Surgery today
-
Case Reports
Successful surgical removal of an intrapulmonary aberrant needle under fluoroscopic guidance: report of a case.
We describe herein the successful surgical removal of an intrapulmonary aberrant needle. An asymptomatic 47-year-old woman underwent a routine chest X-ray which revealed a needle located in the right S8 area. ⋯ To avoid rethoracotomy, the operation was done under fluoroscopic guidance. An intrathoracic aberrant needle should always be removed surgically as soon as possible, even if the patient is asymptomatic, due to the possibility of its migration into the vessels and the development of lung abscess or pyothorax.
-
To demonstrate the prognostic value of measuring blood lactate concentrations and to investigate the mechanisms of lactate production in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), we conducted a prospective cohort study. Among 22 patients with SIRS, there were 9 survivors and 13 nonsurvivors. Serial arterial lactate concentrations were measured on the day of admission to the intensive care unit (day 0). then on days 1-4. ⋯ The changes in lactate concentration over time were statistically different between the patients with DIC and those without DIC. The findings of this study clearly demonstrated that serial arterial lactate measurements can predict a poor outcome in patients with SIRS, severe sepsis, or septic shock. DIC might play an important role in the pathogenesis of lactate production in these newly defined critically ill patients.
-
Case Reports
Pneumoperitoneum following the spontaneous rupture of a gas-containing pyogenic liver abscess: report of a case.
We report herein the case of a ruptured liver abscess that resulted in pneumoperitoneum. A patient with diabetes mellitus presented with symptoms of acute abdomen. ⋯ An emergency operation was performed, and the abscess was drained followed by peritoneal lavage and the administration of appropriate antibiotics. To the best of our knowledge, very few cases of spontaneous pneumoperitoneum occurring secondary to the rupture of a gas-containing liver abscess have been encountered in Japan.
-
In this study we aimed to show that performing interval appendectomy is unnecessary in the management of appendiceal mass in children. Between 1990 and 1996, 866 patients were treated for appendicitis. Abdominal ultrasonography (USG) was performed in patients who were admitted with abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever accompanying a mass in the right lower quadrant. ⋯ USG demonstrated disappearance of the mass and barium enema showed a normal appendix in 10 of the 11 patients. No recurrent appendicitis was detected during follow-up for 1-7 years. This study shows that appendiceal masses that are perforated, but localized with no fluid content revealed by USG, can be treated conservatively even if they are detected late.
-
Review Case Reports
Gastric perforation caused by a bulimic attack in an anorexia nervosa patient: report of a case.
We report a rare case of gastric perforation due to a bulimic attack in a 17-year-old girl suffering from anorexia nervosa. She was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaint of abdominal pain following bulimia. Initially, her symptoms were reduced after drainage using a nasogastric tube. ⋯ Almost the entire stomach was resected. Postoperatively, the patient recovered uneventfully. We should therefore be aware of this condition when treating patients with anorexia nervosa who complain of abdominal pain.