Accidental compression of the thoracic wall. Mechanical asphyxia rather than trauma is the main culprit.

We present three cases of traumatic asphyxia after thoracic compression. All victims were Caucasian males aged 22-50 years. One man was crushed by a truck trailer, another was crushed by an overturned vehicle, and the last was crushed by a large heavy stone slab. None of the patients survived the accident. There was no evidence of trauma or only minor trauma from the bones or vital organs of the thoracic cavity and abdomen.

Thyroidectomy in children and adolescents: a systematic review.

Background: Thyroid surgery in pediatric population is not as common as that in adults, although they share the same indications, techniques and complications. This review aims to evaluate the surgical management of thyroid disease in patients under 18 years old. Methods: We conducted a bibliographic search in the international literature. Data from the identified studies such as demographics, indication for surgery, type of procedure, complications and length of hospital stay were recorded. A retrospective review study of all patients under 18 years old who underwent thyroidectomy was performed. Results: We included 37 retrospective studies and a total of 12,728 patients. Thyroidectomy was more common in female patients and the mean age was approximately 14 years old. The leading indication for surgery was benign thyroid pathology. Due to the surgical treatments' safety and effectiveness in young patients, total and subtotal thyroidectomy, whether for malignancies or benign diseases, is becoming more popular today. The most often occurring complication of pediatric thyroid surgery is hypoparathyroidism. Despite the high likelihood of recurrence of pediatric malignancies, overall survival rates of pediatric thyroid cancer are excellent. Conclusions: Thyroidectomy performed by high-volume thyroid surgeons in children and adolescents is considered an efficient and safe method of treatment of thyroid disease.

Feasibility of Synchronous Liver Metastasectomy During Emergency Colorectal Surgery: A Case Report.

Colorectal cancer (CRCa) is the most frequent gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy, while the liver is the most common site of distant metastases from CRCa, arising from hematogenous spread mainly via the portal venous system. The multiform nature of tumor presentation necessitates a comprehensive approach to diagnosis, perioperative care, and oncological treatment strategy. Herein, we present a case of a 76-year-old male patient diagnosed with obstructive bowel ileus due to a sigmoid tumor with synchronous, suspicious for metastasis, liver lesion who underwent Hartmann's sigmoidectomy in conjunction with left lateral hepatic resection at the same time. Intraoperatively significant blood loss occurred, while the postoperative course of the patient included pulmonary embolism (PE) six days after the procedure, being discharged on postoperative day (POD) 21. After oncological consensus, the patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and his reevaluation nine months after surgery confirmed that he is free of active disease. It is evident, however, that the number of existing studies concerning synchronous metastasectomy alongside CRCa resection in an emergency setting is limited and the literature gaps on this matter emphasize the need for further research.

Incidental Finding of an Asymptomatic Jejunal Schwannoma: A Rare Case Report and Review of Literature.

BACKGROUND Schwannomas are tumors that arise from Schwann cells that surround and support nerve cells. Most common sites for presentations are head, neck, and extremities. Schwannomas of gastrointestinal tract are rare, slow-growing tumors, usually benign, arising from gastrointestinal tract's neural plexus. They are histologically distinguishable from conventional schwannomas that arise in soft tissue or the central nervous system. Preoperative diagnosis of gastrointestinal schwannoma is challenging, requiring immunohistological confirmation of the nature of the tumor. Here, we report a case of 57-year-old woman with an incidental finding of an asymptomatic submucosal jejunal schwannoma. CASE REPORT A 57-year-old woman with a medical history of hematological disorder underwent a contrast abdominal computed tomography as part of medical follow-up. The imaging revealed the presence of a jejunal mass. The patient underwent laparoscopic surgical resection of the lesion, followed by side-to-side jejuno-jejunal anastomosis with 4-cm clear surgical margins. The final pathologic study revealed the presence of jejunal schwannoma, as tested positive for S-100 protein. The patient was discharged home on the fourth postoperative day, having an uneventful recovery. CONCLUSIONS Jejunal schwannoma are usually benign and asymptomatic, and they are often discovered incidentally during diagnostic tests for other conditions; therefore, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal tumors. Surgical treatment appears to be necessary to achieve a definitive diagnosis through a biopsy of the tumor tissue. Benign jejunal schwannomas have a good prognosis.

Unexpected Lung Collapse Following Chest Tube Insertion for Pneumothorax Drainage in an Intubated Patient Due to Dislocation of the Endotracheal Tube.

A 67-year-old male patient was admitted to the intensive care unit following an uncomplicated heart operation. The initial postoperative chest X-ray revealed a total pneumothorax on the left side. Despite drainage of the left pleural space, a subsequent chest X-ray unexpectedly showed opacification of the left hemithorax. Partial withdrawal of the endotracheal tube resulted in complete expansion of the left lung. It is important to always consider the possibility of endotracheal tube dislocation in all intubated patients.

