Non-operative management of a pathological malaria splenic rupture A case report

Malaria continues to be a major health problem in many parts of the world especially in the endemic countries. Though, because of the international travelling, any physician everywhere should know this disease and its complications such as splenic rupture which is rare but life threatening. We report the case of an expatriate Tunisian man who had been working in Togo and who had consulted in Tunisia for an acute abdominal pain. Explorations concluded to a splenic rupture, a rare complication of malaria. Our attitude was conservative based on ressuscitation with monitoring and watchful waiting. The evolution was favorable marked by a significant regression of the splenic hematoma 5 months after hospital discharge. KEY WORDS: Haematoma, Malaria, Splenic rupture, Sub capsular.

Right hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm post laparoscopic cholecystectomy A case report

Right hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm following laparoscopic cholecystectomy is rare, but its rupture is common. It carries a high mortality rate if not successfully timely managed. In laparoscopic era, surgeons and physicians in general must be aware of this entity and its therapy. Conservative management is not recommended due to the propensity to rupture. Treatment consists on reconstructive surgery or ligation, but coil embolization is the treatment of choice nowadays and should be done without delay. KEY WORDS: Cholecystectomy, Embolization, Laparoscopy, Pseudoaneurysm rupture, Right hepatic artery.

Editorial quality of the doctoral thesis at the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse (Tunisia)

OBJECTIVE

To assess the writing quality of the theses defended at the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse (FMSo).

METHODS

This is a bibliometric, transversal and exhaustive study done on all theses defended at the FMSo between 2001 and 2005. The writing quality of the thesis was assessed, via double reading, by a grid applied to its abstract. This grid was composed of 20 items detailing the principles of scientific writing. A thesis was considered "satisfactory" when the writing score was ≥15 / 20.

RESULTS

During this five-year period, 670 theses was defended at the FMSo (an average of 134 theses per year), which in 93% of cases were research ones. All these theses were written in French except for one. On a 20-point scale, the average thesis editorial score was 14.1 ± 2.2. The writing quality was judged satisfactory in 47% of the theses. The objective of the thesis, research design and study population were mentioned, respectively, in 81%, 77% and 91% of theses abstracts. However, the descriptors chosen were MeSH words in only 42% of the time; Data sources and standard deviation were mentioned in only 25% and 9.6% of the abstracts, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The writing quality of the thesis at the FMSo suffered mainly from documentary, methodological and statistical insufficiencies. The introduction of a scientific medical writing module in the curriculum of the FMSo would be essential for the optimization of the medical thesis.

Forty-year Tunisian bibliometrics of general surgery theses in the four national faculties of medicine (1980-2019)

The objective of this work was to establish the bibliometric profile of Tunisian theses in ‘general surgery’ and to describe their themes, their study designs, and their writing quality. This is a retrospective descriptive bibliometric study, covering all the theses in medicine in the specialty of ‘general surgery’, defended in the four medical faculties of Tunisia, during the forty last years from 1980 to 2019. During the study period, 739 theses in ‘general surgery’ were discussed in Tunisia, with an average of 19 theses per year. The most studied research topic was emergencies (41%), followed by common surgical pathologies (26%) and digestive oncology (21.5%). Descriptive studies and case studies represented the majority of study designs with respective proportions of 56.9% and 40.6%. Only 20.7% of these theses had a scientific writing quality deemed satisfactory. The least respected elements in writing their summaries were statistical (confidence intervals and standard deviations) and documentary (keywords). Despite the plethora of themes of Tunisian theses in ‘general surgery’, their basic methodology and their editorial non conformity require the educational reform of the dissertations, both doctoral students and supervisors, by strengthening their skills in research methodology and scientific communication written.

