Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography induced splenic injury: comprehensive analysis and new perspectives based on a case report.

Splenic injury is an extremely rare complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). There are only 34 cases reported in the literature up to now. Based on a case of a 72-year-old man, who after ERCP due to choledocholithiasis developed a large perisplenic and subcapsular hematoma, we carried out an extensive review of all cases of ERCP-induced splenic injury found in the literature. We searched PubMed/Medline and Google Scholar till 15 April 2023, for published case reports and series using the following terms: splenic injury after ERCP, ERCP-induced splenic injury, and post-ERCP splenic trauma. The case reports included were in English, Spanish, and German literature. We attempt to discuss the possible clinical image, the available diagnostic methods, the potential treatment alternatives, and predisposing factors related to this entity. Furthermore, a theory of a possible mechanism of this injury is discussed and supported schematically. The ERCP-induced splenic injury is rare and a high index of suspicion is needed for diagnosis. Therefore, we present two diagnostic algorithms, which according to our opinion may assist the evaluation of this complication and lead to early accurate diagnosis and appropriate management. Collectively, our findings support that although ERCP-induced splenic injury is an unexpected/unusual complication of ERCP, following the proper steps can be timely diagnosed and treated.

Serious Rodent Bites to an 8-Month-Old Infant Due to Child Neglect.

Animal bites are among the top causes of preventable traumatic injuries. We describe the case of an 8-month-old female infant who was brought to the emergency department by her grandfather with serious rodent bites on her eyes, nose, right cheek, upper right extremity, and other smaller bites all over her body. This case is another proof of child neglect, or a possible infanticide attempt, as the motives of leaving the child in a hut without proper care, are not cleared up to this date. Rodent bites could be associated with Streptobacillus moniliformis infection and rat-bite fever. If the bites are left untreated for hours, the infant may suffer from hypovolemic shock due to bleeding, a possible fatal situation. The emergency surgical treatment of wounds is of vital importance.

Venous Intravasation During Hysterosalpingography.

Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is an imaging method performed to assess tubal occlusion in cases of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and hyperplasia. Although venous intravasation (VI) is a rare occurrence during HSG, it is associated with thromboembolic episodes and misinterpreted HSG. We present a rare case report of a 41-year-old female who underwent HSG and the introduction of contrast medium to the pelvic drainage system via the uterine cavity and the myometrium.

An eight-year-old girl with tracheal mass treated as a difficult asthma case.

INTRODUCTION: Endobronchial masses such as mucoepidermoid carcinomas or carcinoid tumors are extremely rare in children and they usually originate from large bronchi. These lesions may cause wheezing and dyspnea with poor response to bronchodilators and mimic the airway obstruction caused by asthma. CASE STUDY: We present the case of an 8-year-old girl with tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma who was treated as a difficult asthma case with high dose of inhaled corticosteroids. RESULTS: The characteristic stridor, the lack of response to bronchodilators and to inhaled corticosteroid treatment, combined with the characteristic flow loop in spirometry and the hyperinflation seen on the chest radiograph, all raised the clinical suspicion of a tracheal lesion and indicated the need for flexible bronchoscopy. The bronchoscopy revealed a large lesion obstructing totally the trachea lumen. The latter finding was confirmed by chest high resolution CT. The mass was completely excised via sternotomy under cardiopulmonary bypass, and the pathologic examination showed a low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea. One month after the surgery she was free of symptoms and her spirometry was normal. CONCLUSION: Tracheal lesions mimic the symptoms of airway obstruction caused by asthma and should be always be part of the differential diagnosis in young patients with no response to asthma treatment.

Comparison of Two Tubularized Incised Plate Urethroplasty Techniques in Hypospadias Reconstructive Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Hypospadias repair is a challenging type of urogenital reconstructive surgery for which different techniques are currently used. The purpose of this study is to determine the outcomes of distal, mid-shaft and proximal hypospadias repair using two new variations of tubularized incised plate (TIP) urethroplasty (TIP-δ and TIP-ελ) and to compare their complication rates with other already known operative techniques made from the same surgical team. METHODS: This study included 269 boys with hypospadias. The preoperative meatal site was distal in 179 patients, mid-shaft in 44 and proximal in 46. The average age at the operation was 17 months. The technique applied in distal hypospadias was Mathieu in 77 patients, Snodgrass in 28 and (TIP)-δ in 74. The technique applied in mid-shaft hypospadias was a tubularized island flap (TIF) in 12 patients, onlay island flap (OIF) in 5 and TIP-ελ in 27. The operative technique for proximal hypospadias was TIF in 15 patients, OIF in 10 and TIP-ελ in 21. TIP-δ and TIP-ελ are two new variants of TIP operation that we have used in our clinic since 2010. Postoperative complications were recorded, and we compared the outcomes obtained by applying the techniques. RESULTS: The use of TIP-δ in the distal hypospadias and long TIP-ελ in the mid-shaft and proximal hypospadias resulted in significantly fewer complications than the other surgical methods across all cases of hypospadias (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The type of tissue used for neourethral coverage seems to play an important role in the outcome of hypospadias surgery.

What are the Risk Factors Responsible for the Delay in Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis in Children? Eleven-year Research from a Single Institution.

