A determination of the current causes of hyperkalaemia and whether they have changed over the past 25 years.

OBJECTIVE: Hyperkalaemia is a potentially lethal electrolyte disorder. The objective of this study was to determine if the causes of hyperkalaemia-related visits to the emergency department (ED) have changed since 25 years. METHODS: All patients presenting to the ED with hyperkalaemia between January 2009 and August 2011 were included in this retrospective, single-centre study. Patients were divided into one of these three categories: mild (5·2≤ K(+)<5·8 mEq/l), moderate (5·8≤K(+)<7·0 mEq/l) or severe hyperkalaemia (K(+)≥7·0 mEq/l). The causes of hyperkalaemia were divided into three groups: renal failure (RF), potassium-increasing drugs (PIDs) or others. RESULTS: Overall, 139 patients with hyperkalaemia were included in the study (mean K(+) of 6·2 mEq/l): 35% with mild, 49% with moderate and 16% with severe hyperkalaemia. Eighty-three per cent of patients (n = 115) had RF with creatinine levels ≥1·25 mg/dl or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels ≤60 ml/min/1·73 m(2). Serum potassium levels were significantly related with creatinine and eGFR values (P<0·001). The severity of hyperkalaemia was significantly related with creatinine levels ≥1·25 mg/dl (P = 0·002) and eGFR values ≤60 ml/min/1·73 m(2) (P = 0·005). Seventy-five per cent of patients (n = 105) were taking PIDs. Potassium levels were significantly related with PIDs (P<0·001), in particularly spironolactone (P = 0·001) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (P = 0·008). The category 'others' included 7% of patients (n = 10). CONCLUSIONS: RF (83%) and PIDs (75%) remain common causes of hyperkalaemia. Hyperkalaemia is significantly related with four variables: creatinine levels, spironolactone, ACEIs and beta-blocker intake. The causes of hyperkalaemia have not changed in recent years.

A systematic review of the predictive value of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography on survival in locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation.

AIM: Treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) includes preoperative radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy followed by radical surgery, but the clinical outcome is uncertain. A systemic review was carried out to determine the predictive value of (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)FDG-PET) for assessing disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in LARC. METHOD: A literature search (PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane) up to January 2012 to identify full papers with sequential (18)FDG-PET and survival data, using indexing terms and free text words. The inclusion criteria were: a study of at least 10 patients, having sequential (18)FDG-PET imaging before and after adjuvant chemoradiation and a minimal follow-up of 24 months. Studies were selected by two of the authors. A meta-analysis was performed for DFS and OS using the hazard ratio (HR) as the primary outcome. RESULTS: Five eligible studies were identified including 330 patients (mean age 63 years, 64% men), in which PET-CT or PET imaging was used. The American Joint Committee on Cancer stage distribution was as follows: Stage I, 2%; Stage II, 44%; Stage III, 52%; Stage IV, 1%. The pooled HRs for complete metabolic response versus partial or no response were 0.39 (95% CI 0.18-0.86; P = 0.02) for OS and 0.70 (95% CI 0.16-3.14; P = 0.64) for DFS. The lack of significance for DFS might be explained by different follow-up characteristics. There was also clinical heterogeneity among the different studies. CONCLUSION: This systematic review indicates that complete metabolic response on sequential (18)FDG-PET data after preoperative chemoradiation of LARC is predictive of OS, but not of DFS.

Duodenal ulcer hemorrhage treated by embolization: results in 28 patients.

BACKGROUND: To assess the effectiveness and prospects of transcatheter gastroduodenal artery embolization in the control of massive duodenal bleeding and to relate our experience. METHODS OF STUDY: The study is based on the retrospective analysis of 165 patients with endoscopically detected bleeding duodenal ulcer who presented between 1991-1998. 28 patients were considered eligible for endovascular treatment either at initial presentation or following hemorrhage recurrence after endoscopic therapy. RESULTS: Technical failure was noted in 3 cases, thereafter treated by surgery. In the other 25 patients, embolization was performed: bleeding recurrence occurred in 7 cases. Four were treated only endoscopically. One was reembolized and the last two were treated by surgery. In 6 cases, a coaxial technique was used (guiding catheter in 2 and 3F microcatheter in 4). No complication related to the catheterization was observed. CONCLUSION: Transcatheter embolization of the gastroduodenal artery appears to be an efficient procedure even in the absence of active bleeding at the time of the procedure. Failure and recurrence rates can be reduced by using a coaxial technique in the uneasy cases. Embolization seems to have a low recurrence rate and a very low complication rate.

