FOETUS-IN-FETU, A PAEDIATRIC RARITY IN AN INFANT AT IRRUA SPECIALIST TEACHING HOSPITAL, IRRUA, NIGERIA

Introduction

Fetus in fetu is a paediatric rarity. It involves the presence of a mass resembling a fetus inside the body of a child or an adult. It is described as a twin growing inside the body of the other. It can be located in different parts of the body but commonly the retroperitoneum. It is usually benign.

Case presentation

The patient was a 4 month old male infant who presented to the hospital with complaints of abdominal distention. The distention was noticed two months prior to presenting to our hospital. The distension was generalized and has been progressively increasing until presentation (1). There was no associated abdominal pain and no other abdominal symptoms.

Conclusion

Treatment is by complete excision for histological examination.

Predictors of Surgical Site Infection in Contaminated Abdominal Surgical Wounds: Our Experience in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital

BACKGROUND

Secondary peritonitis is a common emergency surgical condition with varying aetiologies managed by surgeons all over the world. One important morbidity associated with it is postoperative surgical site infection (SSI). A better prevention strategy can be instituted if this complication in patients can be correctly predicted. The study aimed to identify factors in patients with peritonitis that have a significant bearing on the development of postoperative SSI.

METHOD

A total of fifty patients operated on for peritonitis in a period of one year were studied. Factors including age, gender, comorbidities, presenting symptoms, time of presentation, time of intervention, intraoperative findings, duration of surgery, and postoperative SSI were noted. Chi-square, Fisher's exact test and Student's t-test were used to test for association where appropriate and a p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Peritonitis was most commonly due to a ruptured appendix (46%) followed by perforated peptic ulcer disease (42%). The incidence of SSI was 44%. For the patients that developed SSI, the lowest rate was observed in cases of ruptured appendix (39.1%) and the highest in perforated gastric ulcer (64.3%) which was closely followed by perforated duodenal ulcer (57.1%). The association between the time of presentation and the occurrence of SSI was statistically significant (p = 0.028).

CONCLUSION

The SSI rate (44%) from peritonitis in our centre was quite high and the time of presentation played a crucial role. Prevention strategies focusing on predictors of SSI is necessary to reduce the rate of SSI in our setting.

Post open prostatectomy bladder exteriorization mimicking "acquired bladder extrophy"

A 58-year-old Nigerian male had open prostatectomy undertaken in a private hospital 3 months before presenting at our out-patient clinic with leakage of urine and a widening supra pubic defect of 10 weeks duration. Examination showed the posterior bladder wall and visible trigone. Subsequently the defect was closed and he remained continent at follow up.