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Adrenal myelolipoma is a rare benign neoplasm composed of mature adipose tissue and myeloid tissue with a variable amount of hematopoietic elements. Most patients are asymptomatic although some present with pain or even endocrine dysfunction. The rising use of CT and MRI scans has led to an increase of the detection of adrenal myelolipomas in recent years. The indications for surgery are symptomatic patients and lesions bigger than 5 cm or suspicious for malignancy. A case of a 50-year-old woman is presented here who was referred for surgical resection of a large nonfunctioning right adrenal mass. The neoplasm was resected through a midline laparotomy. Histopathology revealed a lesion consisting predominantly of fatty issue containing all types of hematopoietic stem cells and confirmed the diagnosis of myelolipoma., Competing Interests: None declared., (Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. © The Author(s) 2023.)

Metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are rarely located in the small bowel and usually present either with iron deficiency anaemia due to occult bleeding or obstructive symptoms. A 65-year-old man with not known malignancy was admitted to our hospital with symptoms of intermittent bowel obstruction. The abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan depicted a large tumour of the right kidney and obstruction of the small intestine at the level of the proximal jejunum. A jejuno-jejunal intussusception was found on laparotomy, due to endoluminal lesions that proved to be metastatic from RCC. Intussusception of the small bowel due to metastatic RCC is a very rare combination and only a few such cases have been reported so far in the literature., (Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. © The Author(s) 2022.)

Purpose: Accurate staging of cancers of the colon and rectum (CRC) requires adequate lymph node (LN) evaluation, and many studies have demonstrated an association between the number of LNs examined and survival. The number of lymph nodes which are retrieved during resections for CRC may however vary and has been associated with various factors in the literature. The aim of the present study was to identify such factors in our CRC surgical practice., Methods: The study included specimens from 115 male and 177 female patients with a mean age of 69.2±11.9 years (31-94) who were treated for CRC in a Surgical Oncology Department over a 5-year period. The number of LNs harvested per patient was the main endpoint of interested. The analysed parameters were the patient's age and sex, the site of resection, the depth of tumour invasion (T stage), the grade of differentiation, the size of the tumour (maximal diameter) and the length of the resected colon. Neoadjuvant radiotherapy in rectal cancer cases was also taken into consideration. Analysis was applied using the statistical software PASW version 18. A p value<0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Female sex, right location of tumour and age younger than 65, were factors associated with significantly higher LN yield in resected specimens of CRC. Furthermore, the length of the resected bowel and the size of the tumour were positively correlated with the LN yield. In patients with rectal cancer, where neoadjuvant radiotherapy was applied, the LN yield was significantly lower. Lastly, the depth of invasion and the grade of tumour's differentiation did not have any impact on the number of harvested LNs., Conclusion: LN harvest in patients with CRC is highly variable and may be determined by multiple factors. Meticulous surgical technique and an adequate length of specimen are required in order to obtain as many LNs as possible.

Introduction: Extragastrointestinal stromal tumours (EGISTs) are very uncommon compared to their gastrointestinal counterparts. Most of them originate from the intestinal mesentery and the omentum., Case Report: A 70 year-old Caucasian woman presented with a bulky abdominal mass which on laparotomy was found to originate from the lesser omentum and was completely resected. Histological examination revealed spindle cells with severe pleomorphism and high mitotic activity. Immunohistochemically, the tumour cells showed strong positivity for c-kit (CD117), DOG-1 and human haematopoietic progenitor cell antigen (CD34). An exon 11 deleterious mutation was identified and thus regular dosing of 400mg imatinib mesylate was initiated., Discussion: There have been only a few previous reports of EGISTs arising in the lesser omentum. Although EGISTs seem to have morphological and immunohistochemical similarities with GISTs, their pathogenesis, incidence, genetic background and prognosis are not completely known because they are extremely rare. It is strongly believed that such tumours originate from cells, which have similar pathological characteristics and biological behaviour as the intestinal cells of Cajal. In most series of EGISTs, a female predominance, a greater size and a higher mitotic index than GISTs were observed., Conclusion: EGISTs are very rare mesenchymal tumours which originate from cells outside the gastrointestinal tract and tend to have a more aggressive biological behaviour than their GI counterparts. Complete surgical resection is the most effective treatment associated with the use of imatinib in the presence of adverse prognostic factors. In any case a strict follow-up is necessary due to high recurrence rates., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Non-occlusive colonic ischaemia is a recognized albeit rare entity related to low blood flow within the visceral circulation and in most reported cases the right colon was affected. This is the second case report in the literature of extensive colonic necrosis following cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A 83-year-old Caucasian woman was admitted to our hospital due to a low energy hip fracture. On her way to the radiology department she sustained a cardiac arrest. CPR started immediately and was successful. A few hours later, the patient developed increasing abdominal distension and severe metabolic acidocis. An abdominal multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scan was suggestive of intestinal ischaemia. At laparotomy, the terminal ileum was ischaemic and extensive colonic necrosis was found, sparing only the proximal third of the transverse colon. The rectum was also spared. The terminal ileum and the entire colon were resected and an end ileostomy was fashioned. Although the patient exhibited a transient improvement during the immediate postoperative period, she eventually died 24h later from multiple organ failure. Histology showed transmural colonic necrosis with no evidence of a thromboembolic process or vasculitis. Therefore, this entity was attributed to a low flow state within the intestinal circulation secondary to the cardiac arrest.

