Prevalencia de enfermedad diverticular del apéndice cecal en pacientes apendicectomizados por apendicitis aguda / Diverticular disease of the appendix in appendectomies

Introduction: Diverticular disease of the appendix is an infrequent finding in the study of surgical specimens from patients operated on for clinically suspected acute appendicitis. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of diverticular disease of the appendix in patients who underwent appendectomies based on the clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Material and Method: Design: Cross-sectional study. Inclusion criteria: Patients who underwent appendectomies based on a clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Studyperiod: january 2000 to december 2008. Sampling: Non-probabilistic sampling of consecutive cases. Methodology: A review was conducted of the clinical records and surgical specimens from patients who underwent appendectomies based on a clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Results: Within the study period, 11.472 appendectomies were performed based on a clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Ninety-four patients presented diverticular disease of the appendix (0.8 percent). The median age was 40 years and 62.8 percent were male. The disease appeared as: appendicular diverticulitis (45.7 percent), appendicular diverticulosis with acute appendicitis (28.7 percent), appendicular diverticulitis with acute appendicitis (17.0 percent), appendicular diverticulosis (5.3 percent), and appendicular pseudodiverticulosis with acute appendicitis (3.2 percent). Operative morbidity was 12.7 percent. One patient presented an adenocarcinoma of the appendix associated with diverticular disease. Conclusion: The prevalence of diverticular disease of the appendix is low in our population and the characteristics are different to reported by other authors.

Introducción: La enfermedad diverticular del apéndice cecal es un hallazgo infrecuente en apendicectomizados por sospecha clínica de apendicitis aguda. Nuestro objetivo es evaluar la prevalencia de enfermedad diverticular del apéndice cecal en pacientes apendicectomizados por sospecha clínica de apendicitis aguda. Material y Método: Diseño de estudio: Estudio de corte transversal. Criterios de inclusión: Pacientes apendicectomizados por sospecha clínica de apendicitis aguda. Período de estudio: enero de 2000 a diciembre de 2008. Muestreo: No probabilístico de casos consecutivos. Metodología: Se realizó una revisión de los registros clínicos y de las piezas quirúrgicas de los pacientes sometidos a apendicectomía por diagnóstico clínico de apendicitis aguda. Resultados: Se estudiaron 11.472 apendicectomías. Noventa y cuatro pacientes presentaron enfermedad diverticular del apéndice (0,8 por ciento). La mediana de edad fue 40 años y el 62,8 por ciento fue género masculino. La enfermedad se presentó como: diverticulitis apendicular (45,7 por ciento), diverticulosis apendicular con apendicitis aguda (28,7 por ciento), diverticulitis apendicular con apendicitis aguda (17,0 por ciento), diverticulosis apendicular (5,3 por ciento) y pseudodiverticulosis apendicular con apendicitis aguda (3,2 por ciento). La morbilidad operatoria fue 12,7 por ciento. Un paciente presentó un adenocarcinoma del apéndice cecal asociado a la enfermedad diverticular del apéndice. Conclusión: La prevalencia de enfermedad diverticular del apéndice cecal es baja en nuestra población y con características que difieren a lo reportado por otros autores.

Diverticulitis aguda / Acute diverticulitis

La diverticulitis aguda es una enfermedad que ocurre como consecuencia de la perforación de un divertículo del colon, lo cual genera un proceso mórbido que puede desencadenar serias complicaciones como abscesos, flemones, abdomen agudo quirúrgico. Puede presentarse inicialmente como un dolor crónico en el cuadrante inferior izquierdo en pacientes con un estilo de vida con marcado stress por sus múltiples actividades, en personas que consumen dieta baja en fibra lo que provoca también incremento de la presión intraluminal...

Doença diverticular do cólon / Disease of the diverticulosis colonic

Os autores fazem uma revisão bibliográfica sobre a doença diverticular colônica, objetivando abordar informações quanto a sua prevalência, patogenia, manifestações clínicas e estratégia diagnóstica e terapêutica

[Colorectal cancer: study on 365 cases]. / Cáncer colorectal: estudio sobre 365 casos.

