1/1405. Tension pneumoperitoneum: a report of 4 cases. Four cases of tension pneumoperitoneum are described. In 3 patients this condition followed a perforation of a grossly distended caecum. In 2 of these patients there was an associated malignant neoplasm of the pelvic colon with obstruction. The third patient had a pseudo-obstruction of the transverse colon. The fourth patient had a tension penumoperitoneum with associated surgical emphysema in the neck and subcutaneous tissues of the abdomen and chest walls, following perforation of a duodenal ulcer. The aetiology, presentation and management, together with the mechanism of tension pneumoperitoneum, are discussed. ( info) |
2/1405. Necrotizing and giant cell granulomatous phlebitis of caecum and ascending colon. A distinctive form of necrotizing and granulomatous phlebitis of a segment of large intestine is described in a previously healthy 36-year-old woman who presented with sudden severe abdominal pain and diarrhoea. At operation the caecum and ascending colon were oedematous and inflamed and right hemicolectomy was performed. Microscopically there was striking involvement of veins in all coats of the bowel ranging from recent fibrinoid necrosis of the whole vessel wall in the case of the caecum, to more chronic giant cell granulomas in parts of the vessel wall with partial or complete occlusion of the lumen in ascending colon. arteries and lymphatics were entirely spared of these changes. The aitiology of this condition has not been elucidated but the histological appearances and site of involvement suggest an immunological reaction to material absorbed from the bowel. No evidence of food or other allergies or of infection has been obtained. The patient remains symptom free after 18 months. This form of phlebitis does not appear to have been previously described. ( info) |
3/1405. Colocutaneous fistula after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in a remnant stomach. An 82-year-old woman underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) 5 years after partial gastrectomy for cancer. Four months after PEG insertion, a colocutaneous fistula was noted at exchange of the PEG tube. Colocutaneous fistula is a rare and major complication of PEG with 10 reported cases to date. In eight of the 11 reported cases, including this case, fistulas appeared late (>6 weeks) after PEG insertion. This complication may heal after removal of the PEG alone, if the fistula has formed completely; otherwise a surgical approach is necessary for the treatment. Since five of the 11 reported patients had previously undergone abdominal surgery, prior abdominal surgery may increase the risk of a colonic injury after PEG. Open surgical gastrostomy is a wiser option when performing gastrostomy in patients with prior abdominal surgery. ( info) |
4/1405. The radiology corner: Longitudinal fistulous tract of the colon and a perianal fistula in diverticulitis. Diverticular disease may mimic many of the symptoms and signs of Crohn's disease. The presence, however, of perirectal involvement and a longitudinal fistula greater than 10 cm. in the wall of the colon are two unusual features of diverticular disease. Discussed herein is a patient who presented with both of these complications. ( info) |
5/1405. Development of a colocutaneous fistula in a patient with a large surface area burn. A 61 year old female sustained a large surface area burn, complicated by inhalation injury. One month before the incident, she had undergone a left hemicolectomy with colorectal anastomosis for diverticular disease. Due to the severity of her burns, multiple surgical debridement and skin grafting procedures were required, including a large fascial debridement of her flank and back. Her hospital course was complicated by recurrent episodes of pulmonary and systemic infection, as well as pre-existing malnutrition. Prior to her discharge to a rehabilitation center, stool began to drain from her left posterior flank. This complication represented a colonic fistula arising from the recent colon anastomosis. The fistula was managed nonoperatively and gradually closed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a colocutaneous fistula spontaneously draining from the abdomen via the retroperitoneum in a burn victim, not related to direct thermal injury to the peritoneal cavity. ( info) |
6/1405. The uptake of gallium 67 in colonic macrophages. A case is presented in which a patient with a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma showed high gallium concentration in the segment with melanosis coli proximal to the obstruction. Although in this case the gallium was associated with an increased number of faecal pigment containing macrophages it is unlikely that macrophages are the main factor in tumour uptake of gallium compounds. ( info) |
7/1405. Isolated colonic tuberculous perforation as a rare cause of peritonitis: report of a case. We present herein the rare case of a patient who developed peritonitis due to colonic tuberculosis with perforation. The patient was successfully treated by resectional surgery with delayed restoration of bowel continuity and antitubercular therapy. ( info) |
8/1405. intussusception following a baby walker injury. Serious abdominal injury as a result of a fall in a baby walker has not been previously reported. We present the case of a 13-month-old boy who developed intussusception following a fall down five stairs in a baby walker. Attempted hydrostatic reduction was unsuccessful. At operation, a bowel wall hematoma, serving as a lead point, was identified. This case adds another type of injury to the list of those previously associated with baby walker use. ( info) |
9/1405. Changing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to the 'Ogilvie syndrome'. The only thing that has remained unchanged about the genuinely described 'Ogilvie syndrome' is its name. Recently it was considered to be an acute colonic pseudoobstruction, a clinical entity mimicking the mechanic ileus of the distal large intestine, without organic obstruction. It is almost always secondary to other diseases. Not all details of the pathogenesis are known, but it has become clear that the direct factor leading to the disturbance of the motility is a vegetative imbalance. X-ray findings are highly characteristic and critical in the planning of treatment. The danger for the patients is the progression of the state or the long duration of the process. Conservative treatment is suitable only for early cases, without complications. In case of failure non-invasive endoscopic or endoscopically assisted minimally invasive procedures may be mandatory. These methods have seen rapid advance in recent years. Uncertain diagnoses or complications call for open surgery. cecostomy is the solution of choice anyway. The mortality is high in this group of elderly polymorbid patients. Authors compare six of their cases with data collected from the literature. ( info) |
| According to the literature this is the first patient with the primary diagnosis of an endometriosis (EMT) based on the cardinal symptom of an uremia in combination with a colorectal ileus. Operative removal of EMT was possible after hormonal suppression with Dienogest. ( info) |