Spectrum of abdominal tuberculosis presenting as acute surgical emergency: Relevance in 21st century, a case series.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal tuberculosis presenting as acute surgical emergency continues to be a major issue in developing countries including India. Being an indolent disease with varied presentation, there is a need to describe the epidemiology, clinicopathological nature of the disease. Hence, this series was conducted with the aim of describing our institutional experience in the management of abdominal tuberculosis presenting as acute surgical emergency, outlining the epidemiology, management aspects and the analysis of risk factors for poor outcome in our population. METHODS: This was a descriptive series of patients operated for abdominal tuberculosis presenting as acute surgical emergency at a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India from January 2021 to January 2022. All consecutive patients presenting with intestinal obstruction or peritonitis who underwent laparotomy with intra operative and histopathological finding suggestive of tuberculosis were taken for the study. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients with acute abdominal tuberculosis were included in the study. 56.7% of patients were males; the mean age of presentation was 43 years with majority of patients in the younger to middle age groups. Most (80%) patients were from rural areas with limited access to healthcare. One patient had co-infection with HIV. Five patients had diabetes and six patients had hypertension as co-morbidities. 73.3% of patients had primary intestinal tuberculosis. Majority (76.7%) presented with acute intestinal obstruction. All patients had colicky abdominal pain as a consistent feature. 40% of patients were anaemic and 70% had low serum albumin levels. The most common site of affection was Ileo-cecal region (73.3%) with stricture as the pathology. Segmental resection with end to end anastomosis was the most common procedure performed (46.7%). 26.7% of patients had an adverse post operative complication, and 23.3% had surgical site infection (SSI). The mortality rate in our series was 6.7%. Although coexisting SSI, co-morbidities were associated with increased mortality, it was not found to be statistically significant (p = 0.08). 16 patients were lost to follow up. CONCLUSION: Abdominal tuberculosis presenting as acute abdomen continues to challenge surgeons even in the 21st century. Majority in the developing countries present late with varied complications. A high index of clinical suspicion is required for timely diagnosis to reduce the mortality and morbidity of the disease.

Hyperbilirubinemia as a Possible Predictor of Appendiceal Perforation in Acute Appendicitis: A Prospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis, a common abdominal surgical emergency, can mostly be diagnosed clinically by assessing the symptoms and physical findings but confirmation of the diagnosis solely depends upon the histopathological study of the resected appendix specimen, being supplemented by a few laboratory tests and ultrasonography (USG). In spite of all these available investigations, the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, because of its nebulous presentation and the variability of signs, remains a Herculean task for the surgeon. METHODS: This is a prospective study conducted on 125 patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis and posted for appendicectomy. Total serum bilirubin (TSB), and total leucocyte count (TLC) were done in all cases. USG of the abdomen was done in all the cases to confirm the diagnosis and to rule out other causes of acute abdomen. TLC more than 11 x 103 cells/µL and TSB more than 1.1 mg/dL were considered positive. They were operated on and their diagnoses were confirmed post-operatively by histopathological examination. Patients were subdivided according to histopathological findings into: normal appendix (n = 11), uncomplicated acute appendicitis (n = 86), gangrenous appendicitis (n = 10) and perforated appendix (n = 18). Laboratory results, operative findings, and histopathological findings were compiled, analyzed, and compared with reference values. RESULTS: Out of 125 patients, 114 (91.2%) were histologically positive for acute appendicitis, while 11 (8.8%) had normal histology. TLC was elevated in 95 (76 %) patients and it was normal in 30 (24%) cases. Among the patients with leucocytosis, only 90 (94.74%) had positive histology for acute appendicitis, while the remaining five (5.26%) had normal histology. Among the 30 patients who had normal TLC, 24 had positive histology for acute appendicitis, while the remaining six had normal histology. The specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were 78.95%, 54.55%, 94.74%, and 20%respectively. Similarly, 67 patients (53.6%) had elevated TSB, while it was within normal limits in 58 (46.4%) patients. From the patients with hyperbilirubinemia, 65 (97.01%) had positive histology for acute appendicitis, while the remaining two (2.99%) had normal histology. Among 58 patients who had normal TSB, 49 had positive histology for acute appendicitis, while the rest nine had normal histology. The specificity, sensitivity, PPV, and NPV are 57.02%, 81.82%, 97.01%, and 15.52% respectively. However, when both TLC and TSB were compared as markers of appendicular perforation, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of total serum bilirubin were found to be 89.29% against 21.43%; 53.49% vs. 2.33%; 38.46% vs. 6.67% and 93.88% vs. 8.33% of total leukocyte counts respectively. CONCLUSION: Elevated total serum bilirubin could be used as a better predictor of appendiceal perforation in acute appendicitis.