Introduction: Developmental cysts are the most common retrorectal cystic lesions in adults, whereas reports of endometrioid cysts in this anatomic location are extremely rare., Case Presentation: A 21-year-old nulliparous Greek woman presented with chronic noncyclic pelvic pain, and a retrorectal cyst was diagnosed. The lesion was resected through a laparotomy and, on histologic examination, was found to be an endometrioid cyst. The treatment was completed with a six-month course of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue. One year after surgery, the woman remained free of symptoms, and pelvic imaging showed no recurrence of the lesion. Reviewing the literature, we found only three previous reports of an endometrioid cyst in this anatomic location., Conclusion: In women of reproductive age, endometriosis must be included in the differential diagnosis of retrorectal cysts.

Background: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of non-operative management (NOM) of blunt abdominal trauma in a district general hospital with middle volume trauma case load., Methods: Prospective protocol-driven study including 30 consecutive patients who have been treated in our Department during a 30-month-period. Demographic, medical and trauma characteristics, type of treatment and outcome were examined. Patients were divided in 3 groups: those who underwent immediate laparotomy (OP group), those who had a successful NOM (NOM-S group) and those with a NOM failure (NOM-F group)., Results: NOM was applied in 73.3% (22 patients) of all blunt abdominal injuries with a failure rate of 13.6% (3 patients). Injury severity score (ISS), admission hematocrit, hemodynamic status and need for transfusion were significantly different between NOM and OP group. NOM failure occurred mainly in patients with splenic trauma., Conclusion: According to our experience, the hemodynamically stable or easily stabilized trauma patient can be admitted in a non-ICU ward with the provision of close monitoring. Splenic injury, especially with multiple-site free intra-abdominal fluid in abdominal computed tomography, carries a high risk for NOM failure. In this series, the main criterion for a laparotomy in a NOM patient was hemodynamic deterioration after a second rapid fluid load.

Background: Cyclin E is a protein that plays a key role in the G1 --> S transition of the normal cell cycle. The product of retinoblastoma gene (pRb) is the master regulator of entry into the cell cycle and p21 protein is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that disturbs the progression through the cell cycle. The expression of these proteins, among many others, is being deregulated in tumorogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether cyclin E, pRb, and p21 can be used as prognostic indicators in gastric cancer., Material and Methods: Fifty-six patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, who underwent curative resection, constituted the group of our study. The immunohistochemical expression of cyclin E, pRb, and p21 proteins was examined and correlated with clinical-pathological parameters and survival., Results: Positive cyclin E immunostaining was observed in 23 tumors (41.1%). It was associated with intestinal Lauren classification (P=0.003), nodal infiltration (P=0.0025), size of the tumor >5 cm (P=0.032), and lymphatic (P=0.042) and vascular invasion (P= 0.0029). Nevertheless, the survival of patients with positive cyclin E tumors was not significantly shorter than that of negative patients. Positive pRb immunostaining was found in 24 (42.9%) cases and it was associated with the absence of Helicobacter pylori (P=0.044), whereas positive p21 immunostaining was found in 21 tumors (37.5%) and it was associated with less depth of gastric wall infiltration (P=0.001), the absence of lymphatic (P=0.019) and vascular infiltration (P=0.024), and the absence of liver metastasis (P=0.044). Cyclin E expression was associated with pRb expression (P=0.023), but was correlated inversely with p21 expression (P=0.009). The survival of patients with pRb-positive tumors and the survival of patients with p21-positive tumors were significantly longer than that of negative patients (P= 0.0044 and P<0.001, respectively)., Conclusion: The expression of cyclin E could not predict the survival in this series of patients with gastric cancer, whereas the expression of pRb and p21 was associated with a favorable prognosis.