Bibliometric profile of the doctoral thesis at the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse (Tunisia)

OBJECTIVE

Describe the bibliometric profile of medical dissertations in Sousse Faculty of Medicine (SOFM) in Tunisia.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional bibliometric study of all dissertations defended from 2001 to 2005. The data were collected through a reading grid applied to the cover page, conclusion, and summary of the thesis. The specialty of the dissertation has been attributed to its first director. Themes were defined by the "essential descriptor", chosen from the descriptors used for the indexing.

RESULTS

The 670 theses collected, all written in French except one in Arabic, were original, pedagogic or bibliographical works in respectively 93.3%, 6.4%, and 0.3% respectively. "Community and Preventive Medicine" was the discipline that generated the most theses with a proportion of 8.9%. About half (48%) of the dissertations were supervised by two directors. The first director was a University Hospital Professor or an Associate Professor of Conferences, respectively in 34% and 42% of cases. The chairman of the thesis jury belonged to the same specialty as the first director and was from the same department in respectively 54% and 41% of cases. Four "essential descriptors" were frequently cited as indexation of the dissertation: "tumor", "CD-Rom", "trauma", and "diabetes". These dissertations were "clinical" type in 68% of cases, of which around 80% were "case studies".

CONCLUSION

The doctoral dissertation in SOFM was characterized by the orientation towards clinical and epidemiological research and the preference for general medicine and community health themes. It's often recourse to a basic research estimate and its writing in French would be two factors limiting its scientific promotion and its social influence.

Results of 25 years of Maghrebian scientific medical research in the Grand Maghreb. Bibliometric analysis of the Scimago platform (1996-2020)

OBJECTIVE

Describe the trend and the characteristics of the positioning of Maghreb medical production and its visibility, at the global, African and Arab level, following an in-depth reading of the Scimago platform, over a period of 25 years (1996-2020 ).

METHODS

This is an in-depth reading, centered on the Maghreb, of the Maghreb medical production referenced on the Scimago platform, from 1996 to 2020. The bibliometric extracts were based on the number of published "documents" and the index H: number of articles (h) from a country having received at least h citations. The benchmarking of the productivity and medical visibility of the five Maghreb countries (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania) was carried out at the global (237 countries), African (59 countries) and Arab (21 countries) level.

RESULTS

Following the first African countries producing the most medical documents (South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria), the position of the Maghreb countries varied from 4 in Tunisia to 36 in Mauritania. In Arab countries, the position of medical production, dominated by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, was 12 and 18, successively in Algeria and Libya. The evolution of medical documents recorded a cross between Tunisia and Morocco in 2014, followed by a deceleration in Moroccan production. In the Maghreb, the h index varied from 154 in Tunisia to 29 in Mauritania.

CONCLUSION

In addition to its weak position in the world, African and Arab rankings over the past 25 years, Maghreb medical research has been characterized by a major fluctuation. The "Alliance for Excellence" charter of the PRP2S Network, based on the promotion of university essays and electronic journals, constitutes an operational roadmap for the development of the production and visibility of research in the Maghreb.

Global university performance. Bibliometric analysis of the ARWU platform (2003-2020)

OBJECTIVES

Describe the 2020 report of the ARWU "Academic Ranking World Universities" classification and identify, accordingly, the roadmap of academic excellence, particularly in the countries of the Greater Maghreb.

METHODS

This is an in-depth reading of the 2020 results of the ARWU bibliometric platform (launched in 2003) from top 1000 world-class universities. Six criteria were used in this ranking: 1. Alumni (10%): students who received Nobel / Fields prizes; 2. Award (15%): professors who have won the Nobel / Fields prizes; 3. HiCi (20%): Most cited scientists; 4. PUB (20%): number of publications 5. TOP (20%): proportion of publications in the most influential periodicals; 6. PCP (10%): Per Capita Performance.

