Laparoscopic resection of sigmoid colon cancer with intestinal malrotation: A case report

IntroductionIntestinal malrotation is a congenital abnormality which occurs due to a failure of the normal 270° rotation of the midgut. The non-rotation type is usually asymptomatic and discovered incidentally on imaging studies. Intestinal malrotation accompanied by colon cancer is extremely rare.Presentation of caseA 53-year-old male presented with postprandial abdominal discomfort. Colonoscopy showed a 14 mm polyp in the sigmoid colon and endoscopic polypectomy was performed. Pathological evaluation revealed an adenocarcinoma invading the submucosa more than 1000 μm with positive vertical and horizontal margins. A contrast enhanced computed tomography scan showed an anatomic variant of the ileocolic and inferior mesenteric arteries originating from a common channel branching from the abdominal aorta. Laparoscopic sigmoid colon resection was performed. The patient did well post operatively.DiscussionThe usual trocar placement for laparoscopic left side colectomy was used, and we found no difficulties intraoperatively. To secure safe ligation, the divisions of the common channel branching from the abdominal aorta were exposed as in a usual D3 dissection, and the inferior mesenteric artery was ligated after confirmation of the bifurcation of the ileocolic and inferior mesenteric artery.ConclusionTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of laparoscopic resection of a sigmoid colon cancer with intestinal malrotation. It was performed without difficulty using the usual trocar placement, with appropriate attention to the variant in vascular anatomy.     

Giant sigmoid diverticulum: A rare entity of high clinical significance

Aim-Background

Affecting about 35% of patients above the age of sixty, diverticular disease represents a common entity. However, giant colonic diverticulum is a rare complication of this disease with variant clinical presentation and high complication rate. This report describes one such case and includes a short review of the literature.

Case report

An 83-year-old Caucasian man was transferred to our Unit after having been hospitalized in the Department of Internal Medicine for 15 days due to high fever with chills and vague left lower abdominal pain. The clinical examination was normal and showed no signs of peritonitis or palpable mass, other than a mild abdominal tenderness in the left iliac fossa. The patient’s medical history included diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, and distal arteriopathy. The patient had undergone endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm five years earlier. Blood tests indicated hypochromic anaemia and a hemoccult test was positive for haematochezia. Blood, urine, and faeces cultures were negative.

Results

Diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon was diagnosed by colonoscopy. The abdominal CT revealed a large air density mass adjacent to the sigmoid colon and diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon was diagnosed by colonoscopy. We performed sigmoid resection followed by end-to-end colorectal anastomosis with protective loop ileostomy so as to eliminate the risk of septic complications. A giant pseudodiverticulum was confirmed by histology.

Conclusion

Giant colonic diverticulum is a rare complication of colonic diverticular disease with unclear aetiology and variable clinical presentation. Due to the substantial risk of complications and the low mortality associated with surgical treatment, elective surgical therapy has been recommended. Conservative management of an asymptomatic giant colonic diverticulum should be reserved only for high-risk elderly patients who cannot tolerate surgery or who are unwilling to undergo surgery.     

Adrenal giant cystic pheochromocytoma treated by posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy

IntroductionGiant cystic pheochromocytoma (>10 cm) is rare with only a few cases described in the literature. Preoperative diagnosis is very difficult because clinical, biochemical and radiologic finds are usually not consistent with a pheochromocytoma. Open surgery is traditionally the gold standard.Case presentationA 51 year-old male patient resorted to surgery department with an adrenal cystic incidentaloma. He was asymptomatic, mild hypertension easily controlled, with increased plasma fractionated metanephrines. MRI and MIBG scans confirmed the presence of a right adrenal giant cystic pheochromocytoma (14 cm). A right posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy was performed, complicated with an unintended disruption. At follow-up he was asymptomatic and with plasma fractionated metanephrines normalized.DiscussionAlthough laparoscopic surgery is effective and safe, traditional open surgery is the gold standard in the presence of adrenal tumours with suspicion of malignancy, like masses larger than 8 cm (including giant cystic pheochromocytomas). Minimal invasive techniques have the advantages of less postoperative pain and ileus, less morbidity, improved cosmetics, and faster recovery, but with the negative impact in R0 resection and probably a higher risk of cystic rupture. However comparisons between open and minimally invasive surgery are lacking. Additionally posterior retroperitoneoscopic approach has several advantages over laparoscopic transperitoneal method.ConclusionThis is the first case report of a giant cystic pheochromocytoma treated by posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy, but the occurrence of the unintended rupture may be a factor against this approach. More studies are needed to compare open and minimally invasive techniques in terms of resectability and cystic rupture rate.     