Introduction: Sternoclavicular septic arthritis is a rare condition and accounts only for 1% of cases of septic arthritis in the general population. The most common risk factors are intravenous drug use, central-line infection, distant-site infection, immunosuppression, trauma and diabetes mellitus. This is a report of an unusual case where this type of arthritis was masquerading as rupture of the cervical oesophagus., Case Presentation: A 63-year-old man presented complaining of right neck pain and dysphagia following a bout of violent coughing. Physical examination revealed cellulitis extending from the right sternoclidomastoid region to the anterior upper chest. Computed tomography showed inflammatory changes behind the right sternoclavicular joint with mediastinitis and ipsilateral pleural effusion. These findings raised the suspicion of spontaneous rupture of the cervical oesophagus. Management involved jejunal feeding along with broad-spectrum antibiotics. The inflammation, however, relapsed after discontinuation of the antibiotics and this time, computed tomography pointed to a diagnosis of arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint. The patient responded completely to a 6-week course of oral penicillin, flucloxacillin and metronidazole., Conclusion: Sternoclavicular arthritis is a rare condition that has been associated with a variety of predisposing factors. It may, however, occur in otherwise completely healthy individuals and should be included in the differential diagnosis of other inflammatory conditions of the neck and upper chest.

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a multi-systemic disease being characterized by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies that involves both arterial and venous systems resulting in arterial or venous thrombosis, fetal loss, thrombocytopenia, leg ulcers, livedo reticularis, chorea, and migraine. We document a previously unreported case of a 37-year-old female in whom APS was first manifested by infarction and cecal perforation following cesarean section. At laparotomy the underlying cause of colonic perforation was not clear and after resection of the affected bowel an ileo-colostomy was performed. The diagnosis of APS was established during post-operative hospital stay and the patient was commenced on warfarin. Eventually, she made a full recovery and had her stoma reversed after 4 mo. Pregnancy poses an increased risk of complications in women with APS and requires a more aggressive approach to the obstetric care. This should include full anticoagulation in the puerperium and frequent doppler ultrasound monitoring of uterine and umbilical arteries to detect complications such as pre-eclampsia and placental insufficiency.

Background/aims: Early prediction of the severity of acute pancreatitis would lead to prompt intensive treatment resulting in improvement of the outcome. The present study investigated the use of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) as prognosticators of the severity of the disease., Methods: Twenty-six patients with acute pancreatitis were studied. Patients with APACHE II score of 9 or more formed the severe group, while the mild group consisted of patients with APACHE II score of less than 9. Serum samples for measurement of CRP, IL-8 and TNF-alpha were collected on the day of admission and additionally on the 2nd, 3rd and 7th days., Results: Significantly higher levels of IL-8 were found in patients with severe acute pancreatitis compared to those with mild disease especially at the 2nd and 3rd days (P = .001 and P = .014, resp.). No significant difference for CRP and TNF-alpha was observed between the two groups. The optimal cut-offs for IL-8 in order to discriminate severe from mild disease at the 2nd and 3rd days were 25.4 pg/mL and 14.5 pg/mL, respectively., Conclusions: IL-8 in early phase of acute pancreatitis is superior marker compared to CRP and TNF-alpha for distinguishing patients with severe disease.

