[Highly selection portal decompression for ruptured esophageal varices: study of a series of 122 cases with long-term results]. / Décompression portale hypersélective pour rupture de varices oesophagiennes: étude d'une série de 122 cas avec résultats lointains.

STUDY AIM: The aim of this retrospective study was to report the results, with a minimum 10-year follow-up, of highly selective portal decompression (HSPD) realized in order to prevent bleeding recurrences from esophageal or gastric varices in a series of 122 cirrhotic patients. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From January 1980 to February 1997, 122 patients (85 men and 37 women, mean age: 50.4 years) with liver cirrhosis stage A (n = 6), B (n = 50), C (n = 6) according to Child classification, were operated on for bleeding varices after a delay in 106 patients, on emergency in 16 patients. The HSPD included a double vascular ligature (splenic artery ligature in case of hypersplenism [n = 42] and high perigastric veins ligature) and a double tissular stapling (low esophagus transection and valvuloplasty). Other associated procedures were performed including cholecystendesis in 21 patients. RESULTS: Perioperative mortality rate was 8% (n = 10). There was no anastomotic leakage but anastomotic stenosis in ten patients treated by dilatation. Three patients only out of 109 (2.5%) were lost for follow-up. Portocaval encephalopathy was not observed in any patient. Global survival rate was 60% at 5 years and 45% at 10 years. The mortality rate related to recurrent esophageal varice bleeding was 11% and related to hepatocellular failure 18.5% during the entire follow-up. CONCLUSION: HSPD appears to be the best procedure in cirrhotic patients for the prevention of recurrent esophageal varice bleeding. Preservation of portal pressure within the cirrhotic liver (whereas it is reduced in varices) contributes to the preservation of hepatocellular function, avoiding portocaval encephalopathy.

Splenic metastasis of a fallopian tube adenocarcinoma.

Clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics of a case of a fallopian tube adenocarcinoma splenic metastasis are reported. This case illustrates the diagnostic difficulties of this situation. These difficulties are both related to the poorly specific symptomatology and the low specificity of the current imagery. Percutaneous biopsy aspiration guided by ultrasonography or CT-scan could be helpful. The treatment is surgery, eventually combined with adjuvant radiotherapy: it can allow a long survival time. Splenic metastasis should be systematically checked up in every tumoral context.

[Evolution of the surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis over the last 25 years]. / Evolution sur 25 ans du traitement chirurgical de la pancreatite chronique.

The author briefly reminds us of the physiopatholopy of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and of its two principal surgical therapies: the excision (mainly cephalic or caudal) and the derivations (essentially towards an excluded jejunal ring). In order to avoid such a mutilation, either pancreatic or jejunal for the treatment of obstructive "pancreatic lithiasis", the author proposes to classify the lesional repercussions in cavitary CP (in which the existence of a pseudocyst is dominant) and in parenchymatous CP (ensheating the ducts, that are more or less dilated). He infers from this the possibility of a treatment that is as physiological as possible, essentially by cystoduodenostomy (CD) with a tripod forceps, for CP with a dominant cavitary type (with pseudocysts showing a cephalic and/or a corporeocaudal localization) and by wirsungosphincteroclasia (W-SC) for the CP with a parenchymatous prevalence. This therapeutic evolution, aiming at abandoning the classical operations of excision or derivation is based upon the author's experience acquired since 1970. During these 25 years, the author operated on 549 patients showing a CP with several severe evolutive complications. Beside 75 exopancreatic operations, the author performed 474 operations selectively concerning the pancreas: 245 excision operations and 228 derivation operations. Since the introduction, in October 1986, of the W-SC operation, among the 169 recent pancreatic operations for severe CP, only 10 exeresis operations were performed: 66 CD (41.5%) and W-SC 92 (57.9%), coupled in two thirds of the cases with a biliodigestive cholecystoplasty. The very encouraging results of this more physiological and non-mutilating treatment of severe CP justify, according to the author, forsaking the classical techniques of parenchym-exeresis or of derivation to an excluded ring an favour of a direct drainage into the duodenum both for a cavitary CP by CD as for a parenchymatous CP by W-SC.

[Severe chronic parenchymatous pancreatitis: surgical treatment by wirsungo-sphincteroclasia. Original technique: 92 cases]. / Pancréatite chronique parenchymateuse sévère: traitement chirurgical par wirsungo-sphinctéroclasie. Technique originale: 92 cas.

Since october 1986, we have performed 92 wirsungo-sphincteroclasias (W-SC) in patients with severe chronic pancreatitis who did not have dominant cavity formation (which can be managed by simple cyst-duodenostomy) and presented dilatation (even moderate) of the Wirsung's duct. This novel technique involves identification of the biliopancreatic outlet by biliary spincteroclasia followed by short cephalic wirsungotomy. This method allows desobstruction of the duct both upstream and downstream followed by drilling and calibration of the duct and the ampula to 9 to 11 mm. The wirsungotomy is then sutured and a temporary naso-wirsung drain is installed instead of a wirsungojejunal Y anastomosis. Biliodigestive anastomosis was also required in 64 cases using a Vankemmel cholecystoplasty in all cases except 2 (prior cholecystectomy). Duodenoplasty and gastrojejunostomy were also required in 4 and 3 cases respectively. There were no post-operative deaths and pancreatic fistulization was never observed. The mean hospital stay after surgery was 12.2 days. Long-term follow-up at 3 to 33 months showed 6 reoperations (W-SC) and 5 more cases of biliodigestive anastomosis. Actuarial survival at 5 years was 81.5% with 90.7% good and excellent results with weight gain in 50% of the cases. The rate of diabetes degradation was better than with other treatment modalities. These very encouraging results have led us to abandon the more classical techniques of exeresis or pancreatojejunal drainage into an excluded loop in favor of W-SC for chronic parenchymatous pancreatitis or cyst-duodenostomy for chronic cavitary pancreatitis. The procedure is associated with a biliodigestive anastomosis using the Vankemmel plasty in about two-thirds of the cases.

