The Alexis Laparoscopic System as Minimally Invasive Surgical Technique in Operative Management of Huge Cystic Ovarian Tumors in Children and Young Adolescents: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: The use of the Alexis wound protector-retractor (AWPR) could further improve the laparoscopic techniques for safely removing huge ovarian tumors in children. CASE: A 15-year-old patient presented to our emergency department with a history of weeks of persistent abdominal pain. Clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a 25 × 21 × 21 cm cystic mass arising from the left ovary. An en block unilateral oophorectomy and salpingectomy with the use of a medium-sized AWPR was performed without complications. The patient was discharged on the second postoperative day. CONCLUSION: The AWPR is a safe and effective tool in treating such children and adolescents with huge ovarian tumors, preserving fertility, minimizing the postoperative pain and hospital stay, and providing an excellent cosmetic outcome.

A New Score for the Diagnosis of Complicated Appendicitis in Children - Complicated Appendicitis Pediatric Score.

Aim: This study aims to construct and validate a new score for diagnosis of complicated appendicitis in children, complicated appendicitis pediatric score (CoAPS), to guide residents' clinical decision-making on choosing the correct patients for immediate surgery, reducing the emergency negative surgeries. Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled two cohorts of patients 5-15 years old. Four hundred and seven consecutive patients were enrolled for the derivation cohort. Demographic data, clinical features, and histopathology data were collected. The outcome measure was the histological diagnosis of gangrenous appendicitis with or without perforation. The score was next validated in a separate cohort of 312 consecutive patients who were classified according to their risk of complicated appendicitis. The diagnostic performance of the score and the potential for the risk stratification to select patients for diagnostic imaging, emergency operative management, and reduce emergency negative operation rates were quantified. Results: A positive "jumping up" test, vomiting, white blood cell >13.5 × 10^3/ml, lymphocytes <18%, and C-reactive protein >50 mg/dl were independent predictors for complicated appendicitis. The final prediction model exhibited an area under the curve of 0.890 (95% confidence interval: 0.859-0.922). The low-risk group demonstrated high sensitivity (90.4%) for complicated appendicitis, while scores 6 or more were very specific (95%) for the disorder. Describing the potential utility of the score, emergency ultrasound imaging would have been postponed in 14.5% of patients (P = 0.0016), and emergency negative explorations would have been cut by 87%. Conclusion: The CoAPS score could guide residents in emergency management of children with complicated appendicitis reducing hospitalizations and urgent surgeries.

The Jumping Up (J-Up) Test: Making the Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis Easier in Children.

We evaluate a new clinical test, jumping up (J-up) test, to diagnose easier appendicitis in children. A total of 407 patients, aged 5 to16 years, with right lower quadrant abdominal pain were asked to jump rising both hands and trying to reach a toy hanging down from the ceiling of the examination room. Bieri pediatric Face Pain Scale was used for recording the pain response. J-up test has sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 70%. A positive J-up test combined with leukocytosis (white blood cells count >12 000/mm3), neutrophilia >75%, neutrophil/lymphocyte >2, and C-reactive protein >5 mg/dL, achieved a posttest probability of appendicitis of 85%. A negative J-up test combined with the aforementioned blood markers within normal range had a posttest probability for non-appendicitis of 92%. J-up test is a reliable clinical test, which could be used even by an inexperienced doctor. Combined with classical blood markers, it could successfully predict which child is in urgent need or not of surgery.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Preoperative Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratios in Detecting Occult Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinomas in Benign Multinodular Goitres.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR) ratios in detecting occult papillary thyroid microcarcinomas in benign, multinodular goitres. METHODS: 397 total thyroidectomy patients were identified from the institutional thyroid surgery database between 2007 and 2016 (94 males, 303 females, mean age 53 ± 14.5 years). NLR and PLR were calculated as the absolute neutrophil and absolute platelet counts divided by the absolute lymphocyte count, respectively, based on the preoperative complete blood cell count. RESULTS: NLR was significantly higher in carcinomas and microcarcinomas compared to benign pathology (p = 0.026), whereas a direct association could not be established for PLR. Both NLR and PLR scored low in all parameters of diagnostic accuracy, with overall accuracy ranging between 45 and 50%. CONCLUSIONS: As surrogate indices of the systemic inflammatory response, NLR and PLR are inexpensive and universally available from routine blood tests. Although we found higher NLR values in cases of malignancy, NLR and PLR cannot effectively predict the presence of occult papillary microcarcinomas in otherwise benign, multinodular goitres.

Hereditary pancreatitis: dilemmas in differential diagnosis and therapeutic approach.

INTRODUCTION: Hereditary pancreatitis (HP) is a rare, heterogeneous familial disease and should be suspected in any patient who has suffered at least two attacks of acute pancreatitis for which there is no underlying cause and unexplained chronic pancreatitis with a family history in a first- or second-degree relative. Genetic factors have been implied in cases of familial chronic pancreatitis. The most common PRSS1 mutations worldwide are the R122H and N29I variants. CLINICAL FEATURES: HP usually appears with an acute, a recurrent acute, and a chronic phase, referring to the inflammation of the pancreas and the symptoms' onset and duration. The clinical features of acute pancreatitis begin in childhood and last less than 6 months. HP carries a 50-70-fold increased risk of pancreatic cancer within 7-30 years of disease onset. HP diagnosis is defined by the presence of a detected cationic trypsinogen gene mutation (with or without clinical or radiological manifestations of chronic pancreatitis) or when the patient's family satisfies the requirements of the EUROPAC. TREATMENT: With regard to the therapeutic approach, pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy and analgesics are offered to control pain. In addition, endoscopic and surgical intersections are reserved for all relevant complications. Unfortunately, surgical removal of affected pancreatic tissue does not necessarily guarantee the patient's long-term survival. Furthermore, the prognostic factors and the efficacy of extended resection remain controversial.