Background: The pre-operative staging in oesophageal cancer is often challenging and underestimation of the extent of the disease may lead to unnecessary surgery., Aim: To audit the use and assess the value of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)F FDG-PET) as a staging tool for thoracic oesophageal and gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ) cancers in our oncological surgical practice., Patients and Methods: Over a 3 year period, between 2002 and 2004, 134 patients with thoracic oesophageal or GOJ cancer were referred to our unit for treatment. The standard preoperative staging investigation in all cases was CT (thorax, abdomen and pelvis). A preoperative FDG-PET scan was further requested in 22 patients. The case notes of all the patients that underwent a FDG-PET scan were reviewed and compared with the preoperative imaging, the operative findings and the histopathology of the resected tumours., Results: Eighteen men and 4 women with a median age of 65 (range 43-79) years were studied. After FDG-PET, 13 out of 22 patients (59%) were deemed suitable for tumour resection. Twelve of the 13 patients were fit to undergo surgery. At laparotomy, 2 of those (17%) were found inoperable due to widespread disease. The sensitivity of CT versus FDG-PET to detect infiltrated lymph nodes was 29% (95% CI: 3-70) versus 71% (95% CI: 29-96) (P=0.0412), whereas both tests had 67% specificity (95% CI: 9-99) in detecting lymph nodes. The sensitivity and the specificity of CT versus FDG-PET to detect distant organ metastases (M1b) were 33% (95% CI: 4-77) and 88% (95% CI: 47-99) versus 50% (95% CI: 6-93) and 100% (95% CI: 69-100), respectively (P>0.05). The FDG-PET regarding the N and M status differed from the CT in 11 patients and led to modification of the planned management in 5 of them., Conclusions: FDG-PET is more accurate than CT in defining N and M status. It can result in a reduction of unnecessary surgery in a significant number of patients. The combined PET-CT scan as a single imaging modality is expected to further improve diagnostic accuracy of FDG-PET.

A 43 year-old male patient presented with small bowel obstruction while being treated for cervical tuberculous lymphadenopathy. Laparotomy revealed multiple adhesions and multiple jejuno-jejunal fistulae. Absence of previous abdominal surgery or other abdominal insult favoured an 'idiopathic' origin of these unusual lesions, although treated tuberculosis may have been the underlying cause. To the best of our knowledge this intestinal condition has never previously been reported in the medical literature.

A 78-year-old woman was diagnosed with a proximal gastric adenocarcinoma and underwent an elective D2 total gastrectomy with splenectomy. Subsequent histopathology revealed the presence of another tumour at the gastric antrum. This was a small benign gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) mixed with gastric adenocarcinoma cells similar to those of the main gastric tumour i.e. a collision tumour. The literature has only few previous reports of this very rare association. It is not known whether this synchronicity is incidental or there is a causative factor inducing the development of tumours of different histotypes in the same organ. Pathologists, oncologists and surgeons should be aware of this interesting condition.

Background: The main goal when managing patients with inoperable oesophageal cancer is to restore and maintain their oral nutrition. The aim of the present study was to assess the value of endoscopic palliation of dysphagia in patients with oesophageal cancer, who either due to advanced stage of the disease or co-morbidity are not suitable for surgery., Patients and Methods: All the endoscopic palliative procedures performed over a 5-year period in our unit were retrospectively reviewed. Dilatation and insertion of self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) were mainly used for tight circumferential strictures whilst ablation with Nd-YAG laser was used for exophytic lesions. All procedures were performed under sedation., Results: Overall 249 palliative procedures were performed in 59 men and 40 women, with a median age of 73 years (range 35-93). The median number of sessions per patient was 2 (range 1-13 sessions). Palliation involved laser ablation alone in 24%, stent insertion alone in 22% and dilatation alone in 13% of the patients. In 41% of the patients, a combination of the above palliative techniques was applied. A total of 45 SEMS were inserted. One third of the patients did not receive any other palliative treatment, whilst the rest received chemotherapy, radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Swallowing was maintained in all patients up to death. Four oesophageal perforations were encountered; two were fatal whilst the other two were successfully treated with covered stent insertion and conservative treatment. The median survival from diagnosis was 10.5 months (range 0.5-83 months) and the median survival from 1st palliation was 5 months (range 0.5-68.5 months)., Conclusion: Endoscopic interventions are effective and relatively safe palliative modalities for patients with oesophageal cancer. It is possible to adequately palliate almost all cases of malignant dysphagia. This is achieved by expertise in combination treatment.

