Identification of near-infrared characteristic bands of small bowel necrosis based on cellwise detection algorithm

The near-infrared spectroscopy is often used to distinguish small bowel necrosis due to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The characteristic bands of small bowel necrosis, as an important basis for evaluating the confidence of the differentiation results, are challenging to identify quickly. In this study, we proposed to identify characteristic bands of lesion samples based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and cellwise outlier detection. Rabbits were used as an animal model to simulate the clinical symptoms of NEC. The rabbits were detected at intervals of 10, 30, 60, and 90 min. The characteristic bands were identified within the same rabbit, between different rabbits and at different times. The result showed the bands near 763 nm, corresponding to the absorption peak of deoxyhemoglobin, were the characteristic bands separating samples with NEC. The identification result was plausible because hypoxia was the main cause of NEC. The method was easy to perform.

Aborted living-donor liver transplantation in the real-world setting, lessons from 13 937 cases of Vanguard Multi-center Study of International Living Donor Liver Transplantation Group

There are exceedingly uncommon but clearly defined situations where intraoperative abortions are inevitable in living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). This study aimed to summarize the cases of aborted LDLT and propose a strategy to prevent abortion or minimize donor damage from both recipient and donor sides. We collected data from a total of 43 cases of aborted LDLT out of 13 937 cases from 7 high-volume hospitals in the Vanguard Multi-center Study of the International Living Donor Liver Transplantation Group and reviewed it retrospectively. Of the 43 cases, there were 24 recipient-related abortion cases and 19 donor-related cases. Recipient-related abortions included pulmonary hypertension (n = 8), hemodynamic instability (n = 6), advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 5), bowel necrosis (n = 4), and severe adhesion (n = 1). Donor-related abortions included graft steatosis (n = 7), graft fibrosis (n = 5), primary biliary cholangitis (n = 3), anaphylactic shock (n = 2), and hemodynamic instability (n = 2). Total incidence of aborted LDLT was 0.31%, and there was no remarkable difference between the centers. A strategy to minimize additional donor damage by delaying the donor's laparotomy or trying to open the recipient's abdomen with a small incision should be effective in preventing some causes of aborted LDLT, such as pulmonary hypertension, advanced cancer, and severe adhesions.

Implications of COVID-19 in Acute Mesenteric Ischemia and Bowel Necrosis: A Case Report

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is known to provoke a state of hypercoagulability that may lead to devastating consequences. This has been well established since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2019; however, the specific relationship between COVID-19 and thrombus formation remains poorly understood. There has been increasing documentation of gastrointestinal (GI) complications in patients infected with the virus, including potentially lethal acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI), regardless of prior history of GI disease or risk factors for hypercoagulable states. Not only is mesenteric ischemia difficult to diagnose but it is also associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, warranting prompt identification and treatment to improve clinical outcomes. We herein present a case of diffuse intestinal necrosis secondary to mesenteric thrombus formation in a previously healthy female five days after the resolution of her COVID-19 symptoms. The high rates of morbidity and mortality linked to AMI underpin the need for clinicians to maintain a high index of suspicion for thrombotic complications of COVID, even in healthy patients. This case emphasizes the importance of a thorough history-taking, physical examination, and laboratory workup even in patients without a current COVID-19 infection or predisposing thrombotic risk factors. Additionally, it suggests that the hypercoagulable state associated with a COVID-19 infection may persist after the primary COVID-19 symptoms have resolved.

Potential for intestinal transplantation after acute mesenteric ischemia in patients aged less than 70 years: A population-based study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) has a high mortality rate due to the development of bowel necrosis. Patients are often ruled outside active care if a large proportion of small bowel is necrotic. With the development of treatment for short bowel syndrome (SBS) and intestinal transplantation methods, long-term survival is possible even after extensive small bowel resections. This study aims to assess the incidence of SBS and potentially suitable candidates for intestinal transplantation among patients treated for AMI.

METHODS

This population-based retrospective study comprised patients aged less than 70 years and diagnosed with AMI between January 2006 and October 2020 in Helsinki and Uusimaa health care district, Finland.

