Limited Wedge Resection of a Duodenal Gist in a Patient with Intermittent Melena

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors account for 1% - 2% of all gastrointestinal (GI) tract tumors. Among GISTs, duodenal localization occurs in less than 5% and usually presents with upper GI bleeding. A 45-year-old man presented in the outpatient department with complaints of epigastric discomfort, intermittent melena and undocumented weight loss for the preceding 3 months. Initial upper GI endoscopy showed mild duodenitis and no other upper GI pathology. For unexplained symptoms, a CT Scan was performed which demonstrated a well-defined solid lesion along the second part of the duodenum. An endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biopsy of a subepithelial lesion at D2 was performed. Immunohistochemistry findings were suggestive of GIST. Wedge resection of the duodenal mass was done. Duodenal GIST should be considered as a differential in cases of GI bleeding when other differentials have been ruled out. Limited resection of duodenal GIST should be considered over pancreaticoduodenectomy, in case of small size tumors

ChatGPT for the Standardized Operative Notes in Plastic Surgery

ChatGPT (Open AI, San Francisco, CA, USA) was released on November 30, 2022. It is a conversational AI model developed by OpenAI. It is based on the GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformed) architecture that respond in conversational manner to all human text inputs. (1) This powerful tool is being explored to be used in full capacity in various fields of life. In medical field, it can not only enhance medical practice by improving communication, but also it can potentially be used for writing medical documents of medicolegal significance (e.g. discharge summaries etc.). (2) Good quality operative notes with adequate details are important information to maintain continuity of care between medical teams, serves as a source of information for future reference, for medical reimbursement, and above all, this document has legal implications

Stem cells on YouTube: National vs international content

YouTube is one of the most popular video-based social media sites across the globe. The role of stem cell transplant has not been deeply explored on YouTube. The current narrative review was planned to assess the viewership of content available on YouTube related to stem cells. The videos were classified based on type of content, duration, number of views, comments and number of likes. A total of 40 videos were downloaded under the search terms “stem cells in Pakistan” and “stem cells”. Of them, 6(15%) were repeat videos, and 34(85%) were unique. The findings revealed that in 10(25%) most viewed videos from Pakistan, 6(60%) contained opinions from non-expert physicians. Among the 10(25%) most viewed international videos, the information providers were science educators in 4(40%) videos and researchers in 2 (20%). Notably, no content from Pakistan was present among the top relevant international videos. ---Continu

Adipose derived stem cells for the peripheral nerve regeneration: review of techniques and clinical implications

Adipose tissue is considered as a multipotent organ with multiple cellular varieties, like adipose derived stem cells with ability to differentiate into nerve cells. This review is an attempt to summarize the techniques of harvesting, isolating and delivery of adipose derived stem cells to injured nerve area and various interactions involved in the release of neurotrophic and angiogenic factors from stem cells. Neuro-regenerative potential of ADSCs is explained on the basis of “Paracrine hypothesis”, according to which ADSCs secrete multiple neurotrophic factors and upregulates secretion of these neurotrophic factors by Schwann cells, leading to improved myelination, regeneration and decreases nerve fibrosis. ADSCs are easily available in abundance and undergo multi-step processing before grafting to nerve injury site. Acute inflammation, hypoxia and co-culturing with Schwann cells promotes neural differentiation of ADSCs. ADSCs and Schwann cells are reported to have similar mitogenic and differentiation factors, Continued..