Background: Surgical treatment of pilonidal sinus disease has a significant morbidity and recurrence rate. The rhomboid flap of Limberg is a transposition flap that has been advocated for treatment of this condition. We present our experience with the Limberg technique for both primary and recurrent pilonidal sinuses., Patients and Methods: In a three-year period, 25 patients with chronic pilonidal sinus disease were treated with this method. Twelve patients had recurrent disease and were previously treated with other types of surgery. The sinuses were excised in a rhomboid fashion and the defect closed using a transposition flap designed to obliterate the midline cleft. Patients were treated with prophylactic antibiotics and the wound drained with a vacuum drain., Results: Median post-operative hospital stay was four days. There were four (16%) wound complications. The mean follow-up period was 20 months. There was a single recurrence (4%) of a pilonidal sinus, which required further surgical excision., Conclusions: Despite the risk of wound complications, this method is particularly useful for complex sinuses with extended tracts where radical excision leaves a large defect. It is also suitable for cases where simpler operations have failed and carries a low risk for recurrence.

Background: Tumours of the oesophagogastric junction and the gastric cardia can be treated either with proximal or with total gastrectomy. Reflux of bile and other duodenal contents into the oesophagus following proximal gastrectomy has generally been considered worse than reflux after total gastrectomy. The aim of the present study was to test this assumption given that there is limited literature regarding objective evaluation of the postoperative duodeno-oesophageal reflux., Patients and Methods: We carried out bilirubin monitoring with the ambulatory spectrophotometer Bilitec 2000 in two groups of patients and in one group of healthy volunteers matched in age and sex. The proximal gastrectomy group consisted of 8 patients who underwent proximal gastrectomy and an end-to-side oesophagogastrostomy without pyloric drainage procedure. The total gastrectomy group consisted of 11 patients who underwent total gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y reconstruction with a 50-cm-long jejunal limb. The control group consisted of 8 healthy volunteers. In all cases, an absorption value of 0.14 was used as the threshold for reflux episodes., Results: The median fraction of time that bilirubin absorbance was >0.14 in the proximal versus total gastrectomy group was 47.4 and 13.4%, respectively (p = 0.02). The difference between the two groups was significant in the supine position (p = 0.03), whilst the upright position, meal and postprandial periods were not found to have significant difference. Likewise, no significant difference was found in the number of reflux episodes. The median fraction of time in the proximal gastrectomy group compared with controls was 47.4 versus 3.95% (p < 0.001), whilst in the total gastrectomy group compared with controls, it was 13.4 versus 3.95% (p > 0.05). The number of reflux episodes in the proximal gastrectomy group compared with controls was 74 versus 21 (p = 0.02), whilst in the total gastrectomy group compared with controls, it was 103 versus 21 (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: Total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction reduces the time of oesophageal exposure to duodenal juices as compared with proximal gastrectomy. This effect seems to be more prominent in the supine position., (Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Tube pharyngostomy involves the percutaneous passage of a tube through the pharynx as an alternative to nasogastric intubation. We use this method for upper gastrointestinal decompression after oesophagectomies and total gastrectomies where prolonged intubation of the foregut is anticipated. It is simple to perform and very well tolerated as compared to a nasogastric tube. The pharyngostomy tube can also be used for enteral feeding. We present here the technique in detail and our experience with 67 procedures over the last 6 years where only few minor complications were encountered. We also review the literature for previous reports of pharyngostomy., (Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Vasectomy is a common method of contraception in the UK. However, there is a wide variation in management protocols. The aim of the present study was to identify differences within the hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust and to recommend a uniform practice., Patients and Methods: Retrospective case notes review of 395 vasectomy procedures performed within the Morecambe Bay NHS Trust in a 1-year period., Results: Inconsistency was found with regards to the anaesthetic technique, the vas histology request and the timing of the semen analysis. The non-compliance rate for postvasectomy semen analysis was 33.4%. The complication and failure rates were 4.04% and 0.51%, respectively. Motile sperm (n = 4) was submitted at an average time of 8 weeks' postvasectomy. In half of those cases, vasectomy proved unsuccessful. Immotile sperm (n = 41) was submitted at an average time of 9.5 weeks and, in 80% of those men, semen cleared at an average time of 15.5 weeks' postvasectomy. An azoospermic (n = 285) sample was submitted at an average time of 10.5 weeks. Eleven of those men submitted a second sample with immotile sperm at an average time of 12 weeks' postvasectomy and that was eventually clear at 18 weeks in the majority of cases., Conclusions: A uniform vasectomy practice should include vasectomy under local anaesthesia if possible, no vas histology and a request for a single sample at 12 weeks. If this is clear, vasectomy should be considered successful. If any sperm are present, then a further sample should be requested at 16 weeks' postvasectomy. Immotile sperm at that time should not justify any further samples and a 'special clearance' should be issued to those men.

