The uncommon diagnosis of hiatal hernia associated pancreatitis: A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Hiatal hernia (HH) contents commonly include stomach, transverse colon, small intestine, and spleen but herniation of the pancreas is an extremely rare phenomenon, even rarer when HH is associated with acute pancreatitis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 56-year-old female with hypertension and gastroesophageal reflux disease presented with abdominal pain, vomiting and chest discomfort evolving for 24 h. Physical examination revealed left-upper quadrant tenderness without guarding. Blood tests showed elevated serum amylase and lipase levels. An abdominal CT scan demonstrated a large type-IV hiatal hernia involving the entire stomach, transverse and right colon, small intestine, duodenum as well as the head, body and the tail of pancreas. The pancreas was enlarged consistent with pancreatitis. Patient clinical status improved with conservative treatment. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The stomach is the most common organ to herniate through the diaphragm and pancreatic herniation is extremely rare with only few cases in the literature. Even rarer when associated with acute pancreatitis. This diagnosis is a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge that has to be evoked in elderly presenting with chest pain and a negative cardiopulmonary evaluation. The ideal treatment is still unclear, however, conservative treatment is the initial management and surgery may be considered in case of recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis. CONCLUSION: HH associated with acute pancreatitis is a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Clinicians should consider this rare diagnosis in every case of chest pain with negative cardiopulmonary evaluation.

Primitive isolated hydatid cyst of the spleen: total splenectomy versus spleen saving surgical modalities.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to describe the clinical features of the isolated primitive splenic hydatid cyst, discuss and compare the different surgical approaches of this uncommon disease. METHODS: This is a descriptive retrospective study carried out over a period of 7 years extending from January 2013 to December 2019 reporting eight cases of isolated primitive splenic hydatid cysts. Data were collected from the register of the general surgery department of the Jendouba regional hospital. Files concerning another associated hydatid localization were excluded. Four patients underwent total splenectomy and four of them underwent different spleen preserving surgical techniques including resection of the protruding dome, partial splenectomy and pericystectomy. RESULTS: The diagnosis was incidentally made in 50% of cases. The main other revealing complaints are pain in the left upper quadrant of abdomen in 25% of cases and a painless renitent mass in the same quadrant in only 12,5%. None of patients who underwent total splenectomy had fever or sings of postoperative sepsis. Compared to those who had total splenectomy, patients who underwent spleen preserving surgery had a longer average hospital stay (9 vs 6,25 days) related to post-operative complications including abscess in the residual cavity after protruding dome resection in one patient and post-operative haemorrhage in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: The current case series argues in favor of total splenectomy, preferably by laparoscopic route whenever the technical platform allows it, associated with some specific peri-operative therapeutic measures. It seems to be the safest way that helps to avoid post-operative complications of spleen saving surgical modalities. These complications are usually difficult to manage in poor countries with limited technical resources. Total splenectomy guarantees at least a decreased hospital stay, reduced healthcare costs, and the absence of recurrence in highly endemic underdeveloped countries.