RESULTS

Altogether, AMI was diagnosed in 711 patients, of whom 133 (19%) were aged below 70. An intervention was performed in 110 (83%) patients. Of these 133 patients, 16 (12%) were ruled outside active treatment due to extensive small bowel necrosis at exploratory laparotomy, of whom 6 (5%) were potentially suitable for intestinal transplantation. Two patients were considered as potential candidates for intestinal transplantation at bowel resection but died of AMI. Nine (7%) patients needed parenteral nutrition after resection, and two of them (2%) developed SBS. Only one patient needed long-term parenteral nutrition after hospital discharge. This patient remained dependent on parenteral nutrition but died before evaluation of intestinal transplantation could be carried out while the other patient was able to return to enteral nutrition.

CONCLUSIONS

A small number of patients with AMI below 70 years of age are potentially eligible for intestinal transplantation.

COVID-19 and Intestinal Ischemia: A Multicenter Case Series

Introduction

Gastrointestinal symptoms are common among COVID-19 patients. Although gastrointestinal involvements are mostly benign, they rarely indicate a severe pathology like intestinal ischemia. The present case series describes 21 patients with bowel ischemia, necrosis, or perforation.

Methods

The present case series was conducted from April 2020 to February 2022 in the surgical wards of two Iranian hospitals. We retrospectively included adult patients with concomitant COVID-19 and intestinal ischemia. Primary outcomes were defined as the length of stay and survival.

Results

Twenty-four patients with a median age of 61.5 years were included in the study. Sixteen (67%) patients were male, and 13 (54%) were without any comorbidities. Macrovascular mesenteric ischemia was not identified in 21 patients (87.5%). Gastrointestinal manifestations appeared on the median of seven days (range 2–21) after the diagnosis of COVID-19, with the most common symptom being abdominal pain. All the patients had a significantly elevated C-Reactive Protein prior to surgery, ranging from 68 to 362. D-dimer was measured in eight patients and was significantly elevated, ranging from 1,878 to over 5,000 ng/mL. One patient was managed conservatively due to a good clinical condition. Except for one patient with angioinvasive mucormycosis and one other with leukocytoclastic vasculitis, pathologic evaluation revealed general features of intestinal necrosis, including ulcer, hemorrhage, necrosis, neutrophilic infiltration (in seven patients), neutrophilic abscess (in four patients), and edema. Bowel necrosis accompanied mortality of 15 (62.5%) patients and a median of 6.5 days of hospital stay.

Conclusion

Intestinal ischemia in COVID-19 patients is associated with a high mortality rate. Further research is needed to elucidate the dynamics of intestinal ischemia in the setting of COVID-19.

[Gas in superior mesenteric artery and celiac axis as a rare CT-sign of extensive bowel necrosis]

The authors report endovascular treatment of acute thromboembolic occlusion of superior mesenteric artery in a 75-year-old patient whose postoperative period was complicated by massive reperfusion and translocation syndrome. Contrast-enhanced CT in 12 hours after successful thrombectomy from superior mesenteric artery revealed CT signs of irreversible bowel lesion, i.e. gas in hepatic veins, intestinal wall and mesenteric veins, bowel wall thinning. In addition, CT revealed extremely rare sign of severe acute mesenteric ischemia (gas in superior mesenteric artery and celiac axis). We found no description of gas in celiac axis following acute mesenteric ischemia in available literature.

Nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia associated with postoperative jejunal tube feeding: Indicators for clinical management

Postoperative nutrition via a jejunal tube after major abdominal surgery is usually well tolerated. However, some patients develop nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI). This morbid complication has a grave prognosis with a mortality rate of 41% to 100%. Early symptoms are nonspecific, and no treatment guideline is available. We reviewed cases of NOMI at our institution and cases described in the literature to identify factors that impact the clinical course. Among five patients, three had no necrosis and one had segmental necrosis and perforation. These patients recovered with limited resection and decompression of the bowel and abdominal compartment. In one patient with extended bowel necrosis at the time of re-laparotomy, NOMI progressed and the patient died of multiple organ failure. The extent of small bowel necrosis at the time of re-laparotomy is a relevant prognostic factor. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of NOMI can improve the prognosis. Clinical symptoms of abdominal distension, cramps and high reflux plus paraclinical signs of leukocytosis, hypotension and computed tomography findings of a distended small bowel with pneumatosis intestinalis and portal venous gas can help to establish the diagnosis. We herein introduce an algorithm for the diagnosis and management of NOMI associated with jejunal tube feeding.