[A new method for pseudocysto-duodenostomy as therapy in pancreatic pseudocyst in chronic pancreatitis]. / Ein neues Verfahren der Pseudozystoduodenostomie zur Therapie der Pankreaspseudozyste bei chronischer Pankreatitis.

Reference in the surgical literature to the use of pseudocysto-duodenostomy whether laterolateral by Ombredanne [6] or transduodenal by Kerschner [4], is uncommon. The author with the aid of specially designed three-jaw prong, now, prefer to use pseudocysto-duodenostomy. From 1970, 411 patients underwent surgery for complicated chronic pancreatitis. 67 of the 93 patients requiring an internal cysto-intestinal procedure were treated by pseudocysto-duodenostomy; 11 additional patients were treated by derivation in the first retroperitoneal transposed jejunal loop. Postoperative mortality for the first month was 0%. The actuarial survival rate at 5 years was 86.9%. These satisfactory results have encouraged us to compare this new operative method with cystojejunostomy. It allows pancreatic secretions to drain into their natural anatomical site. Compared with external drainage it avoids the often prolonged and costly complications.

Bacterial translocation in colorectal cancers.

Bacterial translocation, the passage of viable indigenous bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to the mesenteric lymph nodes and other internal organs, has been poorly studied in man to date. Pericolonic lymph nodes, liver, portal blood, and peritoneum specimens were harvested before antibiotics were administered during 20 operations for colorectal cancer and compared with those obtained in 20 operations for non colorectal conditions. Bacterial translocation, defined as the presence of intestinal bacteria in at least one of the specimens, was found in 13 patients (65 percent) in the colorectal cancer group as compared to 6 (30 percent) in the control group (p less than 0.05). The increased incidence of bacterial translocation in colorectal cancers was mainly due to the presence of bacteria in the pericolonic lymph nodes adjacent to the cancer. These findings suggest that intestinal bacteria translocate from the bowel lumen in a high proportion of patients with colorectal cancer and further stress the need for prophylactic antibiotics in colorectal cancer surgery.

[Bilio-digestive bypass using gallbladder in chronic pancreatitis. 85 cases of cholecystoplasty ]. / Dérivation bilio-digestive par anse vésiculaire pour pancréatite chronique. 85 cholécysto-plasties.

For a group of 368 cases of chronic pancreatitis (CP) operated on since 1975, the authors have performed 85 biliary intestinal anastomoses using the gallbladder, for treatment of biliary obstruction. (These were cases not needing resection of the head of the pancreas). This original biliary-intestinal by-pass comprises resection of the cystic duct then bridging the gallbladder between the common bile duct and the duodenum (in 2 cases the jejunum). This anastomosis of common bile duct to infundibulum was termino-terminal except in 15 where portal vein dilatation necessitated a latero-terminal anastomosis. The gallbladder-intestinal anastomoses were termino-lateral. One patient with multi-system disease died on the 20th post-op day from cardio-respiratory problems not directly related to the procedure. No fistulae, biliary or intestinal occurred. The average hospitalization was 13.6 days. The average follow-up period is now 46 months (2 patients only have been lost to follow-up). One patient (not abstaining from alcohol) has presented with recurrent febrile episodes and transient alkaline phosphatase elevations. Two patients only have been re-operated (9th and 72nd months) for cholangiocholitis necessitating a re-do of the anastomosis infundibulum to bile duct. These 2 patients are well at 20 and 45 months respectively. No biliary calculi have been observed, with 22% of patients now being more than 5 years post-op. The authors have progressively left aside the anastomosis to a jejunal loop in favour of the gallbladder interposition described. This appears a better procedure for treating biliary obstruction in chronic pancreatitis even when complicated by portal vein dilatation. This procedure enables drainage of bile into its natural site at the 2nd part of the duodenum, so reducing the risk of ulceration. It also saves extending the operating field below the mesocolon and importantly in the already poorly nourished patient, it does not remove from function a segment of jejunum.

[X-ray computed tomographic diagnosis of connective tissue tumors of the stomach of extrinsic development. Apropos of 6 cases]. / Le diagnostic tomodensitométrique des tumeurs conjonctives de l'estomac à développement extrinsèque. A propos de 6 observations.

Computed tomography findings appear to be very useful for the diagnosis of exogastric tumors on the basis of six cases: 4 leiomyosarcomas, 1 leiomyoblastoma and 1 schwannoma. The diagnosis of these usually large tumors arising within the gastric wall is often difficult through baryum opacification of the stomach (U.G.I.) owing to their exogastric growth. In the same way, endoscopy usually fails to evidence these tumors. Computed tomography permits to rule out an extrinsic tumor such as a hepatic or pancreatic one for instance and then to demonstrate the tumor originates within the gastric wall. The hypervascular pattern associated in most cases with central necrosis is demonstrated through contrast medium injection, what is a very typical and relatively constant-finding in these tumors.