Early parathyroid hormone (PTH) level as a predictor of post-surgical hypoparathyroidism.

INTRODUCTION: Post-operative hypocalcemia and postoperative persistent hypoparathyroidism remain the most common complications after thyroidectomy. Many approaches have been developed to prevent them, but actually, a common protocol is not yet individuated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the results of a prospectively collected database. We dosed PTH preoperatively and 4 h after surgery (PTH_4); calcium was evaluated preoperatively, on the first (I_POD) and on the second postoperative day (II_POD). Hypocalcemia was defined when calcium <8 mg/dl. PTH_4 and I_POD calcium serum levels are identified to predict postoperative hypocalcemia. RESULTS: Three hundred and forty-eight patients were enrolled, 37 patients resulted as hypocalcemic on I_POD and 41 on the II_POD. PTH_4 is related to I_POD (p < 0.001, r = 0.45) and II_POD (p < 0.001, r = 0.44) calcemia. PTH_4-cut-off predicting I_POD hypocalcemia was 10.50 pg/ml (sensitivity: 78.7%, specificity: 72.7%). A PTH_4 value of 11.5 pg/ml is able to predict hypocalcemia during II_POD (sensitivity: 76.5%, specificity: 69.2%). We set up a combined test to predict II_POD hypocalcemia, using PTH_4 and I_POD calcium (sensitivity: 77.8%, specificity: 89.9%). CONCLUSION: This research shows the association between PTH_4 and postoperative hypocalcemia. The PTH_4 cut-off to predict I_POD-hypocalcemia was 10.5 pg/ml. We analyzed the calcemia trend during the postoperative period and we realized a combined test using PTH_4 and I_POD-calcemia. This test improves the accuracy of the previous test. Further studies, in particular multicentric, with a larger sample are necessary to validate the combined model.

Transhiatal distal esophagectomy for Siewert type II cardia cancer can be a treatment option in selected patients.

BACKGROUND: While surgical treatment of Siewert I and III (S1,S3) Esophagogastric Junction (EGJ) cancer is codified, the efficay of transhiatal procedure with anastomosis in the lower mediastinum for Siewert II (S2) still remains a dibated topic. METHODS: This is a large multicenter retrospective study. The results of 598 consecutive patients submitted to resection with curative intent from January 2000 to January 2017 were reported. Clinical and oncological outcomes of different procedures performed in S2 tumor were analyzed to investigate the efficacy of transhiatal approach. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival rate (OS) was poor (32%) for all Siewert types. The most performed operations in S2 cancer were proximal gastrectomy + transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE or Ivor-Lewis procedure, 60%), total gastrectomy + transhiatal distal esophagectomy with anastomosis in the chest (THE, 24%) and total gastrectomy + transthoracic esophagectomy (TGTTE, 15%). Cardiovascular and pulmonary complications were higher after TTE. On the contrary, surgical complications were significantly higher after THE. Postoperative mortality was similar. The distribution of TNM stages was different in the 3 types of procedures: patients submitted to THE had an earlier stage disease. With this bias, OS after THE was higher than after TTE but the difference was not significant (49.85% vs 28.42%, p = 0.0587). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a higher rate of postoperative surgical complications, OS after total gastrectomy and transhiatal distal esophagectomy was at least comparable to that of transthoracic approach in less advanced S2 tumors. Therefore, THE with anastomosis in the chest could be a treatmen option in earlier S2 tumors.

A novel approach to inoperable or recurrent rectal cancer by chemoembolization: A new arrow in our quiver?

PURPOSE: Assess the feasibility, safety and efficacy of TACE with irinotecan loaded micro particles (debiri) for the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer patients. RESULTS: We assessed the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS). The tool is designed to assess nine common symptoms in cancer patients: pain, tiredness, nausea, depression, anxiety, drowsiness, appetite, wellbeing and shortness of breath. The ESAS score was 7 in 10/12 (83%) patients before treatment and 6 in 2/12 (16.5%) patients. After treatment in 6/12 (50%) patients the score dropped to 3; 3/12 (33%) reported 4, 1/12 (8%) reported 2. All patients experienced local control disease with a degree of citoreduction; in 4 cases (33%) we observed outstanding responses with a dramatic reduction in the tumors size which led us to surgical radical resections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We run a prospective mono-institutional study where we recruited, 12 non- consecutive patients with histology confirmation of rectal cancer, inoperable and not treatable due to severe comorbidities, or pelvic recurrence/progression after curative treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or surgery. Their performance status (PS) ECOG was 2-3 . Twelve patients (10 male and 2 female) with a median age 71 (range 56-89) were recruited in the study. CONCLUSIONS: The study has met the primary endpoint and showed encouraging activity. Debiri could be a possible option for locally advanced/inoperable or recurred rectal cancer patients. Further trials are warranted to validate this methodic in early stages.

Thyroidectomy for Painful Thyroiditis Resistant to Steroid Treatment: Three New Cases with Review of the Literature.