We report a clinic-endoscopical study about 365 patients, both of sex, between 26-95 years old, with colonoscopic diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Results showed that 61,92% were men and 38,08% women; in 92,60% the disease ocurred over 40 years old. 13,42% had malignant personal history -colorectal cancer, uterus and breast cancer, and others-; 13,97% had bening personal history-colorectal adenoma, cholecystectomy, and others-; Abdomina pain, change in intestinal habits, and bleeding were the moist frequent symptoms, with differences depending of the tumors localization in the colon or rectum. 62,57% of patients had anemia under 10g% of hernoglobin; in 85,23% the fecal occult blood test was positive. On 199 patients, the simple barium enema diagnosed the tumor in 66,33% only; but in the same group, colonoscopy diagnosed the cancer in 96,49% at first examination. In all patients, colonoscopywas excellent for diagnosis of the principal lesion, and for the identification of synchronous neoplasia. On 365 patients, colonoscopy diagnosed the cancer in 98,08% at first examination. The localization of tumors was: 57,63% in left colon (49,47% in rectum and sigmoid colon); 34,21% in the right colon; and 8,16% in transverse. Pathology showed that adenocarcinoma was the most frequent tumor 95,23%; 1,06% mucoid carcinoma; 1,06% epidermoid carcinoma; and 2,65% lymphorna. In 32,05% of cases there were synchronous lesions; 3,01% had other cancer, and 54 patients had 112 polyps (62,50% adenomatous polyp, 6,25% adenoma with non invasive or invasive adenocarcinoma, and 31,25% hiperplastic polyp. Authors emphasize the value of the detection and early diagnosis to decrese the colorectal cancer mortality.

[Digestive physiology and pathology in high altitude]. / Fisiología y patología digestiva en la altura.

In the high altitude environment the oxygen and air density are decreased, the temperature and humidity are low, there es an increase in radioactivity. These environmental factors influence on the human body; it has been known for many years that people born and living at high altitude have different morphological and physiological characteristic than those at low altitude. The digestive mechanism for adaptation or acclimation to high altitude has interested physiologist and clinicians for many years. The objective of this article is to present a brief overview of the digestive physiology and pathology in the high altitude.

[Diverticular disease of the colon, the indications for and results of elective surgical treatment]. / Enfermedad diverticular del colon, indicaciones y resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico electivo.

Precise criteria were prospectively used to indicate surgery in patients with diverticular disease of the colon: a) anatomical deformity of the sigmoid (ADS), including stenosis and fistulae with presence of contrast media extraluminally; b) recurrent acute diverticulitis (RAD); c) prior diverticulitis with perforation (DP) and d) recurrent GI bleeding (GIB). 42 patients were operated on according to these criteria, from 1978 to 1988, 26 males and 16 females, with a mean age of 61 years (range 31 to 93). ADS was the indication in 22 patients (52%), with fistulae present in 9. RAD was the indication in 16 patients (37%), DP in 9 patients (21%) and GIB in 5%. All patients were submitted to either ample sigmoid resection or left hemicolectomy. All patients were followed, with a mean of 43 months for the series. Only 1 patient died after surgery from pulmonary embolism. Late clinical evaluation revealed absence of preoperative symptoms and signs. We feel that surgical treatment of diverticular disease of the colon is warranted with the criteria described, with good immediate and longterm results.

Gastrointestinal pathology in South America.

Non-neoplastic gastrointestinal disease in South America is largely related to environmental conditions. Parasitic disorders, including Chagas' disease with megacolon, predominate in endemic regions. Common enteritides of various etiologie are frequent, whereas appendicits, diverticulosis of the colon, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are extremely rare. There was no appendicitis in native Indians of Paraguay.

Cancer and "cancer related" colorectal lesions in São Paulo, Brazil.

A series of 832 necropsy specimens were studied grossly with a magnifying lens and all lesions identified were studied microscopically. The age and sex-specific prevalence of adenomatous and hyperplastic polyps is reported and results are compared with those of other populations. A correlation was made between polyps and cancer of the colon and rectum (407 cases). The data suggest that São Paulo is a community in a transitional stage between intermediate and high risk of cancer of the colon. The epidemiologic characteristics of lower rectum cancer are peculiar to some populations and appear unrelated to colon cancer. The black population of São Paulo has a higher prevalence than that reported for African negroes. The data also implicate adenomatous polyps, diverticulosis and hemorrhoids as being probably related diseases.

Diseases of the colon and rectum in Bolivia.

A review of the surgical and autopsy records from two general hospitals in La Paz, Bolivia, discloses an incidence of colon and rectal disease, excluding hemorrhoids, of 0.6 per cent (138 of 22,361 surgical cases) and 2.5 per cent (16 of 640 consecutive autopsies). Acquired megacolon complicated by volvulus represented more than half of all cases in the surgical series. Ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease, and neoplastic polyps represented less than 10 per cent of the cases of colonic disease. Only ten cases of carcinoma of the colon were seen, whereas five cases of granulomatous colitis or ileocolitis were detected in the same surgical material. Among sixty-four lesions of the rectum, so-called retention polyps accounted for 54.5 per cent of the cases, with carcinoma next in frequency (25 per cent), and the remainder being different varieties of inflammatory conditions. In the autopsy material almost half of the cases were infectious conditions, followed by congenital malformations and complicated acquired megacolon. No case of diverticular disease of the colon or neoplastic polyps was seen, and there was only one case of cancer of the large bowel. Because of the high incidence of acquired megacolon and the low incidence of cancer, ulcerative colitis, adenomatous polyps, and diverticular disease of the colon, possible etiopathogenic factors of these conditions are discussed in comparison with their incidence in other developed and developing countries of the world.