Cholecystoduodenal Fistula: A Case Series of an Unusual Complication of Gallstone Diseases.

The usual complications of gallstone diseases are acute cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, cholangitis, and acute pancreatitis. Most of the patients who present with these complications have a prior history suggestive of gallstone diseases. Cholecystoenteric fistula is a very uncommon complication of gallstone disease, and many patients do not have a previous history suggestive of biliary pathology. Gallstone ileus is a mechanical cause of intestinal obstruction due to the passage of a large stone through the cholecystoenteric fistula. These patients present with vague clinical signs and symptoms and non-specific laboratory abnormalities; hence, a high index of suspicion is needed for early diagnosis and management of the same. Once diagnosed, controversies exist in their appropriate surgical management. We present a series of four cases of cholecystoduodenal fistula, two patients presenting with gallstone ileus, and two patients presenting with cholangitis and their successful surgical management.

Central Pancreatectomy for Central Pancreatic Lesions: A Single-Institution Experience.

Background Pancreaticoduodenectomy and distal pancreatectomy are radical procedures for pancreatic lesions with high postoperative morbidity and mortality even in experienced hands. Central pancreatectomy is an alternative less radical procedure for centrally located pancreatic lesions that are benign or have a low malignant potential. It involves removing the central portion of the pancreas and has the advantage of preserving the pancreatic parenchyma, thereby decreasing the postoperative endocrine and exocrine insufficiencies. Methods We conducted a prospective study of six cases of central pancreatectomy in the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplant, Government Stanley Medical College, India, between the years 2015 and 2019. All patients with lesions in the neck and proximal body of the pancreas were clinically and radiologically evaluated, and those with benign or borderline malignant lesions underwent central pancreatectomy by a standardized technique. Results The mean age of the patients was 27.8 years (range: 14 years - 37 years). Most of the patients were females (66.6%). The most common presenting symptom was abdominal pain, and the most common diagnosis was solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (83.3%). The mean diameter of the lesion was 6.1 cm. All patients underwent pancreaticojejunostomy of the distal stump. The median operative time and the blood loss were 310 minutes and 85 ml, respectively. Two patients developed biochemical postoperative pancreatic fistula, and in the long-term follow-up, none of them developed endocrine or exocrine insufficiency. Conclusion Central pancreatectomy is a safe and effective alternative for benign and low-grade lesions in the neck and body of the pancreas in which the head of the pancreas and a significant portion of the distal body and tail of the pancreas is uninvolved. Standardization of this pancreas-preserving procedure will result in better outcomes.

Rapunzel syndrome with cholangitis and pancreatitis - A rare case report.

Rapunzel syndrome, defined by the presence of a trichobezoar extending from the stomach to the small intestine, is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. It usually presents with vague symptoms; however, it can also present with complications such as perforation, peritonitis and obstructive jaundice. We report a rare case of a 37-year-old woman with Rapunzel syndrome complicated by acute cholangitis and pancreatitis and analyse the diagnosis and management of this complicated pathology. Although she reported a history of trichotillomania and trichophagia, she had been asymptomatic for ten years. We review the steps of diagnosis, highlighting the importance of a thorough clinical history and detailed examination, with supporting evidence from the contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan. She was successfully managed with gastrotomy and trichobezoar removal. She had an uneventful postoperative recovery and was discharged after psychiatric counselling. To our knowledge, this is the first case of Rapunzel syndrome in a young female presenting with both cholangitis and pancreatitis.

Challenges faced in the management of complicated Boerhaave syndrome: a tertiary care center experience.

Spontaneous esophageal perforation is rare and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A spectrum of various surgical modalities ranging from primary surgical repair to esophagectomy is available for its management. The optimal management of patients presenting late in a hemodynamically stable condition is not clearly defined in the literature. A retrospective review of all patients with Boerhaave syndrome managed by a single surgical team in a tertiary care center between 2008 and 2019 was performed (n = 16). Eleven patients were initially managed in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) as non-esophageal cause and 5 patients were referred after failed management (conservative/endoscopic). Demographics, clinical presentation, characteristics of perforation, initial diagnosis, and treatment were analyzed. All patients were males with a mean age of 42.2 years. A history of ethanol use was present in 6 patients. The median delay in diagnosis and referral was 16 days (range: 11-40 days). The common presenting symptoms were chest pain (n=11), dyspnoea (n=10), vomiting (n=4) and cough (n=2). The perforation was directed into right, left, and bilateral pleural cavities in 6, 8, and 2 patients respectively. The location of perforation was distal esophagus except for one patient. One patient was successfully treated with conservative management. The remaining patients underwent esophagectomy as a definitive surgical procedure. There was no significant postoperative morbidity and mortality. Esophagectomy can be done as a one-stage definitive procedure for patients with Boerhaave syndrome who present late in a hemodynamically stable condition with acceptable morbidity and good long term outcome.

