A critical view of safety in left colectomy surgery: A case of renal artery injury.

INTRODUCTION: The standardization of the laparoscopic approach in left hemicolectomy was facilitated by the vascular anatomy of the left colon, which has few anatomical variants. The current technique for left hemicolectomy consists in approaching the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA), after identification of the inferior mesenteric vein (IMV), from above (craniocaudal) or from below (caudocranial). The type of approach is decided on the basis of the vascular window between the IMV and IMA. However, vascular abnormalities of adjacent organs can call into question the steps of the standardized technique. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case of iatrogenic left renal artery injury caused during left laparoscopic hemicolectomy due to an abnormality of the renal vessels. The artery originated from the aorta more caudally than usual with respect to the normal population. DISCUSSION: What happened made us question the security of the standardized approach in practice, especially in patients with vascular anomalies. The use of advanced imaging programs, such as 3D reconstruction, can help to prevent iatrogenic damages, but not all hospitals have such technology, especially in rural areas. CONCLUSION: We propose, to further decrease the risk of iatrogenic injuries, a "critical view of safety" for left colic surgery, in which, before any potential arterial resection, a careful craniocaudal and caudocranial dissection of the Toldt-Gerota plane could be useful in identifying the IMA at the center of this plane. Moreover, a preoperative imaging study is of paramount importance in all surgical procedures.

Laparoscopic assisted ERCP in patient with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Choledocholithiasis in Roux-en-Y patients is a therapeutic challenge for both surgeons and endoscopists. In fact, typical procedures, such as ERCP, can't be performed due to the altered anatomy of the patient. Nowadays, procedures on this kind of patient are performed not only in specialized bariatric centers, but, due to the increasing number of patients undergoing bariatric surgery, are starting to become more common even in smaller and non-specialized centers that don't possess the same expertise and technology. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 33-year-old patient, who had already undergone bariatric surgery, and presented to our department with a diagnosis of choledocholithiasis. Due to the altered anatomy the patient was treated through a laparoscopic assisted ERCP. DISCUSSION: A review of the need and proper timing for a cholecystectomy in this kind of patient, in order to prevent choledocholithiasis, is discussed. Moreover, a review of the literature regarding the possible treatments of this pathology in bariatric patients underlines the presence of other treatments, beyond the one performed in our department, that can be performed even in small non-specialized centers. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic cholecystectomy is not recommended in bariatric surgery. Laparoscopic assisted-ERCP is a safe and feasible intervention which is to be preferred, even if B-ERCP and EDGE are two valid alternatives.

An unusual case of gastric volvulus through Bochdalek hernia A case report and review of the recent literature.

INTRODUCTION: Bochdalek Hernias are one of the most common types of diaphragmatic hernia, a congenital pathology diagnosed during the neonatal period. In adulthood, diagnosis of a Bochdalek hernia is rare and its complications may be fatal. CASE REPORT: We report an unusual case of a 60-year-old woman who presented with upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to a Bochdalek hernia with herniation of stomach and spleen into the chest with a gastric volvulus. Endoscopy showed a strong suspicion of ischemic suffering of the stomach walls, therefore the patient was subjected to urgent laparotomy. The content was reduced, the stomach was congested but viable and the diaphragmatic hernia defect was closed with interrupted sutures. DISCUSSION: Bochdalek hernia in an adult may present with a myriad of abdominal symptoms, such as recurrent abdominal pain, postprandial fullness, and vomiting. The hernia size varies and the content of the hernial sac may differ in each case. The sac may contain multiple viscera including the small bowel, colon, stomach and spleen. As in our case, strangulation of the herniated stomach can occur and this condition can lead to gastric perforation, sepsis and even DEATH. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the severity of this condition, accurate diagnosis and timely surgical treatment is mandatory to reducing morbidity and mortality. KEY WORDS: Bochdalek hernia, Gastric volvulus.

Metastatic melanoma of the small bowel. Report of a case and review of literature.

AIM: Malignant melanoma incidence is rapidly growing worldwide. The small bowel is well known to be a preferred site for melanoma metastases. In 60% of patients who died of disseminated melanoma, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract was affected, but only 1% to 4% of GI metastases were clinically diagnosed ante mortem. CASE REPORT: In this case we describe a report of a 71 years old male admitted to the hospital with a combination of two possible complications of GI metastatic melanoma: obstruction and GI bleeding. Past medical history reveals a malignant cutaneous melanoma excised 5 years before. DISCUSSION: Symptoms of small bowel involvement are frequently unspecific which leads to a late diagnosis often made only after complications, such as intestinal obstruction, massive gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation. In most cases, the diagnosis of melanoma metastasis was made only after surgery, which proved to be life-saving. We have searched literature for these complications and their relative treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Modern imaging techniques are recommended in order to obtain an early diagnosis. Surgical resection is the only treatment in patients with resectable metastatic intestinal melanoma. KEY WORDS: Acute abdomen, Metastatic melanoma, Small-bowel, Surgery.

Therapeutic strategies for perforated jejunal diverticulitis. A case report.

AIM: The jejuno-ileal diverticulosis is an unusual disease which affects elderly people and its complications can be fatal due to delayed diagnosis. The most frequent complication of jejunal diverticulitis is the perforation. CASE REPORT: In this report we describe a case of elderly patient presenting with acute abdominal pain and fever. The patient underwent to an urgent exploratory laparotomy that revealed a perforated small bowel diverticulum. An intestinal resection with primary anastomosis was performed. DISCUSSION: Jejunal diverticulosis often presents with non-specific symptoms like intermittent abdominal pain, dyspepsia, bloating or abdominal fullness and constipation. When, instead, it incurs a complication, it presents with an acute abdominal pain. The most frequent complication of jejunal diverticulitis is the perforation, followed by acute intestinal obstruction and diverticular bleeding. The diverticular perforation is associated with a high mortality, especially among elderly patients. Nowadays the mortality is reduced because of the improvement of the diagnostic, pharmaceutical and surgical protocols. CONCLUSIONS: With this report we want to discuss about different therapeutic approaches for perforated jejuno-ileal diverticula, which depends on the severity of the disease and the general clinical condition of the patient. KEY WORDS: Acute abdomen, Surgery, Jejunal Diverticulitis.

Cystic lymphangioma of the pancreas: a hard diagnostic challenge between pancreatic cystic lesions-review of recent literature.

Lymphangiomas are rare congenital benign tumors arising from the lymphatic system. The incidence of this disease in the pancreas is extremely rare, accounting for less than 1% of these tumors. Before introducing the review we reported a case of a 67-year-old woman with cystic lymphangioma of the pancreas. We reported the radiological investigations carried out preoperatively and the treatment performed. The review tries to identify the features described in literature of the pancreatic lymphangioma. We have performed a PubMed research of the world literature between January 1st 2000, to November 31st 2017, using the keywords [Lymphangioma pancreas], [diagnosis], [CT lymphangioma] and [MRI lymphangioma]. We have found 158 articles, of which about 100 were case reports. Based on our search criteria, we have identified 31 pancreatic lymphangioma in literature reporting their imaging characteristics. According to our report and to several authors in literature the diagnosis of cystic pancreatic lymphangioma should be considered as a differential diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs). The role of imaging exams (CT and MRI) can help to identify and suspect this possibility of diagnosis. The endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) can have a potential role to reach the correct diagnosis.