Traumatic penile amputation: a case report

Abstract Background Traumatic amputation of the penis is a rare surgical emergency. Although repair techniques have been well described in literature, failure of replantation and its causes are poorly understood and reported. Herein, we report the case of a 9 year old boy who underwent replantation of his amputated penis with delayed failure of the surgery, along with a discussion of recent advances in the management of this condition. Case  Presentation A 9-year-old boy was referred to our hospital for traumatic amputation of the penis. Papaverine aided microsurgical replantation of the severed part was performed, but by 48 h, the glans became discoloured and necrosis set in by 4 days. Unfortunately, by day 12 two thirds of the re-implanted penis was lost along with overlying skin. Conclusion Replantation of an amputated penis in a pediatric patient is a daunting task even for experienced surgeons. The vasodilatory effect of papaverine for vascular anastomosis is well described, but the use of a paediatric cannula for identification and instillation of papaverine into penile vasculature, has not been described for the repair of penile amputation. Despite its apparent failure, we believe this technique may be valuable to surgeons who might encounter this rare event in their surgical practice, especially in resource limited settings like ours

Tubercular infection of hydatid cyst

Tubercular infection of hydatid cyst of the chest wall in an immunocompetent individual is rare. Immune modulation for symbiosis between host cells and the parasite - Echinococcus granulosus favors tubercular infection. In this case report, we describe a case of both these chronic diseases coexisting together, to present as chest wall mass

Transmigration of a retained surgical sponge: a case report

Abstract Background A retained surgical sponge remains a dreaded complication of modern surgery. Despite the increasing focus on patient safety instances of “a sponge being left in the abdomen”, are all too common in popular media. In this article we report the rare phenomenon of transmigration of a retained surgical sponge in a patient who underwent laparoscopic sterilization. Case presentation A 30-year-old female presented with progressive abdominal pain for about one month and vomiting with obstipation for 2 days. The patient had undergone laparoscopic sterilization 7 years back and then underwent re-canalization one year back. She underwent an exploratory laparotomy for suspected adhesive small bowel obstruction. During surgery, an intra-luminal surgical sponge was recovered from the distal small bowel. The patient recovered and was discharged in good health. Conclusion Despite numerous advances in terms of technology and the ever-growing emphasis on patient safety, the problem of a retained surgical sponge remains a dreaded potential complication. All clinicians and health care professionals should be aware of this entity and its various presentations

Symmetrical peripheral gangrene and tuberculosis: A rare kinship

Symmetrical peripheral gangrene (SPG) is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by ischemic necrosis of 2 or more limbs, without involvement of large vessels. It is often associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation and septic shock. Usually caused by Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms, tuberculosis as a cause is extremely rare. We present the case of a 46-year-old man, who initially presented with signs and symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis but later developed SPG along with septic shock after his initial visit. The case highlights the progression of this dreaded complication and touches upon recent developments in its etiology as well as pathogenesis