Successful management of a rare case of gallbladder neuroendocrine carcinoma with tumor thrombi.

A gallbladder neuroendocrine neoplasm (GB­NEN) is a bizarre heterogeneous neoplasm arising from neuroendocrine cells, which are present in minimal amounts on the GB mucosa either due to conversion of undifferentiated stem cells, chronic inflammation and resulting in pathological metaplasia or switching of GB adenocarcinoma to neuroendocrine one. Among all the GB malignancies, GB-NEN accounts for approximately 2.1%. A 41-year-old lady presented with right upper abdomen pain and distension for 2 weeks. Contrast CT showed heterogeneously enhancing wall thickening involving fundus-body of the GB with large exophytic component involving segments IV/V of liver, peripheral enhancement and central low attenuating necrotic areas. Middle hepatic and left branch of portal vein was filled with enhancing lesion, tumor thrombi. She underwent left trisectionectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Postoperative biopsy reported as poorly differentiated unifocal small cell GB-neuroendocrine carcinomas (GB-NEC). Resected margins were free of tumor with periportal lymph nodes negative for tumor. Follow-up PET-CT after six months of treatment completion shows no tumor recurrence or metastases. She has completed 12 months following the surgery and is asymptomatic. As the occurrence of GB-NEC is rare, there are little data regarding etiology, pathogenesis, treatment and prognosis of it. Even though metastasis is early and most frequent to lymph nodes, liver, lung and peritoneum, the presence of tumor thrombus in GB-NEC is rarely reported. Though most reports suggest very poor outcomes, radical surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy can yield good short-term results as seen in this case.

Solitary lower limb cutaneous metastasis in a case of esophageal adenocarcinoma: a rare presentation.

Esophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer all over the world and is sixth in the list of cancer-related mortality. Here in this report, we present an elderly male with solitary subcutaneous metastasis to right thigh 2 years following esophagectomy for esophageal adenocarcinoma. Operative notes revealed inadequate margins on frozen section analysis during initial resection, which were subsequently revised. Postoperative histopathology showed ypT3N0M0 Grade 3 mucin-secreting adenocarcinoma. A wedge biopsy from the thigh growth revealed metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) was done, which showed a higher tracer uptake in the ulcero-proliferative lesion arising from the subcutaneous plane in the right thigh with no evidence of any other metastasis or recurrence at the primary site. As the reported incidence of distant unexpected metastases is growing, careful physical examination with a preoperative PET-CT is indispensable. Further knowledge on options on treatment of such isolated cutaneous metastasis needs to be studied by the scientific community.

Successful use of a mesocaval shunt to treat refractory ascites in a chronic pancreatitis induced portal vein thrombosis.

The state of intense peripancreatic inflammation in chronic pancreatitis can give rise to various vascular complications such as venous thrombosis and arterial pseudoaneurysms. Due to its intimate location with the pancreas, spleno-mesenteric-portal axis suffers the greatest blunt of thrombotic complications. Treatment modalities for such cases of chronic portal vein thrombosis have always been controversial and challenging. Medical management with anticoagulants is both risky and unsatisfactory due to presence of varices, hypersplenism, and persistence of the inflammatory pathology. Although endovascular techniques have been tried in various case reports, there are definite anatomical challenges in cases of long segment porto-mesenteric thrombosis with massive ascites. Surgical shunts have been historically described for cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic portal hypertensive patients. However, its use in patients with refractory ascites due to chronic pancreatitis induced portal vein thrombosis has not been reported in the medical literature. Here, we present a case of an extensive portal vein thrombosis with massive refractory ascites in a patient with alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis successfully treated with a surgical mesocaval shunt using an interposition small diameter graft.

Giant Celiac Artery Pseudoaneurysm in a Case of Chronic Pancreatitis: A Rare Case Report With Literature Review.

Pancreatic pseudoaneurysms though uncommon can result in life-threatening spontaneous acute gastrointestinal or intraperitoneal hemorrhage. Celiac artery pseudoaneurysm in a background of chronic pancreatitis is a very rare event. Digital Subtraction Angiography is an important adjunct in the diagnosis and follow-up with the advantage of providing therapeutic options along with giving other details regarding the site, size, and flow characteristics. It has replaced emergency surgical procedures with the added advantage of fewer postoperative complications and lower morbidity and mortality. An urgent surgical intervention remains the only option when such endovascular management fails, not feasible, or is unavailable. Surgical options include proximal arterial ligation or a pancreatic resection, depending on the location of the pseudoaneurysm. We report a case of a 35-year-old gentleman, a known patient of chronic pancreatitis, who presented to our emergency with clinical features of hypovolemic shock and was diagnosed to have celiac artery pseudoaneurysm. Following a failed endovascular coiling, he was successfully managed with operative celiac artery ligation.

