תוצאת חיפוש

Conservative Approach in Abdominal Trauma in Childhood

Nir Shoham, Yechiel Sweed

Dept. of Ophthalmology, HaEmek Medical Center, Afula and Dept. of Pediatric Surgery, Nahariya Medical Center

To determine the results of the conservative approach in the treatment of pediatric abdominal trauma, we retrospectively analyzed data from the files of 95 cases of abdominal trauma in children during a 5-year period.

51 patients (54%) had isolated abdominal injury, while 44 (46%) had multiple trauma. The most common causes of injury were road accidents and falls from heights (74%). CT scans were performed in 61 (64%) with positive results in 90%. Ultrasonography was done in 22 (23%) and was positive in 55%.

The spleen was the most vulnerable intra-abdominal organ (33 patients, 35%), as well as the organ most severely damaged. Other injured organs were: liver (30 cases), kidney (16), stomach (2), large blood vessels (2), and pancreas, duodenum and diaphragm (1 case each).

83 patients (87%) were treated conservatively, while 11 were operated on for penetrating abdominal trauma (3 cases), hemodynamic instability (3), positive DPL (3), and Scale 4 splenic injury and free intra-abdominal air on CT scan (1 case each). Early and late complications were mild.

It is concluded that CT is an efficient and reliable imaging method for diagnosis and staging of severity of injury in blunt abdominal trauma. Nonoperative management of solid organ injuries under careful observation in a pediatric trauma center is safe and appropriate. Most Scale 4 splenic injuries can be treated successfully without surgical intervention. Using this conservative approach there were no late complications.

Management of Pancreatic Trauma in Damage-Control Laparotomy

Gad Shaked, Mario Golocovsky

Dept. of Surgery and Trauma Service, Soroka University Hospital, Beer Sheba and Dept. of Surgery and Trauma Service, Washington Hospital Center, Washington DC

Major pancreatic trauma challenges the trauma surgeon with diagnostic problems and choices of treatment modalities. The most important determinant guiding management is the integrity of the main pancreatic duct. The preoperative and intraoperative assessment and treatment of pancreatic injury may be difficult, especially when concurrent severe injuries are present. There are alternative approaches in the management of the traumatized pancreas when ductal injury is not obvious during initial exploratory laparotomy.

Muir-Torre Syndrome: Importance of Clinical Diagnosis and Genetic Investigation

Hana Strul, Paul Rozen, Tova Naiman, Ruth Shomrat

Gastroenterology Dept. and Genetics Institute, Tel Aviv Medical Center and Tel Aviv University

Muir-Torre syndrome is a relatively rare cutaneous manifestation of hereditary nonpolypous colorectal cancer (HNPCC). This autosomal dominant syndrome is characterized by a combination of sebaceous gland and malignant visceral tumors. The common sites of internal malignancies are the gastrointestinal tract and urinary system. It appears in early adult life and its clinical course is relatively slow.

In some families genetic diagnosis can identify asymptomatic carriers of the mutation. All first-degree relatives, especially mutation carriers, should be referred from the age of 20 years for routine follow-up and early treatment, as it has been proven to decrease morbidity and mortality.

We present a 51-year-old man with Muir-Torre syndrome diagnosed by the presence of multiple adenomas of sebaceous glands, colonic adenoma and adenocarcinoma of the duodenum. The family history was typical for HNPCC. A mutation in the hMSH2 gene on chromosome 2p was found in the patient and in several asymptomatic family members. The aim of this report is to increase awareness of this syndrome and emphasize the importance of referring patients and their families for clinical and genetic counseling and diagnosis.

Acute Gastroenteritis caused by Enterohemorrhagic E. Coli O157:H7

Tuvia Weinberger, Tony Hayek, Shlomo Keidar

Dept. of Medicine E, Rambam Medical Center, and Dept. of Family Care, Haifa and West Galilee, and Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa

We report a 48-year-old man admitted for watery diarrhea, high fever, chills and abdominal cramps. Entero-hemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 was isolated. This new, dangerous pathogen causes dysentery and complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome and thrombotic thrombo-cytopenic purpura. These complications can cause renal failure, neurological deficit and death. Recognition of E. coli O157:H7 infection is important since it causes a rare and dangerous condition. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case reported in Israel.

Living-Related Liver Transplantation

N. Bar-Nathan, Z. Shapira, E. Shaharabani, A. Yussim, Y. Ben-Ari, T. Sheinfeld, I. Zehavi, R. Shapira, G. Dinari, Z. Ben-Ari, R. Tur-Kaspa, E. Mor

Dept. of Transplantation and Liver Institute, Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Campus), and Pediatric Intensive Care and Pediatric Gastroenterology Units, Schneider Children's Medical Center, Petah Tikva

Our experience with living-related liver transplantation is described. In 2 boys and 1 girl, aged 4-4.5 years with acute, fulminating hepatitis A, the presence of very severe jaundice (bilirubin levels > 18 mg%) associated with severe coagulopathy (INR>10) and encephalopathy indicated the need for urgent liver transplantation. In all 3 cases the left lateral hepatic segment of a matched blood type parent was transplanted. None of the donors suffered a serious complication postoperatively and all returned to full activity in 6-16 weeks. The post-transplantation course was uneventful in 1 child, but in the other 2 there was hepatic arterial thrombosis in 1 at 1 day and in the other at 8 days post-transplantation. Early detection of arterial thrombosis by Doppler sonography permitted salvage of the 2 hepatic grafts after thrombectomy and re-anastomosis. In 1 of these 2 children an anastomotic biliary stricture was found 2 months after transplantation. It was corrected at surgery and a percutaneous stent was inserted. All 3 children are alive with normal graft function at 2, 7 and 8 months post-transplantation, respectively. This initial experience indicates that living-related liver transplantation is feasible in Israel. The technique might help to solve our severe organ shortage for children awaiting liver transplantation.

