6 Cases of Expanded PTFE Graft after Abdominal Wall Wide Excision

PURPOSE: Extensive involvement of the abdominal wall or the diaphragm by benign or malignant tumor usually has precluded wide excision. The major reason has been the lack of a satisfactory replacement for the abdominal wall or the diaphragm. When skin and subcutaneous tissues can be preserved, it is possible to restore the abdominal wall or diaphragm by using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (GORE-TEX soft tissue patch). METHODS: From August 1993 to November 1999, we performed 6 reconstructions of the large abdominal wall or diaphragmatic defects using ePTFE following wide en bloc resection of the abdominal wall or diaphragm. RESULTS: The patients included 4 cases requiring a reconstruction of the abdominal wall. These consisted of one transverse colon cancer invading into the upper abdominal wall, a multiple teratoma recurring in the lower part of the abdominal wall, a recurrent cervix cancer inn the median line of the lower part of the abdominal wall, and an enormous desmoid tumor appearing in the right lower part of the abdominal wall. They were 22, 22, 8 and 4 months respectively after the surgical treatment. Diseases requiring extensive resection of the diaphragm included a case of hepatoma encroaching into the diaphragm and another case of a huge adrenal pheochromocytoma appearing in the right part of the diaphragm. They passed 8 and 4 months respectively following surgical treatment. There were no cases of wound infection or abdominal wall hernia, although seroma occurred in 2 cases (50%). CONCLUSION: In all 6 cases, a good result was achieved by restoring excised tissue using ePTFE graft after wide excision of tumors involving the abdominal wall or the diaphragm. Therefore, it may be possible to use this technique in cases of active excision of tumors that involve an extensive part of the abdominal wall or the diaphragm.

Two Cases of Misdiagnosis of Acute Appendicitis in a Patient with Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome and a Patient with Tsutsugamushi Disease

Both tsutsugamushi disease and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome frequently cause abdominal pain with tenderness; therefore they are occasionally misdiagnosed as surgical abdomen. Two patients presented with symptoms of acute abdomen, and under the suspicion of acute appendicitis they underwent appendectomies. Nevertheless there were no operative findings of acute appendicitis in both patients, and the clinical conditions were deteriorated after the operation. Acute infectious disease was suspected by thrombocytopenia, elevated liver enzymes, and proteinuria. Indirect immunoflourescence test confirmed tsutsugamushi disease and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, respectively. The patient with tsutsugamushi disease improved with administration of doxycycline and the patient with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome spontaneously improved.

Early Prognostic factors and New Approach to Organophosphate Poisoning

BACKGROUND: Definite criteria for determining severity of organophosphate poisoning have not been made. Discovery of the third neuromuscular syndrome, the intermediate syndrome, have made it more complicating then ever. Objectives of this study is to determine early prognostic factors of outcome and development of a new treatment algorithm. METHOD: 74 patients admitted to Severance hospital with acute organophosphate poisoning during 5 years were included. We made a protocol concerning the initial consciousness level, QTc interval, PVC, serum cholinesterase, the intermediate syndrome, total hospital, ICU day, length of ventilator support, disposition and have done a study retrospectively. Multiple regression and Chi-square was used as statistical analysis. Significant statistical P-value was 0.05. RESULTS: The total hospital days were prolonged as serum cholinesterase levels were lower, the age was older and mental status graver.(p<.05) The length of ventilatory support was prolonged when patient's serum cholinesterase level was very low, they were unconscious and serum cholinesterase level not recovered to 500 IU/ml within initial 3 days. The intermediate syndrome was significantly related to the prolonged cholinesterase inhibition. CONCLUSION: As an early prognostic factor for the length of ventilatory support in organophosphate poisoning, 1) level of concsiousness and 2) serum cholinesterase level at admission, 3) recovery to more than 500 IU/ml within initial 3 days are useful. Especially when the serum cholinesterase level is not recovered to more than 500 IU/ml within initial 3 days, it is essential to observe closely for the possibility of an intermediate syndrome.