An uncommon way of revelation of a primary diaphragmatic hydatid cyst: A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Diaphragmatic hydatid cyst is a misdiagnosed condition. The challenge is to suspect this rare entity on nonspecific clinical features and to localize the cyst on imaging in order to determine the surgical approach. Surgery is the only curative treatment and confirmation is set on pathology examination. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a twenty-six-year-old patient, with no medical history, who complained of recurrent right thoracic pains rebel to opioids. All radiological items lead to suspect a diaphragmatic hydatid cyst. Surgery permitted a complete resection of the cyst and a total relief of the pains. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The diagnosis of diaphragmatic hydatid cyst is a real challenge. Several diagnoses can be evoked such as hydatid disease depending from the liver, cystic lymphangioma or neural intercostal benign tumor. The phrenic origin of the cyst can only be identified through surgery. However, it is very important to clearly characterize the lesion to well conduct surgical approach. CONCLUSION: It is important for surgeons to suspect diaphragmatic hydatid cysts despite its rarity. CT-scan and MRI are helpful tools to localize the disease and to conduct the surgical procedure. Final diagnosis is only set on pathology examination after curative surgery.

Prolonged survival with systemic chemotherapy in an advanced malignant mesothelioma: A case report.

Peritoneal mesotheliomas are very rare tumors. Their prognosis is poor, average survival does not exceed 1 year after peritoneal cytoreduction. Systemic chemotherapy is considered to have no proven value in the management of peritoneal mesotheliomas. Objective responses with systemic chemotherapy are very rare. We report here a case of an advanced peritoneal mesothelioma which achieved an unexpected partial response with chemotherapy, allowing the patient to have a right colectomy. The patient was referred to a specialized center on HIPEC, but taking in account the long awaiting interval, the HIPEC was judged to be inefficient and then the poursuit of 6 cycles of systemic chemotherapy was decided. The patient is still alive without any symptom and with a good performance status at 59 months after diagnosis. Throughout our case, we provide an encouraging evidence of the role of initial systemic chemotherapy in the downstaging of initially unresectable primary malignant mesothelioma and in the improvement of overall survival.

Acute pancreatitis as an uncommon complication of hydatid cyst of the liver: A case report and systematic literature review.

Hydatid disease is a major health problem worldwide. The liver is the most frequent location of hydatid disease. Acute pancreatitis secondary to liver hydatid cyst ruptured in the biliary tract is scarce and fewly described in literature. The management of this pancreatic complication of liver hydatid disease is challenging and includes a combination of surgical and endoscopic approaches. We report herein a rare case of hydatid cyst of the liver with cysto-biliary communication revealed by acute pancreatitis. A systematic literature review of similar cases reported was provided to compare surgical and endoscopic techniques. A thirty-year-old woman was referred to our emergency unit for acute pancreatitis. The CT-scan findings revealed a liver hydatid cyst ruptured in the biliary tract and daughter vesicles within were found, responsible for C-grade acute pancreatitis. We decided then to perform an emergency surgery through a bisoucostal incision. We performed a cholecystectomy and a peroperative cholangiogram that showed the communication between the cyst and left biliary tracts and the presence of daughter vesicle within the common bile duct. We conducted an exploration of the common bile duct with extraction of vesicle daughters. We left behind a T-tube in the common bile duct and we sutured the cysto-biliary fistula. Drainage was left in the remnant cavity after unroofing the cyst. Postoperative course was uneventful. Six months follow-up showed no recurrence. Cysto-biliary communication of liver hydatid disease revealed by acute pancreatitis is uncommon. We chose to perform emergency open surgery. However, through a systematic literature review, we noticed that endoscopic treatment is an efficient therapeutic and diagnostic tool to delay a morbid surgery of the liver and the common bile duct.

Recommandations of the Tunisian Association of Surgery for the practice of visceral surgery during COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Health Organization declared on March 11, 2020 that the COVID-19 epidemic has become a pandemic. In Tunisia, the Ministry of Health has recommended enhanced preventive hygiene measures to contain and limit the spread of the virus. Following the entry of Tunisia into phase 4 of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Tunisian Association of Surgery proposed recommendations related to surgical activity. Surgical emergencies must be treated urgently and without delay. Non-tumor pathologies which require surgery in an elective situation and for which the risk of aggravation or complication is considered low shoud be postponed. For digestive tumor pathology, and apart from complicated forms, neoadjuvant treatment is highly recommended in the context of multidisciplinary concertation staff.

