Comparative efficacy of medical treatment versus surgical sphincterotomy in the treatment of chronic anal fissure.

BACKGROUND: Anal fissure which is defined as a longitudinal tear in anoderm below the dentate line is one of the most common benign diseases of anorectal area. Severe pain during the defecation and emotional stress that it causes may reduce people's quality of life. AIMS: In this randomized clinical trial, we aimed to compare the efficiency of the topical ointment with medical treatment and surgical lateral internal sphincterotomy. METHOD: This is a randomized clinical trial of 550 patients who were treated for chronic anal fissure. Patients were randomly divided into 4 groups according to the treatment type they received. RESULTS: In a vast majority of the patients, the primary complaint was pain (92.3%) and bleeding during defecation (62%). Both pain relief and healing of the fissure, which are the components of response to treatment, had not been observed in 56 (37.3%) patients of topical nitroglycerin ointment group until the second month. Among the recalcitrant patients in both topical nitroglycerin (56) and topical diltiazem ointment (47) groups, 27 (48.2%), and 36 (76.5%) patients underwent surgery, respectively. The best response to treatment was also obtained in lateral internal sphincterotomy group. CONCLUSION: LIS is still the gold standard for the treatment of chronic anal fissure when the physicians would like to avoid recurrence and obtain the best pain relief.

Severe hypercalcaemia of primary hyperparathyroidism: Could giant adenoma be the real culprit rather than carcinoma?

INTRODUCTION: Hypercalcaemic crisis is a rare manifestation of hyperparathyroidism and occurs in 1.6-6% of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). Although such high serum calcium levels (>14mg/dl) are attributed to malignancy, it is also associated with benign disease of the parathyroid glands. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and treatment modalities of patients with severe hypercalcaemia who underwent surgery for pHPT. METHODS: The medical records of 537 patients who underwent parathyroidectomy in our department for pHPT between 2005 and 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Twenty-four (4.4%) of the patients were described as having severe hypercalcaemia. RESULTS: Among 24 patients, 71% were female and the mean age was 55.7 years (range: 40-71 years). The mean serum calcium level at time of diagnosis was 15.9mg/dl (range: 14-22.7mg/dl). According to postoperative pathology reports, solitary adenoma, parathyroid cancer and parathyromatosis were diagnosed with the rates of 87.5%, 8.3% and 4.1% respectively. The mean weight of the solitary parathyroid lesions was 14.9g (standard deviation: 8.9g, range: 4-38g). The mean longest diameter was 2.87cm (standard deviation: 1.4cm, range: 1-5.5cm). Serum calcium levels were within the normal range on the first postoperative day in 75% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Severe hypercalcaemia is a rare but urgent condition of pHPT and requires prompt management. Accelerated surgery after adequate medical treatment should be performed. It is important to emphasise that giant adenoma, which is a benign disease, may be a more common cause of severe hypercalcaemia than carcinoma, unlike previously thought.

Endoscopic resection for giant oesophageal fibrovascular polyp.

A fibrovascular polyp is a rare benign pseudotumour of the oesophagus and hypopharynx. Although patients usually present with dysphagia, aspiration related mortality may occur. If the tumour is too large and/or located in the proximal oesophagus, it may protrude from the mouth. The general approach to treatment is complete reconstruction with cervicotomy. We present our experience of a giant oesophageal fibrovascular polyp that was protruding from the mouth and treated with endoscopic resection. A 55-year-old man was admitted to our outpatient clinic complaining of a mass protruding from his mouth when he coughed. Endoscopy and bronchoscopy both revealed a 15-18cm long polypoid mass originating from the proximal oesophagus (at the level of the hypopharynx). Complete resection was performed via endoscopy.

Diagnostic value of four-dimensional computed tomography and four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging in primary hyperparathyroidism when first-line imaging was inadequate.

INTRODUCTION: Accurate localisation of the abnormal hyperfunctioning gland with preoperative imaging has a critical role in parathyroid surgery to obtain a successful outcome. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of second-line imaging and their contribution to the treatment success in primary hyperparathyroidism when the first-line methods were negative or discordant. METHODS: Among the patients who underwent parathyroidectomy due to primary hyperparathyroidism, 33 who underwent four-dimensional computed tomography and/or four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging because of negative or discordant first-line imaging results were included. Persistent and recurrent cases were excluded. RESULTS: The majority of the patients were female (84.8%) and the mean age was 59.2 years. Seventeen patients had four-dimensional computed tomography and 25 had four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging, respectively. Four-dimensional computed tomography and four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging localised the culprit gland successfully in 52.9% and 84%, respectively. Twenty-five patients in whom single adenoma was detected underwent focused parathyroidectomy. The culprit gland was solitary in 32 cases and one patient had double adenoma. Normocalcaemia was achieved in all cases. Among the 29 patients who completed their postoperative sixth month success rate was 100%. CONCLUSION: Four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging had high accuracy with fast dynamic imaging in detecting parathyroid adenomas. When the first-line imaging methods were negative or inconclusive, four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging should be considered primarily since it is cost effective in Turkey and emits no radiation.