A rare case of a strangulated Littre’s hernia with Meckel’s diverticulum duplication. Case report and literature review

IntroductionThe Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract present in approximately 1–4% of the population; the MD duplication is exceedingly rare with only a few reports of it. Here we present the firs case of a strangulated Littre’s hernia with MD duplication.Presentation of caseA 30-year-old male presented to the emergency room with clinical signs of small bowel obstruction, at physical examination, a right incarcerated inguinal hernia with erythema was found. We did a laparotomy, and two MD were found, one in the sac with ischemia, and the other 90 cm from the Bahuińs valve. A diverticulectomy of the ischemic diverticulum was done, and the other MD was left in place; the inguinal region was repaired with a Lichtenstein technique.DiscussionThe complications of the MD are 3–4 times more frequent in men, been an intestinal obstruction, hemorrhage, diverticulitis, ulceration, and perforation. A Littrés hernia is when the MD is found in the sac; this is seen in the inguinal region in 50% of the cases. The management of a Littre’s hernia is the resection of the MD; it could be done by an intestinal resection or by a diverticulectomy accordingly to the Park criteria.ConclusionAs to our knowledge, this is the first case of an incarcerated Littre’s hernia with duplication of a Meckel’s diverticulum.     

Sigmoid Resection with Primary Anastomosis for Uncomplicated Giant Colonic Diverticulum: a Report of two Cases

Giant colonic diverticulum (GCD) is a rare complication of colonic diverticulosis. A small number of cases has been reported in the literature. Patients with GCD have often few non-specific symptoms. Unfortunately, severe complications exist and may lead to surgical acute abdomen. Therefore, this complication of the diverticular disease must be known and properly treated. There is no gold standard diagnostic test, but an air-fluid or air-filled, rounded, pseudo-cystic image in relation with the colonic wall in a patient with colonic diverticula should suggest this diagnosis to the clinician. We report two cases of a 70-year-old male patient and a 44-year-old female patient having a giant sigmoid diverticulum. The treatment of choice of an uncomplicated GCD is an elective colonic resection, including the giant diverticulum, with primary anastomosis; while in case of complicated GCD (peritonitis, abscess or complex fistula), a two-stage resection should be considered.     

A case of single-incision laparoscopic surgery for a bleeding Meckel’s diverticulum diagnosed pre-operatively by double-balloon endoscopy

Introduction Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is a congenital true diverticulum that is residual yolk duct tissue, and some cases with complications require surgery. It has been reported that laparoscopic surgery is effective for patients with an MD.Presentation of caseA 79-year-old man with melena visited our hospital. Upper gastrointestinal series and colonoscopy showed no bleeding lesion. Double-balloon endoscopy was then performed to examine the small intestine. The examination showed a large diverticulum 80 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve and a circular ulcer. MD resection was performed using single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) technique through a 3-cm zig-zag incision in the umbilicus. Three ports were inserted for the scope and forceps devices. The MD was located 80 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve. There were no other intestinal lesions. From the wound, the lesion could be easily moved outside the body. The MD including the ulcer lesion was then resected. The patient’s postoperative course was good, and he rarely felt wound pain. He started dietary intake three days after surgery and was discharged from hospital eight days after surgery.DiscussionSILS technique has attracted attention in the field of laparoscopic surgery. Using a single port with multiple working channels, SILS can reduce the number of incisions and the rates of incisional hernia port site-related complications, as well as improve cosmesis.ConclusionA definite diagnosis of an MD was made by double-balloon endoscopy preoperatively. The SILS approach was effective for cosmesis, postoperative pain, and a shortened hospital stay.     

