Duodenal pancreatic heterotopy diagnosed by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography: report of a case.

We describe herein the case of a heterotopic pancreas that caused stenosis in the second portion of the duodenum. A 46-year-old man presented with upper abdominal pain and a 12-month history of intermittent vomiting. There was no history of melena, hematochezia, hematemesis, clay-colored stools, jaundice, or hepatitis and he did not describe any food dyscrasias, although fatty foods and alcohol seemed to make the symptoms worse. No specific medication or change in position relieved the pain. An initial diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis with multiple pseudocysts was made on the basis of elevated serum amylase and lipase levels, and abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) findings. Medical treatment with octreotide was given for 8 weeks, but without any marked effect. Double-contrast barium examination and esophagogastroduodenoscopy were not diagnostic. Magnetic resonance (MR) cholangiopancreatography revealed findings indicative of cystic dystrophy of a heterotopic pancreas (CDHP), and an endoscopy supported this diagnosis. A pancreatoduodenectomy was performed and pathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of CDHP. In our opinion, MR cholangiopancreatography is the diagnostic tool of choice when CDHP is suspected.

[Annular pancreas in adults: diagnostic considerations on a case]. / Il pancreas anulare nell'adulto: considerazioni diagnostiche su di un caso.

Annular Pancreas (AP) is a rare congenital anomaly that usually presents in childhood with symptoms referable to duodenal obstruction; nonetheless, this condition can manifest in adulthood with abdominal pain, pancreatitis, duodenal ulcer, pancreatic head mass. The Authors hereby discuss a case of AP observed in a 63 year-old patient in which EUS played a decisive role in achieving a certain diagnosis.

[Primary carcinoma of the cystic duct: a case report and review of the literature]. / Il carcinoma primitivo del dotto cistico: caso clinico e revisione della letteratura.

The Authors, after a short introduction concerning the primary carcinoma of the cystic duct and the exact definition according to Farrar's criteria, report a case occurred to their observation, the 35th case of international literature. In particular the importance of some hemato-clinical parameters and instrumental investigation (ERCP, angio-CT) to underlined in order to surgical indication. In the case here reported cholecystectomy uses informed with partial resection of the hepato-choledochus and excision of some periductal and pericholedochus lymph nodes. Finally, the Authors discuss about clinical data and diagnostic and therapeutic trends, on the case of their experience and literature review.

[Non-parasitic splenic cysts]. / Le cisti non parassitarie della milza.

Nonparasitic cysts of the spleen are uncommon and often result from blunt abdominal trauma. Nonsurgical management of blunt splenic injuries increases the number of observations of the post-traumatic cysts. Complications (infection, rupture and hemorrhage) are lifethreatening, difficult to diagnose and require urgent surgical management. Until recently, splenectomy has been the primary choice of treatment of these cysts. Small (< 4 cm) asymptomatic post-traumatic pseudocysts stand a reasonable chance of involution with time (3-36 months) and so may be initially observed. Splenic preservation by partial splenectomy, enucleation or by marsupialization is actually recommended in children when technically feasible. Splenectomy is required for voluminous, central, multifocal cysts, in the presence of complications and in the adults with low immunologic risk. The Authors report 5 cases of large cysts successfully treated by splenectomy with one 12-year-old girl treated in emergency for infection by Salmonella.

[Use of fibrin glue in the treatment of entero-cutaneous fistulas]. / L'uso della colla di fibrina nel trattamento delle fistole entero-cutanee.

The Authors present methods and results of the treatment of chronic fistulas complicating abdominal surgery in 5 patients. The use of human fibrin glue is described and its therapeutical usefulness is pointed out.

[Surgical treatment of toxic megacolon in ulcerative rectocolitis. Analysis of 16 patients]. / Tratamiento quirúrgico del megacolon tóxico en la rectocolitis ulcerosa. Analisis de 16 pacientes.

The clinical aspects, surgical treatment and outcome of 16 consecutive patients treated for toxic megacolon secondary to ulcerative colitis at the 1st department of surgery at the university of Rome between 1976 and 1987 were reviewed. The surgical management consisted in total colectomy and immediate ileo-rectal anastomosis, without protective ileostomy in 14 patients and total colectomy with terminal ileostomy and ileorectal anastomosis in 2 patients, 5 months later. No postoperative mortality was observe the immediate complications were: anastomotic leakage, (one case) and rectal bleeding (three cases). The late complications were: ileo-anastomotic stump fistula and perforation (two cases). Protectomy, due to colitis recrudescence, in the rectal remnant 10 months after surgery. These results encourage the total colectomy with immediate ileorectal anastomosis for the treatment of toxic megacolon.

