[Surgical management of acute pancreatitis. One hundred years of evolution]. / Managementul chirurgical al pancreatitei acute. 100 de ani de evolutie.

The aim of the paperwork is to present the evolution of surgical management of acute pancreatitis for a period of more than a century, by using the literature data that reveal the important moments in the knowledge of patho-etiology, in clarifying the definition and classification and, last but not least, in the progress of biological and image exploration, the right timing and the permanent development of surgical procedures so that the general mortality should decrease up to 10-15%, as it nowadays. The need for surgical intervention in acute pancreatitis is the controversy that appeared during this period. Until the mid of the 20th century, mainly on the basis of the clinic diagnosis, only the severe cases were recognized and became subjects of surgical exploration, with disastrous results. A great step forward was the dosage of urinary and serum amylase that allowed the non-surgical diagnosis of the disease, so that some patients could be treated successfully without surgery. Introduction of prognosis criteria by Ranson, the dosage of C-reactive protein together with CT scanning of the injury: interstitial - edematous or necrosis,the fine needle aspiration for bacteriology and the adoption of a definition and unitary classification resulted in a major change in therapy, in general, and in the surgical procedures. Necrosectomy combined with a drainage method, practised and developed by Beger since 1982, becomes a surgical dogma. Minimally invasive procedures became a reliable alternative to classic procedures due to the diversity and permanent development of laparoscopic, endoscopic and radiologic techniques.

[Pseudo-Meigs syndrome, a rare variant]. / Varianta rara de sindrom pseudo-Meigs.

The pseudo- Meigs syndrome is defined as a pelvic tumour, other than the ovarian fibroma complicated with ascites and hydrothorax that can be recovered after the tumour is surgically extirpated. The uterine leiomyoma is an extremely rare cause of this syndrome, only 24 cases have been recorded so far, most of them presenting hydropic degeneration or necrosis. The case exposed by us, a 50- year old obese,with nanism woman, presented clinical, biological and imaging characteristics of the syndrome; moreover, she had arterial high blood pressure for more than five years, fact that didn't need postoperative treatment. She was sent to the ER because she had severe respiratory insufficiency, arterial high blood pressure, tachycardia and, at the clinical examination, she presented massive right hydrothorax, ascites, and pelvic tumour. The biologic explorations (the benign cytology in the pleural liquid and ascites, CA-125 with ten times the normal value) and the imagery completed the picture of a Meigs/ pseudo-Meigs syndrome that implied the laparotomy. The H-P examination and the postoperative evolution confirmed the diagnosis. We presented this case in order to emphasize both its rarity and its real positive and differential diagnosis problems.

Intussusception of efferent intragastric loop after gastrojejunostomy--an exceptional cause of high occlusion and hematemesis.

Jejunogastric intussusception (GI) is an extremely rare complication of gastrojejunostomy (GJS) that may appear any time after surgical intervention. Less than 200 cases have been reported so far, on very small series. Young female, 32, who 12 years ago was operated for a gastroduodenal disease that she doesn't know many details about. She presented severe pain in the superior abdominal segment posteriorly irradiated, incoercible biliary nausea followed by hematemesis. The endoscopic, imaging and biological explorations suggested a huge gastric tumor that occupied the whole stomach and was bleeding diffusely. The rapid acute evolution asked for the urgent laparotomy that emphasized: soft tumour mass, intragastrically mobile without any scar at the stomach or duodenum level; adherent to the posterior of the stomach we discovered a ball of jejunal loops that couldn't be undone. The anterior gastrotomy sets the diagnosis: JGI of the efferent loops of a GJS. We hardly managed to reduce the intussusception, without resection, the loop being absolutely viable. In order to prevent a relapse, and because the anastomosis was not justified it was taken down. JGI in a patient presenting GJS must be taken into consideration in the presence of epigastric pain that would not cease, biliary nausea followed by hematemesis and rapid deterioration of general health status.

[Lower limb varicosity in patients, with indication for total knee arthroplasty]. / Boala varicoasa a membrelor inferioare la pacientii cu indicatie pentru artroplastia totala de genunchi.