INTRODUCTION: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 602 children operated on for acute appendicitis (AA) in our department between 1/2007 and 12/2017. AIM: The aim of this study was to identify factors that are related to a delay in diagnosing AA in children. Furthermore, we'd like to strengthen our previous preliminary results by a) adding gender as a new factor and b) studying a much larger population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The time that elapsed from the onset of symptoms to the surgical intervention was associated with gender, age, obesity, use of antibiotics prior to diagnosis, and the initial examination by a paediatric surgeon or another physician. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression method (backward method) was applied. RESULTS: The diagnosis of AA was delayed by at least 48 hours in 287 patients (group A, 47.7%) and was made within 48 hours in 315 patients (group B, 52.3%). In multivariate model we noticed that boys who were examined by a paediatric surgeon and didn't take antibiotics had decreased odds of having length of diagnostic period >48 hours, girls who received antibiotics compared to girls who do not use antibiotics are almost 12 times more likely to have length of diagnostic period >48 hours, the very young age has а main effect оn the diagnostic delay and girls who have been examined by other physician compared to females who have been examined by paediatric surgeon have decreased odds of having length of diagnostic period >48 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, physicians examining children with abdominal pain must keep in mind the multiple causes of diagnostic delay that may exist alone or in combination, and which can lead to serious complications and lengthen the hospital stay. Performing repeated examinations and asking for advice from a specialist specifically for children who are a special category of patients, in areas where it is rather impossible to use imaging techniques, could be the key to correctly diagnosing and treating AA.

Management of abdomen hydatidosis after rupture of a hydatid splenic cyst: a case report.

We present a case of multiple hydatidosis in an 8-year-old boy that resulted from a ruptured hydatid cyst of the spleen and spread into the peritoneal cavity. We also present a new approach for managing these difficult and high-risk cases.

Ultrasonographic diagnosis of pregnancy in rats.

The purpose of the present study was to describe the technique for and findings of ultrasonographic examination of the rat uterus for diagnosis of early and midterm pregnancy. The uterus of anesthetized Wistar rats was examined between days 9 and 16 post coitum by transabdominal real-time ultrasonography by using a 12-MHz linear transducer. Pulsed-waved color Doppler sonography was used to measure the embryonic heart rate. The embryonic vesicles were detected with 25% false-negative diagnosis on day 9, 8% on day 10, and 0% thereafter. By day 12, the embryos were detected with measurable crown-rump length and heart rate. Ultrasonographic evidence of pregnancy in the rat was present by day 9 post coitum. Diagnosis of pregnancy was confirmed by detection of the embryo heart beat by day 12. Embryo characteristics were ultrasonographically measurable between days 9 and 16.

Comparative efficacies of procalcitonin and conventional inflammatory markers for prediction of renal parenchymal inflammation in pediatric first urinary tract infection.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the reliability of procalcitonin (PCT) with conventional laboratory parameters in predicting for renal parenchymal inflammation (RPI). METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 57 children who were admitted for a first-episode urinary tract infection. All patients underwent measurement of the leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum PCT. RPI was evaluated by technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy within 7 days of admission. If the first DMSA findings were abnormal, another analysis was performed 6 months later. The cutoff points for ESR, CRP, and PCT were established by comparing the areas under their receiver operating characteristic curves. Statistical analysis was performed using 1-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: Of the 57 children, 27 were diagnosed with RPI on the basis of positive DMSA results. The ESR, CRP, and PCT levels were significantly greater (P < .001) in the patients with RPI than in those without RPI. In contrast, the leukocyte count was the same in both groups (P > .05). PCT was a more sensitive and specific marker for differentiating upper and lower urinary tract infection than ESR and CRP. Persistent lesions at the site of previous RPI were found in 12 patients in the follow-up DMSA analysis, with total regression evident in the remaining 15. The PCT levels were significantly greater in those with persistent renal lesions than in those with total regression (P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: Serum PCT is a more reliable biologic marker than the ESR, CRP, or leukocyte count for the early prediction of RPI in children with a first episode of urinary tract infection. In addition, the greater the elevation of PCT at admission, the more positive the correlation for subsequent permanent renal damage.

Procalcitonin for the early prediction of renal parenchymal involvement in children with UTI: preliminary results.

In order to establish the most reliable marker for distinguishing urinary tract infections (UTI) with and without renal parenchymal involvement (RPI), we recorded the clinical features and admission leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum procalcitonin (PCT) in 57 children (including 43 girls) aged 2-108 months admitted with a first episode of UTI. RPI was evaluated by Tc-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy within 7 days of admission. To establish cut-off points for ESR, CRP, and PCT, we used receiver operating characteristics curves and compared the area under the curve for ESR, CRP, and PCT. Twenty-seven children were diagnosed as having RPI based on positive renal scintigraphy. A body temperature of >38 degrees C, a history of diarrhea, and poor oral intake were more common in patients with RPI. ESR, CRP, and PCT, but not leukocyte count, were significantly higher in patients with RPI (P < 0.001). PCT was more sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of upper versus lower UTI than ESR and CRP. Using a cut-off value of 0.85 ng/ml, PCT had the best performance, with sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 89%, 97%, 96%, and 91% respectively. Serum PCT is a better marker than ESR, CRP, and leukocyte count for the early prediction of RPI in children with a first episode of UTI.

A case of spontaneous rupture of the bladder.

Rupture of the bladder in the neonatal period followed by urinary ascites is rare and usually the result of umbilical artery catheterization. Patients may present with abdominal distension, oliguria or anuria, and signs of renal insufficiency. We present a case of urinary ascites in a premature neonate due to a spontaneous rupture of the bladder, and we discuss the pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of this case.

Gastrocolic fistula secondary to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs abuse in a cirrhotic patient.

Gastrocolic fistula is rarely described in the literature. It has been associated with a variety of diseases and recently with benign gastric ulcers related to the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs'). The present case represents the first report of gastrocolic fistula due to NSAIDs in a cirrhotic patient. This is in keeping with the established knowledge that cirrhotic patients constitute a high-risk group of patients when treated with NSAIDs'. Review of the literature shows that this condition warrants a complete diagnostic work-up to exclude more ominous underlined diseases.