Massive Gastroepiploic Artery Pseudoaneurysm Presenting as Arterial Enteric Fistula.

A 63-year-old male presented to the Emergency Department with weakness and hematochezia. He was found to have a massive gastroepiploic artery pseudoaneurysm that had eroded into the transverse colon. He underwent open en bloc resection of the aneurysm, a portion of the stomach, and a portion of the transverse colon. The case and a brief review of gastroepiploic aneurysms is presented.

Is pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis a lymphatic pathology?: A case of small bowel lymphangioma and subsequent development of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis in a 57-year-old female.

The etiology of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is multifactorial and its corresponding treatment is similarly complex. One causation of PCI, is lymphatic disruption. This association is discussed in this case report involving an incident of abdominal lymphangioma and subsequent development of PCI in a 57-year-old female. The purpose of this paper is to further understand the pathology of PCI, specifically as it relates to lymphatic disruption. Furthermore, the purpose of this article is to define a treatment protocol for this disease when it involves lymphatic pathology; i.e. when a surgical vs conservative approach is warranted.

Jejunal lymphangioma causing intussusception in an adult: An unusual case with review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Adult intussusception is rare, and 90% are due to a lead point secondary to a pathologic condition. Lymphangioma is an uncommon tumor of the lymphatic system and is rarely found within the small bowel. Small bowel lymphangioma causing intussuception in an adult is a rare occurrence, with three very distinct rare pathologies occurring simultaneously. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 70-year-old male patient with multiple pre-existing pathologies such as advanced ADPKD, multiple persistent tubulovillous colon polyps and colon cancer in situ, was hospitalized due to rapid weight loss of 20 lbs, hematemesis, and abdominal pain. He was subsequently found to have jejunal intussusception caused by two lymphangiomas of the small bowel. The portion of intussuscepted jejunum was resected and final diagnosis on pathology was two jejunal lymphangiomas. DISCUSSION: Lymphangiomas of the small bowel are rare, but increasing in incidence due to the accessibility of endoscopic evaluations. A hypothetical connection between lymphangioma and ADPKD is unknown, but both diseases are built on a foundation of cystogenesis. There is little known about the effect ADPKD on cystogenesis and tumor formation extra-renally, and there is a possible correlation between genetic mutations in polycystin and cystic tumors such as lymphangiomas. CONCLUSION: Lymphangioma, although rare in the small bowel, is a possible cause of intussusception and should be considered on the differential of abdominal pain in adults. The pathogenesis of polycystic kidney disease has implications that could predispose to cystic development beyond the kidney, and more research into the genetic mechanism behind the disease is necessary to support or deny this claim.

An unusual case of intra-peritoneal bladder rupture.

•Urologists and health care professionals alike need to recognize the risks and complications that come with clot formation in urine and the use of CBI, especially subsequent bladder rupture.•Prior history of chronic, prolonged BPH has implications and complications that need to be considered when hematuria with blood clots arise and urologic procedures are performed.•This case is presented to highlight the importance of surveillance of hematuria with presence of clots, as well as the importance of regulated control of CBI. Diverticula, chronic retention, and instrumentation increase the likelihood of these complications.•Bladder rupture, although uncommonly present without trauma, is still possible and should be considered on the differential diagnosis for any patients with use of CBI or blood clots in urine.•Despite the lack of acute abdomen or urinary ascites, this patient demonstrated sub-massive bladder rupture and proved you do not need all known criteria to meet the diagnosis of intra-peritoneal rupture.

Synchronous primary malignancies of the appendix and ovary causing carcinomatosis in one patient.

Associated tumors of the ovary and the appendix are commonly found in cases of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PP); the origin of these tumors are a continually debated topic. Outside of the setting of PP, this finding is exceedingly rare and there are no documented reports of two primary processes causing carcinomatosis in the absence of PP. Here, we present a patient who underwent cytoreductive surgery for peritoneal carcinomatosis presumptively secondary to ovarian carcinoma and who on pathological examination was found to have synchronous primary malignant processes of both the appendix and the ovary. This represents the first documented case of carcinomatosis resulting from two separate malignant processes in the absence of PP.