Thyroidal pain is usually due to subacute thyroiditis (SAT). In more severe forms prednisone doses up to 40 mg daily for 2-3 weeks are recommended. Recurrences occur rarely and restoration of steroid treatment cures the disease. Rarely, patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) have thyroidal pain (painful HT, PHT). Differently from SAT, occasional PHT patients showed no benefit from medical treatment so that thyroidectomy was necessary. We report three patients who did not show clinical response to prolonged high dose prednisone treatment: a 50-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman, and a 33-year-old woman. Thyroidectomy was necessary, respectively, after nine-month treatment with 50 mg daily, two-month treatment with 75 mg daily, and one-month treatment with 50 mg daily. The two women were typical cases of PHT. Conversely, in the first patient, thyroid histology showed features of granulomatous thyroiditis, typical of SAT, without fibrosis or lymphocytic infiltration, typical of HT/PHT, coupled to undetectable serum anti-thyroid antibodies. Our data (1) suggest that not only PHT but also SAT may show resistance to steroid treatment and (2) confirm a previous observation in a single PHT patient that increasing prednisone doses above conventional maximal dosages may not be useful in these patients.

Inferior mesenteric artery chemoembolization and chemotherapy for advanced rectal cancer: report of a clinical case.

Patients with advanced and incurable colorectal cancer have a very poor prognosis. Curative-intent resection was performed in 70%-90% of cases in reported series of colorectal cancer, sometimes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The remaining 10%-30% of patients are treated with palliative intent, where treatment is aimed at relieving disease-related symptoms and improving quality of life. The provision of palliative care for these patients is complicated and outcomes are often disappointing. Although there are many available options including a variety of surgical and nonsurgical interventions, the best management remains controversial. Transarterial chemoembolization with irinotecan-loaded drug-eluting beads (DEBIRI) is an effective, minimally invasive procedure performed by interventional radiologists that allows intra-arterial drug delivery to stop vascular feeding and exert local cytotoxic effects. We here report on a patient treated with DEBIRI followed by systemic chemotherapy with the FOLFOX regimen for locally advanced, inoperable colorectal cancer.

Peritoneal lactate as a potential biomarker for predicting the need for reintervention after abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of complications after abdominal surgery is crucial to improve outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the use of the peritoneal-serum lactate ratio and of peritoneal lactate levels applied alone for predicting the need for reintervention after abdominal surgery. METHODS: This prospective observational study included 88 patients who underwent abdominal surgery (48 emergency and 40 elective operations) and presented with fever, leukocytosis, late passage of flatus, and abdominal pain by the fourth postoperative day. The lactate levels were measured in the serum and peritoneal fluid. In total, 31 of 88 patients required reintervention. The receiver operator characteristic analysis was used to determine the best threshold value for the peritoneal-serum lactate ratio and for peritoneal lactate levels applied alone to identify patients who required reintervention. RESULTS: A peritoneal-serum lactate ratio greater than 4.5 (area under the curve, 0.865; 95% confidence interval, 0.773-0.957; p < 0.001) and a peritoneal lactate value greater than 9.1 mmol/L (area under the curve, 0.834; 95% confidence interval, 0.735-0.934; p < 0.0001) discriminated between patients who required reintervention with a sensitivity of 91.3%, a specificity of 81%, and a negative predictive value of 94.4% and a sensitivity of 81.9%, a specificity of 82%, and a positive predictive value of 89%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of our study support the hypothesis that the peritoneal-serum lactate ratio and the peritoneal lactate level applied alone could be safe, simple, inexpensive, noninvasive, and potentially valuable tools for the early identification of patients who require reintervention after elective or emergency abdominal surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic study, level III. Prognostic study, level III.

Repair of diaphragmatic hernia following spinal surgery by laparoscopic mesh application: a case report and review of the literature.

We describe the laparoscopic management of diaphragmatic hernia (DH) caused by vertebral pedicle screw displacement. A 58-year-old woman underwent surgery for scoliosis and underwent posterior pedicle screw fixation. In the first postoperative (PO)day, she developed mild dyspnea. An anteroposterior chest radiograph revealed bilateral pleural effusion, which was more pronounced on the left side. A thoracoabdominal computed tomography (CT) scan, performed in the second PO day, revealed a solid mass in the pleural cavity that was associated with screw displacement, which had also entered into the peritoneal cavity without apparent other lesion of hollow and solid viscous. In the third PO day, after the screw was removed, explorative laparoscopy was carried out. We observed herniation of the omentum through a small diaphragmatic tear. Once the absence of visceral injury was confirmed, we reduced the omentum into the abdomen. Then, we repaired the hernia by applying a dual layer polypropylene mesh over the defect with a 3-cm overlap. The remainder of the postoperative period was uneventful. Iatrogenic DH due to a pedicle screw displacement has never been described before. In cases of pleural effusion following spinal surgery, rapid assessment and treatment are crucial. We conclude that a laparoscopic approach to iatrogenic DH could be feasible and effective in a hemodynamically stable patient with negative CT findings because it enables the completion of the diagnostic cascade and the repair of the tear, providing excellent visualization of the abdominal viscera and diaphragmatic tears.

Small bowel obstruction in percutaneous fixation of traumatic pelvic fractures.

