Localization of a Colovesical Fistula Using a Retrograde Guide-Wire: Report of a Case

We describe an unconventional method of localizing a colovesical fistula by using a guide-wire, successfully carried out in a 45-year-old man with recurrent dysuria, pneumaturia, and suprapubic tenderness. First, we performed a cystoscopy to establish the fistulous tract in the bladder and passed the guide-wire through it. Next, we performed a colonoscopy, and the guide-wire was identified and brought out through the anus. This created a wire loop through the fistula. The transparietal cathether enabled us to detect the exact fistulous tract at laparotomy, making it possible to resect the inflamed colon and identify and resect the fistulous opening on the vesical wall. This technique allowed for a safer resection and a shorter operation time.     

Ganglioglioma in a child--report of a case

A seven-year-old boy who was admitted for surgical treatment for intractable epilepsy was found to have a ganglioglioma in his left parietal lobe. Since four years old, he had been suffering from the seizure and treated with various anticonvulsants without satisfactory effects. As its frequency increased, the dose had to be increased. Thus, it was sought for the possible surgical approach. On the CT scans, an egg size low density zone without contrast enhancement was observed in the subcortical region of his parietal lobe. There was marked thinning on inner table of the skull immediately above the zone. He was operated under fronto-temporo-parietal craniotomy. When the dura matter was opened, pale cerebral cortex protruded. Complete removal of the tumor was not possible, since there was not clear boundary between the mass and normal tissue. Based on histological study, it was diagnosed as ganglioglioma, because its main body contained increased number of glia which had deeply stained ununiform size nuclei. After the operation, he showed neither motor paralysis nor sensory disturbance and was able to sustain his activity with less amount of anticonvulsant.     

Rupture of a congenital diaphragmatic eventration in a child: Report of a case

Diaphragmatic rupture may be traumatic or may occur spontaneously. Spontaneous diaphragmatic rupture is a rare entity seen almost entirely in adults. We report here a case with spontaneous rupture of a congenital diaphragmatic evantration in a child.     

Knotting of a Ureteric Stent in a Child

Knotting of ureteric stents is an unusual complication of their use and has not previously been reported in a child. We present a case of a 4-year-old that developed symptomatic hydronephroureter following removal of a multilength stent, which had knotted at the proximal loop. The child made a full recovery but knotting must be considered if resistance is encountered during stent removal.     

Enteral Migration of a Pezzer Tube After a Feeding Jejunostomy: Report of a Case

We herein report a rare complication of the migration of a feeding jejunostomy tube through the entire intestine. A surgical Stamm jejunostomy was performed in a patient with an unresectable gastric cancer using a 28-F silicone catheter with a mushroom tip (Pezzer catheter). The catheter was suture-fixed to the skin, family members were given instructions regarding tube feeding and tube care, and the patient was discharged to home care. Two months later, he presented because of the disappearance of the tube. A clinical examination revealed a mature jejunostomy tract, skin erosion at the site where the suture was placed, and absence of the tube. There were no signs of intestinal obstruction or peritonitis. Abdominal X-ray examination showed the catheter inside the jejunum. The patient was treated conservatively with serial radiographs showing rapid tube migration through the intestine, and the tube was eliminated spontaneously 5 days later. An awareness of this complication and its appropriate treatment is important given the widespread use of enteral nutrition.     

Controlled induction of a pseudarthrosis: a study using a rodent model

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to test the hypothesis that under standardized mechanical and biologic conditions, the process of indirect bone repair in a rodent species could be manipulated to form a reproducible, atrophic, fibrous pseudarthrosis. DESIGN: The model used comprised a mid-diaphyseal, transverse osteotomy in the rat femur, stabilized via a precision miniature external fixator, a constant axial fixation stiffness being defined by a specific frame geometry. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The repair process for both 0.5-mm and 3.0-mm gap osteotomies was characterized using radiography, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, histologic assessment of standardized longitudinal sections, and postmortem mechanical testing. RESULTS: Healing of the defect was highly reproducible, bone union being attained at around 5 weeks postoperatively with a 0.5-mm gap. Increasing the gap width to 3.0 mm resulted consistently in a pseudarthrosis. CONCLUSION: These two reproducible patterns of repair can now be used to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms controlling the extent and progression of connective tissue differentiation in indirect bone repair without the additional variable of a nonstandardized mechanical environment.     