Case Report: A Rare Condition of Abdominal Pain: Chemotherapy Induced Portal Vein Pneumatosis Mimicking the Bowel Necrosis

Portal vein pneumatosis is the presence of air in the portal venous system, which is one of the classic radiologic features of bowel ischemia or necrosis. However, there are several other morbidities that can have portal vein pneumatosis as a complication. This is a case of a 44-year-old man who suffered from severe abdominal pain after chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma of his left hip. The physical signs, laboratory findings, as well as the portal venous pneumatosis sign of the CT scan strongly indicated the probability of bowel necrosis and subjected the treatment decision of the patient finally to laparotomy. However, nothing abnormal except a segment of swollen small intestine was detected. Caution should be kept in mind when encountering a patient with suspected bowel necrosis following chemotherapy since several chemotherapeutic agents could cause portal vein pneumatosis. Diagnostic laparoscopy might be a better option for such cases.

Successful management of extensive bowel resection without intestinal continuity: a case report

Patients with intestinal ischemia associated with acute aortic dissection often require emergent bowel resection, which results in serious complications. We present a case of successful surgical management of extensive bowel necrosis caused by acute aortic dissection. A 42-year-old man underwent emergent subtotal resection of the small intestine, right colectomy, tube gastrostomy, and transverse colostomy; however, intestinal continuity was not restored. He developed two major postoperative complications: unconsciousness due to metabolic alkalosis caused by massive discharge from the gastrostomy and jaundice due to bile salt depletion caused by disruption of the enterohepatic circulation. His serum bilirubin levels decreased after the infusion of gastric discharge through gastrostomy into the transverse colon through the colostomy; thereafter, a second operation was performed to restore gastrointestinal continuity. Overall, patients undergoing massive bowel resection without intestinal continuity require careful management of electrolytes and bile salt.

Portal Venous Gas in Adults: Clinical Significance, Management, and Outcomes of 25 Consecutive Patients

BACKGROUND

Portal venous gas (PVG) is a rare finding and has a grave prognosis. The most common and critical underlying pathology of PVG is bowel necrosis. However, bowel necrosis is sometimes difficult to accurately diagnose. We retrospectively analyzed data from patients that contributed to the decision to perform emergency surgery and bowel resection.

METHODS

Between 2009 and 2019, 25 consecutive adult patients with PVG were identified retrospectively and divided into the Operation and Non-operation groups. The Operation group was further subdivided into the Bowel resection and Non-resection groups. Clinical, laboratory, and radiographic variables were analyzed.

RESULTS

Conservative management was successful for 32% (8/25) of patients (Non-operation group: mortality 0%); 68% (17/25) were treated surgically (Operation group: mortality 35.3%). In the Operation group, 52.9% (9/17) underwent bowel resection (Bowel resection group: mortality 55.6%); however, bowel resection was unnecessary in 47.1% (8/17) of cases (Non-resection group: mortality 12.5%). Univariate analysis revealed significant differences between the Operation and Non-operation groups in GCS, APACHE II, abdominal distention, CRP, lactate, and CT findings of bowel dilatation, pneumatosis intestinalis, and attenuation of contrast effects of the bowel wall. However, with the exception of GCS, there was no significant difference between the Bowel resection and Non-resection groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Analysis of clinical, laboratory, and radiographic variables can inform decisions on conservative management. However, 47.1% of the present patients who underwent surgery for suspected bowel necrosis did not require bowel resection, suggesting that this approach alone may not be sufficient to avoid non-therapeutic laparotomy. A new approach should be developed to improve this situation.

Fetal intra-abdominal bowel dilation in prediction of complex gastroschisis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate intra-abdominal bowel dilation (IABD) in the prediction of complex gastroschisis.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of 174 singleton pregnancies with isolated fetal gastroschisis, resulting in live birth and with available ultrasound images from visits at both 20-22 and 30-32 weeks' gestation. IABD was measured as the greatest transverse diameter of the most dilated intra-abdominal bowel segment, by an operator blinded to postnatal outcome. The distribution of IABD measurements in those with complex and those with simple gastroschisis was determined and the best cut-off value to predict complex gastroschisis was selected using receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves. The area under the ROC curve (AUC), detection rate (DR), false-positive rate (FPR), positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were determined.

RESULTS

The study population included 39 (22.4%) cases of complex and 135 (77.6%) cases of simple gastroschisis. In the prediction of complex gastroschisis, the AUC at 20-22 weeks' gestation was 0.742 (95% CI, 0.628-0.856) and the respective value for 30-32 weeks was 0.820 (95% CI, 0.729-0.910). At the IABD cut-off of 7 mm at 20-22 weeks, DR, FPR, PPV and NPV for complex gastroschisis were 61.5%, 6.7%, 72.7% and 89.4%, respectively, and at IABD cut-off of 14 mm at 30-32 weeks, the respective values were 64.9%, 5.9%, 75.0% and 90.7%.