Encapsulating sclerosing peritonitis : two rare observations and literature review.

Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) is a rare and little known pathological entity. It is a chronic fibro-inflammatory disease of the peritoneum, resulting in the formation of a thick fibrous membrane, which engages partially or totally the abdominal organs. Clinical and radiological signs make the diagnosis difficult to establish preoperatively. We present two original observations of SEP illustrating different clinical presentations, diagnostic and therapeutic means. His diagnosis requires a peritoneal biopsy. The treatment is not completely established. Surgical treatment is difficult, involving viscerolysis and multiple incisions of the fibrous membrane. Despite the current progress in therapeutic management, the prognosis remains pejorative, with significant mortality.

[Role of the Alvarado score in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis]. / Intérêt du score d'Alvarado dans le diagnostic des appendicites aigües.

INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis is the most frequent surgical emergency in the Emergency Department and diagnosis is mainly based on clinical examination. However, its clinical features are sometimes deceptive as well as the wide range of differential diagnoses are frequently sources of diagnostic errors and of a delayed management. In order to reduce these diagnostic difficulties, the number of complementary examinations and abusive surgical procedures, several clinical scores have been developed, including the Alvarado score. The objective of this study aimed to apply this score to a population of adult patients presenting with pain in the right iliac fossa in order to evaluate its performance as well as its limits. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of all patients over the age of 15 years presenting with pain of the right iliac fossa. In patients undergoing surgery, the final diagnosis of acute appendicitis was confirmed by the anatomo-pathological examination while it was negated when the symptoms regressed in the absence of any treatment. RESULTS: Our study included 106 patients. In patients with Alvarado score less than 4, the diagnosis of acute appendicitis was never retained. The best sensitivities and specificities were found in patients with a threshold value of 8 (Alvarado score). Our study demonstrated that Alvarado score can provide immediate benefit in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis based on its good sensitivity (81.25%) and correct positive predictive value (74,28%). The group of patients with a score strictly less than 4 was considered to be low risk. The patients with Alvarado score strictly greater than 6 would require hospitalization either to undergo emergency surgery or to undergo imaging examinations and be monitored. In the group of patients with a score between 4 and 6 (extremes included) there was no diagnostic certainty, hence complementary imaging techniques were essential. CONCLUSION: In our Emergency Department Alvarado score helps clinicians to streamline patient's management and to give an indication to the diagnosis by limiting the prescription of radiological examinations, the cost of patients' management and the abusive surgical procedures.

[Pancreatic mucinous cystadenoma doubly complicated by acute pancreatitis and retroperitoneal rupture]. / Cystadénome mucineux pancréatique doublement compliqué de pancréatite aigüe et de rupture dans le rétro-péritoine.

Mucinous cystadenomas are benign tumors with malignant potential. They are often revealed by non-specific abdominal pain, jaundice or an episode of acute pancreatitis. We here report an exceptional case of mucinous cystadenoma doubly complicated by acute pancreatitis and retroperitoneal rupture. The study involved a 30-year old non-weighted female patient, presenting with epigastric pain associated with left hypochondrium evolving over the last three months and which had intensified without fever or jaundice in the last 3 days. Clinical examination showed impingement on palpation of the epigastrium and of the left hypochondrium. There was no palpable mass. Laboratory tests were without abnormalities, except for lipasemia that was 8-times the upper normal. Abdominal CT scan showed bi-loculated cystic mass in the pancreas tail, measuring 111 mm * 73 mm, with a thin wall and a fluid content, associated with an infiltration of the left perirenal fascia. MRI (Panel A) showed mucinous cystadenoma with retroperitoneal rupture. The caudal portion of the main pancreatic duct was slightly dilated and communicated with the pancreatic cyst. The patient underwent surgery via bi-sub-costal approach. A cystic mass in the pancreas tail with retroperitoneal rupture associated with acute pancreatitis (outflow of necrotic content from left anterior prerenal space) was found. Caudal splenopancreatectomy was performed (Panel B). The postoperative course was uneventful. The anatomo-pathological examination of the surgical specimen showed pancreatic mucinous cystadenoma with low-grade dysplasia.

