Spigelian hernias: a prospective analysis of baseline parameters and surgical outcome of 34 consecutive patients

Most of the papers published on spigelian hernia are either case reports or small retrospective series. In this prospective multicenter study, we aimed to outline the specific features of spigelian hernias and patients’ characteristics more clearly. Surgeons enrolled patients to be entered into the database as they diagnosed and treated the hernias at will. The baseline and surgical outcome parameters were noted in each patient. A painful mass was the main presenting complaint in half of 34 patients. Accurate preoperative diagnosis was possible in 31 patients. Open intraperitoneal mesh repair was the preferred technique. The mean hospital stay and time until return to normal daily activities were 4.1 and 15.6 days. Although a rare condition, diagnosis of a spigelian hernia is not difficult once remembered. Its surgical repair seems to cause few complications and is very well tolerated by the patient.     

Ultrastructural changes in pneumocyte type II cells following traumatic brain injury in rats.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to demonstrate the time-dependent ultrastructural changes in pneumocyte type II cells following brain injury, and to propose an electron microscopic scoring model for the damage. METHODS: Forty Wistar-Albino female rats weighing 170-200 g were used. The rats were allocated into five groups. The first group was the control and the second was the craniotomy without trauma. The others were trauma groups. Weight-drop method was used for achieving head trauma. Samples were obtained from the right and left pulmonary lobes at 2-, 8-, and 24-h intervals after transcardiac perfusion. An electron microscopic scoring model was used to reveal the changes. RESULTS: There were no ultrastructural pathological findings pointing to lung injury in any rat of the control groups. There was intense intracellular oedema in type II pneumocyte and interstitial oedema in the adjacent tissue in trauma groups. Oedema in mitochondria and dilatation in both smooth endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus was more evident in the 8- and 24-h trauma groups. The chromatin dispersion was disintegrated in the nucleus in all trauma groups. Scores of all trauma groups were significantly different from the controls (P<0.05). All trauma groups were different from each other at significant levels (P<0.05 for each trauma groups). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggested that ultrastructural damage is obvious at 2 h and deteriorates with time. The electron microscopic scoring model worked well in depicting the traumatic changes, which were supported by lipid peroxidation. Further experiments are needed to determine the exact outcome after brain death model.     

The effect of alternate-day low dose prednisolone on bone age in children with steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome

Radius, ulna, short bones (RUS), carpal (CARP) bone age (BA), tibial corticodiaphyseal (C/D) ratio and trabecular aspect were assessed in 19 children with steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome and 15 age matched healthy children. Both RUS and CARP BA were significantly lower than in the controls. Trabecular aspect and tibial C/D ratio did not show any statistical significance. There was a positive correlation between HSDS and RUS BA delay (r=−0.476, p<0.05); CARP BA delay and RUS BA delay (r=0.563, p<0.01) and RUS BA and CARP BA (r=0.891, p<0.001). In conclusion, RUS and CARP BA are both retarded and positively correlated in steroid dependent nephrotic children.     

Metastasis of Prostate Adenocarcinoma to Testis

Metastatic carcinoma to the testis is very rare. Metastasis of prostate adenocarcinoma to testis was detected incidentally after bilateral orchiectomy for hormonal management of metastatic prostate carcinoma. The metastatic lesion was not identified in physical examination or in macroscopic dissection of the testis after surgery. Microscopy revealed an adenocarcinoma which, given the history of the patient and a positive immunohistochemical stain for PSA, was identified as metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma.     

Neural fibrolipoma of the ulnar nerve in the hand: a case report.

The author reports an unusual case of neural fibrolipoma (lipofibromatous hamartoma) of the ulnar nerve in the hand. A 20-year-old man presented with a fusiform soft tissue mass in his right hand. Neurological examination was normal except to minimal pain on palpation. Surgical exploration revealed that ulnar nerve and its digital branches were infiltrated by fibrofatty tissues. Fibrofatty tissues were dissected and removed from the nerve by microsurgical technique. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis as a lipofibromatous hamartoma of the nerve. The result of surgical debulking was satisfactory.