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Background/aims: Colonic involvement is a rare but serious event in necrotizing pancreatitis. Early detection of this complication is difficult; a delay of diagnosis may lead to perforation and peritonitis. Two strategies of therapy have been developed in the past few years: an aggressive regimen of early resection and a conservative approach by ileostomy and observation., Materials and Methods: Fourteen of 118 patients treated for necrotizing pancreatitis from 1988 to 1995 presented with colonic necrosis. The diagnosis of necrosis was made if the color of the bowel wall demonstrated ischemia or hemorrhagic infarction or pulsations of the mesocolic vessels could not be palpated. The first two patients were treated by a conservative approach, the following 12 patients by immediate large bowel resection. Follow-up results of all surviving patients were obtained., Results: Patients with colonic lesions demonstrated an advanced septic state compared to patients who did not present this complication. Differences in the average Apache 2 scores on admission and the incidence of multiple organ failure were significant (Apache 2 score; 16.6 versus 11.9, p = 0.028, Wilcoxon; multiple organ failure; 71% versus 35%, p = 0.028, Fisher's exact test). Results after establishment of early discontinuity-resection of colonic necrosis compared favorably to those of a conservative strategy (mortality 4/12; 33% versus 2/2; 100%). The overall mortality was 43% (6 of 14 patients). Restorative surgery was performed in 6 patients without substantial morbidity and no mortality. Follow-up results were satisfactory in the majority of the patients., Conclusions: Early resection of colonic lesions improves results in this dangerous complication of necrotizing pancreatitis.

A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence and the course of Pneumocystis carinii colonization in immunocompetent patients with severe pulmonary diseases. A further perspective was to determine the diagnostic values of different detection methods. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples from 77/838 adult HIV-negative patients were examined by Diff-Quik stain, direct immunofluorescence test and polymerase chain reaction. All Diff-Quik stains were negative, but direct immunofluorescence tests and polymerase chain reactions were positive in the samples of 5 patients. The normal number of granulocytes and CD4+T- lymphocytes (median 810 cells/microliters) and normal values of immunoglobulins proved the relative competence of the immune systems of the 77 patients. Although none of these patients received any agent effective against P. carinii, none developed a P. carinii pneumonia within a 120.5-d surveillance period. Nosocomial transmission could be excluded. As the colonization with P. carinii did not result in pneumonia in immunocompetent patients, clinically silent carriers have to be assumed. In non-AIDS patients, sensitive detection methods have to be used to identify colonized persons.

Purpose: Perforations are rare but serious complications of colorectal cancer, with mortality rates of 30 to 40 percent. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate possible indicators of prognosis and causes of death and to evaluate the risk of this complication by comparing results in perforated tumors with uncomplicated cancers or large-bowel perforations attributable to benign causes., Methods: Data of postoperative and long-term results of 35 patients with perforated colorectal cancers were compared in 868 patients with uncomplicated cancers and 130 patients with large-bowel perforations attributable to benign diseases. Postoperative survival in perforated cancers (mortality, 40 percent) was determined by degree of peritonitis, septic state, and tumor stages., Results: Comparison of the three groups demonstrated advanced tumor stages, a higher rate of septic organ failures, and higher mortality rates for perforated cancers. Long-term survival depended on tumor stages but did not differ in perforated and uncomplicated cancers., Conclusions: A cumulative effect of malignancy and sepsis may be responsible for the high postoperative mortality in malignant perforation. Patients with perforated cancers represent the highest risk group in colonic perforation.

Background/aims: Colonic involvement is a rare but serious event in necrotizing pancreatitis. Early detection of this complication is difficult; a delay of diagnosis may lead to perforation and peritonitis. Two strategies of therapy have been developed in the last few years: an aggressive regimen of early resection and a conservative approach with ileostomy and observation., Materials and Methods: Fourteen of 118 patients treated for necrotizing pancreatitis from 1988 to 1995 presented with colonic necrosis. The diagnosis of necrosis was made if the color of the bowel wall demonstrated ischemia or hemorrhagic infarction or pulsations of the mesocolic vessels could not be palpated. The first two patients were treated by a conservative approach the following 12 by immediate large bowel resection. Follow-up results of all surviving patients were obtained., Results: Patients with colonic lesions demonstrated an advanced septic state compared to patients who did not present this complication. Differences in the average Apache 2 scores on admission and the incidence of multiple organ failure were significant (Apache 2 score; 16.6 versus 11.9, p = 0.028, Wilcoxon; multiple organ failure; 71% versus 35%, p = 0.028, Fisher's exact test). Results after establishment of early discontinuity-resection of colonic necrosis compared favorably to those of a conservative strategy (mortality 4/12; 33% versus 2/2; 100%). The overall mortality was 43% (6 of 14 patients). Restorative surgery was performed in 6 patients without substantial morbidity and no mortality. Follow-up results were satisfactory in the majority of the patients., Conclusions: Early resection of colonic lesions improves results in this dangerous complication of necrotizing pancreatitis.