Lost Denture Found in Esophagus After a Decade: A Rare Case Report.

Dentures are accidentally ingested foreign bodies, especially in the geriatric population. They get frequently lodged in the esophagus because of their larger size, rigidity, and pointed edges. But, it is unusual for a denture to remain asymptomatic in the esophagus for a decade. We report a case of 45-year-old female who presented with the complaints of progressive dysphagia for six months. Endoscopy revealed an impacted denture in the mid-esophagus. The patient recollected that she lost her denture 13 years back and was unaware that she swallowed it. Right thoracotomy and esophagotomy were done to remove the impacted denture. The esophagotomy site was buttressed with vascularised intercostal muscle flap.

A Modified Laparoscopic Technique for the Removal of Nonfragmentable Giant Gastric Trichobezoar.

Bezoars are usually defined as collections of nondigestible matter that most commonly accumulates in the stomach and can sometimes extend to the small bowel. Trichobezoars are a rare entity which is most commonly observed in young psychiatric females with trichotillomania and trichophagia. Here, we report a case of giant gastric trichobezoar and a novel technique of laparoscopic removal in a 16 year old female with trichophagia. The giant gastric trichobezoar weighing about half a kilogram was removed en masse laparoscopically by a novel technique. She had an uneventful postoperative recovery and was discharged after psychiatric counseling.

Giant choledochal cyst type 4A: a surgical challenge.

Choledochal cysts are rare congenital anomalies of the biliary tract. There are 5 subtypes of choledochal cyst and in adults type 4 is the most common. Choledochal cyst rarely exceeds the size of 6cm in the reported literature. Only a handful of cases of giant choledochal cysts are reported in the literature. Here we report a case of a 33-year-old lady who presented with a huge abdominal mass and on evaluation was found to have a giant choledochal cyst type 4A. The patient underwent excision of the extrahepatic hugely dilated choledochal cyst with cholecystectomy and reconstruction was done by Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy to the confluence of the right and left hepatic duct at the hilum.

Giant Mucocele of the Remnant Esophagus: Case Report of a Rare Complication Following a Bipolar Esophageal Exclusion Procedure.

We describe a case of a symptomatic mucocele of the esophagus following surgical isolation of the diseased esophagus, which needed surgical resection. A 33-year-old male presented to us with shock, high-grade fever, and breathlessness five days after the onset of sudden, severe lower chest and upper abdominal pain preceded by an episode of retching and vomiting. He was initially managed elsewhere by right intercostal drainage for right-sided pleural effusion, broad-spectrum parenteral antibiotics, and total parenteral nutrition. CT chest showed a right loculated pleural effusion and distal oesophageal perforation with active contrast leak into the right pleural space. He was subsequently referred to us in view of suspected Boerhaave's syndrome and clinical worsening. In view of hemodynamic instability with uncontrolled sepsis, he was planned for surgery. Intraoperatively, there was a 4 cm long distal oesophageal perforation, 4 cm above the esophagogastric junction on the right, with an unhealthy apex, communicating with a large abscess cavity in the right pleural space with thick purulent contents. End cervical esophagostomy with esophagogastric junction stapling and feeding jejunostomy was performed in addition to transhiatal drainage of the abscess at the lower end of the esophagus and the placement of an additional intercostal drain. The postoperative period was uneventful, and he was discharged. After two months, he was assessed for possible esophagectomy and gastric pullup. Dense adhesions at thoracoscopy precluded any esophageal delineation and dissection. Attempted transhiatal dissection of the esophagus was unsuccessful in view of cicatrization, and it was decided to forego esophagectomy and proceed with bypass alone by a retrosternal gastric pull-up and cervical esophagogastrostomy. He was discharged following an uneventful postoperative period of recovery. Three months later, the patient presented with complaints of pain in the chest for three weeks, associated with hiccups. He was diagnosed to have a mucocele of the remnant esophagus based on a CT scan. The esophageal mucocele was excised by a transthoracic approach and, he was relieved of the pressure symptoms. Following the esophageal exclusion procedure, a mucocele of the remnant esophagus can develop due to the accumulation of secretions leading to subsequent dilatation. Small mucoceles are usually asymptomatic and often go unnoticed. However, in rare cases, it may enlarge to cause compression symptoms such as respiratory distress, chest pain, cough, hiccups, and an inability to swallow. Cross-sectional imaging clinches the diagnosis, and definitive surgery consists of surgical resection by a transthoracic approach.