Abdominal Compartment Syndrome

D. Rosin, M. Ben Haim, A. Yudich, A. Ayalon

Dept. of General Surgery and Transplantation, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer and SacSchool of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Abdominal compartment syndrome refers to a complex of negative effects of intra-abdominal hypertension. Its most common cause is complicated abdominal trauma. The syndrome includes mainly hemodynamic and respiratory manifestations but may involve other systems as well. It may present as a life-threatening emergency in the multi-trauma patient. Awareness of the syndrome may enable the surgeon to take preventive measures or to diagnose it earlier and to treat it effectively. We describe a 21-year old man who developed this syndrome after multiple gunshot wounds, with severe liver injury. After 2 operations the typical manifestations of the syndrome were diagnosed. He was re-operated to release intra-abdominal hypertension and then slowly recovered.

Epidermoid Cyst of the Spleen

Dan Bar-Zohar, Yaniv Sherer, Hana Manor, Amir Peer, Simon Strauss, Ariel Halevy

Dept. of Surgery B and Institute of Radiology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Splenic cysts are rarely found or diagnosed. Excluding cases of trauma, the events preceding their development have not been fully understood. We describe a 22-year-old woman in her 34th week of pregnancy in whom ultrasound revealed a cystic lesion 8610 cm. in diameter in the left upper abdomen. Further imaging tests followed by laparotomy confirmed the splenic origin of the cyst. Splenectomy was performed and the lesion was histopathologically defined as an epidermoid cyst.

Clinical Characteristics of Crohn's Disease in Children and Adults

Yoram Menachem, Zvi Weizman, Chaim Locker, Shmuel Odes

Gastroenterological Institute and Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit, Soroka Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

There are few reports contrasting the clinical characteristics of Crohn's disease in different age groups. We therefore compared retrospectively children and adults with Crohn's disease. 23 children (mean age: 12.8±2.5 years) and 66 adults (mean age: 27.0±4.0 years) were studied. Presenting symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea were significantly more common in adults, while in children anorexia and weight loss were more frequent. Children tended to present with extra-gastrointestinal tract symptoms as well, mainly anemia and joint involvement. Common symptoms during active disease did not differ between groups, except that weight loss, evident in all children, was found in only 70% of adults. Anemia was present during active disease in all pediatric cases but in only 62% of adults. There were no significant differences between groups regarding disease location, gastrointestinal complications and extra-intestinal manifestations. We conclude that in children Crohn's disease may differ significantly, mainly presenting with nonclassical symptoms, such as anemia and joint involvement. The primary care physician should be aware of these differences.

Effects of Vertical Banded Gastroplasty on Weight, Quality of Life and Nutrition

Iris Shai, Shimon Weitzman, Izhak Levy

Depts. of Epidemiology and Surgery, Soroka Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

We examined the long term results of vertical banded gastroplasty 3-10 years after operation. They were assessed by weight lost, incidence and severity of untoward effects and improvement in diet and in quality of life in 75 of 122 who had had the operation. Average weight lost was 28.5±14.9 kg (p<0.001) in 5 years and 58.6±30.4% of excess weight, which brought patients to within 32±25.2% of ideal weight. According to these measures, in 63-76% the operation had been successful in causing weight loss. The 2 criteria for successful weight loss were loss of more than 50% of weight in excess of ideal body weight and residual body weight less than 50% greater than ideal body weight. There was a greater risk of failure in unmarried subjects older than 45 (odds ratio for not losing weight was 6; in those weighing more than 120 kg it was 9). We saw evidence of this mostly 4 years after operation (odds ratio 11). The degree of success in weight loss was correlated with texture of food (softness) preferred and length of operation. Of those interviewed, only 65% were satisfied with their results. The greatest improvement in quality of life measurements was in physical activity, perception of health, and frequency of feeling depressed. Side-effects were vomiting, reflux and fatigue. Only 34.7% were able to digest solid foods, so that subjects are at risk for nutritional deficiencies.

* Based on MS thesis in epidemiology of Iris Shai.

Verapamil-Associated Liver Injury

Majed Odeh, Arie Oliven

Medical Dept. B, Bnai-Zion Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, The Technion, Haifa

Hepatotoxicity due to verapamil is very rare and to the best of our knowledge only 10 cases have been reported. A 54-year-old woman developed cholestatic liver injury and pruritus following treatment with sustained-release verapamil (240 mg/day) for arterial hypertension. The pruritus and all hepatic biochemical abnormalities completely resolved after withdrawal of the drug. Similar to previously reported cases, the pathogenic mechanism of verapamil-associated liver injury in our patient was, most probably, idiosyncratic. These cases emphasize the need for awareness of the possibility that verapamil may occasionally induce liver injury, sometimes severe and potentially fatal.