RESULTS

The 2020 ARWU ranking was characterized by the domination of the "Top 10" ranking by the United States, particularly the "Harvard University", the Asian boom of 55% of the "Top 1000" ranking (Chinese universities evolved from 16 in 2004 to 81 in 2020 in the "Top 500" list) and finally an African incubation of academic excellence, manifested by the selection of nine South African institutions (including the "University of Cape Town ", world rank between 201-300), and the re-entry for the first time of a Maghreb university in the" Top 1000 "list, Tunis El Manar (rank between 901-1000), with the following scores: N&S: 1 , 4; Pub: 26.1 and PCP: 10.3, for a total score of 37.8 points.

CONCLUSION

This report proves once again, the promising academic perspectives of Asia and Africa in the inclusion of the "Top 1000" list of the ARWU ranking. The roadmap for academic excellence would thus be based on the triad of centering scientific publications, in prestigious journals and by national author networks.

Family Medicine (General Medicine): What academic and professional specificities?

Family Medicine, a true scientific and academic discipline, has been defined by the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and academic associations of general practitioners / family physicians (WONCA) since 2002, as being a "clinical specialty oriented towards primary care". This paper details the specificities of Family Medicine: a horizontal specialty, primary care, providing comprehensive and continuous care, patient-centered and community-oriented. The promotion of Family Medicine in the Maghreb countries requires a multi-axial strategy based on the social marketing of Family Medicine, the recognition of Family Medicine as a medical specialty and of Family Medicine as a gateway to national health system, the establishment of a quality approach in basic health centers and free practice offices (centers of health centers) and regular validation of the Family Medicine diploma.

Lessons learned from the fight against COVID-19 in the Great Maghreb. Five lessons for a better response

OBJECTIVE

Identify the lessons learned in the Greater Maghreb, during the first semester of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in the field of response.

METHODS

During the first week of May 2020, a consultation of experts was conducted, using the "Delphi" technique, through an email asking each of them, the drafting of a good practice recommendation for "Public health". The Group coordinator finalized the text of the lessons, later validated by the signatories of the manuscript.

RESULTS

Five lessons of good «response» against epidemics have been deduced and approved by Maghreb experts, linked to the following aspects: 1. Total reservation of hospital beds for patients; 2. Clinical management of the response; 3. Discreet conflict of interest; 4. Community participation in the response; 5. Contextualization of the global fight strategy.

CONCLUSION

Based on the finding of low relevance of the Maghreb response against COVID-19, this list of lessons would help support the performance of Maghreb health systems in the management of epidemics.

The satisfaction of patients hospitalized in the surgical departments of a general hospital. Case study of Sahloul hospital in Sousse (Tunisia)

OBJECTIVE

Measure the overall and specific satisfaction rates of patients hospitalized in surgical services in Sahloul University Hospital in Sousse during the year 2018.

METHODS

The study population was recruited by a quota sample of hospitalized patients in the surgical departments of Sahloul University Hospital in Sousse. Data collection was done via a patient satisfaction questionnaire, administered to outgoing patients. The questionnaire was composed of 33 items exploring technical, administrative, logistical and relational dimensions. Overall patient satisfaction, called "reactivity", was defined by a concomitant positive response to the three questions exploring satisfaction, recommendation and loyalty.

RESULTS

A total of 735 patients hospitalized in six surgical departments were included (general surgery, orthopedics, maxillofacial surgery, urology, neurosurgery and cardiovascular surgery). The rates of "satisfaction", "recommendation" and "loyalty" of the patients were 71%, 70% and 69% respectively, equivalent to an "overall positive reactivity" of 62%, 95% CI [58,5%-65.5%], particularly low in the orthopedic department (43%). The logistics dimension was the least appreciated by patients, including room's condition, with almost 23% overall and 17% in the orthopedic department.

CONCLUSION

The responsiveness of patients hospitalized in the surgical services of Sahloul University Hospital was low, particularly for items related to the hotel services in the hospital. Furthermore, plans to improve the quality of care and support the performance of public hospitals should pay close attention to the logistical dimension of patients' hospital stays.

Lessons learned from the fight against COVID-19 in the Great Maghreb.Five lessons for better resilience

OBJECTIVE

To compile the lessons learned in the Greater Maghreb, during the first six months of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in the field of "capacity building" of community resilience.