A Retrospective Analysis of Conservative Management Versus Early Surgical Intervention in Appendicular Lump.

Introduction Acute appendicitis happens to be increasingly common in school-going children and early part of adult life, peak incidence reaching in the teens and early twenties. Luminal obstruction of the vermiform appendix is thought to be essential for the development of appendicular ischemia, gangrene, and perforation. The treatment of choice in acute appendicitis is emergency appendectomy. Appendicitis particularly puts the surgeon in a dilemma whenever the patient presents late by around four to seven days. In case of delay in presentation, complications like appendicular lump formation occur. The factors that make the clinical presentation inconsistent which in turn makes the diagnosis challenging in the case of acute appendicitis are the variable position of the appendix, the degree/grade of inflammation, and the age of the patient. At present, the standard treatment is the Ochsner-Sherren regimen universalized by Oschner and has been mostly practised over many decades as the standard care for the appendicular lump. Conservative regimen does not work in a few cases where urgent surgical exploration is necessary. This study was conducted to compare early appendectomy versus conservative management followed by interval appendectomy in case of appendicular mass and to make a better strategy for effective management of patients with complicated appendicitis. Methods A total of 112 patients were diagnosed as having an appendicular lump as per the available records between June 2018 and June 2021. The total study population was divided into two comparative groups depending upon the treatment they received. The patients in group-1 received medical treatment and those in group-2 had undergone surgical management. The patients in group-1 were treated according to the Ochsner-Sherren regimen. The patients in group-2 were the patients in whom emergency appendectomy was done. If the general condition of the patient did not improve, pain and tenderness didn't subside, the size of phlegmon or abscess was increasing and other features of the acute abdomen were persistent, then it was regarded as a failure of medical treatment and the patient was prepared for surgery on an emergency basis. Results Out of 1192 cases of acute appendicitis admitted between June 2018 and June 2021, a total of 112 patients were diagnosed with an appendicular lump. As per the record, 64 patients were managed conventionally as per the Ochsner-Sherren regimen followed by elective interval appendectomy (group-1) and 48 cases were managed with an emergency surgical procedure (group-2). In group-1, out of 64 patients, non-operative treatment was successful in 58 patients (90.62%). Among the remaining patients, there was a failure of non-operative treatment in six patients and they were subjected to emergency surgical exploration (9.37%). So a total of 58 patients underwent interval appendectomy after six weeks. Out of 54 patients who had undergone emergency appendectomy in both groups, the per-operative finding was an appendicular lump in 55.5% of patients while a total of 44 patients in group-2, were discharged from the hospital within six days (91.66%). But in group-1, only 16 patients were discharged from the hospital within six days (25%), rest were discharged from the hospital after more than seven days of stay. Conclusion Early appendectomy in appendicular mass is safe due to the improvements in surgical techniques and better postoperative care.

Diabetes Status After Lateral Pancreaticojejunostomy and Frey's Procedure in Chronic Calcific Pancreatitis: An Observational Study.

