Primary hydatid cyst of the thigh.

Echinococcosis of the musculoskeletal system is found in 0,5-4% of the patients suffering from hydatid disease. We describe a case of primary hydatid cyst of the posterior thigh in a 73 year-old woman, who presented with a painless mass. The diagnosis was set intraoperatively after biopsy of the cyst wall. A wide excision of the cyst with part of the attached muscles was performed. The postoperative course of the patient was uneventful. A postoperative CT-scan of the thorax and abdomen revealed no signs of other echinococcal cysts. Thus, the case was considered as a primary hydatid cyst of the thigh. The patient received adjuvant oral treatment with albendazole for six months. The patient remains in good general condition and without any signs of recurrence, one year after the operation. Hydatid disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any cystic mass detected in the thigh, especially if occurs in regions where the disease in endemic.

Celiac artery aneurysm associated with atherosclerotic common hepatic artery stenosis.

Celiac artery aneurysms are rare vascular lesions and represent 4% of all splanchnic aneurysms. Media degeneration and atherosclerosis are the most common underlying etiologic factors. The risk of rupture and the associated mortality rate are 13% and 40% respectively. In contrast, elective repair carries a low mortality rate of 5%. Most of celiac artery aneurysms are asymptomatic and in the past nearly 80% of the cases were diagnosed when ruptured. Recently, there is an increased recognition of all splanchnic aneurysm types, probably because of better diagnostic techniques. We report a case of celiac artery aneurysm with severe atherosclerotic stenosis of the common hepatic artery. We performed, through a midline supraumbilical laparotomy, extended partial aneurysmectomy and common hepatic artery ostium endarterectomy. For the closure we used Dacron patch. The uncomplicated postoperative patient's course, with no evidence of liver dysfunction and excellent patency of the common hepatic artery, suggests that this technique offered good results and minimized the perioperative risk.

Intrahepatic lithiasis as a late complication of hepaticojejunostomy.

The development of intrahepatic lithiasis proximal to a bilodigestive anastomosis is rare. We report a case of intrahepatic lithiasis of the right hepatic duct, which developed almost 6 years after a hepaticojejunostomy performed for an iatrogenic lesion of the common hepatic duct. The patient experienced repeated episodes of acute cholangitis and was treated with intracorporeal lithotripsy and dilation of the stenosis.

An unusual case of retroperitoneal accessory spleen with vascular supply directly from the aorta.

We report on a case of a retroperitoneal accessory spleen with vascular supply directly from the aorta. A 47-year old woman presented with a six-month history of epigastric pain, intermittent nausea and vomiting. The CT scan of the abdomen revealed the presence of a retroperitoneal tumor between the spleen, left kidney and pancreas. The MR-tomography confirmed the presence of a solid tumor, with vascular supply directly from the aorta. The exploratory laparotomy showed the presence of a well-shaped accessory spleen, which was confirmed by the histological examination of the specimen. The surgeon should be aware of the possible existence of accessory spleens for the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal tumors.

Surgical management of short bowel syndrome by construction of an isoperistaltic intestinal valve: an experimental study in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To develop of an isoperistaltic invaginated valve for the treatment of short bowel syndrome. DESIGN: Randomised experimental study SETTING: University Hospital, Greece MATERIAL: 8 mongrel dogs INTERVENTION: 90% resection of the small bowel, followed by construction of an invaginated valve one month later. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: weight loss, fat excretion in the faeces, radiographic and histological examination of the valve, pressure curve along the valve. RESULTS: Weight loss and steatorrhoea were reversed over a period of 2-3 months without evidence of intestinal obstruction in any of the animals. CONCLUSIONS: The construction of an isoperistaltic invaginated valve could be a solution to the management of the short gut syndrome.