Long term results of laparoscopic gastric band.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic gastric band (LAGB) has gained popularity among the surgical community since its first description in the early 90'. Actually, it is the third most practiced bariatric procedure in the world. The mean advantage of LAGB is a low rate of early postoperative morbidity. These satisfactory early results are in complete opposition with relatively high long term morbidity and a high rate of weight loss failure. AIM: Long term morbidity, weight loss and life quality index after LAGB were analyzed. METHODS: Data of patients eligible for LAGB between January 2005 and November 2016 in the surgical department of La Rabta teaching hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Weight loss curves, long term complications and quality of life were evaluated. RESULTS: Between 2004 and 2008, 28 patients had LAGB. Mean preoperative BMI was 44.6 Kg/m². No immediate complications occurred. Mean EWL were 39% and 37% respectively after 24 and 60 months. EWL was above 50% in only 4 patients. Coming to long term morbidity, 10 (35%) patients had complications. Reintervention rate was 39%. The gastric band was removed in 9 (32%) patients. Mean quality of life BAROS score was 4.21. CONCLUSIONS: Judging for its long term morbidity with a high reintervention rate, the LAGB raises the question of its valuable position as a surgical procedure against morbid obesity.

Fistulizing nodular lymphoid hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: Nodular lymphoid hyperplasia (NLH) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a rare condition in adults. It is usually asymptomatic. Few complications have been described. AIM:   We report an unusual clinical presentation of focal lymphoid hyperplasia of the GI. CASE REPORT: A 23-year-old female patient presented with a fistulizingdisease of the terminal ileum and the caecum complicated with an abscess of the lower right quadrant if the abdomen. CT-guided drainage with antibiotic therapy failed to control the abscess. Thus, surgery was undertaken and ileocaecal resection was performed. Focal lymphoid hyperplasia was confirmed by the pathology of the specimen. CONCLUSIONS: NLH is an uncommon condition in adults. To the best of our knowledge, no previous cases have been reported with fistulizing NLH. The management should follow the same algorithm as fistulizing ileitis. Surgery is indicated only in cases of complicated disease after the failure of medical treatment.

Laparoscopic resection of gastric stromal tumors.

Gastro-intestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal gastrointestinal tumors. The Gastric location represents 60% of cases [1,2]. Complete surgical excision remains the treatment of reference for the localized forms. This surgery can be made by laparoscopy when the lesion's size doesn't exceed 5 cm. Some principles must e respected: a mono-block complete surgical resection, with healthy margins and without effraction. This technique will be reserved for trained teams and for selected cases according to the size and location. We herein try to explain the surgical laparoscopic excision of gastric stromal tumors explaining .

Laparoscopic ileo-cecal resection: the total retro-mesenteric approach.

BACKGROUND: Ileo-cecal resection is the most performed procedure in Cohn's disease. In the last decades, the laparoscopic approach became the gold standard. The dissection can be lateral to median or median to lateral. In non-malignant diseases as it is the case for Crohn's disease, the most performed dissection approach is the lateral to median. Herein, we describe a technique performed in our department: the total retro-mesenteric approach. METHOD: The procedure requires 4 trocars with a 10- to 12-mm median suprapubic trocar. The telescope is placed in this trocar. The dissection will begin with the opening of the mesentery root creating a retro-mesenteric tunnel. This dissection gives a direct visualization of the duodenum, of the ureter and the gonadic vessels which guarantees a safe procedure considering the importance of the inflammation in this disease. At the end of the retro-mesenteric step, the right colon is only attached to the Toldt's fascia. The transection of the mesentery is done next to the bowel wall leaving at the end the choice to the surgeon to perform an extra- or endocorporeal anastomosis. RESULTS: This retro-mesenteric approach has been used in our department since 2004. Until May 2013, 89 patients underwent laparoscopic resection for Crohn's disease with a mean operative time of 130 min, a morbidity rate of 6 % and a laparoconversion rate of 13.6 %. CONCLUSION: We describe the total retro-mesenteric approach in the ileo-cecal resection for Crohn's disease. The approach is considered to be safe allowing the surgeon to perform a dissection far from the inflammatory site and allowing a visual identification of the duodenum and the right ureter. The morbidity of the procedure is equivalent to the other dissection techniques.

[Sigmoid diverticulitis]. / Les sigmoidites diverticulaires.

