Giant melanoma: novel problem, same approach.

Thick melanomas are relatively common; however, melanomas greater than 10 cm in size are rarely encountered. Though the size may seem daunting, the work up and principles of wide surgical excision remain the same. Sentinel lymph node biopsy should also be considered in patients with no clinical evidence of metastatic disease.

Jejunal diverticular disease with unborn enterolith presenting as a small bowel obstruction: a case report.

Jejunal diverticuli are rare and usually asymptomatic. More commonly, they are seen as incidental findings on CT images, enteroclysis, or during surgery. Complications such as bleeding, perforation, obstruction, malabsorption, diverticulitis, blind loop syndrome, volvulus, and intussusception may warrant surgical intervention. An interesting case of an unborn enterolith (enclosed calculus) from a jejunal diverticulum presenting as a small bowel obstruction is presented. The patient is a 66-year- old woman with no prior history of abdominal surgery who presented with a high-grade bowel obstruction. CT with intravenous barium contrast confirmed the presence of a transition point from dilated to decompressed small bowel in the mid jejunum. At laparotomy, a freely mobile mass was found in this area leading to the bowel obstruction. The mass was removed by making a small enterotomy in the jejunum. While running the small bowel proximally, a small segment of jejunum, approximately 8 cm, containing several diverticuli was found. This bowel obstruction was the result of an unborn enterolith from this segment of bowel. The patient's hospitalization was benign and she was discharged home on postoperative day 4.

A multidisciplinary approach to carotid paragangliomas.

The surgical management of carotid paragangliomas can be problematic. A multidisciplinary approach was used to include vascular surgery, otolaryngology, and neuroradiology to treat these patients over 9 years. From January 1992 to July 2001, a multidisciplinary team evaluated patients with carotid paragangliomas. Analyzed patient data included age, gender, diagnostic evaluation, tumor size, preoperative tumor embolization, operative exposure, need for extracranial arterial sacrifice/reconstruction, postoperative morbidity including cranial nerve dysfunction, and long-term follow-up. Twenty-five carotid paragangliomas in 20 patients underwent multidisciplinary evaluation and management. Average age was 51 years (range, 28-83 years), and 52% were male. Diagnostic evaluation included computed tomography in 76%, magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance angiography in 52%, catheter angiography in 60%, and duplex ultrasonography in 16%. An extended neck exposure was required in 11 cases (44%), mandibulotomy was used once (4%), and mandibular subluxation was never required. The external carotid artery (ECA) was sacrificed in 8 cases (32%). The carotid bifurcation was resected in 1 patient (4%) requiring interposition reconstruction of the internal carotid artery. Preoperative tumor embolization was performed for 13 tumors (52%). Operative blood loss for patients undergoing preoperative embolization (Group I) was comparable to the nonembolized group (group II): group I lost 365 +/-180 mL versus 360 +/- 101 mL for group II (P = .48). This occurred despite larger tumors (group I - 4.2 cm versus group II - 2.1 cm, P = .03) and a higher mean Shamblin class (group I - 2.5 versus group II - 1.45, P = .001) for group I. There were no perioperative mortalities. Transient cranial nerve dysfunction occurred in 13 CBTs (52%), 2 (8%) of which remained present after 4 months. Patients with carotid paragangliomas benefit from a multidisciplinary team approach. Neuroradiology has been used for selective preoperative embolization, which has decreased estimated blood loss during excision of larger complex tumors. A combined surgical team of otolaryngology and vascular surgery provides for exposure of the distal internal carotid artery as high as the skull base, limited permanent cranial nerve dysfunction, and selective early division and excision of the external carotid artery for complete tumor resection.

Deciphering mesenteric venous thrombosis: imaging and treatment.

The principal cause of a high mortality rate in mesenteric vein thrombosis (MVT) is a delay in diagnosis. Recent data indicate that the mortality rate is decreasing owing to earlier diagnosis and anticoagulation. The authors examined the treatment profile of MVT to see how the increased use of imaging and early anticoagulation has impacted this process. They retrospectively analyzed the treatment paradigm with acute MVT at one institution over a 10-year period. Twenty-three patients were identified. Data were analyzed using chi-squares and Student's t tests. Twenty-three patients (11 men and 12 women with an average age of 51.74 +/-14.8 years) were identified with acute MVT between the years of 1993 and 2003. Five patients had splenic vein thrombosis, 17 had superior mesenteric vein thrombosis, 1 had inferior mesenteric vein thrombosis, and 12 had portal vein thrombosis. Nine patients had combination mesenteric vein segment thrombosis. Thrombolytics were utilized in a total of 6 patients. Four of the 6 patients in whom lytics were utilized had combined mesenteric vein thrombosis; however, these 4 patients did not require surgical intervention. There was no significant difference in length of hospital stay between patients taking lytics versus patients treated with traditional anticoagulation with heparin (p = 0.291). A hypercoagulable state was identified in 66.7% of the patients. Four patients required surgical intervention. The overall mortality rate was 8.7% (2 of 23). The use of thrombolytics was associated with a significant mortality (p = 0.04). The use of antibiotics made no difference in mortality (p = 0.235), nor did antibiotic use influence length of hospitalization (p = 0.192). MVT is relatively rare, and often the delay in diagnosis increases the mortality rate. In the majority of cases prompt anticoagulation will preserve bowel viability and decrease mortality and morbidity rates. The majority of patients do not need surgery. There is a marked increase in mortality rate when these patients progress to surgical intervention. An increased awareness and early diagnosis has led to decreased morbidity and mortality rates.

Large dopamine-secreting pheochromocytoma: case report.

Pheochromocytomas are rare tumors that typically present with catecholamine-stimulated symptoms. Some pheochromocytomas secrete dopamine in addition to or in the absence of other catecholamines. Patients with these tumors are frequently normotensive. We describe a normotensive 26-year-old woman with a large pheochromocytoma that secreted multiple catecholamines, including dopamine.