The use of external fixation for the initial treatment of unstable, complex pelvic injuries with hemodynamic instability remains an effective treatment for multiply injured patients. Bowel entrapment within a pelvic fracture is a rarely reported, potentially fatal complication. Here, we report a polytrauma patient with pelvic fractures who developed an intestinal obstruction after an external fixation. At an explorative laparotomy, we found an ileum segment trapped in the sacral fracture. Reported cases of bowel entrapment in pelvic fractures, especially in sacral fractures, are exceedingly rare. The diagnosis is often delayed due to difficulty distinguishing entrapment from the more common adynamic ileus. In conclusion, clinicians and radiologists should be aware of this potentially lethal complication of pelvic fractures treatment. To exclude bowel entrapment, patients with persistent ileus or sepsis should undergo early investigations.

Phytobezoar in Meckel's diverticulum: A rare cause of small bowel obstruction.

INTRODUCTION: Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is the prevailing anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, found in about 2% of the population; it rarely gives rise to symptoms and its discovery is usually accidental. Phytobezoar is a concretion of poorly digested fruit and vegetable fibres that is found in the alimentary tract and rarely can be the cause of small intestinal obstruction. Herein we report a rare case of intestinal obstruction due to phytobezoar formation into a MD. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 50 year-old patient, was admitted to author's institution with an history of abdominal pain, nausea and multiples episodes of vomiting. Plain X-ray showed dilated small-bowel loops. Computed tomography (CT) revealed jejunal loops with air-fluid levels. The patient underwent explorative laparotomy where we found a giant Meckel's diverticulum, filled by a phytobezoar that caused small bowel compression. We performed a segmental ileal, resection, containing the MD. The histological exam confirmed Meckel's diverticulum. DISCUSSION: Bowel obstruction due to a phytobezoar in a Meckel's diverticulum is rare: only 7 cases have been reported in literature. MD complications are rare and phytobezoar is one of them with only few cases described in literature. CONCLUSION: The conventional x rays studies were inconclusive whereas abdominal contrast enhanced CT led to a definitive diagnosis. Explorative laparotomy or laparoscopy is mandatory in these cases.

Endoscopic treatment of postgastrectomy duodenal fistula with an over-the-scope clip.

Bleeding peptic ulcer is a life threatening condition with high mortality rate but often treatable by endoscopy. Surgical indications in case of gastroduodenal ulcers are confined to endoscopic and radiological failures in bleeding control. Duodenal fistula (DF) is a rare complication of gastric resection and even if a rare event it may be a life threatening condition. Surgical and medical options could not solve the DF. Herein we report a case of an old patient underwent emergency gastrectomy for ulcer's bleeding who developed DF associated to sepsis, malnutrition and, hydro-electrolyte disorders not responding to surgical and medical attempts. We demonstrated, for the first time, the efficacy of over the scope clips (OTSC®) in the treatment of postoperative duodenal fistulas not responding to surgical and medical treatment in high risk patient.

Malignant transformation of ectopic pancreatic cells in the duodenal wall.

Ectopic pancreas (EP) is the relatively uncommon presence of pancreatic tissue outside the normal location of the pancreas. This condition is usually asymptomatic and rarely complicated by pancreatitis and malignant transformation. A few cases of neoplastic phenomena that developed from EP into the duodenal wall are described in the literature. Herein we report a case of gastric outlet obstruction due to adenocarcinoma arising from EP of the duodenal wall. The patient underwent a Whipple's procedure and had an uneventful post-operative recovery. Traditional imaging studies are often inconclusive in the definitive diagnosis, whilst endoscopic ultrasonography and guided biopsy may aid accurate pre-operative diagnosis. Diagnostic uncertainty warrants surgical exploration and if necessary extended resection is indicated.

Laparoscopic repair for perforated peptic ulcers with U-CLIP(R).

BACKGROUND: The literature established that, in patients without Boey's risk factors, laparoscopic repair of perforated peptic ulcers, compared to open repair, is associated to lower wound infection rate, less analgesic use, reduction in post operative pain, shorter hospital stay. Some of the main drawbacks are length of operative time and laparoscopic surgeon's experience in intracorporeal knotting.We, for first, report our preliminary experience of perforated peptic ulcers' laparoscopic repair using Medtronic U-Clip(R). METHODS: From January 2008 to June 2008 we performed laparoscopic repair of perforated peptic ulcers using Medtronic U-Clip(R) in 10 consecutive patients (6 men and 4 women, from 20 to 65 years-old of age). All the patients presented with iuxtapyloric perforated peptic ulcer, not greater than 10 mm, without signs of sepsis, free from major illnesses. The mini-invasive procedure was performed both by skilled and non-skilled laparoscopic surgeons under experts' surveillance. After it was recognized, perforation was sutured using U-Clip(R) in a full-thickness manner. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: We reported no surgical complications in the peri-operative period. The clinical outcome and time needed to perform the intervention didn't change between skilled and non-skilled surgeons. The follow-up at 30 days was good. CONCLUSION: In our experience, the anastomotic device U-Clip(R) simplifies laparoscopic repair of perforated peptic ulcer, avoiding the need to perform knots and making the procedure safe and easier.