[Ogilvie's syndrome. Benefits of repeat colonoscopic decompression on its developmental course]. / Síndrome de Ogilvie. Beneficios de la descompresión colonoscópic repetida sobre su curso evolutivo.

Seven cases of Ogilvie's syndrome are described. In six of ther good recovery was related to repeated endoscopic colonic decompressions. This is the safest and most precise procedure in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. We emphasize the usefulness of repeated decompressions in the outcome of Ogilvie's syndrome. One of patients in which decompression was not attempted died of a colonic rupture.

[The role of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of primary peritoneal mesothelioma]. / Papel de la laparoscopia en el diagnóstico del mesotelioma peritoneal primario.

In this study we demonstrate the usefulness of laparoscopy on the diagnosis of some unusual causes of ascites, such as primary mesothelioma, usually overlooked by other diagnostic modalities, like ultrasound, computed tomography and cytology of the ascitic fluid. We describe three cases of primary peritoneal mesothelioma among 27 patients with exudative ascites submitted to laparoscopy at our institution during the past two years. The final diagnosis inaccessible to the conventional diagnostic modalities, was reached only by laparoscopy.