Introduction Diabetes secondary to pancreatic diseases is commonly referred to as pancreatogenic diabetes or type 3c diabetes mellitus. This study was conducted to determine the status of diabetes mellitus after Frey's procedure and lateral pancreaticojejunostomy (LPJ) in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with chronic calcific pancreatitis (CCP) and to discuss the clinicopathological course as well as diabetes in CCP. Materials and methods This study was designed as a retrospective observational study consisting of 27 patients with CCP who were surgically treated either with the pancreatic head coring Frey's procedure or with LPJ. Surgeries were performed in a tertiary care hospital of Eastern India by a team of surgeons following the same surgical principle. The diagnosis of CCP was made by clinical and radiological evaluations. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scoring was used perioperatively to assess pain. Postoperatively, all the patients were monitored clinically; pain scoring and relevant investigations were done depending upon subjective and objective indications. Special attention was paid to diabetic patients through frequent follow-ups and tight glycemic control. All 27 patients were followed up with at least two outpatient follow-ups. Results The trends in fasting blood sugar values in the LPJ group showed a small spike in the early postoperative period (two weeks) with a p-value of >0.05, and later on, it improved over 18 months of follow-up, reaching below the preoperative values (mean 109.38). On the contrary, the fasting blood glucose levels in Frey's procedure revealed a significant spike in the early postoperative period (two weeks) with a mean sugar value of 148 mg/dl and a p-value of 0.01. The levels stayed well above the preoperative values over 18 months of follow-up. The trends in HbA1c showed marginal improvement in the LPJ group in a six-month follow-up period (p-value 0.008) from the preoperative levels. In Frey's procedure group, postoperative HbA1c levels at three months revealed an increase, which can be attributed to the minor but significant loss of pancreatic tissue from the head, which continued to be on the higher side at the six-month follow-up. Trends in mean insulin dosage showed a significant spike in the early postoperative period (two weeks) both in the LPJ (p-value 0.01) and Frey's procedure group (0.01); however, in the LPJ group, the insulin dose showed a reduction over the 18-month follow-up, reaching below the mean preoperative insulin dose. While in the Frey's procedure group, the postoperative insulin dose remained higher throughout the 18-month follow-up period (p-value <0.05). Conclusions LPJ has got a little effect on the diabetic status of nondiabetic patients. Frey's procedure leads to marginal deterioration of the diabetic status and increases in insulin dosage in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients.

Acute Limb Ischemia: A Catastrophic COVID-19 Sequel Leading to Amputation.

A positive-sense single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus causes the novel coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 symptoms range from mild to moderate to severe and very severe. Fever, cough, headache, anosmia, ageusia, body ache, and diarrhoea are mild to moderate grade symptoms, whereas systemic involvements (pneumonia, myocarditis, stroke, and other coagulation abnormalities) are more serious. Except for a few patients who have mild complaints of cough and shortness of breath, the majority of patients are recuperating entirely from the viral infection. Patients with severe to very severe illnesses experience significant lung damage and fibrosis. These are the patients who are more likely to experience extrapulmonary complications after COVID-19. The disease's aberrant presentation may be related to systemic involvement and a hypercoagulable condition with micro and macro-angiopathy. Acute limb ischemia is one of the symptoms of the hypercoagulable condition. Its presentation can be in the form of chilblains, bullae, acral cyanosis, bruising, blood blisters, dry gangrene, or life-threatening acute limb ischemia. Unfortunately, most patients have to undergo amputation due to a delay in presentation or rapidly progressing disease. Here we present a case series of two COVID-19 infected patients who were initially discharged from the hospital after proper treatment but developed acute limb ischemia within the home isolation period and their treatment strategy.

Fissurectomy Versus Lateral Internal Sphincterotomy in the Treatment of Chronic Anal Fissure: A Randomized Control Trial.

Introduction An anal fissure is defined as a longitudinal split in the distal anoderm which extends from the anal verge to the dentate line. Fissures can be of primary or secondary type. The posterior midline is the most common location for primary fissures, while, anterior primary fissures, though rare, are more common in females. The cause of primary fissure is idiopathic. But secondary fissures are associated with other systemic diseases and can occur at an abnormal position anywhere in the anoderm. A high percentage of acute fissures heal spontaneously within three weeks with conservative medical management comprising of a high fiber diet, warm sitz bath, and topical analgesic with steroids. Secondary anal fissures will not heal in any form of treatment until the primary cause is addressed. These fissures often need surgical treatment. The lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) is one of the most practiced treatments for chronic anal fissure. Nonetheless, anal incontinence is one of the worrisome complications of LIS. Fissurectomy is one of the options among those techniques which address the issues with LIS. Some studies showed that patients with chronic fissures who are refractory to medical treatment responded well to fissurectomy. Hence, this study was conducted to compare the outcomes of fissurectomy and lateral internal sphincterotomy in the treatment of chronic anal fissure and compare recurrence and postoperative complications among both the procedures. Methods All consecutive patients attending the department of surgery with chronic fissure and age above 18 years were included in the study. All the included patients were randomized into two groups (fissurectomy and LIS) using the serially numbered opaque-sealed envelope (SNOSE) technique. The patients were discharged on the third day. The first visit was scheduled after two weeks and subsequent visits on the first and second months. Then the patients were followed up by telephonic conversation for the next six months. At the end of the follow-up, post-surgical complications were enquired, recorded, and interpreted. Results In the present study, out of a total of 87 patients, 80 patients were included in the study. Among all the patients, 16 patients (20%) developed retention of urine. Four patients in the LIS group showed retention of urine whereas in the fissurectomy group it was twelve. The difference was not statistically significant (p-value: 0.025). A total of 10 patients required catheterization postoperatively. More patients in the fissurectomy group developed incontinence to flatus (p-value: 0.02). Incontinence to liquid and solid was significantly higher in the fissurectomy group (p-value: 0.03 and 0.002, respectively). Conclusion In the present study, it was found that LIS was a better treatment option for chronic anal fissure than Fissurectomy. The postoperative complications were less in LIS than in fissurectomy. But the recurrence was higher in the LIS group while there was no recurrence in the fissurectomy group.