Aim of the prospective study was to evaluate the infection risk of port-a-Cath-systems in AIDS patients and the prognosis of these catheter related complications. Over a 5-year period (December 1989 through November 1994) 50 port-a-Cath-systems were implanted in 44 AIDS patients. 77.2% of the patients were homosexuals, 20.5% were iv drug abusers. In 68% the indication for implantation of the catheter was prophylactic parenteral treatment in CMV retinitis. The mean duration of catheter use was 131.5 +/- 100.4 days (range = 7-421 days). 20 (40%) catheter-related infections occurred, thus implying an infection rate of 0.3 infections per 100 catheter days without difference between the risk groups of patients. Homecare was associated with an infection rate of 0.26 infections/100 catheter days compared with 1.0 infections/100 catheter days in in-patients. The most frequent causative organisms (75% of the infections) were staphylococci (40% Staphylococcus epidermidis). 19/20 infected catheters had to be removed after treating the patients by antimicrobial agents for a mean of 9.63 +/- 1.92 days. In 5/19 cases the germ was eradicated for a short period of time, but in every case bacteremia relapsed and the catheter had to be explanted. In one patient antimicrobial chemotherapy alone was successful. 30 patients died, 4 (13.3%) due to generalized bacterial infection. Based on these results, port-a-Cath-systems are helpful and safe devices for patient-centered and cost-effective care of AIDS patients at home.

This paper discusses the long-term results after surgical treatment of necrotizing pancreatitis. Thirty-one patients were examined 3 years after the operation. The development of diabetes was the main problem in 29% of the patients and depended on the amount of pancreatic tissue resected (never after necrosectomy, in 47% after pancreatic resection; P = 0.005, Fischer's exact test). Of the patients, 77% were in good general condition and 68% were able to work. In 50% of the patients abdominal wall function was impaired but most of them could cope with this insufficiency. Of the patients with alcohol-induced pancreatitis, 75% were abstinent. Considering the severity of the disease, long-term results after surgical treatment of necrotizing pancreatitis are satisfactory.

Modern endocrinology began to develop at the end of the nineteenth century in four stages: the recognition and localization of endocrine glands, the experimental proof of internal secretion by means of destruction and substitution in animals, their isolation and lastly the synthesis of pure hormones. Arthur Biedl (1869-1933), an assistant of Salomon Stricker (1834-1898), was essentially involved in the first two stages of this research process. This paper presents his work from 1895 to 1914.

Laparoscopically-assisted minimally invasive procedures have been applied to a broad spectrum of abdominal interventions. Neurosurgeons performing ventriculoperitoneal shunt operations for hydrocephalus used to place the peritoneal catheter by performing an upper abdominal midline or subcostal incision. In this report, to reduce the patient's inconvenience caused by the laparotomy wound, three consecutive ventriculoperitoneal shunts were implanted, assisted by laparoscopy. By means of three incisions (one 10 mm supraumbilical for the camera and two 5 mm in the right hypochondric region for instrumentation) the peritoneal catheter was placed next to the epiploic foramen. After subcutaneous pull-through of the catheter to the right supraclavicular region, the operation was continued by the neurosurgeon. The postoperative course was uneventful in all cases. The patients were dismissed 3-7 days after surgery. Short time follow-up (212, 202, and 169 days after surgery) showed no complications and perfect function of the ventriculoperitoneal shunts.

From 1980 to 1988 417 patients underwent surgery for peptic duodenal ulcer. Complications were present in 217 patients: perforation (40%), bleeding (32%), stenosis (20%) or penetration (8%). Highly selective vagotomy was performed in 67% of all patients. The number of operations for duodenal ulcer decreased (1984 n = 61, 1988 n = 28) due to fewer operations for uncomplicated ulcers, whereas the number of operations for complicated cases remained equal. Mortality after highly selective vagotomy for complicated duodenal ulcer was 5.2%. All fatalities occurred after bleeding. Whereas highly selective vagotomy was performed frequently for stenosing (72%) and bleeding (68%) ulcers it was the exception in perforate duodenal ulcers (13%). A tendency to increased performance of highly selective vagotomy in complicated cases is evident (1981 40%, 1988 70%). A further increase seems possible by using more liberal indications for selective vagotomy in perforated ulcers and by more frequently carrying out preoperative endoscopic hemostasis in bleeding duodenal ulcers.

A retrospective review of 102 patients (1979-1987) was performed to evaluate the surgical management of complicated diverticulitis. The following operative strategy was found to be effective: 1. the Hartmann procedure in free perforation and diffuse peritonitis; 2. resection with primary anastomosis in free perforation and localized peritonitis, covered perforation, inflammatory tumor and fistulas, if healthy bowel ends could be used for anastomosis.

A report is presented on 82 gastric bypass operations performed from 1979 to 1988. The average preoperative body weight was 132 kg, the body mass index (BMI) 45.0 +/- 7.0. 1 patient died (mortality 1%). 88 per cent of all patients were followed up 2 months to 9 years (2.5 years on average) postoperatively. The mean weight loss was 40.8 kg (reduction of BMI 15.1). Obesity-related diseases decreased remarkably, 3 stomal ulcers and 5 cases of anemia occurred as late complications. On the basis of these results gastric bypass is shown to be an effective and safe treatment of morbid obesity.