Salmonella Mississippi: An unusual cause of renal abscess in an immunocompetent patient.

Renal abscess is a rare manifestation of Salmonella infection. This usually occurs in the presence of risk factors that include immunosuppression, renal stones and urinary structural abnormality. We describe a 19-year-old male with no risk factors who developed a left renal abscess and gram-negative sepsis caused by Salmonella Mississippi. This was managed successfully with percutaneous drainage of the abscess and a prolonged course of antibiotics. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of Salmonella Mississippi as a cause for renal abscess in an individual with no identifiable risk factors.

Ureteric Stent Use - Part of the Solution and Part of the Problem.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to comprehensively report on a single tertiary referral center experience with the use of ureteric stents, assess complication burden and determine risk factors to further inform institutional practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The retrospectively analyzed cohorts includes 529 patients treated over a 12 months period. Data regarding details of the index pathology, stent characteristics and complications were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: Most stents (58.9%) were used in the context of stone surgery. Stent encrustation occurred in 14.5% of patients and sepsis in 4.3%. There was a statistically significant difference between the complications of the stents removed after 90 days and the rest of the cohort. Infectious complications were more frequent in diabetic patients and in patients with chronic renal impairment. At our institution, we managed to avoid forgotten stents and catastrophic complications. CONCLUSION: Stent complications are the complex outcome of interplay between the foreign body and the collecting system environment, influenced by the nature and timing of surgery. Longer stent dwelling times are associated with increased complications rates, especially in patients with significant comorbidities.

Aggressive Angiomyolipomas: the Clandestine Epithelioid Variant.

Epithelioid angiomyolipoma is a rare mesenchymal derived neoplasm of the kidney. Thought to be a variant of classical angiomyolipoma, a benign tumour, its malignant potential has been highlighted by case reports of loco-regional and distant metastasis. Given the potentially adverse clinical course associated with epithelioid angiomyolipoma compared to classical angiomyolipoma, the distinction and comprehensive histological characterisation of this rare entity is essential.

Tendon to bone healing and its implications for surgery.

Entheses are complex structures which act to reduce stress concentrations between tendon and skeleton tissues. Understanding the development and function of the enthesis organ has implications for surgical repair, particularly in regards to healing and the regulation of tendon to bone engraftment. In this paper we review the development and function of entheses as well as the enthesis organ concept. Next we examine the process of tendon to bone healing and how this can be regulated, before addressing implications for surgical repair and post-operative care.

Laparoscopic Tenckhoff catheter insertion: a retrospective study over 6 years.

INTRODUCTION: Peritoneal dialysis via Tenckhoff catheter predisposes to hernia formation due to both local and systemic factors. Another important complication of peritoneal catheter insertion includes infection, which can prompt removal of the catheter. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study between January 2005 and July 2011 of 61 patients who underwent laparoscopic placement of a Tenckhoff catheter and peritoneal dialysis at our institution using a single-port technique. We analysed complications of Tenckhoff insertion, specifically infection and the formation of hernias requiring operative management. RESULTS: Infections noted in our patients included peritonitis (10%) and exit-site infection (5%). Of the five patients who required re-insertion of Tenckhoff catheter, four were for infective complications. A total of seven hernias developed in five (8%) of patients, mostly inguinal or umbilical near the Hassan port entry site. DISCUSSION: With infection and hernia formation being the main contributors to failure of the procedure, actively addressing the entry site and areas predisposed to hernia formation, observing aseptic technique and meticulous attention to early signs of complications during follow-up are vital to improve success rates. The outcomes of the laparoscopic single-port insertion technique shows promise compared with conventional Tenckhoff catheter insertion techniques.

Torsion of an abdominal-wall pedunculated lipoma: a rare differential diagnosis for right iliac fossa pain.

Pedunculated lipomas arising from the peritoneal wall are a rare finding during abdominal surgery. These benign tumours of mesenchymal origin can arise anywhere in the body and are usually asymptomatic. We present a case of a torted, pedunculated parietal wall lipoma in the right iliac fossa that gave rise to a clinical diagnosis of appendicitis. To our knowledge, such a case has never been reported in the literature previously. We suggest that torsion of a pedunculated parietal lipoma is a rare differential of acute abdominal pain.

Expression of common gamma chain signalling cytokines and their receptors distinguishes rejection from tolerance in a rat organ transplant model.

