1/32. Abdominal distention and shock in an infant.Acute abdominal distention in the pediatric patient may be attributable to extraperitoneal fluid, masses, organomegaly, air, an ileus, a functional or mechanical bowel obstruction, or injury and blood secondary to trauma. An infant who presents to the emergency department with acute abdominal distention and shock is a true emergency for which the differential diagnosis is extensive. An unusual case of abdominal distention, ascites, hematochezia, and shock in an infant, subsequently found to have spontaneous perforation of the common bile duct is reported. This uncommon cause of abdominal distention and shock in an infant is many times left out of the differential diagnosis of an acute abdomen. The presentation may be as an uncommon acute form or a classis subacute type. This patient had hematochezia, which had not been previously reported in association with this entity. Failure to recognize and treat an acute abdomen can result in high mortality.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mortality (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/32. Spontaneous uterine perforation of pyometra. A report of three cases.BACKGROUND: Spontaneous perforation of pyometra is a rare cause of generalized peritonitis; only 17 cases have been reported. CASES: Three cases of spontaneous perforation of pyometra occurred; two were associated with carcinoma of the cervix. All were treated with exploratory laparotomy and drainage. The first patient died of recurrent carcinoma of the cervix five months after laparotomy. The second patient died of septic shock shortly after the operation. The third patient made a good postoperative recovery. CONCLUSION: pyometra is a serious medical condition, because of both its association with malignant disease and the danger of spontaneous perforation, which carries significant morbidity and mortality. Although rare, ruptured pyometra should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen in elderly women, especially those with malignant disorders of the genital tract. The treatment of pyometra rupture is immediate laparotomy, peritoneal lavage and drainage, or simple hysterectomy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mortality (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/32. Gastric perforation due to the ingestion of a hollow toothpick: report of a case.A perforation due to the ingestion of a toothpick is a condition seldom seen in the stomach. We herein describe an 80-year-old woman with a perforation of the stomach due to an ingested hollow toothpick. The toothpick was easily removed during a mini-laparotomy. The site of perforation was closed with absorbable sutures and omentum was used to function as an overlying patch. The postoperative course was uncomplicated. The hollow toothpick functioned as a fistula between the contents of the stomach and the peritoneal cavity. This resulted in a very different clinical picture from that observed in "classical wooden" toothpick injury, where the toothpick is not able to function as a fistula. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of a hollow toothpick perforating the stomach. A hollow toothpick perforation must be considered in any patient with symptoms of intestinal perforation, even when there is no history of swallowing toothpicks. Removal of a toothpick and subsequent suturing of the puncture site is a simple and relatively minor surgical procedure, which may have a lower morbidity and mortality as compared to other causes of gastric perforation. A precaution to observe, is the potential danger that one of the members of the operating team might perforate a finger.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mortality (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/32. Acute abdominal attack of hereditary angioneurotic oedema associated with ultrasound abnormalities suggestive of acute hepatitis.Hereditary angioneurotic oedema (HANO) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by a deficiency of the inhibitor protein Cl-esterase. Recurrent subcutaneous and/or submucosal oedema formation is a hallmark of this disease. HANO is a rare, but potentially life-threatening disorder with a mortality around 20-30%. Acute oedematous abdominal attacks of HANO can mimic a surgical emergency; this is exemplified by the case of a 14-y-old male patient with HANO admitted for such clinical manifestations. Conclusion: Diagnostic clues include ascites and abnormalities of hepatic structure visible with ultrasound during the oedematous attack. The importance of appropriate treatment is emphasized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mortality (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/32. Double omental hernia--case report on a very rare cause of intestinal obstruction.INTRODUCTION: We report a case of transomental herniation of the ileum through a defect in the gastrocolic ligament with re-emergence through a defect in the gastrohepatic ligament. This type of herniation is extremely rare and a review of the literature is presented. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 41-year-old Chinese male presented with signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction. TREATMENT: An urgent laparotomy was undertaken and he was found to have a rare form of intra-abdominal hernia. The hernia was reduced and the defects were closed. OUTCOME: Postoperative recovery was unremarkable. CONCLUSION: Urgent operation should not be delayed because of the high mortality associated with strangulation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mortality (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/32. Syndromes in amoebic liver abscess.A series of 137 patients with amoebic liver abscess has been studied. Recognition of clearly defined but diverse clinical syndromes was found to be necessary not only in diagnosis but also in planned surgical management. The majority of patients had the classic syndrome of fever, right abdominal or chest pain, hepatomegaly, hepatic tenderness and radiological abnormalities. Other syndromes of presentation included the silent abscess, acute amoebic colitis, the acute abdomen, the intraabdominal lump, the external sinus, pyrexia of obscure origin, obstructive jaundice and renal, pleuro-pulmonary and cardiac symptoms. The syndromes due to an abscess in different parts of the right lobe and in the left lobe of the liver are to some extent distinct. In spite of the varied modes of presentation of amoebic liver abscess, the key to diagnosis is an understanding of the chronological sequence of the disease and its progression from one syndrome to another. Diagnostic methods of value and the mortality are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mortality (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/32. Unusual causes of acute abdomen in a Nigerian hospital.Acute abdomen is the most common abdominal emergency associated with high morbidity and mortality in General surgical practice. Over a 7-year period, a study of unusual causes of acute abdomen was undertaken, with the aim of identifying these causes and outcome of operative management. Eleven cases were identified accounting for 4% of cases of acute abdomen seen during the period of the study. Four cases of liver diseases (33.3%) comprising 2 patients (16.7%) with ruptured primary liver cell carcinoma, 1 (one) case each of haemoperitoneum due to ruptured liver haemangioma and haemorrhagic disorders from liver cirrhosis. One patient had acute leukaemia with massive haemoperitoneum and acute abdomen. Five (45.5%) had gastrointestinal perforations; 1 patient (9%) each had multiple jejunal perforations, perforation of stomal ulcer at gastrojejunostomy site, perforation of gastric cancer; perforated carcinoid tumour of sigmoid colon and idiopathic perforation of the caecum. There was also a case of caecal volvulus. mortality was 7 patients (63.6%). All patients with liver pathology and acute leukaemia died. The cases of malignant tumour perforation were well and alive 4-6 years after the operation. CONCLUSION: Operation could have been avoided in 45.5% of these cases if the appropriate investigations, had been available and carried out.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mortality (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/32. A case report of acute gastric volvulus with avulsion of the splenic vessels.Gastric volvulus is a rare condition which usually presents with intermittent abdominal pain. It is typically associated with a paraoesophageal hiatus hernia and may present with acute strangulation or perforation. The mortality associated with an acutely obstructed volvulus may be up to 50%. Correspondingly, this condition is regarded as a surgical emergency. We present the history of a patient with an acute gastric volvulus and unexplained hypotension.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mortality (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/32. Malrotation with midgut volvulus: CT findings of bowel infarction.Midgut volvulus, the most common serious complication of malrotation, can be diagnosed using conventional contrast fluoroscopy, US or CT. CT is a quick and comprehensive examination in the evaluation of complex acute abdominal pathology in children. Contrast-enhanced CT can readily help the radiologist recognize perfusion abnormalities of the bowel, which is vital for reducing morbidity and mortality in affected children. Our case emphasizes and demonstrates additional CT features of bowel infarction in a child with a proven malrotation with midgut volvulus.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mortality (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/32. Small bowel obstruction due to a persistent omphalomesenteric duct.We report a case of a meckel diverticulum connected with the umbilicus through a fibrotic cord causing small bowel obstruction. On admission, the patient presented with an acute abdomen. A plain upright radiography of the abdomen, an ultrasonography of the abdomen, and an enema with gastrografin were performed, showing a small bowel obstruction at the level of the pre-terminal ileum, without revealing the cause. Urgent surgery followed, showing a persistent omphalomesenteric duct connected to the abdominal wall through a fibrotic cord, with a secondary volvulus of the small bowel. The remnant was resected and the volvulus reduced. The post-operative course was uneventful. Because of the serious complications and even possible mortality due to ischemic disease of the affected small bowel the possibility of a complicated persistent omphalomesenteric duct should be kept in mind, even if the preoperative work-up does not reveal a meckel diverticulum.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mortality (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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