We present a case report that demonstrates diagnostic and intraoperative challenges in the laparoscopic management of initially unrecognized splenic hydatid disease. A male patient, aged 44, was admitted to our department with a big unilocular splenic cyst, radiologically (ultrasonography, computed tomography) characterized as a simple cyst. Serological tests for anti-Echonococcus antibody were negative, and chests X-ray findings were unremarkable, so laparoscopic cyst fenestration with omentoplasty was planned. The intraoperative finding did not correspond to a simple splenic cyst. Hydatid daughter cysts were recognized after the careful opening of the cyst wall. The operation was completed without shifting to open procedures. Laparoscopic partial pericystectomy with omentoplasty is a safe and effective surgical procedure for the management of splenic hydatid disease.
Isolated hydatid cysts of the pancreas are rare lesions, even in endemic regions. In this report, we present the case of a 76-year-old patient who was admitted to our clinic with a diagnosis of a cystic lesion in the tail of the pancreas. On preoperative computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) examination, the cyst was characterized as a mucinous cystadenoma. A laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy followed. A histopathological examination revealed a large hydatid cyst in the tail of the pancreas.
Introduction: Frantz's tumor of the pancreas is a rare phenomenon, and it accounts for 1-3% of all neoplasms of the pancreas. Its percentage is much higher in younger persons, especially in younger women, as compared to the rest of the population. Presentation of case: The present study describes a 32-year-old female patient in whom a preoperative imaging diagnosis confirmed a mass in the junction of the pancreas' body and tail. Based on the anamnesis, the preoperative diagnosis, and the patient's general status, the decision was made to performed laparoscopic enucleation of the pancreatic tumor. The operation and postoperative recovery passed without complications. Definitive histopathological and immunohistochemical findings confirmed a solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas. Discussion: Depending on the localization and the size of the tumor, surgical options range from typical and atypical resections of the pancreas to minimally invasive surgical procedures, such as local excision and enucleation. Laparoscopic procedures have a comparative advantage in cases of enucleation and resection of the pancreas. The low frequency of recidivation and a favorable prognosis, even after repeated surgery, are additional reasons for favoring the laparoscopic approach over the classical surgical approach. Conclusion: A minimally invasive surgical approach should be applied whenever the dimensions and the localization of the tumor permit it, bearing in mind all the benefits and advantages that this surgical technique offers.
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare, very heterogeneous, and sometimes life-threatening acquired hematologic disease characterized by increased red blood cell (RBC) destruction by autoantibodies (autoAbs), either with or without complement involvement. Recent studies have shown that the involvement of T- and B-cell dysregulation and an imbalance of T-helper 2 (Th2) and Th17 phenotypes play major roles in the pathogenesis of AIHA. AIHA can be primary (idiopathic) but is more often secondary, triggered by infections or drug use or as a part of other diseases. As the location of origin of autoAbs and the location of autoAb-mediated RBC clearance, as well as the location of extramedullary hematopoiesis, the spleen is crucially involved in all the steps of AIHA pathobiology. Splenectomy, which was the established second-line therapeutic option in corticosteroid-resistant AIHA patients for decades, has become less common due to increasing knowledge of immunopathogenesis and the introduction of targeted therapy. This article provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge regarding the place of the spleen in the immunological background of AIHA and the rapidly growing spectrum of novel therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, this review emphasizes the still-existing expediency of laparoscopic splenectomy with appropriate perioperative thromboprophylaxis and the prevention of infection as a safe and reliable therapeutic option in the context of the limited availability of rituximab and other novel therapies.
Modern oncology practice and new antitumor drugs prolonged disease-free intervals in patients with lung cancer. Patients with distant metastatic disease are treated only with palliative intent. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, in the 8th edition of the TNM classification, for the first time includes oligometastatic disease as a clinical state that describes the patients with distant metastasis, limited in number and organ sites, who may have more indolent biology. In this paper, we present a case of a 56-year-old man who was admitted to our clinic regarding a radiologically diagnosed splenic lesion of uncertain nature, and who underwent a left upper lobectomy for primary lung cancer 12 years before. After a detailed radiological diagnosis, it was concluded that it is highly suspected metastatic lesion of the spleen and the patient underwent a splenectomy. While no definitive protocols exist on the management of isolated splenic metastasis from lung cancer, splenectomy, in suitable patients, with reasonable survival expectations, improves patient disease-free survival and can prevent potentially life-threatening complications, such as splenic rupture. 18F-FDG PET has very high sensitivity and specificity for differentiating benign and malignant splenic lesions especially in patients who are in the follow up protocol due to primary malignancy.