Neuroblastic tumors of the adrenal gland in elderly patients: a case report and review of the Literature

Background: Neuroblastic neoplasms (NN) include ganglioneuromas (GN), ganglioneuroblastomas (GNB), and neuroblastomas (NB). They generally arise in childhood from primitive sympathetic ganglion cells. Their incidence in adults, especially among elderly, is extremely low. Case Presentation: This is the case of a 74-year-old woman with history of abdominal pain, weakness and night sweating since several months. Blood pressure was normal. CT-scan showed a 10 cm left adrenal mass, without other pathologic findings. An open left-sided adrenalectomy was performed. Recovery was uneventful with hospital length of stay of 8 days. Based on morphological, immunohistochemical, and molecular features the diagnosis was a nodular GNB. A positron emission tomography (PET) performed 6 weeks after the resection did not show any residual tumor or distant metastases. The patient was followed-up with annual clinical and radiological exams. Conclusion: This case presentation, associated with a review of the literature, illustrates the importance to include NN in the preoperative differential diagnosis of adrenal tumors in adults and highlights the need for multidisciplinary patient work-up and management

Rôle respectif de la taille, de la localisation et de la composition du calcul en tant que déterminant du succès thérapeutique après lithotritie par ondes de choc extracorporelles dans la lithiase rénale [Respective role of the size, location and composition of the calculus as determinants of therapeutic success after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in renal lithiasis].

We evaluated the respective role of size, location and composition of renal stones as determinants of the outcome of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). The analysis of the chemical composition and of the morphology of the fragments eliminated by hundred patients who underwent ESWL has been made by X-rays diffraction. Results showed that the larger the stone, the higher the risk of having to perform an extra intervention (additional sessions of ESWL, percutaneous nephrostolithotomy, nephrolitholapaxy) or of finding residual fragments at the three month check-point. In addition, the location of the stone in a calice, especially a lower calice, strongly predisposes to incomplete elimination of the fragments. Finally, two types of stones appear to lessen the probability of success of ESWL: those of struvite and those of cystine. Indeed, out of eleven ESWL performed on struvite stones (pure or mixed), two had to be completed by percutaneous nephrolitholapaxy and even one by a nephrectomy because of superinfection. Out of the four patients with cystine stones, two had to be treated by additional percutaneous nephrolitholapaxy because of inadequate fragmentation after ESWL. However, for the remaining types of stones (pure or mixed) chemical composition seems to be less important than size or location

Posterior perineal hernia repair with perineal approach: a video vignette.

Perineal hernia (PH) is a well-known complication after abdominopelvic resection, but no consensus exists about the best technique for perineal hernia repair (Reference 1-3). We present the case of a man with a posterior perineal hernia after low anterior resection with subtotal inter-sphincter resection and colo-anal anastomosis. The patient is a 72-year-old man known to have an adenocarcinoma of the rectum treated with neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (50 Gy and Xeloda) and low anterior resection with subtotal inter-sphincteric resection, colo-anal anastomosis and protective ileostomy in December 2015. In 2016, the patient presented with 3 episodes of recurrent prolapse of the colo-anal anastomosis requiring resection of the prolapse and a new colo-anal anastomosis with anterior and posterior levatroplasty during the last intervention. The protective ileostomy was finally closed in December 2016. In December 2019, the patient complained about a new perineal swelling without pain. A surgical management for perineal hernia was proposed, but refused by the patient. In January 2022, because of the inconvenience caused by the perineal hernia, the patient accepted a surgical intervention. A pelvic MRI was performed in January 2022 with evidence of a large perineal hernia with mesocolic content, no cancer recurrence. The repair was made through a perineal approach with a bioasbrobable monofilament polyester mesh with little tissue attachment (Symbotex, Covidien Product, Medtronic Parkway, Minneapolis, USA). The operation lasted 104 min, with minor bleeding (<20ml). The patient was discharged on postoperative day 10. At 7-month follow-up, he has no recurrence of the perineal hernia. Perineal hernia is vey a rare complication following restorative rectal cancer surgery. As a result, management is poorly described in the literature. As the patient presented with 3 prolapses of the colo-anal anastomosis requiring surgical repair with absolutely no adhesions before the perineal hernia repair, we choose a mesh repair to strengthen the pelvic floor and a direct perineal approach to perform levatorplasty

Risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection among asylum-seekers recently arrived in Switzerland : A pilot study in Vaud county

