Surgical Management of Pancreaticobiliary Disease associated with Juxtapapillary Duodenal Diverticula: Case Series and Review of the Literature

Introduction

Juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula (DD), although usually asymptomatic, are occasionally associated with pancreaticobiliary conditions such as recurrent bile duct stones, cholangitis, and pancreatitis.

Materials and methods

An unusual case of DD associated with a dorsal duct stricture in a patient with recurrent pancreatitis and pancreas divisum is presented along with three additional instances of surgically treated DD and a review of the literature.

Results

The role of surgical intervention depends upon the specific nature of the presentation and the anatomical relationship of the diverticulum to the ampullary and pancreaticobiliary ductal system.

Conclusion

Operations that divert bile and the food stream from DD are preferred over diverticulectomy.     

Temporary quadriplegia following continuous thoracic paravertebral block

A case of temporary quadriplegia following a continuous thoracic paravertebral block in an adult patient scheduled for video-assisted thoracoscopy is presented. An 18-gauge Tuohy needle was inserted under direct vision by the surgeon but the tip of the catheter was not localized. Postoperatively, the patient developed temporary quadriplegia 90 minutes after the start of a continuous infusion of ropivacaine 0.2%. Imaging studies showed that the catheter was localized in the intrathecal space.     

Simultaneous proximal femoral rotational and distal femoral varus osteotomies for femoral retroversion and genu valgum

Whereas excess femoral anteversion and its related symptoms have been described many times, excess femoral retroversion is less well documented. We report the case of a 30-year-old woman who had a history of chronic bilateral hip and knee pain and evidence of excess femoral retroversion, genu valgum, early-onset lateral and patellofemoral compartment osteoarthritis of both knees, and hip arthritis. She experienced symptomatic relief after undergoing staged bilateral simultaneous proximal femoral rotational and distal femoral lateral opening wedge osteotomies. Although this combination of alignment problems is not an infrequent clinical occurrence, we have found no literature on this condition or treatment. The patient provided written informed consent for print and electronic publication of this case report.     

Tissue anchor use in arthroscopic glenohumeral surgery

Arthroscopic surgery has become the mainstay of treatment of several common glenohumeral pathologies such as tears of the rotator cuff and labrum. Arthroscopic rotator cuff and labral repair provide outcomes comparable to those achieved with traditional open techniques, with the benefits of smaller incisions and less soft-tissue disruption. Development and improvement of tissue anchors and arthroscopic instrumentation has been integral to the increased popularity of arthroscopic glenohumeral repairs. Current anchors can be categorized by design and material composition. Awareness of the advantages and limitations of these implants may influence anchor selection.     

Demographic, dietary, and serum factors and parathyroid hormone in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Summary

Many determinants of parathyroid hormone (PTH) are unknown. In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), numerous factors not classically associated with calcium–phosphorus homeostasis, such as uric acid and smoking, are independently associated with PTH in adults without chronic kidney disease. Associations between serum phosphorus and PTH may vary by race.

Introduction

Although PTH may be an important biomarker for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, many determinants of PTH are unknown. We investigated associations between demographic, dietary, and serum factors and PTH level.

Methods

We studied 4,026 white, 1,792 black, and 1,834 Mexican-American adult participants without chronic kidney disease from the 2003–2004 and 2005–2006 NHANES.

Results

The mean serum PTH level was 38.3?pg/ml for whites, 42.6?pg/ml for blacks, and 41.3?pg/ml for Mexican-Americans. After adjusting for diet, body mass index, serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, creatinine, and other factors, smokers compared to non-smokers had lower PTH, ranging from ?4.2?pg/ml (95% confidence interval (CI) ?7.3 to ?1.1) in Mexican-Americans to ?6.1?pg/ml (95% CI ?8.7 to ?3.5) in blacks. After multivariate adjustment, PTH was higher in females compared to males, ranging from 1.1?pg/ml (95% CI ?1.2 to 3.4) in Mexican-Americans to 4.5?pg/ml (95% CI 1.9 to 7.0) in blacks, and in older (>60?years) compared to younger participants (<30?years), ranging from 3.7?pg/ml (95% CI 1.3 to 6.1) in Mexican-Americans to 8.0?pg/ml (95% CI 5.4 to 10.7) in blacks. Higher uric acid was associated with higher PTH. In whites only, lower serum phosphorus and lower serum retinol were associated with higher PTH.