Preoperative treatment of the peripheral venous pathology in patients with indication for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) would reduce the risk of postoperative deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Between 1997 and 2004, 110 patients were evaluated for TKA. 35 had also varicose veins in the lower limbs. 4 patients were excluded because of absolute contraindications for surgery. 31 patients presented varicose disease, in different stages according with CEAP. The patients were treated surgically (Babcock or Muller technique), phlebotomy drugs and mechanical contention. In a single case the TKA was done without any preoperative treatment of the varicosities. TKA was done after 8-12 weeks. DVT prophylactic measures were undertaken in all 95 cases. Results were good except 2 cases of DVT and 1 case or pulmonary embolism in patients with preoperative treatment of the venous disease. The patient with no preoperative treatment of its varicose veins developed DVT with chronic, persistent oedema. Preoperative treatment of the varicose veins in the lower limb is mandatory for a successful TKA.

[A rare cause of upper digestive tract bleeding--pancreatic papillary adenocarcinoma]. / Hemoragie digestiva superioara de cauza rara--adenocarcinom papilifer pancreatic.

Authors present a rare case of upper digestive bleeding, the etiology of which is represented by a pancreatic papillary adenocarcinoma placed in the body and tail of the pancreas, with bleeding through the Oddi's sphincter, which causes difficult problems of medical and surgical diagnosis and treatment. The patient was known with acute cholecysto-pancreatitis of lithiasic cause, which has been surgically cured in 1977, being under treatment in the last years for the pancreatic injury which had been chronic pancreatitis and for hyperglycemia. The laboratory explorations emphasized a severe anaemia which was identified through upper digestive endoscopy (intermittent active bleeding from the major papilla) confirmed by echo and CT exam (heterogeneously body tissue of 10/8 cm diameter, involving the body and the tail of the pancreas). The medical treatment was complex, including proteic, hematologic, acido-basic, balance of hyperglycemia, and was followed by the surgical intervention consisting in body and tail pancreatico-splenectomy, followed by a postsurgical abscess, which required drainage. The surgical evolution was favorable. 6 months after leaving the hospital, the patient was admitted to medical diseases clinic with the diagnosis of deep right ileofemoral thrombophlebitis, duodenal acute ulcer and acute pneumonia of average right lobe, causing difficult problems of medical treatment. On this pathologic background, the diabetic failure also appears and the echo exam showing multiple secondary hepatic and peritoneal metastatic determinations. In medical literature we only met 13 similar communications, problems of diagnosis and treatment being very much alike to those presented.

[The great omentum in surgical pathology]. / Marele epiploon in patologia chirurgicala.

The aim of the survey is to bring forward the relationship structure-function-pathology of the great omentum from the surgical point of view. The common origin (similar) with that of the spleen and the structural particularities give the great omentum distinct responding potentialities in pathology and these have challenged the anatomists, anatomo-pathologists and surgeons to a more careful and deep research for the last one hundred years. The study corroborates data from literature with the authors' experimental, clinical and microscopic research regarding the vascularization, the lymphoreticular component and the innervation, with the aim of emphasizing the functions of the great omentum in pathological conditions: plasticity, adherence to traumatized and swollen areas, neo-vascularization, absorption of fluids and phagocytosis. Concerning the innervation, by using special techniques, we have managed to emphasize neurofibres in interlobular spaces. By using clinical observation and microscopic study, we can notice dynamically the changes of the great omentum in the inflammatory pathology and in front of the malignant tumour invasion. Last but not least, this survey pays our respects to professor Ion Kiricuta, the first who used the great omentum in plastic surgery and whose studies stimulated the research concerning the great omentum that has been a subject for the international conferences for the last 20 years.

[Rare case of retroperitoneal malignant Schwannoma]. / Caz rar de Schwannom malign retroperitoneal.

UNLABELLED: Malignant Schwannoma, recently renamed malignant peripheral nerve sheat tumor retroperitoneally localized, represents 0.01 of retroperitoneal tumours. A 41-year old woman, without pathological record--and without cutaneous neurofibromatosis--hospitalized for increased volume of the abdomen, without symptomatology, is diagnosed after the imaging and biological tests--without CT and RMN--with retroperitoneal tumour. The unusual size of tumour--6000 gr.--the macroscopic aspect suggesting malignancy (histopathologically and immunohistochemically confirmed), the relatively easy extirpation which, nevertheless, required caudal spleen- and pancreatectomy as well as transvers colectomy, the absence of proximity adenopathy and remote secondary determinations, the simple postoperative evolution represent overwhelming elements in this case. Two years after the operation, during which the patient was under chemotherapy, on a routine control we found a relapse at a distance from the initial tumour (primitive tumour ?), totally operable. For the time being, after almost five years from the first operation, there are no clinical, biological and imaging changes. CONCLUSIONS: the retroperitoneal space is quite enough for the development of large tumour masses, without symptomatology. The present case combines most characteristics of retroperitoneal neoplasms: large or very large size, quasi-absent symptomatology, difficulty in preoperative diagnosis, surgical tactics and techniques--quite often, the total extirpation of tumour mass led to the sacrifice of other organs within the limits of a justified risk--and unforeseeable evolution with relapses having the same characteristics.