Ultrasound-guided excision of nonpalpable malignant soft tissue tumors of the abdomen.

The use of intraoperative ultrasound to guide the excision of sonographically visible but nonpalpable lesions is a newer modality. Its use in intraoperative localization of recurrent malignant soft tissue tumors has not been reported. This report describes a technique of intraoperative localization by ultrasound to guide the excision of recurrent nonpalpable malignant soft tissue tumors of the abdominal wall in two patients. Tumors of both patients were successfully localized intraoperatively by ultrasonography and excised with adequate margins. This technique leads to reduced patient discomfort and anxiety, the avoidance of organizational requirements on the day of surgery, and allows for adequate margins of resection.

Tracheostomy in ventilator dependent trauma patients: a prospective, randomized intention-to-treat study.

BACKGROUND: Tracheostomy is a commonly performed procedure in ventilator dependent patients. Many critical care practitioners believe that performing a tracheostomy early in the postinjury period decreases the length of ventilator dependence as well as having other benefits such as better patient tolerance and lower respiratory dead space. We conducted a randomized, prospective, single institution study comparing the length ventilator dependence in critically ill multiple trauma patients who were randomized to two different strategies for performance of a tracheostomy. We hypothesized that earlier tracheostomy would reduce the number of days of mechanical ventilation, frequency of pneumonia and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay. METHODS: Patients were eligible if they were older than 15 years and either a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) >4 with a negative brain computed tomography (CT) (no anatomic head injury), or a GCS >9 with a positive head CT (known anatomic head injury). Patients who required tracheostomy for facial/neck injuries were excluded. Patients were randomized to an intention to treat strategy of tracheostomy placement before day 8 or after day 28. RESULTS: The study was halted after the first interim analysis. There were 60 enrolled patients, who had comparable demographics between groups. There was no significant difference between groups in any outcome variable including length of ventilator support, pneumonia rate, or death. CONCLUSION: A strategy of tracheostomy before day 8 postinjury in this group of trauma patients did not reduce the number of days of mechanical ventilation, frequency of pneumonia or ICU length of stay as compared with the group with a tracheostomy strategy involving the procedure at 28 days postinjury or more.

Splanchnic perfusion during delayed, hypotensive, or aggressive fluid resuscitation from uncontrolled hemorrhage.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of three different fluid resuscitation strategies on splanchnic perfusion in a clinically relevant model of uncontrolled hemorrhage after liver trauma. Anesthetized swine were instrumented with a gastric near-infrared spectroscopy probe (GStO2), a jejunal tonometer (PrCO2), a portal vein catheter (SpvO2, lactate), and an ultrasonic blood flow probe on the superior mesenteric artery. The liver was lacerated to produce uncontrolled hemorrhage and a shock state characterized by a 40-60% decrease in cardiac output and a decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) to 42 +/- 1 mmHg. Animals were randomly assigned to either delayed resuscitation (n = 6); hypotensive resuscitation with lactated Ringer's infusion to MAP = 60 mmHg (n = 6); or aggressive resuscitation with LR to MAP >/= 75 mmHg (n = 6). For the remainder of the protocol, the treatment was identical. The data showed that blood loss (47 +/- 7 and 45 +/- 10 mL/kg) and total fluid requirements (118 +/- 73 and 171 +/- 85 mL/kg) were similar with either hypotensive or aggressive resuscitation. In contrast, with delayed resuscitation, both values were lower (27 +/- 2 mL/kg and 87 +/- 33 mL/kg, both P < 0.05). Despite aggressive resuscitation, SpvO2 and GstO2 were about 10% lower (both P < 0.05 within group) and PrCO2 was about 20 mmHg higher (P < 0.05 within group) than the corresponding values in the other two groups. Thus, delayed resuscitation minimized the blood loss but did not restore tissue oxygenation, whereas aggressive resuscitation was associated with maximal blood loss and splanchnic hypoperfusion. For this reason, it is reasonable to conclude that hypotensive resuscitation might be an effective strategy to maintain splanchnic perfusion after blunt abdominal trauma and uncontrolled hemorrhage.