Laparoscopic Versus Open Rectopexy for Rectal Prolapse: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction Most of the patients with rectal prolapse complain of fecal incontinence followed by constipation. Surgery is the only definitive treatment option for rectal prolapse. There are two approaches: either transanal/perineal or transabdominal. The abdominal procedures can be done in the open laparotomy method or laparoscopically. Suture rectopexy is a very old and popular method of treating rectal prolapse. Nowadays, rectopexy by laparoscopic approach is considered the gold standard treatment for rectal prolapse. The study has been conducted to compare both the procedures and their outcomes in terms of conditions associated with rectal prolapse. Methods All consecutive patients with full-thickness rectal prolapse who had attended the surgery outpatient department were included in the study. The patients had undergone either open suture rectopexy or laparoscopic rectopexy after randomization. Assessment of postoperative pain, mean days of hospital stay, constipation, and incontinence score along with operative time, recurrence within six months of follow-up, and time to resume bowel activity were done. The patients were followed up for 18 months at regular intervals. Results A total of 58 patients were included in the study: 27 in the open group and 31 in the laparoscopic group. The operative time was 102 minutes versus 129 minutes (p=0.0001) in the open and laparoscopic groups, respectively. The laparoscopic group had an earlier resumption of bowel activity (3.1 days vs. 1.4 days [p=0.0001]); fewer days of hospital stay (6.8 days vs. 2.5 days [p=0.0001]), less postoperative pain (mean visual analogue scale score for pain on postoperative day one 4.0 versus 3.1 [p=0.0035] and on postoperative day two 3.8 versus 2.2 [p=0.0001]). There was no significant difference in postoperative constipation score and incontinence score between the two groups. Conclusion Laparoscopic rectopexy results in lesser postoperative pain, lesser hospital stay, and better patient satisfaction than open rectopexy.

Role of Neurectomy in Inguinodynia Following Hernioplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction To date, Lichtenstein tension-free mesh hernioplasty is being adopted widely for inguinal hernia repair in adults, although it is accompanied by procedural complications such as recurrences, infection, testicular atrophy, post-operative pain, and nerve injury. As the recurrence rate decreased after Lichtenstein's tension-free hernioplasty, surgeons' point of focus shifted more toward postoperative groin pain (inguinodynia) after inguinal hernia repair, as it has become a quite significant problem. The nerves of interest in the inguinal region are ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, genitofemoral, and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves. Out of all the nerves, the ilioinguinal nerve is at the greatest risk of entrapment during meshplasty. Chronic groin pain is quite significant following hernia repair, and irrespective of the severity, it can interfere with normal daily activity. The traditional surgical technique recommends the preservation of the ilioinguinal nerve to avoid the morbidity associated with the cutaneous sensory loss supplied by the nerve. One popular belief is that if we excise the ilioinguinal nerve, then the chance of getting post-operative neuralgia due to entrapment, inflammation, neuroma, or fibrotic reactions will almost become zero. Hence, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of prophylactic excision of the ilioinguinal nerve in the patients undergoing Lichtenstein hernioplasty for inguinal hernias. Methods All consecutive male patients presenting to the Department of Surgery with inguinal hernia and age above 18 years were included in the study. All the patients were operated on under spinal anesthesia. Lichtenstein tension-free hernia repair was taken as the standard procedure for hernia repair. Patients in whom the nerve was preserved were kept in group A, whereas group B comprised patients who had undergone neurectomy. Patients were followed up regarding pain at first, third, and sixth months, at rest, and after exercise. The pain was graded according to the VAS (visual analog scale) scoring. Results In the present study, out of a total of 92 patients, 80 patients were included. In the first month, 15% of the patients in group A had mild pain, while 5% in group B had experienced a moderate degree of pain at rest. After exercise, the result was 30% in group B. Similarly, in the third month of follow-up, it was found that 25% of the patients in group A experienced mild pain, while 12.5% complained about a moderate degree of pain who had to take analgesics for a longer period. After putting them to exercise and then grading the pain, it was found that 32.5% in group A and 15% in group B experienced pain. After follow-up for six months in both groups, it was revealed that there was no significant difference in post-operative pain at rest (10% and 7.5% in groups A and B, respectively). After exercise, 20% of patients in group A complained of pain, while in group B, only 10% experienced pain. There was no significant difference between both the groups while comparing chronic groin pain at rest and after exercise, and after different time intervals in follow-up (p = 0.4513 and 0.548, respectively). Conclusion Prophylactic excision of the ilioinguinal nerve in Lichtenstein tension-free meshplasty decreased the incidence of chronic groin pain after surgery but it was statistically insignificant. Furthermore, this procedure did not affect the quality of life after surgery.