147 Pancreatoduodenectomies: a Single Center's Perspective into the Epidemiology and Surgical Outcomes of Periampullary and Pancreatic Cancers in South India.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) is the only curative procedure for resectable periampullary cancers. This study aims to survey the various outcome variables of the procedure at our institute, which is in the early process of evolving into a high-volume center for PDs. METHODS: Data of patients, who underwent PDs, was collected retrospectively from January 2010 to December 2017 and prospectively from January 2018 to December 2019. Various preoperative, intraoperative, and histopathological parameters were compared with the outcome variables-morbidity and mortality rates. RESULTS: A total of 147 patients underwent PDs over the last decade. From January 2010 to December 2014 (period A), 29 patients underwent PD, while 118 patients underwent PD from January 2015 to December 2019 (period B). Clinically relevant (CR) delayed gastric emptying (44.8% vs 23.7%), CR post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage (37.9% vs 18.6%), and blood loss (850 ml (400-5300 ml) vs 600 ml (150-2500 ml)) improved in period B with no improvement in CR postoperative pancreatic fistula (20.7% vs 28.8%). The rates of SSI (63.6%), pulmonary complications (29.9%), and mean postoperative stay (19.87 ± 11.59 days) were found to be higher than most of the major centers. Mortality rates decreased significantly from 27.6% in period A to 10.2% in period B (p = 0.029). Median overall survival was 30 months (95% CI 20.76-39.23 months) CONCLUSION: Over the last decade, there has been a significant improvement in the mortality rate, but morbidity remains high and must be looked into as the department enters the new decade as a young high-volume center.

Arterio-Hepatic Venous Fistula Following Liver Biopsy: A Rare Case Report and Literature Review.

Arterio-hepatic venous fistula (AHVF) is an exceedingly rare phenomenon compared to arterio-portal venous fistula with only 8 cases reported in world literature. Many listed causes can be attributed to the development of there are no reported cases of AHVF following a core-needle biopsy. We report a case of 38 year-old-female with EHPVO, who underwent splenectomy with a proximal splenorenal shunt. She had an injury to left hepatic artery, consequent to a blind intra-operative core needle biopsy from the liver, which led to the development of a fistulous connection between left hepatic artery and middle hepatic vein causing high output cardiac failure. She was successfully managed with trans-arterial embolization. The present review emphasizes the possibility of AHVF following a liver biopsy and the role of digital subtraction angiography in the diagnosis, therapeutic intravascular interventions, and follow-up.

Left Gastric Pseudoaneurysm in a Case of Chronic Pancreatitis: A Case Report With Review of Literature.

Visceral artery pseudoaneurysms are common complications of pancreatitis that carry a high mortality rate. Early detection and treatment of the pseudoaneurysms should be done as they carry high mortality following rupture. The splenic artery is the commonest artery involved followed by gastroduodenal and pancreaticoduodenal arteries. Gastric artery pseudoaneurysms are less common with less than 50 cases reported in the literature till now. We describe a case of gastric artery pseudoaneurysm secondary to chronic pancreatitis in a patient who presented with intermittent GI bleeding and also describe the role of endovascular management in the treatment of the same.

Laparoscopic versus Open Repair of Para-Umbilical Hernia- A Prospective Comparative Study of Short Term Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Para-Umbilical Hernia (PUH) is one of the most common surgical problems. Since the prosthetic repair has become the standard of practice for inguinal hernia management, the same has been adapted for para-umbilical hernia management with better outcome. There is still debate going on regarding the optimal surgical approach. There are very few prospective studies comparing the laparoscopic and open method of para-umbilical hernia mesh repair. This study compared the short term outcomes following laparoscopic versus open mesh repair of PUH. AIM: To compare the early complications of open repair with laparoscopic repair of PUH. To compare the post-operative hospital stay of open repair with laparoscopic repair of PUH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective comparative clinical study done from August 2014 to August 2016. All the patients above the age of 13 who attended our surgical outpatient department with PUH were taken into our study. Exclusion criteria included 1) Patients with obstructed or strangulated PUH 2) Patients with abdominal malignancies 3) Patients with coagulopathy, severe cardiopulmonary disease, ascites and renal failure 4) Patients who had PUH repair in combination with another major surgical operation such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and inguinal hernia repair 5) Patients with recurrent PUH. Institute Ethical Committee clearance was obtained for this study. RESULTS: Out of 40 patients with PUH, 20 received open meshplasty and 20 patients received laparoscopic meshplasty. Postoperative pain and length of hospital stay is significantly less in laparoscopic PUH repair. Postoperative complications like wound infection, seroma, and haematoma are relatively less in laparoscopic group though statistically not significant. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic PUH repair has significantly better outcome in terms of postoperative pain and postoperative hospital stay.