Giant Meckel’s diverticulum compressing root of mesentery – A rare cause of ileal gangrene – Case report and review of literature

IntroductionMeckel’s diverticulum (MD) commonly presents as gastrointestinal bleeding in the pediatric population and intestinal obstruction in adults. There is no consensus for surgical excision of an incidentally diagnosed MD. We present a hitherto unreported vascular cause of intestinal gangrene due to MD.Case presentationA 16 year old boy was referred as an acute abdomen for tertiary hospital management. Clinical examination and CT suggested small bowel obstruction and emergency laparotomy was performed. A giant MD compressing the root of mesentery, causing critical occlusion of the ileal vessels and extensive ileal gangrene was found. The gangrenous bowel was resected and a jejuno-ascending colon anastamosis was done. Postoperative recovery was uneventful.DiscussionThis case report highlights an unrecognized complication of a giant Meckel’s diverticulum. There are no clear guidelines on the management of an incidentally discovered MD though certain studies recommend resection of an incidental MD in males and individuals less than 50 years of age or when the MD is larger than 2 cm or contains histologically abnormal tissue. Other meta-analyses do not recommend routine resection. MD has been identified as a high risk region for ileal malignancy and its resection usually has minimal morbidity. A valid consent for opportunistic resection of a Meckel’s diverticulum in any laparotomy would be discerning.ConclusionAppropriate opportunistic resection of an incidental Meckel’s diverticulum may prevent extensive surgical morbidity later. This case highlights the need to revisit guidelines for management of incidentally identified MD.     

Ruptured giant colonic diverticulum

Giant colonic diverticulum (GCD) is a rare complication of diverticular disease with less than 150 cases reported in the English literature. The clinical presentation ranges from asymptomatic to that of an acute abdomen. In most cases, giant colonic diverticulum is found in the sigmoid colon. The ideal treatment is elective resection of the sigmoid colon with primary anastomosis. When the diverticulum presents with perforation or obstruction, however, the treatment is a sigmoid colectomy with diverting colostomy (Hartmann procedure).     

Trocar-site evisceration of the vermiform appendix following laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy: A case report

IntroductionThere is an ongoing debate whether prophylactic drainage or incidental appendectomy should be performed in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. On the other hand, it has been shown that the placement of drains through former trocar sites as well as the use of large (≥10 mm) trocars, incomplete fascial closure or closed laparoscopy technique all predispose for the occurrence of trocar site hernias.Presentation of caseWe report the case of a 59-year-old male patient who underwent laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy with primary anastomosis for recurrent sigmoid diverticulitis. Preoperative diagnostics revealed no abnormalities other than multiple diverticula in the sigmoid colon. The subsequent surgery was conducted without any complications. Due to inconspicuous intraoperative appearance of the vermiform appendix, no incidental appendectomy was performed. On the 4th postoperative day, the Easy Flow drain − which had been placed prophylactically through the 12 mm trocar site in the right lower abdomen − was removed. Four hours after drain removal, trocar-site evisceration of the vermiform appendix occurred, requiring emergency surgery.Discussion and conclusionThe present case is yet another argument for restricting the use of prophylactic drains in colorectal surgery as well as closing port sites of ≥10 mm diameter. Furthermore, incidental appendectomy may be considered since it is able to prevent this type of complication and can be performed with minimal cost and morbidity.     