CONCLUSION

Measurement of IABD at 20-22 or at 30-32 weeks' gestation is useful in the prediction of complex gastroschisis. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hernioscopy in Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia Spontaneously Reduced after General Anesthesia Induction

Hernioscopy is essentially hernia sac laparoscopy. Hernia repair has evolved over the years with better outcomes; however, strangulated inguinal hernias are acute surgical emergencies which require emergent operative intervention. During anesthesia induction and/or after incision, hernia self-reduction is possible, with or without compromised bowel, back into the abdominal cavity. It is pivotal to examine the bowel to decide on further operative course. A simple alternative to unnecessary laparotomy or standard laparoscopy is hernioscopy, which is quite uncommon. We present a case of an acute symptomatic strangulated left-sided inguinal hernia which got self-reduced during anesthesia induction and was successfully repaired after hernioscopy was used to evaluate the incarcerated hernia content. We provide a brief review of literature about hernioscopy and an algorithm to guide surgeons in emergent cases.

Outcome of primary percutaneous stent-revascularization in patients with atherosclerotic acute mesenteric ischemia

Background Patients with acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) often exhibit severe co-morbidities and significant surgical risks, leading to high perioperative morbidity. Purpose To investigate the feasibility of primary percutaneous stent-revascularization (PPSR) in atherosclerotic AMI and its impact on patients' outcome. Material and Methods Retrospective analysis of 19 consecutive patients (7 women, 12 men; median age, 69 years) with AMI caused by atherosclerotic, non-embolic stenoses/occlusions of the splanchnic arteries and PPSR. Alternative minimally invasive techniques were excluded. Clinical characteristics including the Charlson Comorbidity Index adjusted by age (CCIa) and symptom duration, technical and clinical success of PPSR, clinical course, 30-day mortality, and follow-up were evaluated and compared to literature data for surgical approaches. Technical success was defined as residual stenosis of <30% in diameter. Clinical success was defined as resolution of symptoms of AMI and/or normalization of serum lactate after sole PPSR. Results The majority of patients presented with severe co-morbidities (CCIa >4 in 17 of 19 patients, 89%). Median symptom duration was 50 h. Technical and clinical success rates of PPSR were 95% (21 of 22 arteries) and 53% (10 of 19 patients). Seven patients underwent subsequent laparotomy with bowel resection in four cases. Thirty-day mortality was 42% (8 of 19 patients). Conclusion In our study population of patients with atherosclerotic AMI, severe co-morbidities, prolonged acute symptoms, and significant perioperative risks PPSR of splanchnic stenoses were technically feasible and the clinical outcome was acceptable.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt with a rare twist: small-bowel ischemia and necrosis secondary to knotting of peritoneal catheter

Small-bowel ischemia and necrosis due to knotting of the peritoneal catheter is an extremely rare complication related to a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS). A 3-month-old girl, with a history of Chiari II malformation and myelomeningocele (MM) after undergoing right occipital VPS insertion and MM repair at birth, presented to the emergency department with a high-grade fever. Examination of a CSF sample obtained via shunt tap raised suspicion for the presence of infection. Antibiotic therapy was initiated, and subsequently the VPS was removed and an external ventricular drain was placed. Intraoperatively, as attempts at pulling the distal catheter from the scalp incision were met with resistance, the distal catheter was cut and left in the abdomen while the remainder of the shunt system was successfully removed. While the patient was awaiting definitive shunt revision surgery to replace the VPS, she developed abdominal distension due to small-bowel obstruction. An emergency exploratory laparotomy revealed a knot in the distal catheter looping around and strangulating the distal ileum, causing small-bowel ischemia and necrosis in addition to the obstruction. A small-bowel resection with ileostomy was performed, with subsequent placement of ventriculoatrial shunt for treatment of hydrocephalus. The authors report this exceedingly rare clinical scenario to highlight the fact that any retained distal catheter must be carefully managed with immediate abdominal exploration to remove the distal catheter to avoid bowel necrosis as pulling of a knotted peritoneal catheter may strangulate the bowel and cause ischemia, with significant clinical morbidity and possible mortality.