Gallstone Ileus. What therapeutic options are there?

Gallstone ileus is a rare disorder in emergency surgical practice with diagnosis usually difficult and only achieved at surgery. The current approaches are: enterolithotomy, cholecystectomy and fistula repair (one-stage surgery), enterolithotomy with cholecystectomy performed later (two-stage surgery) and only enterolithotomy (most reported surgical procedure). METHODS: The clinical, operative and follow-up data on 14 consecutive patients treated in our clinic for gallstone ileus was retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Gallstone ileus was recorded in 0.06% of all operations for biliary lithiasis and 1% of all enteric occlusions. There were 11 women and one men, with a mean age of 77.3 (range 67-100) years. There was a mean delay of 3.16 days for onset of symptoms to admission. Urgent laparotomy confirmed gallstone obstruction and a cholecysto-duodenal fistula (13 cases) or cholecysto-colonic fistula (1 case). We performed one stage surgery in 4 cases, enterolithotomy alone in 8 cases (one case operated initially in another surgical service), Hartman procedure, cholecystectomy and fistula repair in one case and a spontaneous evacuation of the gallstone with cholecystectomy and fistula repair later in another case. We recorded 2 deaths in patients with multiple comorbidities in which only enterolithotomy was performed and with 1 and 2 reinterventions, respectively. Postoperative stay was 9.4 days for cases with simple enterolithotomy and 18.6 days for cases with radical treatment. We did not record any recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Although rarely encountered in surgical practice, gallstones ileus should be noted in the differential diagnosis of intestinal obstruction in patients with a past history of biliary disease, occlusive syndrome, pneumobilia and possibly ectopic gallstone. The one-stage procedure should be the offered to stabilized patients, but in cases with associated comorbidities, only enterolithotomy represent a best option. KEY WORDS: Gallstone ileus, Cholecystoduodenal fistula, Intestinal Obstruction.

Spontaneous Biliary-Enteric Fistulas and Associated Complications: An Overview.

Spontaneous biliary-enteric fistula (SBEF) is an abnormal communication between the biliary tree and the gastrointestinal tract which develops as a result of biliary or gastrointestinal disease. Iatrogenic fistulas, due to surgery or instrumental exploration, are not included in this definition. R. Colombo, in 1559, was the first to describe SBEF as an occasional finding during an autopsy. In almost 90% of cases the cause of SBEF is chronic recurrent cholelithiasis. Less common causes are penetrating peptic ulcers and neoplastic infiltration from the biliary or gastrointestinal tract. The most common type of SBEF is cholecystoduodenal fistula and the least common is choledochoduodenal fistula. There are various complications associated with SBEF but often these are not promptly recognized by patients or physicians and diagnosis and treatment may be delayed for years. The most important complication, which can be considered pathognomonic for SBEF, is gallstone ileus which manifests clinically as acute or chronic mechanical intestinal obstruction. Gallstone ileus, a rather rare complication of a rather common pathology, biliary lithiasis, is found in 0.000015% of hospitalized patients but in 0.0003% of surgical patients. It is mainly found in women over the age of 65, with a male to-female ratio of 1:5. There are various forms of occlusion, related to the sites of gallstone impaction, with various clinical characteristics and degrees of severity. These include Bouveret syndrome ( 10% of cases) with impaction in duodenum or pylorus, and the more common Barnard's syndrome (5-75% of cases) in which the site of impaction is in the terminal ileum right before Bauhin's valve. For diagnosis, the radiological signs which make up Riglerâ??s triad or tetrad, are essential, and are best visible on magnetic resonance. The the gold standard is contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan. Regarding the surgical management, one-stage simple enterolithotomy is reserved for the oldest patients and the most severe cases. Nowadays, is performed more and more frequently by laparoscopy. In more favorable cases radical treatment of the occlusion, the biliary lithiasis and the SBEF is recommended, either as a one-stage procedure or in two stages with the second procedure performed after few weeks.

Training in Emergency Surgery.

Although emergency surgery accounts for 50% of the surgery cases in hospitals in Italy, in 57% of the hospitals emergency surgery is not performed by a dedicated team. In Europe, numerous surveys have shown that 50% of the young surgeons desire a more complete training in emergency general surgery (EGS). A survey conducted by the Association of Surgeons in training in the UK has shown that trainees want greater competence in EGS (92.4%) through the adoption of specific programs and training protocols. The Italian Society of Emergency Surgery and Trauma (SICUT)) has decided to try to make up for this lack of training by organizing specific courses that can serve as a training pathway in EGS. KEY WORDS: Emergency Surgery, Training.