Giant pancreatic incidentaloma: Report of a case and literature review

INTRODUCTIONAsymptomatic lesions of the pancreas, referred to as ‘incidentalomas’, have appeared with increased frequency in recent years. Giant incidentalomas have rarely been reported in the literature.PRESENTATION OF CASEWe report herein a rare case of a giant cystic pancreatic incidentaloma measuring 12.7 cm × 8 cm, which was found in an otherwise healthy male patient during a routine genitourinary imaging work-up. The patient underwent a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy; the pathology report demonstrated a giant serous cystadenoma of the body and tail of the pancreas.DISCUSSIONThe management of pancreatic incidentalomas is challenging. While solid lesions almost always warrant surgery, there is ongoing debate concerning the management of cystic lesions that are found incidentally in the pancreas and have no clinical manifestations.CONCLUSIONWe report herein an interesting case of a voluminous incidental cystic pancreatic lesion. The appropriate approach and the decision whether to operate or not in such cases can be puzzling to the physician.     

Giant splenic artery aneurysm: A rare but potentially catastrophic surgical challenge

INTRODUCTIONSplenic artery aneurysms are rare but clinically important entities because of their potential for life threatening rupture. They seldom exceed 3 cms in size and only a few cases of giant splenic artery aneurysms (more than 10 cm size) have been reported until now.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 58 yr old female presented with painless pulsatile progressively enlarging lump in left upper abdomen. Contrast enhanced computed tomography revealed a 10.6 × 10.38 cm aneurysm arising from distal splenic artery along with a normal pancreas. Surgical treatment in form of complete excision of the aneurysm along with spleen and distal pancreas was performed. Gross examination showed an unruptured 12.7 × 11.8 cm true aneurysm of distal splenic artery. Postoperative course was uneventful.DISCUSSIONSplenic artery aneurysms are discovered incidentally and the life time risk of rupture is 28% for giant aneurysms. Even with availability of less invasive procedures such as laproscopy or endovascular treatment, open surgery is mostly preferred.CONCLUSIONGiant splenic artery aneurysms, although rare, should be considered in patients presenting with left upper abdomen pulsatile masses. Clinical suspicion followed by emergent management is necessary to prevent potentially life threatening complications.     

Preoperative assessment of patient comorbidities before left colectomy: Comparison between ASA performance status scale and a new computed tomography physical status score

PurposeTo compare a newly developed preoperative computed tomography physical status (CT-PS) score with the American Society of Anesthesiology performance status (ASA-PS) scale in the assessment of patient preoperative health status and stratification of perioperative risk before left colectomy.Materials and methodsPreoperative chest-abdomen-pelvis CT examinations of patients who were scheduled to undergo elective laparoscopic left colonic resection for cancer in two centers were reviewed by two radiologists blinded to clinical data for the presence of several key imaging features in order to assess general, cardiac, pulmonary, abdominal, renal, vascular and musculoskeletal status. CT examinations of patients from center 1 were used to build a CT-PS score to predict ASA-PS ≥ III. CT-PS score was further validated using an external cohort of patients from center 2.ResultsDuring a 2-year period, 117 consecutive patients (63 men, 54 women; mean age, 65 ± 13 [SD] years; age range: 53–90 years) who underwent laparoscopic left colectomy for cancer in center 1 (66 patients, building cohort) and center 2 (51 patients, validation cohort) were retrospectively included. Ninety-one percent of patients were ASA-PS 1–2. Overall postoperative morbidity was 23% and severe morbidity 12%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of CT-PS score was 0.968 (95% CI: 0.901–1.000) in the building cohort and 0.828 (95% CI: 0.693–0.963) in the validation cohort. The optimal thresholds yielded 87% (95% CI: 83–91%) sensitivity and 100% (95% CI: 91–100%) specificity in the building cohort and 75% (95% CI: 69–81%) sensitivity and 83% (95% CI: 77–88%) specificity in the validation cohort for the prediction of ASA-PS.ConclusionPreoperative chest-abdomen-pelvis CT thoroughly and wisely read is highly accurate to differentiate patients with ASA-PS I/II from those with ASA-PS III/IV before left colectomy.     