METHODS

An expert consultation was conducted during the first week of May 2020, using the "Delphi" technique. An email was sent requesting the formulation of a lesson, in the form of a "Public Health" good practice recommendation. The final text of the lessons was finalized by the group coordinator and validated by the signatories of the manuscript.

RESULTS

A list of five lessons of resilience has been deduced and approved : 1. Elaboration of "white plans" for epidemic management; 2. Training in epidemic management; 3. Uniqueness of the health system command; 4. Mobilization of retirees and volunteers; 5. Revision of the map sanitary.

CONCLUSION

Based on the evaluation of the performance of the Maghreb fight against COVID-19, characterized by low resilience, this list of lessons could constitute a roadmap for the reform of Maghreb health systems, towards more performance to manage possible waves of COVID-19 or new emerging diseases with epidemic tendency.

Lessons learned from the fight against COVID-19 in the Greater Maghreb. Five lessons for better preparation

OBJECTIVE

To compile the lessons learned in the Greater Maghreb, during the first six months of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in the field of preparation of health systems.

METHODS

An expert consultation was conducted during the first week of May 2020, using the "Delphi" technique. An email was sent to them requesting the formulation of a lesson, in the form of a "Public Health" good practice recommendation. The final text of the lessons was finalized by the group coordinator and validated by the signatories of the manuscript.

RESULTS

A list of five lessons for the preparation of the national health systems of the Greater Maghreb for the fight against epidemics, was deduced and approved: 1. Liberal health systems are incapable of managing epidemics; 2. The specialties of "Public Health" are often marginalized; 3. Health personnel in the Maghreb are doubly devalued; 4. Flagrant regional disparities in the field of health care are still observed; 5. A general shortage of preventive equipment and medical devices has been noted.

CONCLUSION

Based on the evaluation of the performance of the Maghreb fight against COVID-19, characterized by the vulnerability of the preparation of health systems, this list of lessons could constitute a roadmap for the reform of health systems. Maghrebian health, towards more performance in managing possible waves of COVID-19 or new emerging diseases with epidemic tendency.

Thirty years of Tunisian publication of «case reports» in General Surgery (1989-2018)

OBJECTIVE

To describe the bibliometric profile of Tunisian "case report" publications in general surgery over the last thirty years (1989-2018).

METHODS

This is a descriptive bibliometric study on "case reports", general surgery, Tunisian affiliation, indexed in the Medline database, between January 1, 1989 and December 31, 2018. The themes of Search articles were defined by referring to their major keywords used for their indexing.

RESULTS

During 30 years of study, Medline indexed 188 papers in "General Surgery" type "case reports", signed by 80 authors in first position and 71 authors in last position, belonging to ten academic specialties and 19 professional affiliations. These papers were published by 60 journals, including the Ugandan magazine "Pan African Medical Journal", which published 23% of these "case reports" alone. The number of major indexing keywords was 299 words, mainly "Echinococcosis", "Pancreatic Cancers" and "Echinococcosis of the liver", together accounting for 18.1% of articles.

CONCLUSION

The plethora of "case reports" in Tunisian general surgery publications over the last three decades was accompanied by a preferential edition in the journal "Pan Afr Med J" and a thematic focus on hydatid cysts and cancers pancreatic. Hence the importance of strengthening the capacity of Tunisian surgeons in research methodology and scientific medical writing.