Introduction.

There is no doubt that postgraduate education and all "professional development activity" is in crisis, not only in our country but in all of Europe. The crisis is on one hand due to a lack of resources which has been evident for more than a decade, and on the other hand due to factors such as organization, culture, and education. Many of the chief medical disciplines such as internal medicine or general surgery, have been literally crushed and replaced by a myriad of subspecialties that have undermined the original unified character of the main disciplines 1. The teaching regulations in recent years have significantly limited students' opportunities to have direct, practical experience with surgery, which would allow them to develop their abilities and a true vocation , both crucial for a profession such as surgery which requires specific qualities and skills. Moreover the new regulations regarding admission to residency programs do not require candidates to make a definitive decision up front about what they want to specialize in, but rather leads them to accept any position among those still available after the candidates who are higher on the national rank-order list, get first pick of all specialties. General surgery is not among the specialties that are most popular in Italy and this appears to be true all over the world. It is therefore one of the few specialties that candidates with a low ranking are allowed to enter, even if they have no natural affinity for this discipline and no special desire to become a general surgeon. This is detrimental not only for healthcare as a whole and patients in particular, but for those doctors who would have selected surgery as their first choice , but cannot because they are too far down on the rank-order list. As a result a significant number of surgeons in training will leave during the five-year training period or after obtaining their diploma or will dedicate themselves to parasurgical activities or specific subspecialties, losing in a short time the broader skills of general surgery and emergency surgery. At the same time the universities has neither the organizational capacity, nor the resources to ensure that all these new subspecialties have the same degree of status and funding. Consequently, the training offered in each subspecialty is currently dependent not on an organic strategy but on factors such as problems with funding and administration, support from the medical industry, or, or even temporary appeal The crisis of training in emergency surgery is paradigmatic probably due to all of the above factors. The lack of foresight of the European institutions in charge has unfortunately had an completely negative influence on this discipline. While general surgery was imploding, the increase in the average age, the evolution of mechanization, the logistics of both work and pleasure, and the explosion of home automation, has dramatically increased the number of both trauma and non-trauma emergencies, increasing the need for professionals with specific cultural and technical skills. Coping with of surgical emergencies accounts for up to 50% of all surgical activity , but in Europe training in Emergency surgery, the only surgical discipline that still maintains the scientific, clinical, technical, and organizational knowledge and skills of general surgery, has been reduced to a bare minimum This affects morbidity and mortality rates, leading to a considerable increase in hospital costs 2. Our English colleagues put a spotlight on this problem some time ago, highlighting the professional and existential problems of surgeons who do not feel able to adequately manage any type of surgical emergency. They therefore demand on the one hand more effective technical training and on the other hand that emergency surgery be reserved only for specialists in the sector. But who will train them if residency programs in emergency surgery have been eliminated and have not been replaced, as they have, by training courses such as "Acute Care Surgery" Thanks to the attitude of national and continental institutions, the number and quality of training opportunities continues to decline Recently, the European Working Time Directive(EWTD) has been introduced, reducing by 50% the time that both tutors and residents could devote to professional activities (3), As a result, for some time now, public and private institutions, cultural and professional associations, trade union representatives, specialty organizations, scientific societies and whatever else, have been proposing and organizing events of all kinds: theoretical and practical courses, Masters programs, single-theme seminars, continuing medical education events, distance learning courses, Technical training live or on the simulator, Cadaver labs and so on, many of which have increased the financial burden on the individual doctor. The Royal College of Surgeons, calculated that the cost of completing the post-university requirements in surgery is today on average about £ 3360 (with a range of $2735 - 20780) compared to £2815 for internal medicine and £ 2215 for anesthesiology .This contributes significantly in increasing young doctors' loss of interest in this specialty. In particular, this applies to emergency surgery because of the poor quality of life , wage limitations, increased responsibilities, and legal disputes associated with this discipline4 . We feel that scientific societies must attempt to compensate for the deficits of institutional education by producing and supplying qualified products at a low price. In recent years various, chiefly Anglo-Saxon societies have proposed live courses on trauma surgery such as the ATOM and DSCT and practical theoretical courses on the first approach to patients requiring emergency care. AEMS has planned theoretical courses in emergency surgery aimed in particular at the acquisition of a European certificate of professional competence and qualification in emergency surgery and ESTES has done the same with regard to professional development in specific diagnostic and therapeutic emergency procedures 5. The Italian Society of Emergency Surgery and Trauma (SICUT), after having validated and proposed in Italy the best English-speaking products and having directly imported the DSCT, began its own production of residential events and dedicated education proposals addressed in particular to the young surgeons. The current symposium consists of a series of short presentations of the various training initiatives for the professional development of emergency surgical care staff that the SICUT has organized in the last few years . This is a series of educational and training events of different kinds, many of which are produced in partnership with other organizations, dedicated to surgeons willing to implement or renew their knowledge and technical skills.

