[Intussusception in the adult: a rare cause of mechanical obstruction]. / Invaginación intestinal en el adulto. Una causa infrecuente de obstrucción mecánica.

Intussusception is an infrequent cause of mechanical intestinal obstruction in the adult. We present herein two clinical cases of intussusception with different etiologies. In the first case, the underlying cause was a lipoma, and in the second, it was metastasis from melanoma. In both cases the intussusception was identified through computed tomography and treatment was intestinal resection. Pathologic anatomy provided the definitive diagnosis. Etiology is diverse and it is more common for obstruction to be due to organic lesions that are malignant at the level of the colon and benign at the level of the small bowel. Currently there are more preoperative diagnoses thanks to the advances made in imaging study techniques. Intestinal resection continues to be the treatment of choice in the majority of cases, because of the high percentage of malignant lesions as the underlying cause.

[Lower gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor]. / Hemorragia digestiva baja secundaria a tumor del estroma gastrointestinal rectal.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the most frequent mesenchymal digestive tract neoplasms, but represent only 1 to3% of all GI tract neoplasms. We report an uncommon case of stromal rectal tumor because of its atypical location.

[Local resection and radiofrequency hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma]. / Resección local y radiofrecuencia en hemangioendotelioma epitelioide hepático.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is an uncommon tumor of vascular endothelial cell origin with a clinical course between hemangioma and angiosarcoma. Clinical manifestations and radiological findings are nonspecific, and histopathologic examination is required to establish a definitive diagnosis. Currently, hepatic resection or liver transplantation is the best therapeutic options. Because of its unknown biological behavior, local resection and radio-frequency ablation, although an uncommon treatment method, can be performed in the absence of extrahepatic or diffuse involvement.

[Low back pain as a manifestation of an intra-abdominal desmoplastic small round cell tumor]. / Dolor lumbar como manifestación de un tumor intra-abdominal desmoplásico de células pequeñas y redondas.

The desmoplastic small round cell tumor is infrequent.That mainly affects male youngsters and is normally located at the abdomino-pelvic cavity, being its clinic unspecific. The diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of a specific chromosomal translocation: t (11; 22), (p13; q12). As to its treatment, it is mostly recommended to follow a multimodal aggressive one. We present the case of a man, whose atypicality is due to his advanced age (63 years old) and the symptoms he presents (lumbar ache).

Tympanic membrane perforation impact on severity of injury and resource use in victims of explosion.

PURPOSE: Though tympanic membrane perforation (TMP) is a marker of barotrauma, relation to severity of injury has been contested based on previous observations that following an explosion many victims with significant injuries do not suffer from TMP while many victims with TMP do not suffer from significant injuries. The objective of this study was to reassess the relationship of TMP to severity of injury and resource demand in patients treated in multiple casualty incidents following terrorist bombings treated in one medical center. METHODS: Retrospective review. RESULTS: Most of the patients with TMP were mildly injured. Nevertheless, TMP was more prevalent in patients with moderate and severe injuries, 53.3 % compared to 13.6 % in mildly injured patients (p = 0.0009). Patients with TMP suffered from more body areas injured (p < 0.0001). They more often needed surgery (30.6 vs. 5.5 %; p < 0.0001), ICU hospitalization (16.1 vs. 1.3 %; p < 0.0001) and secondary transfer to a level I trauma center (12.9 vs. 1.0 %; p < 0.0001). They were hospitalized longer (p < 0.0001). Fifty-three (12.6 %) patients included in this study were not examined by the ENT service. Most of those not examined were either moderately or severely injured. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with TMP were more severely injured and more often needed surgery, ICU hospitalization and need for transfer to a level I trauma center. The observation that all those who died in hospital and most of those who were unstable were not examined by the ENT services suggests that impact of TMP as an indicator of severity may be underestimated.

11 March 2004: The terrorist bomb explosions in Madrid, Spain--an analysis of the logistics, injuries sustained and clinical management of casualties treated at the closest hospital.