Successful resection of a large hepatoblastoma in a young adult: Report of a case

Hepatoblastoma (HB) rarely occurs in adults, and very few cases of successful resection have been documented. We report herein the unusual case of a 22-year-old, otherwise healthy woman with no history of liver disease who presented with upper abdominal pain and hepatomegaly. Tests for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) were negative, but the AFP was mildly elevated at 77 ng/ml, the normal being <20. There was no evidence of liver cirrhosis on either the laboratory or histologic examinations. A well-demarcated solid mass of 14cm in diameter, which was lobulated and partly necrotic, was detected in the liver by computed tomography (CT). The lesion was echogenic on ultrasound, slightly hypodense on CT, and mildly hyper-vascular on arteriogram. The entire tumor was resected by extensive hepatectomy preserving only the lateral segment and part of the posterior segment of the liver. Histologically, the neoplasm was diagnosed as a pure epithelial HB of the fetal type. Following the operation, the patient has been well and free of recurrence for 38 months, maintaining low alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels at around 5 ng/ml. To our knowledge, this is the longest reported survival of an adult following surgical resection of an epithelial HB.     

Torsion of a communicating hydrocele in a child

Among the diseases presenting as acute scrotum, torsion of a communicating hydrocele is extremely rare. A 5-year-old boy was referred with discomfort and swelling of the left scrotum. Operative findings revealed a torsion of a communicating hydrocele. We report a case of torsion with preoperative findings of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. We also emphasize the awareness of this disease as a differential diagnosis of the acute scrotum.     

Reconstruction of a Large Duodenal Defect Created by Resection of a Duodenal Tubulovillous Adenoma Using a Double-Tract Anastomosis to a Retrocolic Roux-en-Y Loop: Report of a Case

Adenomas arising in the duodenum are uncommon. The surgical approach to adenoma of the duodenum remains controversial. We herein report the successful closure of a large defect after a partial duodenectomy for an adenoma. A 60-year-old man developed duodenal adenoma. An upper gastrointestinal roentgenographic series and endoscopy revealed a 2.5-cm tumor located adjacent to the duodenal papilla. The tumor was too large to be removed endoscopically, and therefore it was resected en bloc by a partial duodenectomy. Histology confirmed the diagnosis of benign tubulovillous adenoma. The large duodenal defect created by resection of the tumor was closed with double-tract anastomosis to a retrocolic Roux-en-Y loop. Large duodenal defects represent difficult surgical problems. Closure by direct anastomosis to a Roux-en-Y loop side-to-side is thus considered to be the procedure of choice. Received: August 29, 2001 / Accepted: March 5, 2002     

Stability of a sufentanil-ropivacaine mixture in a glass and a PVC reservoir

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Drug mixtures containing sufentanil may be unstable owing to absorption into the drug reservoirs of patient-controlled epidural analgesia systems that contain polyvinylchloride. The stability of sufentanil in a mixture of ropivacaine 0.2% in a 750 mL reservoir was therefore investigated. METHODS: During simulated epidural infusions of 5 mLh(-1) at 25 degrees C, sufentanil concentrations were measured for 96 h. Samples were taken from the reservoir and from the end of the epidural catheter under the following conditions: into glass or polyvinylchloride reservoirs containing ropivacaine 0.2% with sufentanil 1, 0.75 or 0.5 microg mL(-1); and into polyvinylchloride reservoirs with ropivacaine 0.2% and sufentanil 1 microg mL(-1) which were stored for 4 weeks at 8 degrees C. RESULTS: The different solutions remained stable over the observation period of 96 h. Using the same solutions, independent samples' ANOVA showed no difference in the sufentanil concentrations between the glass and polyvinylchloride reservoirs, or between the polyvinylchloride reservoirs when stored for 4 weeks. Correlations between the concentrations at the different measurement times were extremely high for the reservoir (r(min) = 0.98, r(max) = 1.00) and the catheter end (rmin = 0.86, r(max) = 1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Sufentanil citrate at 0.5-1.0 microg mL(-1) in an admixture of ropivacaine 0.29 for 5 days, which is the usual period for postoperative epidural analgesia, remains stable in a polyvinylchloride reservoir. There is no change in the drug concentration even if the reservoir is stored for 4 weeks at 8 degrees C.