Short-Term Outcome in Patients Undergoing Gastrectomy with D2 Lymphadenectomy for Carcinoma Stomach.

The safety and feasibility of D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer in Western patients have been shown by Italian Gastric Cancer Study Group (IGCSG). In our center at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), we have been doing D1 lymphadenectomy all these years. Hence, this study was taken up to assess the feasibility of gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy in patients with gastric cancer at JIPMER, Puducherry, India. Of the 148 carcinoma stomach patients explored, a total of 52 patients (35.13%) underwent resection with D1 (34 patients) or D2 (18 patients) lymphadenectomy, who formed the study groups. Patients were admitted and investigated by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) and other appropriate investigations including contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the abdomen. Eligible patients had no serious comorbid cardiorespiratory disease that would preclude a safe D2 procedure. Two-third of the patients in both the groups belonged to the 50-75 age group. The mean number of nodes dissected was 6.44 ± 5.3 in the gastrectomy with D1 lymphadenectomy group versus 21.67 ± 5.3 in the gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy group. There was no difference in the intraoperative blood loss, the number of units of blood transfused and the duration of surgery between D1 and D2 lymphadenectomy in our study. There was no difference between the postoperative stay and overall stay between the D1 and D2 lymphadenectomy. There was no significant difference between the overall morbidity and mortality or when the surgical complications were analysed individually. Intraoperative blood loss, the number of units of blood required for transfusion and the duration of surgery were not increased in D2 lymphadenectomy. The number of lymph nodes harvested was significantly more in D2 lymphadenectomy that resulted in a better staging. Postoperative morbidity or mortality in patients undergoing D2 lymphadenectomy was the same as in D1 lymphadenectomy. Hence, gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy could be done safely.

Giant Intramuscular Nodular Fasciitis Masquerading as Soft Tissue Sarcoma with Neural Involvement - A Case Report.

Nodular Fasciitis (NF) is described as a benign reactive proliferation of myofibroblasts that occurs predominantly in the subcutaneous location. Most commonly presents as rapidly growing swelling in the young adults, with usual size of less than 4cm and located commonly in the extremities. We hereby report a case of giant nodular fasciitis of 10cm diameter which presented in an unusual location (gluteal region) and rare plane of origin (intramuscular) with unusual symptom of sciatic nerve involvement. Because of the size, location and neural involvement a clinical diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma was made. After investigating with trucut biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging, benign nature of the lesion confirmed and treated with complete excision, carefully preserving the sciatic nerve. This case is presented for its rarity in size, location, plane of origin and neural compression. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of nodular fasciitis of 10cm size and in the gluteal muscles.

Palliation of Dysphagia in Carcinoma Esophagus.

Esophageal carcinoma has a special place in gastrointestinal carcinomas because it contains two main types, namely, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Carcinoma esophagus patients require some form of palliation because of locally advanced stage or distant metastasis, where it cannot be subjected to curable treatment with surgery and chemoradiation. Many modalities of palliation of dysphagia are available, but the procedure with least morbidity, mortality, and long-term palliation of dysphagia needs to be chosen for the patient. This study aims to discuss the recent trends in palliation of dysphagia with promising results and the most suitable therapy for palliation of dysphagia in a given patient. A total of 64 articles that were published between years 2005 and 2015 on various modes of palliation of dysphagia in carcinoma esophagus were studied, which were mainly randomized and prospective studies. Through this study, we conclude that stents are the first choice of therapy for palliation, which is safe and cost-effective, and they can be combined with either radiotherapy or chemotherapy for long-term palliation of dysphagia with good quality of life. Radiotherapy can be used as a second-line treatment modality.

Intratumoural injection of absolute alcohol in carcinoma of gastroesophageal junction for palliation of dysphagia.