A Superficial Anatomical Variation in the Radial Artery Renders It Unsuitable as a Graft in Coronary Revascularization.

In our experience, employing a radial artery in combination with an internal thoracic artery under specific conditions represents a superior option compared to using a vein graft in coronary artery surgery. Additionally, this combination is a remarkable alternative to utilizing bilateral thoracic arteries. We had planned the left radial artery as the second target graft in two patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery; the left internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending branch would be the main graft in both patients. Anatomic variation of the radial artery, which presented as a superficial radial artery in both patients, led us to forego the use of the radial artery graft. This decision aimed to ensure sufficient blood supply to the palmar arch and prevent any potential inadequacy in the length of the coronary graft. The occurrence of this variation is exceptionally rare, accounting for approximately 0.02% based on our experience with radial artery harvesting. Furthermore, globally, the documentation of photographs depicting a superficial radial artery is even more infrequent.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: Our Ten-Year Experience of a Single-Center Tertiary Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most frequent mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. They have variable clinical presentation, prognosis, and molecular characteristics. Here, we present the results of our retrospective study including patients operated on for GIST during the last decade. METHODS: All the patients who underwent GIST resection during the decade 2008-2018 were included in the study. The diagnosis was based on the pathology report. All the data were collected and analyzed statistically using the Statistical Package for Social Science v25.0. Finally, after having applied the proper search terms, a comprehensive review of articles published in the Medline database was held. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients (sixteen women) were included in the study with a mean age of 69.6 years old (SD = 13.9). Twenty-one patients had a GIST in the stomach, eight in the small intestine, and three had an extra GIST. Of the 29 patients contacted, 21 were alive with a mean survival time of 74.3 months (SD = 49.6 months, min: 3.0 months, max: 161.0 months), whereas eight patients passed away. Finally, 13 patients were treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of whom only one died, while 9 patients passed away from those treated with surgery alone (p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: Our results were in concordance with the existing data in the literature. GISTs require patient-based therapeutical management depending on the histology of the tumors. Gastric tumors present a better prognosis than those localized in the intestine, while the use of TKIs has led to an improvement in patient survival rate.

Surgical Management of Groove Pancreatitis: A Case Report.

Groove pancreatitis (GP) is a chronic type of pancreatitis involving the groove area between the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, and the common bile duct. Alcohol abuse is one of the main pathogenetic factors, although its etiology is not clearly defined. Differential diagnosis of pancreatic disorders remains difficult. The lack of diagnostic management and the restrictive number of patients are the main barriers. This article presents a case of a 37-year-old male diagnosed with GP after several episodes of epigastric pain and vomiting, with a history of chronic alcohol consumption. The patient's radiological and laboratory results excluded the possibility of malignancy and suggested the diagnosis of groove pancreatitis with duodenal stenosis. After initial conservative treatment failed, surgical management was decided. A gastroenteroanastomosis was made in order to bypass the duodenum aiming for a total resolution of the symptoms and an uneventful recovery of the patient. Although most studies suggest pancreatoduodenectomy (Whipple's procedure) as the treatment of choice, a less major procedure can be performed in evidence of malignancy absence.

Cutaneous Lesions: An Unusual Clinical Presentation of Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive type of lung cancer, accounting for 13% of all new lung cancer cases worldwide. Common metastatic sites are the brain, liver, adrenal glands, bone, and bone marrow, while cutaneous metastasis is rare and is associated with a poor prognosis, and presentation of SCLC as the first sign of malignancy is even rarer. CASE REPORT An 87-year-old patient with a history of tobacco abuse and free from any medication administration presented to the Emergency Surgical Department with 2 nodules in the skin of the abdomen. Excisional biopsy of the skin lesions was performed and the pathology showed metastatic small cell cancer originated from the lungs. A chest X-ray and CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of lung cancer. Chemotherapy was initiated. Following a short hospitalization period, the patient's condition worsened. The patient died in the Intensive Care Unit before completion of full cycles of chemotherapy and palliative radiation therapy. CONCLUSIONS A diagnosis of metastatic disease should be considered in patients with new cutaneous lesions and a smoking history. Skin lesions of metastatic lung cancer are often described as painless nodules, mobile or fixed, hard or flexible, single or multiple. Treatment in limited-stage disease usually includes chemotherapy combined with radiation. In extensive-stage disease, chemotherapy is the primary option. Small cell lung carcinoma is more responsive to chemotherapy and radiation therapy than are other cell types of lung cancer. For prevention, especially in high-risk patients, annual chest screening, smoking-prevention programs, and control of occupational exposure to culprit substances are highly recommended.