Polidocanol versus phenol in oil injection sclerotherapy in treatment of internal hemorrhoids: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Management of Haemorrhoids is suboptimal and is largely based on traditional practices in the Indian population. Though injection sclerotherapy is a well-accepted treatment modality in early grade haemorrhoids, there is no consensus on the effectiveness of the drugs used for sclerotherapy. The study was done to compare the safety and efficacy of a standard sclerosant (polidocanol) and the conventionally used phenol in oil in bleeding grade-1 and 2 internal haemorrhoids. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with grade-1 and 2 hemorrhoids, were selected and randomised into two groups, 3% polidocanol and 5% phenol group. All patients were followed-up for three months and observed for "free of bleeding" or "persistent bleeding." Pain, pruritus and patient satisfaction following the procedure was also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients were enrolled, 75 in each group. At the end of the first sclerotherapy session with polidocanol, 60.6% of patients versus 38.1% in phenol group had stopped per rectal bleeding (p=0.009). After the second sclerotherapy session, 94.7% of patients in the polidocanol group and 84% of patients in the phenol group were treated successfully. Polidocanol group required significantly fewer treatment sessions than the phenol group (1.39±0.49 vs. 1.62±0.49; p=0.035), and the total volume of injected sclerosant was also less (3.30±0.96 mL vs. 4.86±1.46 mL; p=0.001). The patient satisfaction was 87% in polidocanol group versus 73% in phenol group (p=0.040). CONCLUSION: 3% polidocanol is safe and more effective than 5% phenol in oil when used as injection sclerotherapy in the treatment of first and second-degree internal hemorrhoids.

Unwanted Diagnosis of a Subcutaneous Swelling.

Subcutaneous swelling is one of the common cases seen in surgical practice. The pathology of the subcutaneous swellings is varied ranging from epidermal inclusion cyst to malignant swelling. Fungal infections producing subcutaneous swelling are relatively rare. They occur in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of phaeohyphomycosis (PHM) which is characterized by the presence of pseudohyphae, hyphae, brown yeast-like cells, and melanin in their cell walls, presenting as subcutaneous swelling. A 34-year-old male presented with a swelling over the anterior aspect of left knee joint for three months, which was initially painless. He gave a history of purulent discharge from the swelling 20 days back. He was a known case of myasthenia gravis on regular treatment with steroids. On examination, the swelling was firm, nontender, and mobile in subcutaneous plane. The skin over the swelling showed a healed puckered scar, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the swelling showed slender, septate hyphae with variable branching bulbous ends, and few of the hyphae showed pigmentation morphologically suggestive of PHM. The swelling was excised with clear margin. Subcutaneous mycosis is common in tropical and subtropical countries like India. Strong suspicion of this diagnosis is warranted especially in immunocompromised patients. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice to achieve early cure.

