M Villa

Helicobacter pylori and gastroesophageal reflux disease

BackgroundThe nature of the relationship between Helicobacter pylori and reflux oesophagitis is still not clear. To investigate the correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and GERD taking into account endoscopic, pH-metric and histopathological data.MethodsBetween January 2001 and January 2003 a prospective study was performed in 146 patients with GERD in order to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection at gastric mucosa; further the value of the De Meester score endoscopic, manometric and pH-metric parameters, i.e. reflux episodes, pathological reflux episodes and extent of oesophageal acid exposure, of the patients with and without Helicobacter pylori infection were studied and statistically compared. Finally, univariate analysis of the above mentioned data were performed in order to evaluate the statistical correlation with reflux esophagitis.ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences between the two groups, HP infected and HP negative patients, regarding age, gender and type of symptoms. There was no statistical difference between the two groups regarding severity of symptoms and manometric parameters. The value of the De Meester score and the ph-metric parameters were similar in both groups. On univariate analysis, we observed that hiatal hernia (p = 0,01), LES size (p = 0,05), oesophageal wave length (p = 0,01) and pathological reflux number (p = 0,05) were significantly related to the presence of reflux oesophagitis.ConclusionBased on these findings, it seems that there is no significant evidence for an important role for H. pylori infection in the development of GERD and erosive esophagitis. Nevertheless, current data do not provide sufficient evidence to define the relationship between HP and GERD. Further assessments in prospective large studies are warranted.

Bilateral Ureteral Obstruction in Children after Appendectomy.

Acute renal failure due to bilateral ureteral obstruction is a rare complication after appendectomy in children. We report a case of bilateral ureteric obstruction in a 14-year-old boy nine days after surgery for an acute appendicitis. After saline-filling of the urinary bladder, transabdominal ultrasound demonstrated bilateral hydronephrosis of moderate degree. No abscess was found with CT but presence of millimetric stones on both distal ureters was shown, with bilateral calyceal dilatation. Cystoscopy revealed inflammatory changes in the bladder base. Following introduction of bilateral ureteric stents, there was rapid normalisation of urinary output and serum creatinine.

Penile disassembly: anatomical surgical steps

Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, Section of Anatomy, University of Catania, Catania, §Centre for Reconstructive Urethral Surgery, Arezzo, ¶Department of Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, **Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy, *St Peters Andrology, University College London Hospitals, London, †Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, UK, and ‡Serbian Academy of Science and Arts, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

Esophageal Motility and Gastroesophageal Reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) represents a real social problem in the western world. About 20% of population has at least once a week, typical symptoms of this disease (heartburn and acid regurgitation); this incidence is probably underestimated because many patients have symptoms referable to extra-esofageal locations (asthma, cough, hoarseness, , non cardiogenic chest pain). The Montreal consensus conference defined GERD as “a condition which develops when the reflux of gastric contents causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications” (Vakil et al.,2006) But this definition does not take into account all possible pathogenetic causes and their therapeutic implications. Therefore seems more relevant to the definition of Brazilian consensus conference who considered GERD to be “a chronic disorder related to the retrograde flow of gastro-duodenal contents into the esophagus and/or adjacent organs, resulting in a spectrum of symptoms, with or without tissue damage”(Moraes-Filho et al.,2002). This definition recognizes the chronic character of the disease, and acknowledges that the refluxate can be gastric and duodenal in origin, with important implications for the treatment of this disease (Herbella & Patti, 2010).

Endoscopic single-port "components separation technique" for postoperative abdominal reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: In 1990, Ramirez introduced a new procedure to close abdominal wall hernia (AWH), called “components separation technique (CST)”. Thanks to endoscopy, surgical repair possibilities have risen, reducing the operative trauma and preserving vascular and neuronal anatomical structures. This report aims to describe a single port endoscopic approach for CST to repair the abdominal wall of a patient undergoing surgery for abdominal aneurysm and already subject to placement of a mesh for AWH. METHODS: We performed endoscopic-assisted CST, using a single-port access with a gasless technique. CONCLUSION: CST is a useful procedure to close large abdominal wall incisional hernia avoiding the use of mesh, notably under contamination, when prosthetic material use is contraindicated. The endoscopic-assisted CST produces same results than the conventional open separation technique and also minimised tissue trauma that ensures blood supply and prevents postoperative wounds complications. The described single port method was found to be safe and effective to close large midline abdominal hernias when a primary open or laparoscopic closure is not feasible or when patients have been previously treated with abdominal meshes.

Gradual Colonic Impaction of a Chicken Bone Associated with Inflammatory Pseudotumor Formation and Nonocclusive Colon Ischemia

Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common clinical problem and most FBs pass through the gastrointestinal tract without the need for intervention. A wide spectrum of clinical presentations may be possible and these can be either acute or chronic. We present a case of an 83-year-old woman featuring insidious abdominal discomfort who was hospitalized in our institution due to worsening symptoms. She underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) evaluation which showed the presence of a significant parietal thickening of the transverse and descending colon, a mesenteric loose tissue imbibition, venous engorgement, and no filling defect of visceral arteries, suggesting a condition of nonocclusive colon ischemia. A hyperdense FB was identified in the sigma and was associated with a small pseudotumoral mass. The patient underwent surgical exploration which confirmed the hypoperfusional state of the colon, showing the presence of a chicken bone perforating the sigma and lying in the context of a pseudotumoral mass. Our experience shows how contrast-enhanced CT is feasible and can be strongly recommended as a first-line imaging tool on suspicion of colon ischemia and also how it can easily identify the underlying cause, in our case a FB sealed perforation of the sigma with pseudotumoral mass formation.