"Stealth" retro-auricular endoscopic surgery for a submandibular mass.

INTRODUCTION: With the need for increased cosmesis, it is the desire of patients all over the world to avoid an unsightly scar over the neck, face, or any of the exposed areas. This popularised the concept of "stealth" surgery. CASE DETAILS: A 42 year-old gentleman underwent a stealth surgery for a painless progressively growing mass in the left submandibular triangle, which was provisionally diagnosed as a Lymphoma. As he desired a scarless procedure, a linear incision in the neck was avoided, and the surgical team opted for a Retro-Auricular HairLine (RAHL) approach, with a combination of balloon spacing and ultrasonic shears dissection. DISCUSSION: The procedure was performed with perfect hemostasis, and is being reported as the first case of stealth RAHL (scarless) surgery in the United Arab Emirates for a submandibular mass. This article has been reported in line with the SCARE criteria [1]. "Stealth" surgery is becoming increasingly popular as it helps to avoid unsightly incisions in exposed areas of the body. The term was first used by by the paediatric surgical department of John Hopkins hospital, and it caught the fancy of the public as well as the surgeons. CONCLUSION: A retro-auricular endoscopic excision of a submandibular mass is being reported in this article for its feasibility and cosmesis. Following the principles of "stealth" surgery, invisible port site incisions were used to complete the surgery successfully. The purpose of this case report was to illustrate the feasibility and safety of the endoscopic resection using the retro-auricular approach for submandibular mass excision.

Frequent exposure to suboptimal temperatures in vaccine cold-chain system in India: results of temperature monitoring in 10 states.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the proportion of time the vaccines in the cold-chain system in India are exposed to temperatures of < 0 or > 8 °C. METHODS: In each of 10 states, the largest district and the one most distant from the state capital were selected for study. Four boxes, each containing an electronic temperature recorder and two vials of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccine, were placed in the state or regional vaccine store for each study state. Two of these boxes were then shipped - one per facility - towards the two most peripheral health facilities where vaccine was stored in each study district. The boxes were shipped, handled and stored as if they were routine vaccine supplies. FINDINGS: In state, regional and district vaccine stores and peripheral health facilities, respectively, the temperatures in the boxes exceeded 8 °C for 14.3%, 13.2%, 8.3% and 14.7% of their combined storage times and fell below 0 °C for 1.5%, 0.2%, 0.6% and 10.5% of these times. The boxes also spent about 18% and 7% of their combined times in transit at < 0 and > 8 °C, respectively. In shake tests conducted at the end of the study, two thirds of the vaccine vials in the boxes showed evidence of freezing. CONCLUSION: While exposure to temperatures above 8 °C occurred at every level of vaccine storage, exposure to subzero temperatures was only frequent during vaccine storage at peripheral facilities and vaccine transportation. Systematic efforts are needed to improve temperature monitoring in the cold-chain system in India.

Tubercular duodenal, jejunal and ileocecal stricture in a patient.

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is a major health problem in the developing countries. Duodenal involvement is uncommon and can mimic superior mesenteric artery syndrome. Our case presented as proximal intestinal obstruction had tubercular stricture in the third part of the duodenum, proximal jejunum and ileocecal region, an uncommon and difficult intraoperative situation.

Case report on giant parathyroid adenoma with review of literature.

Symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism is still predominant form in developing countries. Sumit Shukla et al. (2008) Most of these lesions are usually less than 2 cm in diameter with serum calcium levels between 11 to 13 mg/dl. Our case had 3.9 × 2 × 1.7 cm non palpable right inferior parathyroid adenoma extending into superior mediastinum, serum calcium 17 mg/dl and vomiting as presenting symptom a case report.

Congenital Morgagni's Hernia Presenting in Elderly Lady.

Morgagni's hernia is an uncommon type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Large numbers are symptomatic but some may present in middle aged. Our patient was asymptomatic till 63 years of age. X-ray chest, for her recent onset exertional dyspne, was suspicious of right lung mass. CT thorax revealed right Morgagni's type of diaphragmatic hernia, a very rare diagnosis at that age.