[Prophylactic surgery for hepatic and biliary tumors]. / Chirurgie prophylactique des tumeurs du foie et des voies biliaires.

Benign tumors of the liver and biliary tract are rare entities, and some of them require surgical management to prevent their malignant transformation. Tumors from the biliary tract with malignant potential are treated either by hepatic resection, for mucinous cystic neoplasm and ciliated hepatic foregut cysts, or by biliary resections, for biliary papillary neoplasm and type I and IV choledochal cysts. The pathologies requiring prophylactic cholecystectomy are polyps larger than 10 mm, porcelain gallbladder and pancreaticobiliary maljunction. Finally, hepatocellular adenoma over 5cm, occurring in male patients, or exon 3 mutated beta-catenin, should lead to prophylactic resection by hepatic segmentectomy. This article describes these different pathologies and their management.

Constrictive pericarditis following cardiac transplantation: a report of two cases and a literature review.

The data on constrictive pericarditis following heart transplantation are scarce. Herein, the authors present 2 patients who developed a constrictive pericarditis 19, and 55 months after heart transplantation. They underwent several diagnostic procedures and successfully recovered after a radical pericardiectomy. In addition, the authors review the literature and report the incidence, aetiology, diagnostic features, and management of this rare and challenging condition.

Outcomes and Predictors of Mortality in a Belgian Population of Patients Admitted with Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Treated by Open Repair in the Contemporary Era.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture is a serious condition that results in extremely high mortality rates. Some improvements in outcome have been reported during the last 2 decades. The objective of the present study was to determine the overall and operative (by open repair) mortality related to ruptured AAA in the contemporary era and to identify preoperative, intraoperative, and early postoperative parameters associated with poor outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of all consecutive patients admitted to our single institution with a diagnosis of ruptured AAA between 2004 and 2013. A total of 103 parameters, including demographic characteristics, medical history, clinical and biological parameters, cardiovascular risk factors, emergency level, diagnostic modalities, time from symptoms to diagnosis and treatment, type of operative procedure and postoperative complications, were analyzed. The primary endpoint considered in this study was the cumulative incidence rate of mortality. The secondary endpoint was the identification, by logistic regression methods, of risk factors for overall mortality as well as for operative, and postoperative mortality. RESULTS: Within our study period, 104 patients were admitted for a ruptured AAA. The majority of patients (84.6%) were male, and the AAA was known in 34.6% of the patients. Rupture occurred for a maximal diameter lower than 55 mm in 25% of the female population, compared to 5.7% of the male population (P = 0.030). The proportions of admitted patients who died before (preoperative mortality), during (intraoperative mortality) or after (postoperative hospital mortality) surgery was 17.3%, 16.3%, and 18.3%, respectively, yielding a cumulative in-hospital mortality of 51.9%. In the multivariate analysis, age ≥ 80 (P = 0.001), myocardial ischemia on the admission ECG (P = 0.046), and management by the physician response unit (P = 0.002) were the only preoperative parameters associated with a higher risk of hospital mortality. Four risk factors were found to be associated with a higher risk of postoperative mortality in the multivariate analysis, and all patients presenting with 3 or more of these risk factors (n = 5) died. CONCLUSIONS: The overall mortality of ruptured AAA in a contemporary cohort of patients who underwent open repair remains high and does not seem to have decreased during recent decades. Ruptures occur at smaller diameters in women than in men, supporting a lower threshold for intervention in women with known AAA. We developed risk scores to predict the mortality of patients with rAAA at different times of their hospital course. The validity of these scores should be assessed in prospective clinical studies.

Pancreas-sparing and superior mesenteric artery first approach in duodenal adenocarcinoma of the fourth portion of duodenum: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Peroperative assessment of resectability in pancreas-sparing duodenectomy for distal duodenal (D3-D4) adenocarcinoma is challenging for surgeons. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a 68-year-old man with biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the fourth portion of duodenum which had been diagnosed with upper endoscopy and CT. A pancreas-sparing duodenectomy with loco-regional lymph node resection using the superior mesenteric artery first approach was performed. DISCUSSION: Adenocarcinoma of the fourth portion of duodenum is rare. It has non-specific symptoms. The diagnosis is difficult and is frequently delayed. Surgery is the only chance of cure. After peroperative assessment of resectability, with intraoperative ultrasound, complete exposition of the duodenum and entire dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) using the artery-first approach technique should be done to assess for tumor resectability, which should include the possibility of complete lymphadenectomy of the mesenteric root. If technically feasible, a pancreas-sparing resection should be preferred to avoid pancreatectomy-related morbi-mortality. The aim of the surgery is a R0 resection which has a 5-year survival rate between 25% and 75%. CONCLUSION: Artery-first approach of the SMA should be considered by surgeons in adenocarcinoma of the distal duodenum to identify any contra-indications to proceed further.