Factors predicting recurrence after curative resection for rectal cancer: a 16-year study

BACKGROUND

The recurrence after curative surgery of the rectal adenocarcinoma is a serious complication, considered as a failure of the therapeutic strategy. The aim of this study was to identify the different prognostic factors affecting the recurrence of adenocarcinoma of the rectum.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of patients operated for adenocarcinoma of the rectum between January 2000 and December 2015 was conducted. The study of the recurrence rate and prognostic factors was performed through the Kaplan Meier survival curve and the Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

During the study period, 188 patients underwent curative surgery for rectal adenocarcinoma, among which 53 had a recurrence. The recurrence rate was 44.6% at 5 years. The multivariate analysis identified four parameters independently associated with the risk of recurrence after curative surgery: a distal margin ≤ 2 cm (HR = 6.8, 95% CI 2.7-16.6, 6), extracapsular invasion of lymph node metastasis (HR = 4.4, 95% CI 1.3-14), tumor stenosis (HR = 4.3, 95% CI 1.2-15.2), and parietal invasion (pT3/T4 disease) (HR = 3, 95% CI 1.1-9.4).

CONCLUSION

The determination of the prognostic factors affecting the recurrence of rectal adenocarcinoma after curative surgery allows us to define the high-risk patients for recurrence.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03899870 . Registered on 2 February 2019, retrospectively registered.

Appendicular endometriosis: A case report and review of literature

INTRODUCTION

Patients with appendicular endometriosis (AE) constitute <1% cases of all pelvic endometriosis cases. AE presents with pain in right iliac fossa and symptomatically mimics appendicitis and definitive diagnosis is possible only after histopathological examination of excised appendix.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

In this case report, we present a rare case of appendicular endometriosis in a young woman suffering from pain in right iliac fossa and periumbilical region (on/off) for the past one year. She had a past history of infertility. Blood investigations were normal and CT scan of abdomen demonstrated findings suggestive of appendicitis. Laparoscopic appendicectomy was performed, which revealed 2 cm tumor-like mass (1.5 cm diameter) present at the tip of appendix involving the mesoappendix. There was no ascites, peritoneal or omental deposits or any signs of inflammation. Post-operative recovery was good. Dissected appendix specimen was sent for histopathological examination which confirmed endometriosis of appendix.

DISCUSSION

Gastrointestinal endometriosis (GE) accounts for 3-37% of all endometriosis cases, whereas AE is present in only ∼3% of all GE cases and constitutes <1% of all the endometriosis cases. AE frequently involves tip and body of the appendix. The layers of appendix most commonly affected are muscular and seromuscular (∼2/3rd cases), followed by the serosa (∼1/3rd cases).

CONCLUSION

Thus, appendicular endometriosis is a rare entity and should be included in differential diagnosis in young women presenting with pain in right iliac fossa and having history of infertility.

Bibliometrics of Tunisian publications in "General Surgery" (Medline, 2009-2018)

OBJECTIVE

To describe the bibliometric characteristics of Tunisian publications in "General Surgery", indexed in "Medline" database from 2009 to 2018.

METHODS

This is a bibliometric study conducted through a comprehensive documentary query applied to the "Pubmed" portal and using the "Medline" database. The essential themes of a publication have been defined by referring to its major keywords.

RESULTS

A total of 173 publications were included in this study, representing a productivity rate of 14 articles / 100 surgeons' teachers-year. These publications were co-authored by 65 authors in first position and published by 55 journals in 15 countries, including mainly the national journal "Tunis Med" during the first five-year period 2009-2013 (27%) and the Ugandan magazine "Pan Afr Med J" during the second five-year period 2014-2018 (33%). Case reports were the most widespread type of publication in Tunisian "General Surgery", during the two periods of the study, respectively in 63% and 51% of cases. English was the major language with 57% of publications. Among the 259 major descriptors used to index the "General Surgery" articles, the occurrence of "Pancreatic Neoplasms" and "Echinococcosis, Hepatic" was respectively 3% and 2%.

CONCLUSION

During the decade 2009-2018, the Tunisian research in "General Surgery" was not very prolific and was mainly "case reports" but it was directed toward population health problems; Hence the interest of a thorough training of surgeons in research methodology and scientific medical writing.

Cancers in the Central Maghreb: epidemiology from 1990 to 2017 and trends in 2040

OBJECTIVE

To describe the epidemiology of cancers in terms of global burden of disease, incidence, prevalence and typology in the three Central Maghreb countries from 1990 to 2017, as well as their trends from 2017 to 2040.

