Pneumopericardium as a complication of laparoscopy for ovariectomy.

A one-year-old poodle×cocker spaniel bitch was presented for laparoscopic ovariectomy. Pre-operative examination was unremarkable. The left ovariectomy was performed uneventfully. Following insufflation of the abdomen and repositioning of the patient, signs consistent with cardiac tamponade developed, resulting in death. Post-mortem radiography demonstrated pneumopericardium.

Inguinal enterocutaneous fistula in a dog.

A two-year-old Jack Russell terrier presented with a chronic history of weight loss and the recent development of a discharging wound in the left inguinal region that was confirmed by ultrasound and contrast radiography to be an enterocutaneous fistula. One day following admission the dog displayed signs of abdominal pain and the general condition deteriorated. At exploratory coeliotomy there was evidence of septic peritonitis and a segment of jejunum was found firmly adhered to the left inguinal canal. The affected jejunal segment was excised and an end-to-end anastomosis performed. A penrose drain was placed in the inguinal wound which was subsequently managed with open drainage. The inguinal wound healed successfully by second intention and the dog returned to normal body condition. The left testis became atrophic and castration was performed several weeks later. To the authors' knowledge this is the first veterinary case report of an inguinal enterocutaneous fistula.

Corynebacterium diphtheriae endocarditis: a case series and review of the treatment approach.

OBJECTIVES: Infective endocarditis due to non-toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae is uncommon; we report 10 cases occurring over a 14-year period in Auckland, New Zealand and review the approach for treatment. CASE SERIES: Eight of the 10 patients had known prosthetic valves or homografts in situ. Three patients required surgical intervention for infective endocarditis. Seven patients were treated with a combination of ß-lactam and aminoglycoside, and one each was treated with a combination of vancomycin and an aminoglycoside, a ß-lactam alone, and vancomycin alone. All patients survived and none relapsed. REVIEW OF LITERATURE: The antibiotic treatment of 46 previously reported cases was reviewed; patients treated with a ß-lactam and aminoglycoside (n=25), and without the addition of an aminoglycoside (n=11) were compared. The differences in length of treatment within each group make the comparison of outcome (mortality, need for surgical intervention, disease and treatment complications) difficult. However, regardless of the length of treatment, there was no difference in mortality or need for surgical intervention between the two groups in the currently published cases. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence suggests that endocarditis of either native or prosthetic valves, caused by penicillin-susceptible C. diphtheriae, demonstrates a favorable outcome when treated with either a ß-lactam alone or in combination with an aminoglycoside. Patient-specific factors will determine which approach is more appropriate for each individual patient.