Laparoscopic extraction of a giant peritoneal loose body: Case report and review of literature

IntroductionA peritoneal loose body is a rare finding and is sometimes founded incidentally during laparotomy or autopsy. A giant peritoneal loose body, measuring more than 50 mm, is very rare, and only a few cases of laparoscopic extraction of these giant bodies have been reported in the literature.Presentation of caseA 70-year-old man presented for evaluation of urinary frequency. He had no history of previous abdominal surgery or trauma. Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis showed a giant oval-shaped mass with calcification of the luminal core, measuring 58 mm in diameter. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a lesion with low intensity in T1-/T2-weighted images. Exploratory laparoscopy was performed. During the procedure, a yellow-white, oval-shaped mass with a “Boiled egg” appearance was discovered in front of the rectum. The mass was freely floating in the peritoneal cavity, without attachment to any intraperitoneal organs. The giant peritoneal loose body was extracted through a small incision, using an enlarged trocar site.DiscussionMost peritoneal loose bodies are small, not exceeding 2 cm in diameter, and are asymptomatic. Only a few cases of giant peritoneal loose bodies exceeding 5 cm have been reported.ConclusionA giant peritoneal loose body is very rare and laparoscopic extraction was a useful technique. We report a case of a giant peritoneal loose body and review previously published series.     

Volvulus of the sigmoid colon is associated with hypotrophy of the left lateral segment of the liver and the absence of sigmoid diverticulum

Purpose

To investigate the possible relationships between sigmoid diverticula, the volume of the left lateral segment of the liver and sigmoid colon volvulus.

Giant insulinoma in a 15-year-old man: A case report

IntroductionGiant insulinomas are extremely rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.Presentation of caseA 15-year-old man presenting with acute onset of lightheadedness was found to have serum glucose of 1.5 mmol/L. The blood collected from the hypoglycemic episode showed an inappropriately high insulin and C-peptide level. Abdominal computerized tomography showed a 12.5 cm well-defined, lobulated hypervascular mass at pancreatic tail, without any evidence of metastasis. En bloc resection with distal pancreatectomy, and splenectomy was successfully performed. The pathological examination confirmed insulinoma, with benign characteristics. Follow-up after the procedure revealed neither hypoglycemic, nor hyperglycemia.ConclusionWe report the youngest case of a giant insulinoma. Despite the size of the tumor, the pathological report confirmed the benign characteristics. However, long-term follow-up is still essential to detect recurrence in the future.     

Giant gallstone performed by emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy

INTRODUCTIONGallstone disease is very common, but the gallstone bigger than 5 cm in diameter is very rare. It is very challenging to be removed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and poses extra difficulty in emergency.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 70-year-old man complained of abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant with fever of 38 °C for two days. Abdominal ultrasound indicated acute cholecystitis and a single, extremely large gallstone (95 mm × 60 mm × 45 mm). Emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed successfully.DISCUSSIONGallstone over 5 cm in diameter is very rare. LC will be very difficult for these cases, especially for the emergency cases. Emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be successfully performed with clear exposure of the anatomy of the Calot's triangle. To the best of our knowledge, such giant gallstone has been rarely reported.CONCLUSIONWe have proven that for the rare giant gallstone about 10 cm in size, LC is a feasible option if the anatomy of the Calot's triangle can be clearly exposed; otherwise, open cholecystectomy is a safe choice.     

A case report: Cecal volvulus caused by Meckel's diverticulum

INTRODUCTION

Meckel''s diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the small intestine. Common complications related to Meckel''s diverticulum include hemorrhage, intestinal obstruction and inflammation. Acute large bowel obstruction is a rare complication of Meckel''s diverticulum and in the presented case it is caused by volvulus.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

We report a 39 year old female who presented with the diagnosis of a large bowel obstruction occurring as a result of cecal volvulus caused by adhesions of a perforated diverticulum.

DISCUSSION

The reported case presents one of the rare complications of MD, which is volvulus. The case described above presented with signs and symptoms suggestive of acute intestinal obstruction and radiological findings suggestive of cecal volvulus. The patient was taken to the operation room for exploration and we discovered the presence of a perforated MD. The main treatment of such case is to perform diverticulectomy in all symptomatic patients.