METHODS

This is a descriptive and predictive study of the epidemiology of cancers in the Central Maghreb (Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco) from 1990 to 2040. The epidemiological data: incidence, prevalence, specific mortality rate and Disability Adjusted Life Years were collected via the Global Burden of Disease Database created by the Institute of Heath Metrics and Evaluation. These parameters were expressed in terms per 100,000 inhabitants.

RESULTS

In 2017 and for the three Central Maghreb countries, cancers represented the second leading cause of death, with an overall specific mortality rate of 69/100,000 and an overall incidence rate of 116/100,000 inhabitants. The Disability Adjusted Life Years rate varied from 1516/100,000 in Algeria to 1992/100,000 in Morocco. In the three Central Maghreb countries and during the year 2017, lung cancer was the first cancer in terms of mortality, regardless of age and sex, followed by colorectal cancer in Tunisia and breast cancer in Algeria and Morocco. These three cancers will remain in 2040 the most important in terms of mortality rate with lung cancer topping the list in Tunisia and Morocco with respective mortality rates of 30 and 16/100,000.

CONCLUSION

Cancers are currently, and in the next two decades, an important component of the GlobalBurden of Disease in Central Maghreb countries. The typology is dominated by lung, breast and colorectal cancers. The establishment of a Maghreb cancer registry would be a fundamental component of the Maghreb cancer plan.

Idiopathic segmental infarction of the omentum mimicking acute appendicitis: A case report

•

Omentum infarction occurs due to torsion, infections and vascular thrombosis.

•

Primary idiopathic segmental omental infarction is rare.

•

Clinically it is difficult to differentiate from acute appendicitis.

•

Idiopathic omental infarction should be included in the differential diagnoses while treating patient with acute abdomen.

Introduction

Omentum is a well vascularized organ. Omentum infarction is uncommon. Most of the cases are secondary due to torsion, intra-abdominal infections and vascular thrombosis. Primary idiopathic segmental omental infarction is rare.

Presentation of case

A 26-year-old male presented with acute onset right iliac fossa pain mimicking acute appendicitis. On radiological imaging, early acute appendicitis was suspected. On diagnostic laparoscopy, appendix appeared normal and there was idiopathic infarction of a part of the greater omentum lying close to the cecum. Patient underwent laparoscopic appendectomy with excision of the diseased segment of the omentum and had uneventful recovery.

Conclusion

Idiopathic omental infarction should be included in the differential diagnoses while treating patient with acute abdomen.

Effects of music therapy under general anesthesia in patients undergoing abdominal surgery

BACKGROUND

Music therapy, an innovative approach that has proven effectiveness in many medical conditions, seems beneficial also in managing surgical patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate its effects, under general anesthesia, on perioperative patient satisfaction, stress, pain, and awareness.

METHODS

This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind study conducted in the operating theatre of visceral surgery at Sahloul Teaching Hospital over a period of 4 months. Patients aged more than 18 undergoing a scheduled surgery under general anesthesia were included. Patients undergoing urgent surgery or presenting hearing or cognitive disorders were excluded. Before induction, patients wore headphones linked to an MP3 player. They were randomly allocated into 2 groups: Group M (with music during surgery) and group C (without music). Hemodynamic parameters, quality of arousal, pain experienced, patient's satisfaction, and awareness incidence during anesthesia were recorded.

RESULTS

One hundred and forty patients were included and allocated into 2 groups that were comparable in demographic characteristics, surgical intervention type and anesthesia duration. Comparison of these two groups regarding the hemodynamic profile found more stability in group M for systolic arterial blood pressure. A calm recovery was more often noted in group M (77.1% versus 44%, p < 10^-3). The average Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score was lower in the intervention group (33.8 ± 13.63 versus 45.1 ± 16.2; p < 10^-3). The satisfaction rate was significantly higher among the experimental group (81.4% versus 51.4%; p < 10^-3). The incidence of intraoperative awareness was higher in group C (8 cases versus 3 cases) but the difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Music therapy is a non-pharmacological, inexpensive, and non-invasive technique that can significantly enhance patient satisfaction and decrease patients' embarrassing experiences related to perioperative stress, pain, and awareness.