Duodenogastric reflux (DGR) is a common sequel of subtotal esophagectomy and gastric pull-up, and it may contribute to mucosal changes of both the gastric conduit and the esophageal remnant. This study investigated the effect of the route of reconstruction on the DGR. 24-hour ambulatory bilirubin monitoring was performed on patients who underwent transhiatal subtotal esophagectomy and a gastric tube interposition either in the posterior mediastinum (PM group, n = 11), or in the retrosternal space (RS group, n = 8): A Control group of 8 healthy volunteers was also studied. The median percentage of reflux time, the median number of reflux episodes, and the median number of reflux episodes longer than 5 minutes, in PM versus RS groups, were 29.1% versus 0.15% (p < 0.001), 185 versus 8 (p = 0.002) and 10 versus 0 (p = 0.001), respectively. The values of the above variables in PM versus control groups were 29.1% versus 3.95% (p = 0.007), 185 versus 21 (p = 0.02), and 10 versus 2 (p = 0.009), respectively, whereas in RS versus control groups they were 0.15% versus 3.95% (p = 0.01), 8 versus 21 (p = 0.04), and 0 versus 2 (p = 0.05), respectively. Posterior mediastinal gastric interposition is associated with high reflux of duodenal contents, whereas retrosternal interposition minimizes the reflux at levels even lower than those of the healthy individuals. The latter type of reconstruction may be a good alternative from that perspective, especially in patients with long life expectancy.

This is a report of a 71-year-old woman who presented with a superficial soft tissue mass in the antecubital fossa. Excision was undertaken under local anaesthesia. The lesion proved to be a primary aneurysm of the basilic vein. Reviewing the literature we found only a few previous reports of primary venous aneurysms in the upper extremities.

Background: Sclerosing peritonitis (SCP) is a complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and is characterized by progressive fibrosis of the peritoneum. Entrapment of the intestine in a fibrous sac resulting in complete intestinal obstruction is called sclerosing-encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) and represents the most severe form of the disease. Various reports have been pessimistic regarding the surgical outcome when SEP has caused complete intestinal obstruction. Continuation of CAPD after laparotomy is generally considered not feasible. The aim of this article is to present our experience in the surgical management of SEP and, in particular, in the postoperative continuation of CAPD., Material and Methods: Seventeen consecutive patients with SCP among 175 patients undergoing CAPD during a period of 14 years in a single Unit were retrospectively reviewed. Two groups of patients were recognized. The SCP group included 9 patients with incomplete intestinal obstruction that were treated with single peritoneal catheter removal and switching to haemodialysis. The SEP group included 8 patients with complete obstruction that necessitated laparotomy for surgical debridement of the fibrotic tissue and release of the intestinal loops., Results: Switching to haemodialysis improved the majority of the group of patients. In 2 of the SEP group of patients (early in the series), where enterectomy was inevitable, performance of an intestinal anastomosis resulted in leakage with subsequent fatal outcome. Two of the SEP group of patients were transferred to haemodialysis after the laparotomy. In the remaining 4 SEP patients (50%), exposure of a significant portion of active peritoneal surface was achieved - called "neoperitonization"-and allowed effective continuation of peritoneal dialysis for an average duration of 16 months (range 1-32)., Conclusions: In patients with SEP, careful release of the intestinal loops avoiding enterectomies and even inadvertent intestinal wounds is mandatory. Continuation of peritoneal dialysis after meticulous debridement and removal of the fibrotic tissue is possible and may be effective. To the best of our knowledge, there have not been previously reported cases of continuations of CAPD after laparotomy for SEP.

We present a case of a 52-year-old male patient who died from massive hematemesis as a result of perforation of a benign peptic ulcer into the descending thoracic aorta, 1 year after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer and gastric tube interposition. We also review the literature for mechanisms of ulceration in intrathoracic gastric grafts and for complications of such ulcers.