Prevention of postoperative renal dysfunction in patients with obstructive jaundice: a multicentre study of bile salts and lactulose.

The role of preoperative lactulose and bile salts in the prevention of postoperative renal failure in patients with obstructive jaundice has been evaluated in a prospective randomized trial. One hundred and two patients undergoing surgery for obstructive jaundice (bilirubin greater than 100 mumols/l) were randomized into three groups: those receiving preoperative oral lactulose (n = 35), those receiving oral sodium deoxycholate (n = 32) and a control group of patients receiving no specific treatment (n = 35). All patients received intravenous fluids commencing the night before surgery. One patient in the control group and none in the treatment groups developed postoperative renal failure. Postoperative deterioration of renal function in patients with normal preoperative function was significantly more common in the control group than in the treatment groups (chi 2 = 8.1, d.f. = 2, P less than 0.02). The incidence of renal failure and impairment was lower in this control group than that reported in previous studies. This may be due to the introduction of adequate preoperative hydration. Additional protection occurs by the preoperative administration of either lactulose or sodium deoxycholate.

Staging of cancer of the pancreas.

Staging of cancer of the pancreas is relatively reliable when based on pathological material obtained from operative specimens or at autopsy. At operation, the assessment of disease stage, and therefore of operability, is more difficulty-particularly in relation to the extent of lymph node involvement and liver metastases. Preoperative staging, which, clinically, is the most essential, is difficult and unsatisfactory at the present time.

Management of chronic relapsing pancreatitis in adolescents.

Chronic relapsing pancreatitis in adolescence is a most uncommon clinical problem and has received minimal separate recognition in the literature. Adolescence is an age when the causes of the disease, which may operate from birth, overlap with the major etiological factors in the generality of pancreatitis in adult life. A personal series of 32 patients with pancreatitis, aged 11-20 years, is reported. Twenty-four followed a chronic relapsing course. There was, therefore, a marked reversal of the normal preponderance of acute over chronic relapsing cases. Those with underlying biliary disease, and the group in whom no etiological factors could be identified, ran an unexpectedly severe and troublesome course. This, coupled with the reversal of the acute versus chronic disease ratio, raises the question as to whether adolescent pancreatitis is a distinct subgroup in the overall spectrum of this disease.

Intraoperative testing of the integrity of left-sided colorectal anastomoses: a technique of value to the surgeon in training.

Left-sided colorectal anastomoses sometimes leak despite the best efforts of the surgeon. The cause is thought to be multifactorial but imperfections in the technique of performing the anastomosis must play some part. A method for testing the integrity of left-sided colorectal anastomoses has been developed using intraluminal distension. Twenty-one patients were studied and defects in the anastomosis were found in five (24%). These defects were rectified at the time of operation. We conclude that this method is useful for demonstrating imperfections in anastomotic technique and we suggest a distending pressure of 25 cm saline. We suggest that the method may be particularly useful for the surgeon in training.

Fracture of the penis.

Two cases of fracture of the penis are reported and the literature is reviewed. Of the two alternative treatments--conservative and immediate exploration with suture closure of the defect--the authors recommend the surgical approach. This would appear to eliminate any possibility of late surgical deformity of the Peyronie type.

Chronic relapsing pancreatitis: a review of 64 cases.

A collected series of 64 cases of chronic relapsing pancreatitis is reported. Analysis of this material reveals several points of interest. There is a difference in the aetiological spectrum in Britain when compared with reports from France and the United States. In particular, nearly half the British cases were idiopathic. The clinical presentation and the age and sex ratios also varied with aetiology. Endoscopic retrograde cannulation of the pancreatic duct was of little value in confirming a diagnosis of pancreatitis in the problem case. This investigation did, however, demonstrate that a widespread dilatation of the pancreatic duct was a minority finding. In those patients with alcoholic pancreatitis follow-up studies have shown that, if the addiction can be broken, there is a 75 per cent chance that pain will diminish or disappear with the passage of time. The main indication for surgical intervention was severe pain and this study has shown that if strict criteria are observed, a worthwhile relief of symptoms can be achieved. In particular, subtotal pancreatectomy produced good results in up to 85 per cent of cases, although with an appreciable short term postoperative morbidity.

Immunostimulant therapy with levamisole for rheumatoid arthritis.

In a controlled study involving thirty-four patients levamisole was shown to be as effective as D-penicillamine and more effective than placebo in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Its action was slow and was accompanied by a reduction in erythrocyte sedimentation-rate, rheumatoid factor, and technetium index. These properties indicate that it has a specific action like that of D-penicillamine. Stimulation of cell-mediated immunity was evident in patients treated with levamisole, and there was a correlation between such changes and pain relief. Animal models confirmed the absence of anti-inflammatory effect and provided some evidence of enhancement of cell-mediated immunity and macrophage stimulation.