An Unusual Cause of the Ileus: Non-Specific Stenosing Ulceration of the Small Intestine

Non-specific ulcerations of the small intestine are very rare. The cause and pathogenesis of these lesions remain obscure. The diagnosis of primary ileal ulcer is commonly overlooked and infrequently is established intraoperatively. Here we described a case of a 73-year-old woman who was presented to the emergency surgical department with the five days history of vomiting, distension, constipation, and abdominal pain. On physical examination abdomen was mildly distended and diffusely painful on palpation. Bowel sounds were present and active. Plain abdominal x-ray film showed ileus of the small intestine. Multislice computed tomography showed stenosing process of the ileum. Patient underwent exploratory laparotomy. Approximately 60 cm from the ileocecal valve ileum was inflamed and hypertrophic with a point of obstruction. Grossly, it appeared as a small intestine carcinoma. Involved segment of ileum including the point of obstruction was resected. Pathological examination showed ulceration of the ileum. After the surgery the patient made rapid recovery and was discharged from the hospital on the tenth postoperative day

Subbrachial approach to humeral shaft fractures: new surgical technique and retrospective case series study

BACKGROUND: There are few surgical approaches for treating humeral shaft fractures. Here we present our results using a subbrachial approach. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case series involving patients who had surgery for a humeral shaft fracture between January 1994 and January 2008. We divided patients into 4 groups based on the surgical approach (anterior, anterolateral, posterior, subbrachial). In all patients, an AO 4.5 mm dynamic compression plate was used. RESULTS: During our study period, 280 patients aged 30- 36 years underwent surgery for a humeral shaft fracture. The average duration of surgery was shortest using the subbrachial approach (40 min). The average loss of muscle strength was 40% for the anterolateral, 48% for the posterior, 42% for the anterior and 20% for the subbrachial approaches. The average loss of tension in the brachialis muscle after 4 months was 61% for the anterolateral, 48% for the anterior and 11% for the subbrachial approaches. Sixteen patients in the anterolateral and anterior groups and 6 patients in the posterior group experienced intraoperative lesions of the radial nerve. No postoperative complications were observed in the subbrachial group. CONCLUSION: The subbrachial approach is practical and effective. The average duration of the surgery is shortened by half, loss of the muscle strength is minimal, and patients can resume everyday activities within 4 months. No patients in the subbrachial group experienced injuries to the radial or musculocutaneous nerves