Delayed bilateral ureteral fistula following abdominoperineal resection: a case report.

A case of delayed bilateral ischemic necrosis of the pelvic ureter in a 66-year-old woman submitted to abdominal perineal resection and hysterectomy for advanced rectal cancer, is reported. Five days after the operation urine was observed in the perineal cavity. External urine diversion was carried out by catheterizing the ureteral stumps through the perineal cavity. The reconstructive procedure was performed at a later date by bilateral ureteroileocystoplasty with a defunctionalized loop. The vascular anatomy of the ureter is discussed to highlight the essential technical details useful for prevention of ischemic injury.

Mediastinal angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia, hyaline-vascular type with mucocutaneous manifestations.

A never previously reported association between mediastinal angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia (ALNH) of the hyaline vascular type and mucocutaneous manifestations in a twenty-one-year-old man is described. Mucocutaneous lesions, unresponsive to medical therapy, promptly disappeared after resection of the mediastinal mass, indicating, as suggested for the plasmacell type, a close relationship between the systemic manifestations and ALNH.

Hydatid hepatothoracic fistulas. A report of 30 cases.

A retrospective study was carried out on 30 patients with hepatothoracic transdiaphragmatic fistulas, classified as hepatopleural (5 cases), hepatopulmonary (11 cases), biliopleural (1 case) and biliobronchial (13 cases). Investigations included chest X-rays, bronchography, plain abdominal films, cholecystocholangiography, liver scanning, ultrasonography and CT scanning. Twenty-nine patients were submitted to 32 operations: two were performed in 1 case and three in another. Thoracotomy was performed in 20 cases, laparotomy in 7 and thoracophrenolaparotomy in 5. Surgical procedures for the treatment of endothoracic lesions included pleurectomy, middle lobectomy, lower lobectomy and wedge resections. Liver cysts were treated by cystectomy and pericystectomy. The postoperative course was uneventful in 21 patients. Complications developed in 3 patients. Operative mortality was 10.3%.

Primary tumors of the small intestine.

From 1950 through 1984, 48 cases of primary tumors of the small bowel were treated at the First Surgical Clinic of the University, La Sapienza, of Rome. Forty-three were malignant and five were benign tumors: 13 in the duodenum, 16 in the jejunum and 19 in the ileum. Abdominal pain, weight loss and obstruction were the most common complaints at admission. Radiographic studies of the gastrointestinal tract were diagnostic in 48% of patients. Four benign tumors were leiomyoma of the jejunum or ileum, the other benign tumor was a Brunner's adenomatosis of the duodenal bulb. The tumors were adenocarcinomatous in 29% of the cases and 50% of them were located in the duodenum. The five-year survival of patients with adenocarcinoma was 11%. The fourteen lymphomas were distributed evenly throughout the small bowel: 40% of the patients with lymphoma were alive after five years. Malignant smooth muscle tumors were found in the jejunum and ileum, in these cases the five-year survival rate was 50%. All the carcinoid tumors were in the ileum. The best five-year survival rate, 66%, was seen in patients with this type of tumor. In the malignant group, the five-year survival rate after curative resections was 25% in patients with positive nodes and 75% in those without nodal involvement.

Lung cancer: long-term survival after surgical treatment.

The authors have carried out an analysis on a series of 1802 patients with lung cancer. 1254 patients were considered operable (69.5%) and 828 were resected. Overall 5-year survival rate was 28.3%. Results of surgical treatment were analysed in relation to the specific features both of primary tumour and the host organism. Although patients affected with epidermoid carcinoma showed a better survival as compared to those affected with tumours of other histotypes. Conversely long-term results were significantly related to post-surgical stage. Patients treated for stage I tumour showed a significantly better long-term survival (5-year survival rate 48.2%) as compared to those undergone resection for stage II and III neoplasms (22.8% and 12%, respectively; p: less than 0.001). From the prognostic standpoint female patients undergone resection showed markedly lower long-term survival (5-year survival rate 12.5%) as compared to male patients (5-year survival rate 29.5%), but the numerical differences between the two groups of patients does not permit to detect statistically significant differences (P: less than 0.05). Type and intensity of the immune response affect significantly long-term survival.