A systematic review on the use of topical hemostats in trauma and emergency surgery.

BACKGROUND: A wide variety of hemostats are available as adjunctive measures to improve hemostasis during surgical procedures if residual bleeding persists despite correct application of conventional methods for hemorrhage control. Some are considered active agents, since they contain fibrinogen and thrombin and actively participate at the end of the coagulation cascade to form a fibrin clot, whereas others to be effective require an intact coagulation system. The aim of this study is to provide an evidence-based approach to correctly select the available agents to help physicians to use the most appropriate hemostat according to the clinical setting, surgical problem and patient's coagulation status. METHODS: The literature from 2000 to 2016 was systematically screened according to PRISMA [Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses] protocol. Sixty-six articles were reviewed by a panel of experts to assign grade of recommendation (GoR) and level of evidence (LoE) using the GRADE [Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation] system, and a national meeting was held. RESULTS: Fibrin adhesives, in liquid form (fibrin glues) or with stiff collagen fleece (fibrin patch) are effective in the presence of spontaneous or drug-induced coagulation disorders. Mechanical hemostats should be preferred in patients who have an intact coagulation system. Sealants are effective, irrespective of patient's coagulation status, to improve control of residual oozing. Hemostatic dressings represent a valuable option in case of external hemorrhage at junctional sites or when tourniquets are impractical or ineffective. CONCLUSIONS: Local hemostatic agents are dissimilar products with different indications. A knowledge of the properties of each single agent should be in the armamentarium of acute care surgeons in order to select the appropriate product in different clinical conditions.

Clinical strategies for the management of intestinal obstruction and pseudo-obstruction. A Delphi Consensus study of SICUT (Società Italiana di Chirurgia d'Urgenza e del Trauma).

BACKGROUND: Intestinal obstructions/pseudo-obstruction of the small/large bowel are frequent conditions but their management could be challenging. Moreover, a general agreement in this field is currently lacking, thus SICUT Society designed a consensus study aimed to define their optimal workout. METHODS: The Delphi methodology was used to reach consensus among 47 Italian surgical experts in two study rounds. Consensus was defined as an agreement of 75.0% or greater. Four main topic areas included nosology, diagnosis, management and treatment. RESULTS: A bowel obstruction was defined as an obstacle to the progression of intestinal contents and fluids generally beginning with a sudden onset. The panel identified four major criteria of diagnosis including absence of flatus, presence of >3.5 cm ileal levels or >6 cm colon dilatation and abdominal distension. Panel also recommended a surgical admission, a multidisciplinary approach, and a gastrografin swallow for patients presenting occlusions. Criteria for immediate surgery included: presence of strangulated hernia, a >10 cm cecal dilatation, signs of vascular pedicles obstructions and persistence of metabolic acidosis. Moreover, rules for non-operative management (to be conducted for maximum 72 hours) included a naso-gastric drainage placement and clinical and laboratory controls each 12 hours. Non-operative treatment should be suspended if any suspects of intra-abdominal complications, high level of lactates, leukocytosis (>18.000/mm3 or Neutrophils >85%) or a doubling of creatinine level comparing admission. Conversely, consensus was not reached regarding the exact timing of CT scan and the appropriateness of colonic stenting. CONCLUSIONS: This consensus is in line with current international strategies and guidelines, and it could be a useful tool in the safe basic daily management of these common and peculiar diseases. KEY WORDS: Delphi study, Intestinal obstruction, Large bowel obstruction, Pseudo-obstruction, Small bowel.