Large bronchogenic cyst of stomach: A case report

•

Bronchogenic cysts of the stomach are rare congenital benign cysts arising as an abnormal budding from primitive tracheobronchial tree.

•

They are lined by pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium and contain smooth muscle fibers, mucous glands and/or cartilage in the cyst wall.

•

They are most frequently located close to the gastroesophageal junction or gastric cardia and misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal stromal tumor on preoperative imaging.

•

Surgical excision is the most preferred treatment as it helps in relieving the symptoms as well as confirms the diagnosis.

Introduction

Bronchogenic cysts are congenital cysts arising as an abnormal budding from primitive tracheobronchial tree. They are lined by pseudostratified columnar or cuboidal ciliated epithelium and contain smooth muscle fibers, submucosal bronchial glands and/or cartilage. They are most frequently located in the mediastinum or the lung parenchyma. Intramural occurrence of bronchogenic cyst in the gastric wall is very rare.

Presentation of case

We present a case of 65-year-old lady with a 7 × 8 cm lesion in the gastric cardia suspicious of gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Because of the large size, total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y esophagojejunal anastomosis was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful. Histopathological examination revealed a sub-mucosal cyst lined by PCCE with presence of smooth muscle fibers and focal mucous glands. Final diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst was made. On the last follow up at one year, she was symptom free.

Discussion

On extensive Medline/Pubmed search, only 38 cases of gastric bronchogenic cysts were found to be reported till date. They are typically located in the posterior gastric wall close to the gastric cardia. On radiological imaging, they appear as well defined intramural cystic lesion without any characteristic features. Surgical resection is considered in symptomatic cases or in case of diagnostic dilemma.

Conclusion

Gastric bronchogenic cysts often mimic gastrointestinal stromal tumor on preoperative imaging. They should be included in the differential diagnosis while dealing with an intramural gastric lesion close to the cardia or gastroesophageal junction.

Wide local excision for anal GIST: A case report and review of literature

•

Anal region is the primary site of origin in only 2% of all anorectal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) with only 14 cases reported in literature since 2000.

•

Anal GIST appears as a well circumscribed hypoechoic mass arising from the intersphincteric space encroaching in to the lumen.

•

Small lesions (< 2 cm) with low mitotic rate may be successfully managed by local excision.

•

Radical surgery should be reserved for large, aggressive tumors.

Introduction

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are tumors of mesenchymal origin commonly detected in stomach and small bowel. GIST arising primarily from the anal canal is extremely rare. Due to the malignant potential, these tumors are treated with radical surgery like abdominoperineal resection. But with the advent of imatinib therapy and a better understanding of the tumor biology, some cases have been successfully treated with wide local excision.

Presentation of case

We describe a case of a 70-year-old lady presenting with a 2 cm mass in the anal canal. Endoanal ultrasound revealed a well-circumscribed solid nodule in the intersphincteric space. The patient was successfully treated by wide local excision and adjuvant therapy with imatinib mesylate.

Discussion

Only 14 confirmed cases of primary anal GIST have been reported in the literature. It appears as a well circumscribed hypoechoic mass arising from the intersphincteric space encroaching into the lumen on endorectal ultrasound. Lymphadenopathy is absent. Anal sphincters get involved as the lesion increases in size. Treatment is often planned based on the extent of the disease, the mitotic rate, patient’s general condition and willingness for a permanent colostomy.

Conclusion

Small lesions (<2 cm) with low mitotic rate may be successfully managed by local excision. Radical surgery should be reserved for large, aggressive tumors.