Background: Asylum seekers may have a higher rate of latenttuberculosis infection (LTBI) than resident populations in Westerncountries. LTBI can be detected by an Interferon Gamma ReleaseAssay (IGRA). Screening asylum seekers at highest risk for LTBI orfuture tuberculosis by IGRA could be considered. The aims of this pilotstudy were to assess the prevalence and the risk factors of LTBI amonga group of asylum seekers recently arrived in Switzerland.Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was performed amongadult asylum seekers, staying in two migrant centers of the Vaud county,Switzerland, after a first screening for active tuberculosis at the border.The participants were offered IGRA screening using T-SPOT.TB andwere questioned about risk factors associated with LTBI. Migrants with apositive test had a chest radiograph and a medical examination. Thosewith active tuberculosis were excluded and were treated. The migrantswith LTBI received a preventive treatment, if indicated. The risk factorswere analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistical regression.Results: Among 788 migrants recently arrived, 639 were adults, 393agreed to be screened (61.50%) and 98 of them had a positive T-SPOT.TB (24.93%) of which 5 (5.1%) had an active tuberculosis (previouslynot detected at the border), and 2 had already been treated for activetuberculosis. In univariate analysis, the major risk factors associatedwith LTBI were country of origin and travel conditions. Compared withmigrants from Balkanic countries, migrants from Africa had an OR forLTBI of 3.68, migrants from Asia an OR of 4.3 and migrants fromFormer Soviet Union an OR of 4.5. Migrants who crossed severalborders before arriving in Switzerland had an OR of LTBI of 2.49compared with migrants who came directly from the home country.Age, cough and prior exposure to tuberculosis had a non-significantinfluence on the rate of test positivity. In multivariate analysis, thecombination of country of origin, travel conditions, age, cough andexposure to tuberculosis resulted in a score with optimal predictivevalue (Roc = 81%).Conclusions: Asylum seekers recently arrived in Vaud county had ahigh prevalence of LTBI and active tuberculosis. The major risk factorswere country of origin and travel conditions. Selecting for screening byIGRA the asylum seekers with the highest risk factors seems possible

Chirurgie : ce qui a changé en 2022 [Surgery: what's new in 2022]

During 2022 a lot of efforts were developed to reduce health-costs by reducing complications and length of hospital stay. Same-day surgery is becoming the standard for all patients scheduled for elective surgery in CHUV. Outpatient colectomy also become a new standard. During 2022, endoscopic bariatric surgery became increasingly used. Not widely performed yet in Switzerland, these treatments deserve to be recognized and considered in various situations. Finally, 2022 saw a promising development of robotic surgery with the acquisition of Da Vinci and Dexter robots after allowing various high-precision surgical procedures

Neuroblastic Tumors of the Adrenal Gland in Elderly Patients: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Neuroblastic neoplasms (NN) include ganglioneuromas (GN), ganglioneuroblastomas (GNB), and neuroblastomas (NB). They generally arise in childhood from primitive sympathetic ganglion cells. Their incidence in adults, especially among elderly, is extremely low. This is the case of a 74-year-old woman with history of abdominal pain, weakness and night sweating since several months. Blood pressure was normal. CT-scan showed a 10 cm left adrenal mass, without other pathologic findings. An open left-sided adrenalectomy was performed. Recovery was uneventful with hospital length of stay of 8 days. Based on morphological, immunohistochemical, and molecular features the diagnosis was a nodular GNB. A positron emission tomography (PET) performed 6 weeks after the resection did not show any residual tumor or distant metastases. The patient was followed-up with annual clinical and radiological exams. This case presentation, associated with a review of the literature, illustrates the importance to include NN in the preoperative differential diagnosis of adrenal tumors in adults and highlights the need for multidisciplinary patient work-up and management

Predictive factors of surgical complications in the first year following kidney transplantation.

In the recent years, an increased use of marginal donors and grafts and a growing prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in the recipients have been observed. Meanwhile, the open surgical technique for kidney transplantation has not changed. The aim of this study is to analyze all surgical complications occurring in the first year after kidney transplant and to determine potential predictive risk factors. Data of the 399 patients who underwent kidney transplant in our University Hospital between January 2006 and December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The primary endpoint was the overall rate of vascular, parietal and urological complications at 1 year following kidney transplantation. The secondary outcomes were graft and patient' survival rates, and the identification of predictive factors of the surgical complications. Twenty-four percent of patients developed 134 complications. Vascular complication represented 39% of all complications and resulted in 9 graft losses. Parietal and urological complications represented 46% and 15% of all complications, respectively, No parietal or urological complications were associated with graft loss. Five patients died during the first year, none of these cases was associated with graft loss. The graft survival rate reached 96% at 1 year, including patients still alive. The occurrence of surgical complication was associated with reduced graft survival at 1 year. Using a multivariate analysis, 4 predictive factors were identified: age, deceased donor, operative time and dyslipidemia. Surgical complications after kidney transplantation remained frequent and age, deceased kidney donors, and operative time were identified as risk factors. As vascular complications were a major cause of early graft loss, efforts should aim to reduce their occurrence to increase graft survival

Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks, 2004-2005 -- Interim Report, Volume 1: Technical Report

A report documenting the monitoring of the East and West Flower Garden Banks in accordance with the long-term monitoring protocol