Recurrent incisional hernia, enterocutaneous fistula and loss of the substance of the abdominal wall: plastic with organic prosthesis, skin graft and VAC therapy. Clinical case.

Surgical wounds dehiscence is a serious post-operatory complication, with an incidence between 0.4% and 3.5%. Mortality is more than 45%. Complex wounds treatment may require a multidisciplinary management. VAC Therapy could be an alternative treatment regarding complex wound. VAC therapy has been recently introduced on skin's graft tissue management reducing skin graft rejection. The use of biological prosthesis has been tested in a contaminated field, better than synthetic meshes, which often need to be removed. The Permacol is more resistant to degradation by proteases due to its cross-links. Surgery is still considered the best treatment for digestive fistula. A 58 years old obese woman come to our attention, she was operated for an abdominal hernia. She had a post-operatory entero-cutaneous fistula. She was submitted to bowel resection, the anastomosis has been tailored and the hernia of the abdominal wall has been repaired with biological mesh for managing such condition. She had a wound dehiscence with loss of substance and the exposure of the biological prosthesis, nearly 20 cm diameter. She was treated first with antibiotic therapy and simple medications. In addiction, antibiotic therapy was necessary late associated to 7 months with advanced medications allowed a small reduction's defect. Because of its, treatment went on for two more months using VAC therapy. Antibiotic's therapy was finally suspended. The VAC therapy allowed the reduction of the gap, between skin and subcutaneous tissue, and the defect's size preparing a suitable ground for the skin graft. The graft, managed with the vac therapy, was necessary to complete the healing process.

Antibiotic prophylaxis in elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy is useless. A prospective multicenter study.

AIM: We performed a prospective study to evaluate the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) on the incidence of infection in elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). MATERIAL OF STUDY: All patients were at low-medium anesthetic and infectious risk and underwent LC for benign disease. At induction of anesthesia 41 patients received ampicillin-sulbactam 3g, 40 patients received ciprofloxacin 400mg intravenously, and 53 patients received no AP. RESULTS: Postoperative infection was observed in 11 patients (8.2%) in the entire study group. All ob served infections were superficial surgical site infections (SSIs), always located at the umbilical incision. Infection occurred in 3 patients (7.3%) in ampicillin-sulbactam group, in 3 patients (7.5%) in ciprofloxacin group and in 5 patients (9.4%) in nonantibiotic group (p=0.916). Univariate analysis showed that duration of operation, placement of a drain and postoperative hospital stay were significantly associated with the development of SSIs. At multivariate analysis, only duration of operation was statistically significant in predicting SSIs. DISCUSSION: The present study did not show any advantage in the use of AP, although in case of difficult surgery the risk of SSIs is increased, in particular in the umbilical incision. In all patients, the bile culture was sterile, then the infection of the umbilical site is not due to bacterial infection from the gallbladder. CONCLUSIONS: AP in elective LC should not be routinely performed. A particular attention to the preoperative cleaning and topical antibiotic therapy of the umbilical area is advised.

Uncontrolled bleeding in patients with major abdominal trauma.

UNLABELLED: Haemodynamically unstability after severe abdominal injuries requires a new therapeutic strategy. European guidelines recommend: reduced time, non-invasive investigations, avoid massive volemic replacement before surgery. The primary aim of Damage Control Resuscitation protocol is to prevent the lethal triad: hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy. The treatment includes contemporary: permissive hypotension, haemostatic resuscitation, and Damage Control Surgery (DCS). Systolic pressure below the physiological limits maximize the benefits of resuscitation and haemostasis, decreasing vessel clots expulsion. Haemostatic resuscitation uses blood components and substitutes, to allow volemic replacement and to avoid trauma-induced coagulopathy (25% - 30% of complex trauma). The use of PRBCs and plasma 1 to 1 is an independent survival predictor in patients undergoing DCS. Military haemostatic resuscitation protocol suggests massive transfusion using 10 or more PRBCs during 24 or 6 hours if 3 or more triggers are present: pressure > 90, hemoglobin > 11 g, temperature < 35.5°C, INR > 1.5, base deficit