CONCLUSION

MD is mostly identified intraoperatively. Knowledge of the pathophysiologies by which MD can cause complications such as volvulus is important in order to plan management.     

Treatment of a half century year old giant inguinoscrotal hernia. A case report

IntroductionInguinal hernias, although a common medical entity, can on rare occasions present as giant inguinoscrotal hernias, mostly because of the patient’s rejection of timely surgical management.Presentation of caseA 77 year old patient, with a giant inguinoscrotal hernia history for more than 50 years, was advised to undergo surgical treatment due to recurrent urinary tract infections and vague abdominal pain. Physical examination showed a right sided giant inguinoscrotal hernia extending below the midpoint of the inner thigh. Preoperative CT examination confirmed a giant inguinoscrotal hernia containing the whole of the small bowel along with its mesentery.DiscussionGiant inguinoscrotal hernias are classified into three types based on size, with each one posing a challenge to treat. There are a number of surgical options and recommendations available, depending on the type of hernia. They require close postoperative observation, because the sudden increase in the intra-abdominal pressure can account for a number of complications. Our case was classified as a type II hernia, having longevity of more than 50 years. Despite this, it was treated with forced reduction and no debulking through an extended inguinal and lower midline incision, forming a ‘V shaped’ incision. Patient recovery was uneventful and he was discharged on the 10th postoperative day.ConclusionPreoperative management and the correct surgical plan depending on the case are key elements in the successful treatment of this rare surgical entity.     

Right radial nerve dysfunction following laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy

Here, we report a case of right radial nerve dysfunction following laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy under general anesthesia. A 75-year-old man was intubated without excessive retroflexion, and his upper body was held in place by lateral body positioners with protective cushions over the chest and acromioclavicular joints. The patient’s head was maintained at the center and held on the operation table with a memory-foam pillow to prevent hyperextension of the neck. The arms, abducted 80° with the forearms supinated, were held in place on the armrests with protective cushions. The surgical position was a 20° head-down lithotomy position with the right side of the body lowered by 15°. Surgery was completed successfully with no complications, and anesthesia time was 7 h and 37 min. After surgery, however, the patient complained of numbness and hypoesthesia on the radial and ulnar side, respectively, of the right arm from the elbow to the fingertips, with the boundary running between fingers 3 and 4. Dysesthesia was observed in the right fingertips of fingers 1–3. After 3 months of silver spike point low-frequency electrotherapy, hypoesthesia improved, while dysesthesia partially improved, in the dorsal area between right fingers 1 and 2.     

A case report of a ruptured Meckel's diverticulum with ectopic gastric and pancreatic tissue with negative computed tomography

IntroductionA Meckel's diverticulum is a rare but known cause of an acute abdomen and can often be confused for acute appendicitis on physical examination. It is caused by an incomplete closure of the omphalomesenteric duct. It is present in 2% of the population and only 2% of those patients are symptomatic.Case presentationThis is the case of a sixty-four-year-old male presented to the surgical clinic at request of his primary care physician with concern for acute appendicitis. The patient had a CT A/P with IV contrast performed two days prior to his office visit for the same pain which was non-diagnostic. The patient was taken to the operating room and found to have Meckel's Diverticulitis which was managed by laparoscopic hand-assisted small bowel resection and anastomosis. The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course. Pathology demonstrated ulcerated gastric mucosa and pancreatic tissue.DiscussionSymptomatic Meckel's diverticulum is managed with small bowel resection versus diverticulectomy based on characteristics of the diverticulum. The most common type of ectopic tissue is gastric followed by pancreatic. It is rare to find both types of tissue together.ConclusionThis case describes an unusual case of a rare acute surgical pathology with non-diagnostic imaging and labs. This case also describes an exceedingly rare histopathology of a Meckel's Diverticulum with the presence of both ectopic gastric and pancreatic tissues.