BACKGROUND: Ethanol-induced tumour necrosis (ETN) is a simple, readily available palliative treatment for patients with inoperable carcinoma of the oesophagus with poor performance status. In India, capital outlay needed for stenting or laser therapy is out of reach. Hence, we took up this study to calculate the effect of intratumoral injection of absolute alcohol in palliation of dysphagia due to carcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction and to monitor the improvement in quality of life (QOL). METHODS: A total of 16 patients with a mean age of 56.2 ± 7.5 years with dysphagia due to unresectable malignant oesophageal strictures involving the oesophagogastric junction were included in the study. Six to ten cubic centimetres of absolute alcohol in 1 cc aliquots was injected circumferentially into the tumour at the point of luminal obstruction using disposable sclerosing needles (23G). During each follow up dysphagia grade, QOL score and complications, if any, were noted. RESULTS: The mean alcohol injected per session was 6.9 ± 1.8 cc. The mean dysphagia grade improved from 5.5 ± 0.5 to 2.5 ± 1.1 before and after alcohol injection, respectively (p < 0.001). The time taken for recurrence of dysphagia ranged from 14 to 80 days with a median of 28 days. The mean QOL score assessed by modified EORTC questionnaire improved from a mean of 63.6 ± 6.9 to 92.6 ± 13.9 (p < 0.001). The dysphagia free survival ranged from 23 to 175 days with a mean of 71.2 days. Complications included oesophageal perforation in one patient and death in one patient. CONCLUSION: The endoscopic intratumoral injection of absolute alcohol significantly improves dysphagia and QOL. It is inexpensive and easy to perform.

Role of imprint/exfoliative cytology in ulcerated skin neoplasms.

Imprint cytology is a method of studying cells by taking an imprint from the cut surface of a wedge biopsy specimen or from the resected margins of a surgical specimen. It is rapid, simple and fairly accurate. Exfoliative cytology is an offshoot from the imprint cytology where in cells obtained from the surface of ulcers, either by scrape or brush, are analyzed for the presence of malignant cells. We undertook this study to see the role of imprint/exfoliative cytology in the diagnosis of ulcerated skin neoplasm and to check the adequacy of resected margins intra-operatively. This was a prospective investigative study conducted from September 2003 to July 2005. All patients presenting to surgical clinic with ulcerated skin and soft tissue tumours were included in the study. A wedge biopsy obtained from the ulcer and imprint smears were taken from the cut surface. Exfoliative cytology was analyzed from the surface smears. Wedge biopsy specimen was sent for histopathological (HPE) examination. The cytology and HPE were analyzed by a separate pathologist. Imprint cytology was also used to check the adequacy of resected margins in case of wide excision. This was compared with final HPE. Total of 107 patients was included in the present study and 474 imprint smears were done, with an average of 4.43 slides per lesion. Out of 59 wide excision samples, 132 imprint smears were prepared for assessing resected margins accounting for an average of 2.24 slides per each excised lesion. On combining imprint cytology with exfoliative cytology the overall sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were 90.38 %, 100 % and 90.38 % respectively. Only one out of 59 cases had a positive resected margin which was not picked by imprint cytology. Imprint cytology can be used for rapid and accurate diagnosis of various skin malignancies. It can also be used to check the adequacy of the resected margin intraoperatively.

Community acquired secondary bacterial peritonitis in a tertiary hospital of South India: an audit with special reference to peritoneal fluid culture.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to elucidate the spectrum of community acquired acute bacterial peritonitis, the role of microbiological culture in its management and other factors affecting its outcome. METHODS: This was a prospective study wherein we examined cases of secondary bacterial peritonitis admitted and operated at our institution from January 2005 to May 2006. The peritoneal fluid was sent for bacterial culture and sensitivity testing. Patients were followed up with relevant progress details till discharge or death. RESULTS: We enrolled 352 patients. The mean age of the study population was 42.4 years with a male:female ratio of 7:1. Gastroduodenal perforations formed the major site of perforation (51%), followed by small bowel (29%) and appendicular perforations (17%). Culture positivity rate was 64%. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species were the predominant isolates from peritoneal fluid. These main isolates were predominantly sensitive to ceftazidime, amikacin and chloramphenicol. Ampicillin with gentamicin and metronidazole was the first line of treatment used preoperatively in 67% of the patients, given its low cost and easier availability. The overall morbidity and mortality rates were 52% and 16.5% respectively. 78% of patients received inadequate antibiotics preoperatively. Only 26% had appropriate change of antibiotics postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant benefit of postoperative change of antibiotics based on culture results. Analysis of factors influencing mortality shows dominance of host related factors over the type and source of infection with high risk population identified by age > 60 years, delayed presentations > 3 days and APACHE II score > 15.