Adrenal giant cystic pheochromocytoma treated by posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Giant cystic pheochromocytoma (>10cm) is rare with only a few cases described in the literature. Preoperative diagnosis is very difficult because clinical, biochemical and radiologic finds are usually not consistent with a pheochromocytoma. Open surgery is traditionally the gold standard. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51 year-old male patient resorted to surgery department with an adrenal cystic incidentaloma. He was asymptomatic, mild hypertension easily controlled, with increased plasma fractionated metanephrines. MRI and MIBG scans confirmed the presence of a right adrenal giant cystic pheochromocytoma (14cm). A right posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy was performed, complicated with an unintended disruption. At follow-up he was asymptomatic and with plasma fractionated metanephrines normalized. DISCUSSION: Although laparoscopic surgery is effective and safe, traditional open surgery is the gold standard in the presence of adrenal tumours with suspicion of malignancy, like masses larger than 8cm (including giant cystic pheochromocytomas). Minimal invasive techniques have the advantages of less postoperative pain and ileus, less morbidity, improved cosmetics, and faster recovery, but with the negative impact in R0 resection and probably a higher risk of cystic rupture. However comparisons between open and minimally invasive surgery are lacking. Additionally posterior retroperitoneoscopic approach has several advantages over laparoscopic transperitoneal method. CONCLUSION: This is the first case report of a giant cystic pheochromocytoma treated by posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy, but the occurrence of the unintended rupture may be a factor against this approach. More studies are needed to compare open and minimally invasive techniques in terms of resectability and cystic rupture rate.

Colonic metastases from small cell carcinoma of the lung presenting with an acute abdomen: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Colonic metastases are rare, and usually secondary from malignant tumours of the stomach, breast, ovarian, cervix, kidney, lung, prostate, or skin. Around one third are asymptomatic or found only at autopsy. CASE REPORT: A middle-aged male smoker, who had a small cell carcinoma of the lung diagnosed two years previously and treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, was admitted to the emergency room with intense abdominal pain and constipation. With the suspicion of an acute appendicitis he was submitted to surgery. At laparotomy he was found to have a normal appendix but two hard colonic lesions: a mobile one in the right colon and the other fixing the sigmoid colon to the sacrum. A right hemicolectomy and a sigmoid loop colostomy were performed. Pathology showed those lesions to be colonic metastases from small cell carcinoma of the lung. DISCUSSION: Colonic secondaries are most frequently diagnosed in patients who have had a known primary tumour, and may present with bowel obstruction, lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage, gastrointestinal fistula, or intestinal perforation. Presentation with acute abdomen is rare, and survival is usually limited. CONCLUSION: Colonic metastatic disease should be considered in any patient presenting with an acute abdomen and past history of lung malignancy.

Collagen implant with gentamicin sulphate reduces surgical site infection in vascular surgery: a prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication after vascular surgery. It may cause exposure of the underlying prosthesis causing graft infection, which may require the removal of the vascular graft, increasing amputation and mortality risks. Graft contamination usually occurs during operative procedure or by direct spread from an infected wound. It is therefore advisable to a strong effort in reducing SSI. Topic antibiotics have not been fully studied in vascular surgery, but collagen implant with gentamicin sulphate has shown to reduce SSI in cardiac surgery, orthopaedics, and general surgery procedures. METHODS: Sixty (60) non-diabetic and non-obese patients with lower limb ischaemia with indication for femoropopliteal PTFE prosthetic bypass were allocated into 2 groups of 30 patients. A collagen implant impregnated with gentamicin sulphate (Collatamp(®)) was applied in the groin incision adjacent to the prosthesis in one group, and the other was a control group. The same surgical team operated all patients. Szilagyi classification was used. RESULTS: There was no SSI (0% - 0/30) in the collagen implant with gentamicin sulphate group, contrasting with 6 cases (20% - 6/30) of SSI (grade I and II) in the control group (p = 0.024). In-hospital day's data shows a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.004) with a mean of 5.66 days for implant group and 8.10 days for control group. There was no SSI grade III. CONCLUSION: Collagen implant with gentamicin sulphate (Collatamp(®)) reduces SSI in the groin incision in ischaemic patients submitted to femoropopliteal PTFE prosthetic bypass. Days of hospitalization are also reduced. Decreasing SSI rate and in-hospital days, this implant may also reduce health care costs. Because this is a small pilot study, a multicentre RCT is necessary for validation.