Asymptomatic adrenal tumours: criteria for endoscopic removal.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of criteria for videoscopic removal of adrenal lesions discovered incidentally. DESIGN: Open prospective study. SUBJECTS: 63 patients operated on for 65 adrenal tumours. OUTCOME MEASURES: Relevance of proposed criteria: secreting adrenal lesion; diameter larger than 4 cm or increase in size at any re-evaluation; computed tomogram of intratumoral necrosis, haemorrhage, or irregular margins; high concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS). RESULTS: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was successful in 61 patients (97%). There were 4 minor complications. Criteria allowed us to identify correctly : phaeochromocytoma (n = 23), primary hyperaldosteronism (n = 18), Cushing's adenoma or disease (n = 7), single metastasis (n = 4), adenoma with DHEAS or cortisol hypersecretion (n = 3). 8 non-secreting incidental tumours (13%) were operated on. CONCLUSION: Simple criteria for videoscopic adrenalectomy for lesions discovered incidentally allowed us to reduce the number of doubtful indications (positive predictive value 87%).

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for phaeochromocytoma: endocrinological and surgical aspects of a new therapeutic approach.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the results of laparoscopic resection of phaeochromocytoma with a focus on pre- and intra-operative endocrinological and pharmacological aspects. DESIGN: Retrospective study based on review of case notes and intraoperative anaesthetic records. PATIENTS: Eight patients (four men, four women) aged 13 to 70 (median: 45) years with symptomatic phaeochromocytoma (two patients with MEN IIa syndrome) diagnosed 6-36 months before adrenalectomy in four patients and just before operation in the four remaining patients. All patients presented with hypertension. MEASUREMENTS: Pre- and postoperative blood pressure (BP) was assessed using a sphygmomanometer, intraoperative measurements being obtained by intra-arterial line. Adrenaline (A), noradrenaline (NA), metadrenaline (metA), normetadrenaline (normetA) and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) were measured in 24-h urine samples. Adrenal imagery consisted in all patients of abdominal computed tomography and [131I] metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy, and in 2 patients, adrenal magnetic resonance imaging and octreotide scintigraphy. Determination of plasma volume was performed by isotopic method. RESULTS: Median (range) preoperative systolic and diastolic BP was 140 (130-240) and 90 (80-150) mm Hg, respectively. Predominant catecholamine secretion consisted of A in four patients (A pattern) and of NA (NA pattern) in the other four. Tumours smaller than 30 mm usually secreted A while larger ones secreted NA. Pre- and intra-operative BP control was straightforward in all but two patients with preferential NA secretion. The median number of systolic and diastolic BP peaks were higher in patients with NA pattern (n = 6, range: 3-9) than in those with A pattern (n = 1.5, range: 1-6). Total duration of pneumoperitoneum ranged from 120 to 240 (median: 195) min. Intra- and post-operative complications included intra-abdominal bleeding, laparoscopically controlled (in one case), and upper pole kidney ischaemia in another. Postoperative hospital stay ranged from 4 to 11 days. All patients were asymptomatic postoperatively and pharmacologically controlled hypertension persisted in two of them. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe and efficient technique to remove phaeochromocytoma in terms of intra- and postoperative morbidity, with a low complication rate. Pre- and intra-operative pharmacological blood pressure control is as effective as in conventional adrenalectomy, with greater instability in noradrenaline secreting tumours.

Heart failure induced by pheochromocytoma: laparoscopic treatment and intraoperative changes of several new cardiovascular hormones.

Since 1992, adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma has been recognized as a safe and efficient technique when performed by a laparoscopic approach. Most of the cases of pheochromocytomas treated as such and published in the literature were not associated with malignant hypertension and acute heart failure. We report the case of a 23-year-old woman who presented with this clinical picture and show that laparoscopic adrenalectomy may be as safe and efficient as conventional adrenalectomy when performed in this situation. The intraoperative changes in the secretion of catecholamines, endothelin-1, angiotensin II, N- and C-terminus of atrial natriuretic factor prohormone were also analyzed. Noradrenaline release during tumor dissection was associated with a stimulation of atrial natriuretic factor.

Multicentric experience of the Belgian Group for Endoscopic Surgery (BGES) with endoscopic adrenalectomy.

BACKGROUND: Adrenalectomy is not a frequent operation. Therefore the newly developed laparoscopic approach is sporadically performed by surgeons dealing with endocrine disorders. METHODS: Some 54 videoendoscopic adrenalectomies performed on 52 patients by five surgical teams between October 1993 and December 1996 were prospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Indications for endoscopic adrenalectomy were pheochromocytoma (n = 17), primary hyperaldosteronism (n = 15), Cushing's adenoma or disease (n = 7), nonsecreting adenoma (n = 7), single metastasis from adenocarcinoma (n = 2), adenoma with dehydroepiandrostenedione (DHEAS) hypersecretion (n = 3), and ACTH-secreting metastases from a thymoma (n = 1). Of the 54 adrenalectomies performed, 31 were of the left gland, 19 of the right and two bilateral. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was successful in 50 patients (96%). Median tumor size was 4 cm (range 1.5-12), median operation duration was 80 min (range 59-360), and median postoperative stay was 4 days (range 2-13). One patient required blood transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic adrenalectomy can safely be performed-even sporadically-by surgeons well versed in adrenalectomy techniques for endocrine disorders and trained in endoscopic surgery.

