Gastric Duplication Cyst with Respiratory Epithelium: a Rare Entity.

Gastric duplication cyst is an uncommon entity and management is principally surgical. Diagnosis is often delayed because of the non-specific nature of symptoms. The authors report one case of gastric duplication cyst incidentally diagnosed in a 23-year-old man. He had no specific symptoms but follow up of the unknown retro gastric mass showed an increase in size and cholelithiasis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was not useful for diagnosis but an endoscopic ultrasound suggested a GIST. The growing size of the mass led to a laparoscopic resection. Histopathology showed a gastric duplication cyst boarded with gastric and respiratory ciliated epithelium. This respiratory differenciation is extremely rare. Our patient is the 25th case reported in the literature. The embryologic origin, diagnosis tools and treatment of those rare cysts are briefly reviewed.

Aneurysm of the splenic artery which arises from the superior mesenteric artery: a case report.

Aneurysm of the splenic artery which arises from the superior mesenteric artery is a very rare condition with less than twenty cases described in the literature. Most of the time, it is asymptomatic and the diagnosis is fortuitous, but the patient can feel epigastric or left upper quadrant discomfort. One can palpate an abdominal mass or hear an abdominal systolic murmur. The most fatal presentation is the life-threatening rupture. We report the case of a 41-year-old woman presenting an aneurysm of the splenic artery originating from the superior mesenteric artery treated surgically by simple aneurismal resection with neither arterial reconstruction nor splenectomy. The different treatment modalities are discussed, taking into account the presence of the vascular malformation.

Gastroplasty as a surgical treatment of obesity. Experience of over 400 operations.

Morbid obesity is an illness in itself and causes associated pathologies. Medical and diet treatments being most often ineffective, the surgical alternative has been considered. This study considers a series of 415 patients operated on, at the Bariatric Surgical Centre at the Hospital of Huy, Belgium, from 1983 to 1992. The used techniques are the "Vertical Banded Gastroplasty" described by Mason and more recently the "Adjustable Silicone Gastric Banding" proposed by Kuzmak. With only a small complications' rate, we register 85% of successes in terms of excess weight loss as well as a clear improvement of obesity associated pathologies.

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty vs Adjustable Silicone Gastric Banding in the Treatment of Morbid Obesity: a Preliminary Report.

A prospective comparative study, comparing vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) with adjustable silicone gastric banding (ASGB) has been undertaken. The purpose of the study was to see if ASGB could produce weight loss as good as VBG. Patient population was similar and patients' choice was based on informed consent. Male/ female ratio and excess body weight were comparable in both groups. Early as well as late complications were minor and rare In both groups. The evaluation of the results was based on excess weight loss and BMI curves. Weight loss as well as BMI curves were quite similar in the two groups. A 50% excess weight loss has been obtained at 6 months, In both groups.

Influence of the length of the small bowel graft on the severity of graft versus host disease.

The influence of the length and origin of a small bowel graft on graft versus host disease (GVHD) was studied in 33 (Lewis x brown Norway) F1 hybrids transplanted with different types of Lewis small bowel grafts. Recipients of an entire small bowel graft (N = 9), a jejunal graft (N = 6), or an ileal graft (N = 6) displayed a similar acute lethal GVHD, with 100% mortality rate and equivalent survival time (15 +/- 0.7, 16.8 +/- 0.9, and 16 +/- 0.6 days, respectively) (P greater than 0.01). On the other hand, 80% of the recipients of a segmental jejunal graft (N = 10) recovered from a transitory form of GVHD and regained weight similarly to the isografted rats (N = 4). It was concluded that the entire small bowel, jejunum, and ileum can provoke an equivalent GVHD after transplantation, whereas a segment of jejunum decreases the intensity of GVHD, probably by reducing the amount of transplanted lymphoid tissue.