BACKGROUND: The sigmoid diverticulitis is the most common complication of diverticulosis of the colon. The remaining questions concern the current risk factors for recurrence after a first acute episode, radiological asking immediately upon suspicion of diverticulitis and therapeutic management including the indications of surgical treatment, what to conduct and its principles. METHODS: Literature review. RESULTS: Risk factors of recurrence are: persistent or recurrent diverticulitis, abscess, stenosis and / or fistula. Abdominal CT is recommended in all patients clinically suspected diverticulitis of the colon. Treatment of acute diverticulitis is medical. The emergency surgical treatment depends on the stage of Hinchey. Stage I: In case of failure of medical treatment, resection-anastomosis in an emergency time delay to be proposed. Stage II: a percutaneous drainage followed by resection-anastomosis in 1 time. Stage III: surgery in emergency sigmoid colectomy based on. Stage IV: Hartmann procedure is the procedure of reference. Prophylactic colectomy is proposed in the case of presence of risk factors of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Comparison with other literature review were allowed to find that ultrasound made by an experienced radiologist could replace abdominal CT, and for stage III and IV Hinchey, laparoscopic resection can be performed with an immediate restoration of digestive continuity in well selected patients.

Prognostic factors in gastric carcinoma after R0 resection with DII lymph node dissection. Tunisian experience.

BACKGROUND: Curative resection with adequate lymph node dissection is the treatment of choice for gastric cancer. AIM: To determine the prognostic factors after R0 resection with DII lymph node dissection. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed 126 patients who underwent R0 resection with DII lymph node dissection for gastric cancer (excluding the upper third of the stomach) in a single institution between 1991 and 2006 with median follow-up of 38.5 months (6 - 219). Prognostic factors were assessed by Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: There were 45 women and 81 men. The median age was 60 years (21 - 87). Four patients died (3.2 %). Postoperative hospital morbidity was 16.7 %. The pathologic review of the slides revealed that 50% of the tumors were stage T3 (63 cases). The median number of lymph node removed was 11 (8-40), 50% were involved. Five and 10 years survival rates were respectively 56.9 % and 40.2 %. In multivariable analysis, depth of wall invasion, lymph node involvement and more than 15 retrieved lymph nodes were found to be independent prognosis factors. CONCLUSION: After R0 resection with DII lymphadenectomy, depth of wall invasion, lymph node involvement and more than 15 retrieved lymph nodes were independent predictive factors for survival.

[The Caroli's disease. Report of 16 cases]. / La maladie de caroli. A propos de 16 cas.

BACKGROUND: Caroli's disease is a congenital dilatation of the intrahepatic biliary duct. AIM: To analyse and discuss diagnostic and therapeutics difficulties through 16 patients with Caroli's disease. METHODS: Between January 1990 and September 2010, 16 patients underwent surgical procedure for Caroli's disease. Data recorded for each patient included clinical symptoms, biologic findings, previous biliary procedures, and the presenting symptoms. The distribution of the biliary lesions, the surgical procedure and the postoperative outcomes and follow up were detailed. RESULTS: The mean age was 55 years. The mean interval between the first symptoms and diagnosis was 27 months. Five of 16 patients had undergone 12 surgical or endoscopic procedures prior to liver resection. Before the definitive diagnosis, 9 patients presented 15 episodes of acute cholangitis. The diagnosis was established preoperatively in 13 cases, 5 among them underwent previous biliary surgical procedures. The diagnosis was documented peroperatively in 2 cases and postoperatively in 1 case. The distribution of the biliary lesions was monolobar in 13 and bilobar in 3 patients. 13 patients underwent liver resection, in two cases we perfomed biliojejunostomy and the last one had endoscopic sphincterotomy. There was no mortality and the overall postoperative morbidity is about 43%. The follow-up shows that 12 patients still alive with a mean follow up for 53 months, from whom only one patient have intrahépepatic lithiasis. CONCLUSION: The clinical course of Caroli's disease is often complicated by recurrent episodes of angiocholitis and requires iterative surgery. The hepatectomy witch prevented septic complications and degenerescence is possible only in a restricted number of patients.

Appendicitis in strangulated femoral hernia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Herniation of the appendix into a femoral hernia--also called De Garengeot hernia--is a rare but well-recognized entity. It is typically discovered incidentally during hernia repair. Acute appendicitis in a strangulated femoral hernia is even more uncommon. AIM: Report a new case. CASE: We report on a patient admitted for a painful groin mass. She underwent emergency surgery. Exploration identified acute appendicitis in a strangulated femoral hernia sac. MANAGEMENT: Appendectomy associated with Mac Vay's herniorrhaphy were performed. The outcome was uneventful. CONCLUSION: Surgeons should be aware of the existence of this infrequent and atypical presentation of appendicitis and femoral hernia.