Direct carbon dioxide insufflation of the retroperitoneum under laparoscopic control for renal and adrenal surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of the videoscopic approach to the retroperitoneal space in the vicinity of the kidney and the adrenal gland. DESIGN: Open study. SETTING: University hospital, Belgium. SUBJECTS: 10 patients who underwent 11 operations (adrenalectomy, n = 3, nephrectomy, n = 5, partial nephrectomy, n = 2, and renal cystectomy, n = 1). INTERVENTIONS: Direct CO2 insufflation of the retroperitoneal space in order to obtain a convenient retroperitoneal working space for renal and adrenal surgery. OUTCOME MEASURES: Feasibility, morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: 8 patients were operated on exclusively by the retroperitoneoscopic approach; 2 required the retroperitoneal and transperitoneal routes to be combined to complete an adrenalectomy. No patients required blood transfusion and no patient died. Median postoperative stay was 3 days. CONCLUSION: The CO2 insufflation technique of the retroperitoneum is safe and reproducible. Nevertheless, far from excluding each other, both approaches-laparoscopic and retroperitoneoscopic-are complementary in difficult cases, particularly for adrenal endoscopic surgery and for larger renal lesions.

Adrenal and renal surgery by the laparoscopic and/or retroperitoneoscopic approach.

Since its introduction 6 years ago, almost all abdominal procedures have been attempted laparoscopically. Despite their retroperitoneal location, kidneys and adrenals have also been reached by the blitz of endoscopic surgery since 1992. We present here the techniques, indications, advantages or disadvantages of the videoscopic approach-either laparoscopic or retroperitoneoscopic- of those solid retroperitoneal organs. Preliminary results of the international literature are presented, while objectively comparing currently available data about the efficacy and cost of endoscopic versus open procedure. Despite the time-consuming nature and high operative cost of the endoscopic approach, decreased convalescence and better patient comfort are evident. Furthermore videoendoscopic adrenal surgery performed, even sporadically, by surgeons experienced in laparoscopic surgery is as safe as the open approach, provided that those surgeons are also familiar with the rules and potential drawbacks of adrenal surgery for endocrine disorders.

Infected abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with a psoas abscess, aorto-duodenal and sigmoid fistulas. Case report and review of the literature.

A case of atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysm, complicated by aortoenteric fistulizations and infected by Escherichia coli, is presented. Chronic contained rupture resulted in the formation of a huge left psoas abscess which was responsible for the symptoms. No similar case has been reported in the literature. Resection and extra-anatomic vascular reconstruction were curative.

Laparoscopic treatment of nonparasitic liver cysts: adequate selection of patients and surgical technique.

Results of laparoscopic fenestration in patients with a highly symptomatic solitary liver cyst (17 patients) or polycystic liver disease (PLD) (9 patients) were prospectively evaluated in a multicenter practice of general surgeons. Conversion to laparotomy was required in two patients because of inaccessible deep liver cyst in one and a diffuse form of PLD in the other. There was no mortality or major morbidity. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.6 days after successful laparoscopic procedures. During a mean follow-up of 9 months, 23% of the patients had recurrence of symptoms and 38% had radiographic reappearance of cysts. Factors predicting failure included previous surgical treatment, deepsited cysts, incomplete deroofing technique, location in the right posterior segments of the liver, and a diffuse form of PLD with small cysts. Adequate selection of patients and type of cystic liver disease and meticulous and aggressive surgical technique are recommended.

Videoendoscopic adrenalectomy: multicentric study from the Belgian Group for Endoscopic Surgery (BGES).

This paper reports the experience of five Belgian surgical teams with 18 videoendoscopic adrenalectomies performed on 16 patients between October 1993 and May 1995. The adrenal gland diseases were pheochromocytoma (4 patients), primary hyperaldosteronism (2 cases), Cushing's adenoma (2 cases), Cushing's disease (1 case), nonfunctional adenoma (3 cases), single metastasis from adenocarcinoma (2 cases), functional adenoma with dehydro-epiandrostenedione (DHEAS) and cortisol hypersecretion (1 case), ACTH secreting metastases from a thymoma (1 case) Two patients underwent bilateral adrenalectomies. Eleven left and three right adrenal glands were removed in 14 other patients. The eight women and eight men range in age from 17 to 72 years (median 47). Six patients demonstrated a body mass index greater than 30. Median tumor size was 3 cm (range 1.3 - 5). Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was successful in 14 patients (87%). The median duration of the procedure was 132 minutes (range 59-360). The median postoperative stay was 6 days (range 2-13). No patient required blood transfusion. We conclude that the videoscopic approach can safely be used for surgical removal of adrenal lesions. However this approach should be performed by surgeons well versed in the techniques of open adrenalectomy for endocrine disorders, but also well trained in videoendoscopic surgery.

