Colin Elton

Predictive factors for successful colonic stenting in acute large-bowel obstruction: a 15-year cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Colonic stenting has failed to show an improvement in mortality rates in comparison with emergency surgery for acute large-bowel obstruction. However, it remains unclear which patients are more likely to benefit from this procedure. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify factors that may be predictive of successful outcome of colonic stenting in acute large-bowel obstruction. DESIGN: All patients undergoing colonic stenting for acute large-bowel obstruction between 1999 and 2013 were studied. The demographics and characteristics of the obstructing lesion were analyzed. SETTINGS: This investigation was conducted at a district general hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 126 (76 men; median age, 76 y; range, 42–94 y) with acute large-bowel obstruction were included in the analysis. INTERVENTION: The insertion of a self-expanding metal stent was attempted for each patient to relieve the obstruction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes measured were technical success in the deployment of the stent, clinical decompression, and perforation rates. RESULTS: Technical deployment of the stent was accomplished in 108 of 126 (86%) patients; however, only 89 (70%) achieved clinical decompression. Successful deployment and clinical decompression was associated with colorectal cancer (p = 0.03), shorter strictures (p = 0.01), and wider angulation distal to the obstruction (p = 0.049). Perforation was associated with longer strictures (p = 0.03) LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by its retrospective nature. CONCLUSION: Colonic stenting in acute large-bowel obstruction is more likely to be successful in shorter, malignant strictures with less angulation distal to the obstruction. Longer benign strictures are less likely to be successful and may be associated with an increased risk of perforation.

Giant cystic lymphangioma in childhood: a rare differential for the acute abdomen

Cystic lymphangiomata are rare benign tumours of childhood resulting from an abnormal development of the lymphatic system, most commonly arising in the head and axillary region. We report a case of haemorrhagic intra-abdominal cystic lymphangiomata presenting as an acute abdomen. A 5-year-old girl was admitted with low-grade fever, generalised abdominal pain and elevated inflammatory markers, and a clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis was made. At operation, two large fluid-filled haemorrhagic cystic lesions were found to occupy most of the abdominal cavity. The lesions were completely excised and histological examination identified them as cystic lymphangiomata. This case report and literature review highlights aspects of the presentation which might have resulted in a preoperative diagnosis, which is seldom achieved.

An unusual cause of lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage

A previously unreported cause of lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage in a 63-year-old female patient on clopidogrel for cardiac comorbidities is presented. Endoscopy suggested a small bowel or colonic aetiology but failed to accurately localise the source. The patient became haemodynamically unstable despite conservative management and temporary cessation of clopidogrel. CT angiography demonstrated a pseudoaneurysm arising from the superior rectal artery. Percutaneous embolisation using coils was performed to successfully occlude the pseudoaneurysm, prevent further haemorrhage and avoid emergency colonic resection.

Strangulated inguinal hernia presenting as haemoperitoneum

A 57-year-old man presented with abdominal pain following a collapse, with peritonism in his lower abdomen. He was haemodynamically stable, with haemoglobin of 12.6 g/dl. His significant medical history included open bilateral inguinal hernia repairs. CT demonstrated fluid within the abdominal cavity, and an area of stranding lying medially within the left iliac fossa. Ultra-sound guided fluid aspiration demonstrated frank blood. During admission, the patient noted a recurrence of his left inguinal hernia. Laparotomy revealed haemoperitoneum, and a haematoma arising in the left iliac fossa, walled off by mesentery of the sigmoid colon and adherent omentum. The open repair of the recurrent inguinal hernia identified the sac contents to be similar to the omentum. This association implies the omentum had herniated within the inguinal canal, tore or avulsed, resulting in haemorrhage from the proximal omental blood vessel resulting in haemoperitonism.

Response to Parnaby et al. (Defunctioning stomas in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer prior to preoperative chemoradiotherapy)

We read with interest the authors’ article on the double-spouted loop ileostomy. During the early part of our own departmental audit [1], inferior retraction and skin excoriation in loop ileostomies were identified as problematic, and this complication was all but completely removed by the technique of everting the distal limb. It was so successful that we included a description of the technique [2] with associated picture, (methods section, p. 485) in a single centre, prospective randomized trial. The incidence of ileostomy retraction in general [1] and in loop ileostomies in particular [2] compares favourably with the subsequent national audit [3]. While the danger of everting the wrong limb of a trephine loop ileostomy is prevented by this technique, the blind approach described by the authors is hazardous and should not be advocated, as witnessed by their two high output stomas. With a modest degree of head down tilt in most cases, it is straightforward to identify, under direct vision through the trephine, the distal 5 cm of the terminal ileum, using the ileal fat pad as the constant anatomical landmark. Only where small bowel adhesions prevent this identification, does a more valued judgement need to be made with regard to a ‘blind approach’, laparoscopy or converting to a minilaparotomy.