[Osler's hereditary angioneurotic edema as rare but possible cause of false surgical acute abdomen]. / Edemul angioneurotic ereditar Osler--cauza rara de fals abdomen acut chirurgical.

The authors are presenting one case of Osler's hereditary angioneurotic oedema, rare genetic disease with dominant autosomal transmission linked to the 11-th chromosome, with clinical aspects resembling to those of surgical acute abdomen, with difficult diagnostic problems. The treatment consist in: fresh plasma administration, antihistaminic drugs and anabolic steroids. The simple laparotomy under general anaesthesia by orotraheal intubation being very dangerous. The patients with Osler's hereditary angioneurotic oedema must be followed-up by the allergology services and educated regarding the disease and it's risks to avoid diagnostic errors with following negative consequences.

[Thoracic esophageal neoplasm-therapeutical problems and post-surgery evolution]. / Neoplasmul de esofag toracic--probleme terapeutice si evolutie postoperatorie.

The authors are presenting a few considerations on Thoracic Esophageal Neoplasm, as resulted from an 18-cases study performed on patients that were operated between 1994-1999. The esophageal resection rate was of 50%, as follows: 7 Esophageal Resections and 2 Superior Polar Esogastric Resections. The digestive transit was reestablished by means of intrathoracic transposition of the stomach (6 cases) or of the right ileo-colon (2 cases). In one of the cases an Esogastric Anastomosis was performed at the neck level (cervical-right). Immediate post-op mortality after Esophageal Resection (1 case) was due to an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The post-op complications were as follow: one anastomotic fistula associated with a purulent pleurisy, 4 non-infectious pulmonary complications and 2 cardiac complications (paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia). The Discussions and Conclusions of the present work are presenting samples of surgical techniques, post-op complications and prognosis.

[Resuscitation principles in severe acute pancreatitis complicated by multiple organ dysfunctions]. / Principii de reanimare în pancreatitele acute grave complicate cu disfunctii multiorganice.

The first part renders very synthetically a few of the principal pathogenetical mechanisms implicated in PA, as well as general data about MODS, and then tackles therapeutical principles of great organic disfunction, the therapy of septic states and nutrition in PA. Hemodynamics dysfunction--the therapeutical objectives are correlated with the principal mechanisms implicated in cardio-vascular disfunction (the grown level of some myocardial depressive factors, the shortcoming of peripheral vascular resistance, a.s.o.). The therapeutical principles covets the volemic restoration, inotropic therapy, the correction of hydro-ionic and acido-basic disorders, the vasomotor therapy, the CID's correction, the myocardium protection against the free radicals of oxygen. The therapy is recommended to be individualized depending on the clinical data and the monitoring of some parameters (T.A, P.V.C., intrapulmonary pressure, EKG, hematocrit value, a.s.o.). Pulmonary disfunction--includes the therapy of some clinical forms of pulmonary complications, the restrictive syndrome, infections, the pulmonary shunt, the atelectasis and insists on ARDS which is a complication with vital implications. The therapy of curdling disorders--recommends blood, derivatives, antiprotease, the substitution of the consumed curdling factors, as well as the removal of the pathogenic factors which disturb the coagulation-coagulolysis equilibrium. Purge proceedings--covet the elimination from the organism of the toxic agents which generate cell-organic lesions. That's why it is moot the elimination of the pancreatic toxins before reaching the circulation (the thoracic tube draining and peritoneal lavage) as well as extrarenal purge proceedings (hemodialysis, hemofiltration and hemodiafiltration) with their benefits and limits. The sepsis and the immunotherapy--are tackled based on recent data from literature which besides antibiotherapy insists on the neutralization of various toxins and mediators by means of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, anti TFL antibodies, IL, a.s.o. Nutrition--is different presented, parenterally and enterally, each of them with their benefits and limits and with the recommendation to be used by means of the clinical form. There are mentioned some other additional treatments (pain removing, antagonisms of H2 receptors, inflammation and cytotoxicity inhibition, gastric decompression, a.s.o.).