Unusual hypokalaemia.

A 72-year-old man, presenting with hypernephroma and infraclinic adrenal adenoma, developed severe hypokalaemia in the course of treatment for colonic perforation. Amikacin-induced hyperkaliuric hypokalaemia was suspected, and confirmed by withdrawal of the drug as well as observation of an unnoticed similar episode in the medical record of the patient.

From laparoscopic training on an animal model to retroperitoneoscopic or coelioscopic adrenal and renal surgery in human.

So far, laparoscopic approaches to kidney and adrenal have been limited because of their retroperitoneal location. We here report eight renal and adrenal endoscopic procedures performed in seven patients: two adrenalectomies for hyperaldosteronism, one adrenalectomy for isolated metastasis from an adenocarcinoma of the lung; two nephrectomies for end-stage infected hydronephrosis, two partial nephrectomies for small circumscribed lesions of the kidney, and one endoscopic resection for pain relief of a voluminous cyst at the kidney. The approach was transperitoneal in two cases and retroperitoneal in five cases using the retropneumoperitoneum insufflation technique. One patient was operated by a combined approach using the retro- and transperitoneal routes. All procedures were successfully completed endoscopically. The retroperitoneoscopic approach of the kidney is safe and does not interfere with the peritoneal organs. Its working space is tenuous, but allows a direct access on the kidney with good exposure of its pedicle. For adrenal surgery, the retroperitoneoscopic dissection is more difficult, because movements of instruments are often impaired by the closeness of the costal margin and the iliac crest. However, in case of difficulties we found it very convenient to switch from a retroperitoneal endoscopic approach to a combined coelioscopic and retroperitoneoscopic operation. Far from excluding each other, both approaches are complementary, particularly for difficult situations (i.e., previous peritoneal or retroperitoneal surgery).

Early diagnosis of adult intestinal intussusception at four different locations.

Four cases of adult intestinal intussusception at four different locations (two ileocolic type, two colocolic type involving the transverse and the rectosigmoid colon) are reported. The most beneficial diagnostic procedures were emergency contrast studies of the colon or computed tomogram of the abdomen. Three cases were associated with primary malignancy. Surgical resection without reduction is favoured because an underlying primary malignancy should be suspected in adult patients. The literature about the causes and the more recent considerations involved in the management of adult intussusception is reviewed.

Noninvasive imaging of the biliary tree before or after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: use of three-dimensional spiral CT cholangiography.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using three-dimensional spiral CT after IV administration of a cholangiographic agent for noninvasive detection of anatomic variations of the bile ducts and common bile duct stones before or after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Three-dimensional spiral CT cholangiography was performed before laparoscopic cholecystectomy in 24 patients and after surgery in two patients who had recurrent symptoms. After slow infusion of 250 ml of iodipamide, spiral CT was performed. Three-dimensional images of the bile ducts and a secondary reformation through the long axis of the common bile duct were obtained. Visualization of the biliary tract was evaluated by two observers. Detection of anatomic variations and common bile duct stones was assessed in 19 patients for whom a gold standard (operative or retrograde cholangiogram) was available. RESULTS: In all 26 patients, the common bile duct and the confluence of the hepatic ducts were seen on three-dimensional spiral CT cholangiograms, and in 21 patients second- or higher-order branches were also seen. Seven patients had anatomic variations and two had common bile duct stones. These anomalies were proved by operative cholangiography in each case, except for a low junction of the cystic duct and a common bile duct stone, which were shown by retrograde cholangiography. Six of the seven anatomic variations were adequately detected with spiral CT cholangiography, as were the two cases of common bile duct stones. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional spiral CT cholangiography is a feasible method for noninvasive detection of biliary anatomic variations and common bile duct stones before or after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Thrombosis of splenic artery pseudoaneurysm complicating pancreatitis.

The natural history of pseudoaneurysms complicating pancreatitis is unknown. A patient with chronic pancreatitis is described in whom thrombosis of a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm occurred. Early diagnosis and radical treatment of a bleeding pseudoaneurysm are mandatory. When elective treatment is considered, however, contrast enhanced computed tomography may be useful just before surgery as thrombosis may occur.