Pigtail catheter drainage and surgery in severe acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Severe acute pancreatitis is initially managed with conservative treatment. Patients who failed conservative management were effectively treated with pigtail drainage. Factors predicting surgery remain uncertain. METHODS: A total of 58 patients with severe acute pancreatitis presenting to JIPMER Hospital were studied and managed with a step-up approach. In this prospective observational study, patients were divided into three groups based on the final mode of treatment received: conservative, pigtail alone, and surgery groups. RESULTS: Of 58 patients, 30 patients were managed with conservative treatment, 20 patients with pigtail alone, and 8 patients underwent surgical treatment after pigtail failure. Overall sepsis reversal was achieved in 22 of 28 (78.5%) patients: 18 were in the pigtail alone group, and 4 were in surgery group, which was statistically significant (P = 0.03). Respiratory failure was the most common organ failure, 68.9%, and overall mortality was 8.62 in this study. On univariate analysis, absence of sepsis reversal within 2 weeks of pigtail insertion is a predictor of need of surgery. Other significant findings were higher catheter-related complications in the surgery group (P = 0.01) and a 100% unimicrobial infection in the surgery group (P = 0.02). Overall mortality was 8.6%, which did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSION: The step-up approach avoided unnecessary intervention, and 52% patients recovered by conservative treatment alone. Sepsis reversal within 2 weeks of pigtail insertion can be used as a predictor of surgery in the early course of severe acute pancreatitis managed by the step-up approach.

Adult Cystic Lymphangioma of the Parotid Gland: An Unwonted Presentation.

Cystic lymphangioma of the parotid gland is an uncommon congenital lymphatic malformation. Its occurrence in patients of advanced age is infrequent. Patients usually present with painless soft swelling, often having experienced a long duration of symptoms. Lymphangioma among the salivary glands frequently involves the parotid gland. When evaluating cystic lesions of the parotid gland, cystic lymphangioma should be included in the differential diagnosis in addition to Warthin's tumor, branchial cyst, cystic pleomorphic adenoma, and cystic mucoepidermoid tumor. Ultrasonography (USG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are useful in diagnosing cystic lymphangioma and help to identify the lesion. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) may show lymphocytes, salivary epithelial cells, and rarely, endothelial cells. FNAC is often inconclusive; this was the case in our investigation of the cystic lesion presented here of a 50-year-old woman who presented with a slowly growing swelling and a dull aching pain over the right parotid region for the past two years. On examination, there was a non-tender, cystic swelling of 5×5 cm in the right parotid region causing lifting the earlobe. There was no cervical lymphadenopathy or any facial nerve palsy associated with the swelling. USG of the parotid gland revealed a cystic lesion in the superficial lobe of the parotid. Results of FNAC performed on the lesion were inconclusive. The patient was posted for surgery and the cyst was excised. Final histopathology of the lesion gave the diagnosis of cystic lymphangioma of the parotid gland. The patient was kept under follow up for six months to watch for any local recurrence, but none occurred.

A Surgical Conundrum in Feeding Jejunostomy-Jejunojejunal Intussusception: A Case Series.

Intussusception is a common cause of intestinal obstruction in the pediatric population. Usually, it is primary and benign and can be managed by nonoperative interventions in 80% of the cases. Adult intussusception accounts for only 5% of all cases of intussusception and 1%-5% of all cases of intestinal obstruction. Unlike in the pediatric population, intussusception in adults is usually caused by a pathologic lead point. The initial investigation to diagnose it is an ultrasound abdomen followed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the abdomen. The placement of an intestinal tube for feeding purposes has been rarely reported as a cause of intussusception. Here, we present a case series of four patients who had jejunojejunal intussusception following the placement of feeding tubes into the jejunum. Three patients were operatively managed and one was managed conservatively.

A Masquerading and Unconventional Cause of Dynamic Intestinal Obstruction: Strangulated Obturator Hernia.

Obturator hernia is an extremely rare type of abdominal wall hernia occurring mostly in elderly, thin females. It is characterized by the herniation of intra-abdominal contents through the obturator foramen. Symptoms are often nonspecific, and the patient usually presents with an acute or subacute intestinal obstruction. A high index of suspicion is needed in such females presenting with abdominal distention and positive Howship-Romberg signs. Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis are often necessary to arrive at a diagnosis, and immediate surgical intervention is recommended. The high postoperative morbidity and mortality are often attributed to a delay in the diagnosis and in initiating treatment. We present a case of a 65-year-old lady with strangulated obturator hernia who underwent emergent, lower midline laparotomy with resection and anastomosis of the small bowel and purse-string repair of the hernial defect.

Rare Abdominopelvic Actinomycosis Causing an Intestinal Band Obstruction and Mimicking an Ovarian Malignancy.

