Primary anorectal melanoma: a case report

Anorectal melanoma is a rare but highly lethal malignancy. Clinical symptoms are non-specific and treatment is still debated. The aim of this study was to report a case concerning diagnostic and management of Anorectal melanoma. A 66-year-old man was admitted in our surgical unit with a 3-month history of pain and rectal bleeding. Rectal examination revealed a tender mass arising from the 5 o'clock position of the anal canal that bled on touch. A provisional diagnosis of rectal polyp was made and it was removed by local excision under general anaesthesia. Histopathologic examination reported it as an anorectal malignant melanoma. The postoperative course was uneventful. Extension staging showed a 15 mm nodule on the left lung. The patient underwent a metastasectomy of the left lung. No adjuvant therapy was given. He died one year later. With this case we want to illustrate that malignant melanoma can be difficult to diagnose, as patients have non-specific symptoms and histology may be misleading. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment. Wide local excision combined with adjuvant loco-regional radiotherapy should be preferred when technically feasible. Abdominoperineal resection has to be done only in the case of large tumors or when the anal sphincter is involved. Overall 5-year survival is less than 20%. It's correlated to extension of disease regardless of initial surgical therapy

Stromal tumor of the ampulla of vater: report of a case and systematic review of reported cases

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours are a large category of primary no epithelial neoplasms of the digestive tract. The localization of stromal tumours in the ampulla of Vater [STAV] is very rare. The aim of this study was to describe clinical, endoscopic and therapeutic particularities of STAV. We reported a new case and we carried out an extensive electronic search for the relevant literature using Medline. Key words used were "ampulla of Vater" and "Gastrointestinal stromal tumor" and "CD 117". With our case, we collected seven other cases in the literature. The analysis of the sample of these eight cases leads us to propose the following conclusions. STAV is a tumor of adult after the age of fifty. There is no specific symptomatology. Gastroduodenal endoscopy with biopsies and immunoassaying allows positive preoperative diagnosis in the 5 cases. Treatment should be duodenopancreatectomy since the tumor is often malignant [5 cases]

[Odontogenic descending necrotizing mediastinitis]

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis [DNM] following an oropharyngeal infection is a rare disease with a rapid course and a mortality rate of up to 40%. The aim of this study, is to outline the diagnosis and the appropriate treatment of DNM. A retrospective study [1986-2007] of patients with DNM was made. Only patients with cervical cellulitis associated with DNM were included. Eight men and two women with an average age of 43 years were treated. Five had diabets. The average for diagnosis and treatment was eight days. In eight cases, we found a dental origin and in two cases a pharyngeal origin. The diagnosis of DNM was made thanks to cervico thoracic CT scan in six cases. In the others patients. they had at presentation clinical and radiological evidence of mediastinal diffusion. All patients were treated by broad spectrum antibiotherapy. All had cervical drainage. Mediastinal drainage was made by cervical approach in 2 two cases and via a right thoracotomy in eight cases. Eight patients died. Odontogenic DNM is a rare disease with rapid course Clinical diagnosis is difficult and early recognition with a lowi thresold for CT scanning is essential. CT is also useful for the treatment and in the post operative assessment. All affected tissue plane must be debrided. Surgical management and mediastinal drainage remain controversial about the indication of thoracotomy

Dystrophie kystique sur pancreas aberrant de la paroi duodenale responsable de megaduodenum

One case of cystic dystrophy in an aberrant pancreas of the duodenal wall with a megaduodenum is reported. It is a rare affection which is difficult diagnostic, helped by echoendoscopy. Difficult therapeutic dilemna is raised by cystic dystrophy in heterotopic pancreas: duodenopancreatectomy or limited local excision