Prevalence of adenoma of gallbladder, ultrasonographic and histological assessment in a retrospective series of 450 cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Adenomyomas of the gallbladder are difficult to examine during standard ultrasound examination of the abdomen. They sometimes undergo malignant transformation and their optimal management still remains a problem. The authors have aimed to investigate the ultrasonographic and histopathological prevalence of gallbladder adenomyomas focusing on the diagnostic performance of ultrasound examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective series of 450 consecutive patients who underwent cholecystectomy is reported. Data regarding characteristics of the patients, US and histology examination of the gallbladder were collected. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of ultrasound scan were calculated with respect to histological examination of the gallbladder. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 261 female and 189 male. Ultrasound scan detected adenomyomas in 22 patients, confirmed by histopathology in 13 and found to be not present in 9. Incidental adenomyomas were found in 16 patients of 428 who underwent cholecystectomy for gallstones. Prevalence was 4.9% and 6.4% for ultrasound scan and histopathology respectively. Ultrasound scan showed sensitivity of 43.3% (c.i.:25.4%-62.5%), specificity of 97.8% (c.i.:95.9%-99%) with a positive predictive value of 59% (c.i.:36.3%-79.2%) and with a negative predictive value of 96.2% (c.i.:93.7%- 97.6%). On histopathology, adenomyomas localized in the fundus were predominant. Two female patients with adenomyomas of the fundus (diameter 5 mm) and single stone showed intestinal metaplasia with high-grade dysplasia. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of gallbladder adenomyomas by ultrasound scan still remains a problem because of its low sensitivity, which is mainly due to the association with gallstones. Histopathological findings in the perilesional mucosa confirm the hypothesis of a metaplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence already shown in the colon-rectum. At present, the selection of patients requiring cholecystectomy is still controversial.

Multiorgan female pelvic prolapse: pelvic organ prolapse suspension (P.O.P.S.) stapled transanal rectale resection (S.T.A.R.R.): new surgical tecniques and results.

AIM: To demonstrate the surgical treatment validity and the post-operative complication decrease. MATERIAL OF STUDY: Seventythree women who underwent P.O.P.S. + S.T.A.R.R. treatment, follow-up one year. RESULTS: We observed an important reduction or a completely disappearance about pre-operative signs and symptoms. DISCUSSION: We are aware that the proposed technique, if taken into account by urogynecologists, will raise several arguments and will raise many doubts and perplexities. For this reason we wanted develop a follow-up sufficiently long and many case studies with data to support our claims. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that the procedure proposed by us, given the results, was excellent in patients with multiorgan pelvic prolapse, especially with the vagina walls elongated and that retain a good trophism.

About a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp. Management and aesthetic results.

We present a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp, treated with local excision and flap reconstruction. We discuss the treatment modalities of this pathology with particular attention to the role of surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. The authors suggest the systematic use of subgaleal drainage to avoid the hematoma and/or seroma occurrence.

Primary testicular plasmocytoma.

A case of Primary Testicular Plasmocytoma (PTP) in an 81-year-old man with a painless nodule in the left testis is reported. All possible pre-operative investigations were carried out, but the diagnosis of PTP was possible only after microscopic examination of the resected testis.

Activation of alpha(1) -adrenergic receptors stimulate the growth of small mouse cholangiocytes via calcium-dependent activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells 2 and specificity protein 1.

UNLABELLED: Small cholangiocytes proliferate via activation of calcium (Ca(2+) )-dependent signaling in response to pathological conditions that trigger the damage of large cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent cholangiocytes. Although our previous studies suggest that small cholangiocyte proliferation is regulated by the activation of Ca(2+) -dependent signaling, the intracellular mechanisms regulating small cholangiocyte proliferation are undefined. Therefore, we sought to address the role and mechanisms of action by which phenylephrine, an α(1) -adrenergic agonist stimulating intracellular D-myo-inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP(3) )/Ca(2+) levels, regulates small cholangiocyte proliferation. Small and large bile ducts and cholangiocytes expressed all AR receptor subtypes. Small (but not large) cholangiocytes respond to phenylephrine with increased proliferation via the activation of IP(3) /Ca(2+) -dependent signaling. Phenylephrine stimulated the production of intracellular IP(3) . The Ca(2+) -dependent transcription factors, nuclear factor of activated T cells 2 (NFAT2) and NFAT4, were predominantly expressed by small bile ducts and small cholangiocytes. Phenylephrine stimulated the Ca(2+) -dependent DNA-binding activities of NFAT2, NFAT4, and Sp1 (but not Sp3) and the nuclear translocation of NFAT2 and NFAT4 in small cholangiocytes. To determine the relative roles of NFAT2, NFAT4, or Sp1, we knocked down the expression of these transcription factors with small hairpin RNA. We observed an inhibition of phenylephrine-induced proliferation in small cholangiocytes lacking the expression of NFAT2 or Sp1. Phenylephrine stimulated small cholangiocyte proliferation is regulated by Ca(2+) -dependent activation of NFAT2 and Sp1. CONCLUSION: Selective stimulation of Ca(2+) -dependent small cholangiocyte proliferation may be key to promote the repopulation of the biliary epithelium when large bile ducts are damaged during cholestasis or by toxins.