BACKGROUND: Signalling through the cytokine common γ chain (γc) is crucial for survival of activated T cells. In its absence, severe combined immunodeficiency ensues and transplanted tissues are not rejected. METHODS: To determine whether differences in the availability of γc signalling cytokines correlate with rejection or acceptance, we examined expression of all γc signalling components in organs transplanted between PVG donors and DA recipients. In this combination hearts or kidneys are rejected in <10 days while livers survive >100 days. Expression of the γc cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15 and IL-21 and their receptors γc, IL-2Rα, IL-2Rß/IL-15Rß, IL-4Rα, IL-7Rα, IL-9Rα, IL-15Rα and IL-21Rα was determined by real-time PCR pre-transplant and on days 3, 5 and 7 after transplantation. RESULTS: Most increased after transplantation, although there were significantly lower levels of IL-2, IL-2Rα, IL-4 and IL-15Rα in tolerant livers compared to rejecting hearts or kidneys. IL-9 was only expressed in normal kidneys and decreased during rejection. IL-15 was constitutively expressed and did not change after transplantation. IL-21 and IL-21R increased in all transplanted organs to a similar extent. IL-7Rα in liver was considerably increased compared with heart or kidney, consistent with its known inverse relationship to global levels of γc signalling. CONCLUSIONS: In transplanted livers, acceptance is associated with low levels of all γc cytokines or receptors except IL-21. This is consistent with "dilution" of γc cytokines from a finite clone size of alloreactive T cells in livers, which are ten times larger than kidneys or hearts.

Periprosthetic bleeding 18 years post-silicone reconstruction of the orbital floor.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic orbital haemorrhage is an uncommon complication of the alloplastic implants used in post-traumatic orbital floor repair. The small case series or individual reports provide no definite causative explanation for this delayed bleeding around silicone implants. It is likely that it is related to the disruption of fine capillaries within the pseudocapsule surrounding the implant, since the material does cause low-grade irritation with evidence of chronic inflammation. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a patient who developed a spontaneous periprosthetic bleeding 18 years' post-silicone sheet reconstruction of the orbital floor. RESULTS: Urgent removal of the implant insured prompt resolution of all symptoms and no further problem during the 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: This report emphasizes that periprosthetic orbital haemorrhage can occur years after the initial repair. Awareness of this rare complication allows for prompt diagnosis, decreasing the possibility of permanent damage of the orbital content. The removal of implant is necessary to relieve the symptoms and prevent potential infective complications.

Training of microsurgical skills on nonliving models.

Although direct exposure to procedures in the operating theater environment, together with practice on laboratory animals, is still seen as the gold standard of teaching in microsurgery, practice on nonliving simulators is currently being validated as an important educational tool. We reviewed the widely used nonliving training models, together with currently accepted innovations, which are parts of curricula of training courses in microsurgery. Using the experience accumulated in training programs at the Centre for Simulation and Training in Surgery, we identified which particular skills can be reliably targeted by each nonliving tissue exercise. We were able to find five groups of nonliving training models: basic manipulation, knot-tying principles, completing the anastomosis, the real tissue experience, and training in virtual reality. The more abstract models might seem quite far from the real life experience, but they each closely address specific skills. It thus becomes convenient for the instructor to train these skills separately. This generates series of consistently favorable results once the skills are integrated into a more complex procedure. Focused exercises, once assembled in continuity, reconstruct the real life scenario. The training program can comprise a series of increasingly difficult exercises, which mirror the real life situations. Performance on nonliving models in each progressively more challenging exercise can be assessed via direct observation, assisted by clear and objective criteria. Finally, focused training will help both the transition to human surgery and replication of the favorable results to large series of subjects.

Assessment of the microsurgical skills: 30 minutes versus 2 weeks patency.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the amount of training needed by a trainee, with no background in microsurgery, in order to achieve proper skills for microvascular anastomosis. A protocol based on the rat femoral artery was established to provide a quantitative representation. Five inexperienced subjects started performing microvascular anastomosis. Patency was assessed at 30 min. The final assessment was performed at 2 weeks when rats were reoperated and the patency below the anastomosis was checked. The experiment was discontinued for one subject when he/she succeeded to have two series of four anastomosis with 100% patency at 2 weeks. The results were: 47.5% patency rate at 30 min and 7.5% at 2 weeks (series 1-2); 67.5 and 32.5% (3-4); 82.5 and 35% (5-6); 100 and 70% (7-8); 100 and 87.5% (9-10). Two trainees obtained 100% patency at 2 weeks after series 9-10. Other three needed two more series. There is a significant statistic difference (P < 0.01) between the results at 30 min and 2 weeks for the series (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8). The patency rate at 2 weeks reflects in a better way the microsurgical skills of a trainee. For long term functioning anastomosis, the training period needs an extension beyond that necessary for 100% patency at 30 min.