House advancement flap anoplasty for severe post-hemorrhoidectomy anal stenosis.

Anal stenosis (AS), which is a very rare but serious complication, usually develops after hemorrhoidectomy. It may be mild, moderate or severe depending on the grade of stenosis. While mild and moderate types can be monitored with conservative treatment, most of the severe type require advancement flap anoplasty. There are several commonly used flap types such as Y-V, diamond and house-type flaps, but the best results belong to house-type flaps. In this paper, we aimed to present a case of severe post-hemorrhoidectomy AS, in which we performed house advancement flap anoplasty, with its video demonstrating the procedure step by step.

Spindle epithelial tumour with thymus-like differentiation: report of two cases.

Spindle epithelial tumour with thymus-like differentiation (SETTLE) is a very rare neck malignancy arising from thymic tissue or branchial pouch, mostly seen in the early decades of life. SETTLE is thought to be a low-grade neoplasm but distant metastases have been reported. Fewer than 50 cases have been reported in the PubMed database. We report on the four-year follow-up for a 13-year-old boy, with no signs of recurrence or distant metastasis. In addition, a 45-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with neck mass. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy was compatible with medullary thyroid carcinoma but serum levels of calcitonin were normal. Total thyroidectomy and central compartment lymph node dissection was planned with an initial diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma. At surgery, frozen section analysis converted our diagnosis to SETTLE and the intraoperative strategy was changed. SETTLE should be considered in a patient with normal serum calcitonin levels in the presence of suspicious medullary thyroid carcinoma at fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Frozen section analysis may help to manage the intraoperative strategy. This report describes the first case of SETTLE successfully diagnosed by frozen section analysis.

Parathyromatosis: a very rare cause of recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism - case report and review of the literature.

Parathyromatosis is a rare entity and usually appears as a consequence of the seeding on previous parathyroid surgery which was applied for the secondary hyperparathyroidism. A 63-year-old woman presented with a history of subtotal thyroidectomy 20 years ago and parathyroidectomy due to primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) four years ago. Imaging methods revealed multiple parathyromatosis foci on subcutaneous tissue of the neck. En-bloc resection was performed and pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of parathyromatosis. After an uneventful 10 months, biochemical and radiological tests revealed recurrence on bilateral thyroid lodges. En-bloc resection was performed. The patient has remained well for 24 months after the second operation and has been followed-up with normal parathormone and serum calcium values. To the best of our knowledge, this report describes the twenty-first case of parathyromatosis in PHPT setting in the literature. It should be kept in mind that parathyromatosis may recur at different sites in the neck even in patients with PHPT.

Intraoperative nerve monitoring during thyroidectomy: evaluation of signal loss, prognostic value and surgical strategy.

INTRODUCTION: Intraoperative neural monitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve has been widely used to avoid nerve injury during thyroidectomy. We discuss the results of the change in surgical strategy after unilateral signal loss surgeries using intermittent intraoperative neural monitoring in a high-volume referral centre. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Details of consecutive patients who underwent thyroidectomy with intermittent intraoperative neural monitoring between January 2014 and December 2017 were prospectively recorded and retrospectively reviewed. Loss of signal was defined as recurrent laryngeal nerve amplitude level lower than 100 µV during surgery. The rate of loss of signal and change in surgical strategy during the operation were evaluated. RESULTS: Loss of signal was detected in 25 (5.4%) of 456 patients for whom intermittent intraoperative neural monitoring was performed. Four patients had anatomic nerve disruption and surgery was completed by an experienced endocrine surgeon making use of intraoperative neural monitoring with continuous vagal stimulation. Staged thyroidectomy was performed on 16 patients with unilateral loss of signal in whom the nerves were intact visually. Postoperative vocal cord paralysis was encountered in 18 of 21 (85.7%) patients with loss of signal, and 16 of 18 (88.8%) were improved during the follow-up period. Patients' voices were subjectively normal to the surgeon postoperatively in 9 of 21 (42.8%) patients who were found to have loss of signal with intact nerves. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative neural monitoring can be used safely in thyroid surgery to avoid recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. It enables the surgeon to diagnose recurrent laryngeal nerve injury intraoperatively to estimate the postoperative nerve function and to modify the surgical strategy to avoid bilateral vocal cord paralysis.

Hydatid cyst in abdominal incisional hernia.

Recurrence of hydatid cyst is one of the important complications of primary hydatid surgery. Here we present a very rare case of recurrent hydatid cyst inside an incisional hernial sac. A 50-year old male operated on for hydatid disease of the liver twice in 1998 and 2001 was admitted to our hospital for an abdominal mass formed under the old median incisional scar. On physical examination, a painless mass of 15 cm in diameter, stretched, hard and well bordered was palpated. There was also a fascial defect inferior to the mass. A herniated hydatid cyst was imaged with both of ultrasonography (US) and abdominal computed tomography (CT). As a surgical treatment hydatid cyst was excised totally together with primary repair of the fascial defect. The patient received preoperative Albendazole therapy, administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight per day from 3 weeks before surgery to 6 months postoperatively. He had no problems in the 1-year follow up (Fig. 2, Ref. 19).