Gallstone ileus. Report of two cases.

Gallstone ileus is uncommon. Gallstone impaction in the jejunum was rarely reported. We report two cases of gallstone impaction in the proximal jejunum and in the distal ileum. One patient was treated with enterolithotomy alone and in the other one enterolithotomy was combined to cholecystectomy and repair of a cholecystoduodenal fistula. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen is the mainstay of diagnosis. One-stage procedure including both enterolithotomy and cholecystectomy with bilioenteric fistula repair should be reserved to low-risk patients.

[Intestinal occlusion and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS)]. / Occlusione intestinale e sindrome compartimentale addominale (ACS).

Intestinal occlusion is defined as an independent predictive factor of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) which represents an independent predictor of mortality. Baggot in 1951 classified patients operated with intestinal occlusion as being at risk for IAH ("abdominal blow-out"), recommending them for open abdomen surgery proposed by Ogilvie. Abdominal surgery provokes IAH in 44.7% of cases with mortality which, in emergency, triples with respect to elective surgery (21.9% vs 6.8%). In particular, IAH is present in 61.2% of ileus and bowel distension and is responsible for 52% of mortality (54.8% in cases with intra-abdominal infection). These patients present with an increasing intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) which, over 20-25 mmHg, triggers an Abdominal Compartment Syndrome (ACS) with altered functions in some organs arriving at Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS). The intestine normally covers 58% of abdominal volume but when there is ileus distension, intestinal pneumatosis develops (third space) which can occupy up to 90% of the entire cavity. At this moment, Gastro Intestinal Failure (GIF) can appear, which is a specific independent risk factor of mortality, motor of "Organ Failure". The pathophysiological evolution has many factors in 45% of cases: intestinal pneumatosis is associated with mucosal and serous edema, capillary leakage with an increase in extra-cellular volume and peritoneal fluid collections (fourth space). The successive loss of the mucous barrier permits a bacterial translocation which includes bacteria, toxins, pro-inflammatory factors and oxygen free radicals facilitating the passage from an intra-abdominal to inter-systemic vicious cyrcle. IAH provokes the raising of the diaphragm, and vascular and visceral compressions which induce hypertension in the various spaces with compartmental characteristics. These trigger hypertension in the renal, hepatic, pelvic, thoracic, cardiac, intracranial, orbital and lower extremity areas, giving a critical clinical condition of Polycompartment Syndrome. The monitoring of Abdominal Perfusion Pressure (APP) is more correct than the measurement of IAP because it reveals hydrodynamic alterations in the abdominal compartment. The APP (MAP-IAP) depends on arterial flow, venous outflow and capacity of the abdominal compartments response to increased internal volumes. The medical therapy used to decrease IAH and to contrast ACS is intestinal decompression with gastric and rectal tube; colonic endoscopic detention; correction of electrolytic abnormalities and prokinetic agents. Surgery, besides being decompressive and resolutive, must prevent a recurrence of ACS through the "tension-free closure" procedure.

Splenic infarction, rare cause of acute abdomen, only seldom requires splenectomy. Case report and literature review.

Splenic infarction is a rare disorder, commonly without a characteristic symptomatology, that rarely requires surgical procedure; in fact it has the peculiar feature of an high tendency for complete healing after the only medical approach. Furthermore in order to prevent OPSI, only in case of clear, persistent symptoms or complications it may be necessary surgical laparoscopic or open approach. The Authors report on a recent case observed in emergency of splenic infarction with infectious complications that made the surgical procedure mandatory.