Actinomyces israelii, a commensal of the bronchial and gastrointestinal tracts, is responsible for the majority of actinomycostic infections in humans. Actinomycosis has widely varying clinical presentations ranging from asymptomatic states to infiltrative mass lesions that mimic malignant abdominopelvic disease. Described as one of the most misdiagnosed diseases, actinomycosis poses challenges to accurate preoperative diagnosis. A 67-year-old woman with no significant medical history presented with features of acute intestinal obstruction. Computed tomography revealed a terminal ileal stricture causing intestinal obstruction and a right ovarian mass lesion. On laparotomy, a granular mass (2×2 cm) at the base of the mesentery and a right ovarian hard nodular growth (3×3 cm) were found that were connected by a dense fibrotic band, causing ileal obstruction with a transitional zone that was 10 cm proximal to the ileocecal junction. The mesenteric granular mass was excised together with the dense fibrotic band, and a right salpingo-oophorectomy was also undertaken. On postoperative histopathological examination, band formations by dense inflammatory tissue with neutrophilic infiltration were observed; moreover, there were sulfur granules that showed a positive reaction on Periodic Acid Schiff staining. The resected ovarian parenchyma showed infiltration by bacterial colonies with Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon and evoked dense neutrophilic infiltration. The postoperative period was uneventful, and the patient was placed on penicillin therapy for a year. Abdominopelvic actinomycosis should constitute part of the differential diagnosis when evaluating mass lesions, especially in elderly women with a history of intrauterine device (IUD) use.

Comparison of Endoscopic Variceal Ligation with Endoscopic Sclerotherapy for Secondary Prophylaxis of Variceal Hemorrhage: A Randomized Trial.

Background Though endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) is commonly being used and has overcome the disadvantages of sclerotherapy (ST), still sclerotherapy is used as a therapeutic procedure for bleeding esophageal varices in the present institute. Hence, the study was done to see the advantages of EVL over ST. Methods Patients with portal hypertension and bleeding esophageal varices underwent banding if found to have grade 3 or 4 varices. They were randomized to EVL group, where they were reviewed after two weeks for any residual varices for which repeat banding was done and endoscopic sclerotherapy (EST) group, where ST was done until the varices were obliterated or reduced to grade 1. The efficacy, complications, recurrent bleeding rate and recurrence of varices were compared. Results A total of 60 patients were included, 30 in each group. In EVL group, four sessions were needed to eradicate the varices in 73% of patients while it was five sessions in EST group (46% patients) (p-value = 0.0001). The mean number of sessions needed in EVL and EST group was 3.73 and 5.36, respectively. The average time taken for eradication of varices was 78.6 and 134.6 days in EVL and EST group, respectively (p-value = 0.004). Complications were higher in EST group (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion EVL alone was effective than ST in terms of the number of sessions needed for eradication of varices and total duration required to completely obliterate them. The complications were less in EVL group with no significant difference in recurrent bleeding rate and recurrence of varices between the groups.

Retroperitoneal Necrotizing Fasciitis Masquerading as Perianal Abscess - Rare and Perilous.

Necrotizing fasciitis is one of the uncommon presentations of a rapidly spreading subcutaneous tissue infection. Although the actual cause is unclear in many cases, most of them are due to the rapid proliferation of microorganisms. Retroperitoneal necrotizing fasciitis is extremely rare. It is a potentially lethal infection that requires immediate and aggressive surgical care. Early diagnosis is the key to a better prognosis. The possibility of retroperitoneal necrotizing fasciitis should be suspected in patients with symptoms of sepsis that are disproportionate to clinical findings. The rapid deterioration of the patient also gives a clue towards the diagnosis. We report a 35-year-old male with perianal abscess who had been progressed to retroperitoneal necrotizing fasciitis. The patient was managed successfully with aggressive debridement and drainage after laparotomy. Appropriate antibiotics were used to combat the sepsis. The patient recovered well at follow up, three months after discharge. Another patient, a 45-year-old male with a retroperitoneal abscess, progressed to retroperitoneal necrotizing fasciitis, and extra peritoneal drainage and debridement was done. Antibiotics depending upon the culture and sensitivity were used to control sepsis. But the patient succumbed to death 45 days after surgery due to uncontrolled sepsis. Necrotizing fasciitis of any anatomical site needs aggressive surgical care with early intervention. But retroperitoneal necrotizing fasciitis needs an extra effort for diagnosis. After diagnosis, it needs timely surgical intervention and appropriate antibiotic therapy for the recovery of the patients.