At 07:39 on 11 March 2004, 10 terrorist bomb explosions occurred almost simultaneously in four commuter trains in Madrid, Spain, killing 177 people instantly and injuring more than 2000. There were 14 subsequent in-hospital deaths, bringing the ultimate death toll to 191. This report describes the organization of clinical management and patterns of injuries in casualties who were taken to the closest hospital, with an emphasis on the critically ill. A total of 312 patients were taken to the hospital and 91 patients were hospitalized, of whom 89 (28.5%) remained in hospital for longer than 24 hours. Sixty-two patients had only superficial bruises or emotional shock, but the remaining 250 patients had more severe injuries. Data on 243 of these 250 patients form the basis of this report. Tympanic perforation occurred in 41% of 243 victims with moderate-to-severe trauma, chest injuries in 40%, shrapnel wounds in 36%, fractures in 18%, first-degree or second-degree burns in 18%, eye lesions in 18%, head trauma in 12% and abdominal injuries in 5%. Between 08:00 and 17:00, 34 surgical interventions were performed in 32 patients. Twenty-nine casualties (12% of the total, or 32.5% of those hospitalized) were deemed to be in a critical condition, and two of these died within minutes of arrival. The other 27 survived to admission to intensive care units, and three of them died, bringing the critical mortality rate to 17.2% (5/29). The mean Injury Severity Score and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores for critically ill patients were 34 and 23, respectively. Among these critically ill patients, soft tissue and musculoskeletal injuries predominated in 85% of cases, ear blast injury was identified in 67% and blast lung injury was present in 63%. Fifty-two per cent suffered head trauma. Over-triage to the closest hospital probably occurred, and the time of the blasts proved to be crucial to the the adequacy of the medical and surgical response. The number of blast lung injuries seen is probably the largest reported by a single institution, and the critical mortality rate was reasonably low.

Hemangiopericytoma of the spleen.

Hemangiopericytomas are rare vascular tumors, most frequently found in the muscles of the lower extremities. A parenchymatous origin is extremely uncommon. We present here what we believe is the first case ever reported of an hemangiopericytoma of the spleen.

Survival after prehospital advanced life support in severe trauma.

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of prehospital advanced life support (PALS) on the survival of victims of severe trauma in our hospital. During a period of 24 months, 46 patients with severe trauma were admitted to our Emergency Department after receiving PALS; this included endotracheal intubation and ventilatory support (IVS) in 35 cases, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in 11. The severity of the trauma in this group of patients was confirmed by assessing the clinical condition on admission and the Glasgow Coma Scale score (mean = 4.0, median = 3), the Revised Trauma score (mean = 4.1, median = 4) and the Injury Severity Score (mean = 44.5 and median = 41 in blunt trauma; mean = 58.3 and median = 75 in penetrating trauma). The overall survival was 41%. The survival rate was 48% in patients with prehospital IVS rate and 18% in those receiving CPR. We conclude that PALS in severe trauma was able to save the lives of many patients at high risk of dying before reaching hospital.

[Incarcerated giant hiatal hernia]. / Hernias hiatales gigantes incarceradas.

A massive incarcerated hiatal hernia is a frequent finding in elderly people. The aim of this report has been to review from 1987 to 1992 the clinical aspects, therapeutic options and results of surgical treatment in a series of twenty-eight patients (23 females and 5 males) with a large incarcerated hiatal hernia. Age averaged 66 +/- 10 years; thirteen patients (46.5%) had a sliding type of hernia, 8 (28.5%) a mixed one, and 7 (25%) a paraesophageal hernia. In 9 patients (32%) there was a chronic volvulus of the incarcerated stomach. Twenty-seven patients underwent elective repair; one patient developed a perforated gastric ulcer into the pericardial sac with pneumopericardium and died before surgery. The surgical technique included reduction of the hernia, closure of the hiatus and an antireflux procedure (Nissen 25, Toupet 1 and Dor 1). There was no mortality and the morbidity (18%) was not directly related to the surgical procedure. In our series there were no cases of acute volvulus requiring emergency surgery. Our results suggest that surgical correction of massively incarcerated hiatal hernias is well tolerated in the elderly, it relieves symptoms, and avoids potential serious complications.

[Idiopathic granulomatous appendicitis or Crohn's disease confined to the appendix?]. / Apendicitis granulomatosa idiopática o enfermedad de Crohn limitada al apéndice?

Crohn's disease limited to the appendix is uncommon. When Crohn's disease affects the appendix it typically has a longer clinical course than most cases of acute appendicitis. The diagnosis is histological. Appendiceal Crohn's disease has a benign course after surgery, and that's why some authors believe that it could be a different entity which should be better addressed to as "Idiopathic Granulomatosus Appendicitis". We present three new cases of Crohn's disease limited to the appendix.

[Acute obstruction of the colon secondary to biliary lithiasis]. / Obstrucción aguda de colon secundaria a litiasis biliar.

Gallstone ileus is an unusual cause of mechanical obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract; but obstruction of the colon by a gallstone is an even more rare event, and there are few references in the literature. We describe the cases of two elderly women who were admitted to the Emergency Service with a mechanical obstruction of the colon and air in the biliary tract. A barium-enema examination showed the presence of a foreign body in the sigmoid colon; this was found to be a gallstone in a subsequent colonoscopy in one of the patients; a precise preoperative diagnosis was not possible in the other. In both cases the obstruction was caused by a gallstone impacted in the sigmoid colon and a cholecystocolonic fistula was evident in a postoperative barium enema examination. Correction of the obstruction is the main objective of initial treatment. The repair of the fistula can be performed at the same time or at a later date.