Incidental Finding of Ectopic Liver during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND Incidental finding of ectopic liver is gaining more attention especially during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It is reported to be found in different locations as gallbladder, stomach, spleen, umbilical ligament and other intra-peritoneal and intra-thoracic sites. CASE REPORT We present 2 cases of ectopic liver found on gallbladder during elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy for 2 Lebanese females. Our findings were consistent with previous reports. The ectopic liver tissues measured 0.9 cm and 0.5 cm respectively, which were smaller than other reports. The liver tissue lacked a biliary system, which was similar to what has been previously reported in the literature. However, no malignant histological signs were seen when excised. CONCLUSIONS These 2 cases highlight the fact that ectopic liver tissue may be encountered on the gallbladder during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Awareness of this potential entity is beneficial to widen the differential diagnosis when identified on imaging studies pre-operatively or when found incidentally during surgery as in this case.

The impact of gender matching between donor and recipient on the outcome of kidney transplant patients: A retrospective study.

The influence of donor and recipient gender on patients postkidney transplant (KT) is still controversial, and literature data do not present unanimous conclusions. We were concerned with the gender impact on the outcome of kidney transplantation at the level of acute rejection (AR), graft function represented by serum creatinine level, delayed graft function (DGF), graft survival, and infection rate. The impact of gender matching between donors and recipients was studied in 299 KT recipients performed in the Transplantation Unit, Middle East Institute of Health, Bsalim, Lebanon, between November 1998 and September 2014. The patients were divided into the following groups: Group I (131 patients, male donor to male recipient), Group II (55 patients, male donor to female recipient), Group III (88 patients, female donor to male recipient), and Group IV (25 patients, female donor to female recipient). AR and DGF were not statistically different among the four groups. Moreover, all groups showed excellent graft survival with no statistical difference. Interestingly, human leukocyte antigen AB-DR matching (P < 0.001) and sensitization were statistically different among the four groups (P = 0.05). The number of patients with infections was statistically significantly lower in Group I (35.4%) and Group III (37.5%) (P = 0.35). Most importantly, graft function, represented by serum creatinine, showed a statistically significant difference among the four groups (P <0.004), with Group II (male to female) and Group IV (female to female) showing the best improvement in five-year survival. However, Group III (female to male) had the worst posttransplant graft function. These results revealed that gender impacts graft function, and Group II, male donor to female recipient, had the best 5-year graft function. This emphasizes that gender should be regarded as a determinant for the success of kidney transplantation.

Different laparoscopic treatment modalities for splenic artery aneurysms: about 3 cases with review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: The first laparoscopic treatment of splenic artery aneurysm (SAA) was performed in 1993. Since then, many papers have been published mentioning different laparoscopic treatment modalities, including splenectomy, aneurysmectomy, ligation or even occlusion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An updated literature review of the English medical literature using the following MeSH, 'Lapaorscopic splenic artery aneurysm', 'laparoscopic aneurysectomy', 'Laparoscopic Splenic artery Aneurysm Ligation' and 'Laparoscopic Splenic artery aneurysm excision' was done. Also three cases performed at our institutions are discussed, in terms of techniques, morbidity, mortality and postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: About eight case series and 16 case reports were retrieved from the literature. Different techniques were described by the authors, including splenectomy, aneurysmectomy, splenic aneurysm ligation or even occlusion. Few morbidity cases were reported and none of the authors has mentioned a single mortality case. In our three cases, the postoperative course was uneventful, with good long-term results. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the variations in the adopted operative techniques, the laparoscopic approach seems to be harmless. However, no treatment algorithm or consensus has been published.

Prevalence of Depression in Medical Students at the Lebanese University and Exploring its Correlation With Facebook Relevance: A Questionnaire Study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of major depression is particularly high in medical students, affecting around one-third of this population. Moreover, online social media, in particular Facebook, is becoming an intrinsic part in the life of a growing proportion of individuals worldwide. OBJECTIVE: Our primary objective is to identify the prevalence of depression in medical students at the Lebanese University Faculty of Medicine, a unique state university in Lebanon, its correlation with the utilization of the interactive features of Facebook, and the way students may resort to these features. METHODS: Students of the Lebanese University Faculty of Medicine were assessed for (1) depression and (2) Facebook activity. To screen for major depression, we used the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale. To test for Facebook activity, we developed the Facebook Resorting Questionnaire (FbRQ), which measures the degree to which students resort to Facebook. RESULTS: A total of 365 out of 480 students (76.0%) participated in the survey. A total of 25 students were excluded, hence 340 students were included in the final analysis. Current depression was reported in 117 students out of 340 (34.4%) and t tests showed female predominance. Moreover, PHQ-9 score multiple regression analysis showed that feeling depressed is explained 63.5% of the time by specific independent variables studied from the PHQ-9 and the FbRQ. Depression varied significantly among the different academic years (P<.001) and it peaked in the third-year students. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that depression and resorting to Facebook had a positive and significant relationship (P=.003) and the different FbRQ categories had significant differences in resorting-to-Facebook power. The like, add friend, and check-in features students used when resorting to Facebook were significantly associated with depression. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that depression was highly prevalent among students of the Faculty of Medicine at the Lebanese University. Moreover, Facebook may be a promising, helpful, psychological tool for optimizing the management of depression. Our study brought to bear further questions that now prompt further observation and scrutiny to know more about the high rates of depression in this student population, more so in the part of the world studied, and to the growing role of social media.