 cm). Clinical and instrumental approach for preoperative diagnosis is discussed and the anatomopathological features of the lesion, which is rarely localized in the pancreatic gland, are stressed. Surgical treatment is outlined as well.