Conclusions

Numerous factors not classically associated with calcium–phosphorus homeostasis are independently associated with PTH and should be considered in future studies of PTH and chronic disease. Additional research is needed to elucidate mechanisms underlying identified associations with PTH and to explore possible racial differences in phosphorus handling.     

Traumatic Grief and Traumatic Stress in Survivors 12 Years after the Genocide in Rwanda

The relationship between exposure to traumatic events and traumatic grief and the role of mediating and moderating variables [peritraumatic distress, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and symptoms of depression] were studied in survivors of the genocide of Batutsi in Rwanda in 1994. One hundred and two survivors (70 women, mean age 45 ± 7.53 years) participated in this retrospective study. All of them had lost a member of their family. The severity of traumatic exposure (Comprehensive Trauma Inventory), peritraumatic distress (Peritraumatic Distress Inventory), current PTSD symptoms (PTSD Checklist), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory) and traumatic grief symptoms (Inventory of Traumatic Grief) was evaluated. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was then conducted to examine the relative contribution of each variable to the symptoms of traumatic grief. The severity of traumatic exposure was related to traumatic grief symptoms (B = 0.06, R = 0.6, R² = 0.36 and ß = 0.6, t = 7.54, p = 0.00). The Baron and Kenny procedure (1986) (including three separate regressions), along with the Sobel test, was used to test mediation effects. Peritraumatic distress and PTSD symptoms may be mediating variables between traumatic exposure and traumatic grief. Traumatic grief is a complex but assessable entity, where previous distress and suffering result from both psychological trauma and the loss of a loved one. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Minimizing the role of fusion in the rigid flatfoot

The goals of surgery for the rigid flatfoot are to achieve a painless, stable, functional plantigrade foot. Although triple arthrodesis affords predictable correction and pain relief, the long-term sequelae of extended hindfoot fusions include arthritis and often the need for further, more extensive fusion procedures. We propose that satisfactory results can be achieved in the rigid flatfoot by limiting fusion to joints that are arthritic, and correcting associated deformity with osteotomy and soft tissue reconstruction.     

A double-blind, randomized, active-controlled study for post-hemorrhoidectomy pain management with liposome bupivacaine, a novel local analgesic formulation

This randomized, active-controlled study evaluated the extent and duration of analgesia after administration of liposome bupivacaine (LB), a novel formulation of bupivacaine, compared with bupivacaine HCl given via local infiltration in excisional hemorrhoidectomy. One hundred patients were randomly assigned to receive a single dose of bupivacaine HCl 75 mg (0.25% with 1:200,000 epinephrine) or LB 66, 199, or 266 mg upon completion of hemorrhoidectomy. Postoperative pain intensity was assessed using a numeric rating scale at rest to calculate a cumulative pain score (area under the curve). Cumulative pain scores were significantly lower with LB at each study dose (P < 0.05) compared with bupivacaine HCl 72 hours after surgery. Post hoc analysis showed that mean total postoperative opioid consumption was statistically significantly lower for the LB 266-mg group compared with the bupivacaine HCl group during the 12- to 72-hour postoperative period (P = 0.019). Median time to first opioid use was 19 hours for LB 266 mg versus 8 hours for bupivacaine HCl (P = 0.005). Incidence of opioid-related adverse events was 4 per cent for LB 266 mg compared with 35 per cent for bupivacaine HCl (P = 0.007). Local infiltration with LB resulted in significantly reduced postsurgical pain compared with bupivacaine HCl in patients after hemorrhoidectomy surgery.