Taenia saginata: a rare cause of bowel obstruction.

Taenia saginata infection is caused by the bovine tapeworm and can be the cause of emergency surgical conditions. We report one case of small bowel obstruction leading to necrosis and another case of large bowel obstruction and volvulus due to an impacted tapeworm. The diagnosis of these rare circumstances is usually made intraoperatively.

Removal of knotted intravascular devices. Case report and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: to review published reports on knotted intravascular devices/catheters. METHOD: report of two cases and systematic review of the literature. RESULTS: a total of 113 reported cases of knotted intravascular devices/catheters were located. Pulmonary artery catheters (Swan-Ganz) were responsible for more than two thirds of the total reported intravascular knots. In 62% (70/113) of the cases withdrawal of the knotted catheters was achieved successfully with different interventional radiological techniques, avoiding the need for surgical exploration. In 32% (36/113) of the patients surgical removal was favoured. Capture with one of the interventional techniques and pulling down the knot into an easily accessible vein to be removed through an open venotomy, was the most common surgical procedure. However, in five cases, an open cardiotomy was required. In seven cases the patient's condition was critical and precluded any surgical procedure, so the knotted catheter was left in situ. The mortality of this event was 8% (9/113). CONCLUSIONS: interventional radiological techniques have largely replaced open surgical removal. Knotted catheters may need to be surgically removed when (a) the knot is large in size with many loops, or (b) intracardiac fixing of the knot is encountered.

Barium peritonitis: a rare complication of upper gastrointestinal contrast investigation.

Contrast examination of the gastrointestinal tract is rarely complicated by perforation. The colon and rectum are most commonly affected, with many perforations limited to the retroperitoneum. Generalised peritonitis is therefore rare, but is life-threatening and difficult to treat. We present two analogous cases in which extravasation of barium sulphate complicated contrast meal investigation. These cases illustrate important aspects in the management of this unusual occurrence.

Long-term results of management of type I choledochal cysts in adults.

Choledochal cysts in adults is a rare condition. The present study describes our experience with this abnormality of the biliary tree. During a 16-year period (1978-1993) eight adults with type I choledochal cyst were treated surgically in our departments. They were 4 men and 4 women with a mean age of 38.9 years (range 20-84). Symptoms, clinical findings and abnormalities in laboratory investigations included pain in all patients, history of cholangitis (n = 3), cholangitis (n = 2), acute pancreatitis (n = 1), palpable mass (n = 2), abdominal tenderness (n = 4), leucocytocis (n = 2), and increased levels of serum total bilirubin (n = 4), SGOT (n = 2), and serum alkaline phosphatase (n = 4). Diagnosis was established by intravenous cholangiography in one case, by CT-scanning in one, by ultrasonography in 5 and by intraoperative cholangiography in one. All the patients were treated surgically. Three of them underwent a Roux-en-Y choledochocystojejunostomy and one a choledochocystoduodenostomy. The other 4 patients were treated with cyst excision and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. There were no deaths among our patients. The mean follow-up period was 6.7 years (range 1-17). So far, five episodes of mild ascending cholangitis have occurred in the patient treated with choledochocystoduodenostomy. One patient in whom a Roux-en-Y choledochocystojejunostomy was performed had 2 episodes of right upper quadrant colic pain and one episode of cholangitis. Both these patients were treated conservatively. The other 6 patients had no episodes of pain cholangitis or jaundice. In conclusion, the primary treatment of choledochal cyst type I is the excision of the cyst with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. The Roux-en-Y choledochocystojejunostomy is indicated in cases where, for various reasons, the cyst can not be safely removed.

Emergency operations in the elderly: management and outcome.

For the purpose of highlighting the problems that arise in emergency surgical procedures in elderly patients and of defining safe management, the records of 797 patients aged over 70, operated urgently during a 22-year period, were reviewed. The mortality was 18.4% in the emergency and 4.5% in the elective operations (p < 0.0001). There was no correlation between mortality rates in different age groups. The majority of the patients (67.3%) with coexisting cardio or pulmonary diseases expired. The mortality was significantly lower in the second 11-year period (1982-1992) (14%) than in the first one (1971-1981) (23.8%), (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, age is not a contraindication for an emergency operation and does not affect mortality which appears to be directly related to the severity and nature of the disease and to the coexisting cardio pulmonary diseases. We must advise the elderly to be operated on timely. In some severe surgical conditions it is wise to perform ad hoc the most conservative operation.

Factors affecting the lifespan of autologous and synthetic arteriovenous access routes for haemodialysis.

OBJECTIVE: To try and establish a consensus about the ideal secondary access for haemodialysis by assessing factors that affect the longevity of various access routes. DESIGN: Multicentre survey, by questionnaire. SETTING: General hospital, Athens. SUBJECTS: All 1516 patients in the Athens area receiving chronic haemodialysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Longevity of present and any previous access routes (n = 2323). Data including type of access, age, sex and the existence of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, or other systematic diseases were recorded. RESULTS: Some 1220 (80%) of the patients were using autologous access, 1049 (69%) arteriovenous (AV) fistulas at wrist and 171 (11%) at elbow. Variables were analysed using Cox's proportional hazard model. Age and female sex were significantly associated with failure of autogenous access (p < 0.001) although not affecting synthetic grafts. Autogenous fistula at the elbow was the only secondary access that was less likely to fail than the initial (baseline) fistula at the wrist. Among the various grafts, straight arm grafts had the best prognosis and straight forearm grafts were the most likely to fail (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: An AV fistula at the elbow should be considered the second best after the fistula at wrist, but is not always feasible. A synthetic graft is more likely to be needed in elderly patients and women, in whom an autogenous AV fistula is more likely to fail.

Complications of congenital posterolateral diaphragmatic hernia in the adult. Report of two cases and literature review.

The literature on incarceration in Bochdalek hernias in adults is rather limited. Our purpose is to present two cases of this lesion that were treated surgically in the past ten years. The first patient, a 32 year old female was admitted in shock with an 8h history of left chest pain and dyspnoea. Chest X-ray showed a pleural effusion in the left hemithorax. Chest tube drainage revealed gastric fluid. We operated on her immediately, through a left thoracotomy, and found rupture of the stomach into the left pleural cavity. Strangulation of the fundus of the stomach due to congenital diaphragmatic hernia, Bochdalek's type, was found to be the cause of the rupture. We performed resection of the gangrenous segment of the stomach with primary closure. The second patient a 48 year old man was admitted with symptoms of large bowel obstruction. Per os gastrographin study showed the splenic flexure herniated into the left hemithorax. At the operation, through a paramedian left incision, the herniated large bowel was reduced back into the abdomen. In both cases the defect of the left hemidiaphragm was sutured with interrupted silk sutures. Both patients had an uneventful postoperative course. The diagnosis of Bochdalek hernia in the adult is usually made in case of complications, and that demands an immediate surgical repair.