[The lithiasic acute cholecystitis: laparoscopic treatment (About 106 cases)]

AIM

To assess the feasibility and the advantages of the coelioscopy in the treatment of the acute cholecystitis.

METHODS

From January 1996 to December 2001, 106 laparoscopic cholecystectomies for acute cholecystitis have been collected. The diagnosis of acute cholecystitis has been confirmed for all cases by the pathologic exam.

RESULTS

These 106 cases represent 12.4% of the set of the laparoscopic cholecystectomies practiced during the same period of survey. They are 78 women and 28 men. The mean age was 51.7 years. Eight patients (7.6%) presented an elevated operative risk (ASA III). The diagnosis of acute cholecystitis has been kept before operation in 45.3% of the cases. Major or minor intraoperative incidents have been observed in 18.9% of the cases. The rate of conversion was 17%. The reasons are dominated by the difficulties of dissection in 10 cases (55.5%) and hemorragea in 6 cases. The research of the predictive factors of conversion found 5 factors, the hyperleucocytosis, the operative delay superior to 72 hours, the adhesions around the gallbladder, the gangrenous gallbladder and the pediculitis. The post operative mortality was nul. The morbidity rate was 12.3%. Among the 13 patients who had postoperative complications, 8 were after conversion.

CONCLUSION

These results showed that the laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis is an effective and good alternative with acceptable morbidity that should decrease with learning curve.

Intraperitoneal rupture of renal cyst in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

CONTEXT

To report a rare case of spontaneous rupture of an infected renal cyst into the peritoneal cavity.

CASE REPORT

We report a case of 66-year old man with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and kidney dialysis who had suffered from intestinal obstruction and peritoneal syndrome for 2 days associated with purulent urine. An exploratory laparotomy found multiple hepatic cysts and bilaterally enlarged polycystic kidneys. We noted left renal cyst infected and ruptured into the peritoneal cavity causing general peritonitis. The patient died from septic shock and hemodynamic failure.

CONCLUSION

The peritoneal rupture of infected renal cyst is an exceptional and serious complication of polycystic kidney disease. Medical and surgical treatments are urgent to prevent lethal complications.

[Complications of Meckel's diverticulum. Report of 42 cases]

AIM

Our aim was to report the main complications of the Meckel's diverticulum.

METHODS

Our retrospective study concerns 42 cases of complicated Meckel's diverticulum, collected during one period of 18 active years from January 1988 to December 2005. The yearly impact is 2,33 cases/year. We excluded the asymptomatic Meckel's diverticulum, of fortuitous discovery during intervention.

RESULTS

The middle age of our patients is 25 years, with extremes going from 2 to 74 years. The sex-ratio is 3,2. The diagnosis before intervention of the complicated Meckel's diverticulum was not evoked in any time. The clinical features were an acute intestinal closure in 22 cases, an appendicitis in 13 cases, an appendicular peritonitis in 6 cases, and an acute intestinal intussusceptions in one case. In any case, it is the surgical exploration that permitted to confirm the diagnosis of a complicated Meckel's diverticulum. The approach way was median in 27 cases, MacBurney in 13 cases, and laparoscopic in 2 cases. The surgical exploration showed peritonitis in 16 cases, one diverticulitis in 23 cases, an acute intestinal intussusception in one case, a tumour in one case, and haemorrhagic diverticulum's ulcer in one case. The treatment consisted in a segmental resection of ileum with end to end anastomosis (37 cases) and a cuneiform resection (5 cases). The histological exam showed heterotopy of gastric tissue in 12 cases, of pancreatic tissue in two cases, and a Burkitt's lymphoma on a diverticulum in one case. We noted a precocious death following a septic shock.

CONCLUSION

The Meckel's diverticulum constitutes a most common benign malformation of the digestive tube. The prognosis is related extensively to the gravity of its complications that can benefit, not only of the contribution of the laparoscopic diagnosis, but also therapeutic.