Minimally invasive focused parathyroidectomy without using intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring or gamma probe.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) is widely used worldwide for the treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). It is usually combined with a perioperative adjunct for high success rate. AIM: To demonstrate that MIP can be successfully performed in a selected group of patients with presumabally solitary adenoma as the cause of pHPT without using any perioperative adjuncts. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A prospective data analysis of two surgeons' series from a teaching hospital in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the 47 patients referred with a diagnosis of pHPT during January 2004-May 2008, 30(63%) patients with sporadic pHPT with presumed solitary adenoma were included for analysis. These patients underwent MIP via focused lateral (n=24) or anterior (n=6) approach. Preoperative localization was done using 99 mTc-labelled sestamibi scan and ultrasonography. Only patients with concordant tests for single adenoma were selected for MIP. Serum parathyroid hormone and calcium levels were measured postoperatively and at follow-up visits. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Parametric data presented were analyzed with Excel XP (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA). RESULTS: Barring one patient, all other patients were initially biochemically cured by MIP. One patient remained hypercalcemic, who was found to have a second adenoma at the second operation. During a mean follow-up of 16 (3-55) months, all patients were normocalcemic with a mean serum calcium level of 9.4 (8.9-10.2) mg/dl. Parathormone levels were persistantly elevated only in one patient (3.4%). No postoperative permanent complication was encountered. CONCLUSION: The results of MIP achieved in high-volume endocrine surgery centers can be replicated in low-volume center without any intraoperative adjuncts, in patients with overt clinical pHPT and concordant results of sestamibi and ultrasound.

An adult adrenal neuroblastoma: a case report.

Neuroblastoma of the adrenal gland is an extremely rare tumour in adulthood although it is one of the most common malignancies in childhood. In this report, we present a 52-year-old man who had a left adrenal mass on preoperative imaging. On laboratory, slightly elevated catecholamine metabolites were detected in the urine that was collected over 24 hours. He was operated and the mass was resected in en-block manner along with the regional lymph nodes. The histopathological examination of the specimen revealed the diagnosis of neuroblastoma. He had no metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis and received chemotherapy after the operation. However, the prognosis was poor and he died 10 months after the operation. Although neuroblastoma of adrenal gland is rare in adulthood, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients with adrenal masses.

Current value of peritoneal tap in blunt abdominal trauma.

This study aimed to establish the diagnostic value of paracentesis (peritoneal tap) in the assessment of patients with blunt abdominal trauma. Paracentesis, using a four-quadrant puncture technique, was performed in blunt abdominal trauma victims presenting to the emergency department of a tertiary-care university medical centre. Pregnant patients, those under 18 or those having an abdominal scar were excluded from the study. All patients then underwent one of the following procedures as indicated: emergency ultrasound, abdominal computed tomography scan, diagnostic peritoneal lavage or laparotomy. Paracentesis results were compared with the results of other tests and surgery in diagnosing haemoperitoneum. Haemoperitoneum was confirmed surgically in six of the seven patients with a positive paracentesis. Nine out of 65 patients with positive clinical findings but negative taps underwent surgical intervention, and abdominal bleeding was confirmed in eight. Three seriously injured patients died before diagnostic studies or laparotomy could be performed. In conclusion, a positive paracentesis result may be used to guide decision-making in the setting of blunt abdominal trauma if other diagnostic methods are unavailable. Its high false-negative rate limits its overall usefulness.

Vertical banded gastroplasty in the Aegean Region of Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is increasing in Turkey. The first experience with vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) with regular intermediate-term follow-up in the Aegean Region of Turkey is presented. METHODS: From November 1993 to August 1999, 40 morbidity obese patients underwent VBG. The patients were evaluated on the basis of excess weight loss (EWL) and satisfaction with the operation. RESULTS: Regular follow-up was obtained in 38 patients (95%), with mean follow-up 27.2 months (14-85). Average preoperative body weight (BW) was 141.4 kg (93-238) and body mass index (BMI) was 52.3 kg/m2 (41-77.8). Average EWL was 64.1% (21.2-92.3). Average postoperative BW and BMI were 93.3 kg (70-145) and 34.4 kg/m2 (25.1-53) respectively. 35 of 38 patients (92%) lost more than 25% of EW and 28 of 38 (73.6%) lost more than 50% of EW. After weight loss, hypertension disappeared or improved in 86% of patients and diabetes resolved in 75%. Sleep apnea disappeared in 100% of patients. The early and late complication rates were 7.9% and 15.8% respectively. 33 of 38 patients (87%) were satisfied with the operation. CONCLUSION: VBG was safe and effective, resulted in acceptable weight loss, and the vast majority of patients were satisfied.