The prevalence of the palmaris longus (PL) muscle varies more than any other muscle in the human body. Its absence across the world ranges between 1.5% and 63.9%. It presents with many different anomalies, discovered either clinically, intraoperatively or after anatomical examination of cadavers. This paper includes recent studies and reports about the presence and variations of the PL muscle, thereby illustrating the differences between ethnic groups, as well as emphasizing the different ways of finding it, during daily clinical and surgical practice.

We report a case of a 70-year-old man with renal cell carcinoma and metastasis to the pancreas. Symptomatic patients usually present with obstructive jaundice, abdominal pain, or GI bleeding. The diagnosis usually occurs in asymptomatic patients during followup for renal cell carcinoma. It usually befalls slowly from 2 to 18 years after the onset of the primary tumor of the kidney. A 70-year-old man presented in our department with weight loss, anorexia, and elevated blood glucose, having a large tumor on the head of the pancreas treated successfully by pancreatoduodenectomy. Three years after his treatment, the patient is doing well and without recurrence of the tumor. In conclusion, metastasis of renal cell carcinoma to the pancreas is a rare neoplasm accounting for 0.25–3% of all pancreatic tumors.

Herein, we report a case of a solid-type serous cystadenoma of the pancreas which is the 16th case reported worldwide and the first ever reported in Greece. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a hypervascular mass in the tail of the pancreas of a 72-year-old female who presented with mild abdominal pain. Distal pancreatectomy was performed by laparotomy and histological and immunohistochemical examination revealed a solid-type serous cystadenoma of the pancreas. Preoperative diagnosis of a solid-type serous cystadenoma of the pancreas is difficult, and, due to its benign nature, simple excision of the tumor is the recommended treatment.

INTRODUCTIONInguinal hernia containing bladder carcinoma is a very rare occurrence.PRESENTATION OF CASEWe report a case of a male patient who presented with a left groin hernia containing an irregular mass. The hernia was repaired without the use of mesh and a partial cystectomy was done.DISCUSSIONOnly 1–3% of all inguinal hernias involve the bladder, with very few reports containing a carcinoma.CONCLUSIONTreatment consists of removing the tumor and repairing the hernia.

Background:Somatostatin has been found to be effective in the prevention of postoperative complications in pancreatic surgery. It can inhibit the pancreatic secretions that, quite often, are responsible for complications during the postoperative period.Methods:We randomized 67 patients in 2 groups. In the study group (n = 35), somatostatin was administered 30 minutes prior to surgery as well as intraoperatively and postoperatively. No medication was given to the control group (n = 32). Biopsies were taken and processed for electron microscopy and ultrastructural morphometric analysis.Results:Administration of somatostatin reduced the exocrine granule number, and the patients suffered from fewer postoperative complications.Conclusions:Somatostatin reduces granule number and size of pancreatic cells, which can partially explain the prophylactic effect of the drug on early complications of pancreatic surgery, and which is confirmed by the clinical findings.

Although ERP is a safe procedure, it did not offer a significant improvement in survival, while at the same time leading to an increased incidence of severe diarrhoea for at least 1 year, thus leaving the standard pancreaticoduodenectomy as the surgical method of choice for the treatment of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the small intestine is an extremely rare condition. It occurs most commonly in the extremities and the trunk. We report a case of a 67-year-old woman who admitted with fever, myalgia, and altered status. After thorough investigation, a tumor of the jejunum was found. The patient underwent complete surgical removal of the tumor. A diagnosis of MFN (undifferentiated high-grade pleomorphic sarcoma) was made. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with Gemcitabine. Two years after the operation, the patient died due to recurrence of the disease. MFH of the small intestine is an extremely rare neoplasm with an aggressive biological behaviour. In this paper, pathogenesis, natural history, and treatment are reviewed.

Introduction. Idiopathic sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis or abdominal cocoon syndrome (ACS) is a rare anatomical deformity characterized by the partial or complete encasement of the small intestine with fibrotic peritoneum. 193 cases have been described worldwide. The aim of this study is to present two cases of ACS successfully treated at the Surgical Clinic of the Agios Dimitrios General Hospital in Thessaloniki, Greece. Presentation of Cases. Two men (55 and 54 years old) presented to the emergency department complaining of abdominal pain, distension, constipation, nausea, and vomiting. Neither of these patients had any previous operations. The computed tomography scan of the first patient showed considerable distension of the small bowel, suggestive of internal herniation. The second case showed distention of the jejunum with no obvious cause. Both patients underwent emergency surgery. Intraoperatively, it was found that a fibrous membrane had completely covered the small intestine of the first patient and the jejunum and part of the large intestine of the second patient. Adhesiolysis and partial excision of the membrane were performed in both cases. Discussion. ACS is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. Although conservative management with immunosuppressants and steroids has been described, surgical treatment is the gold standard. Conclusion. Preoperative clinical suspicion of this disease can help determine the diagnosis and protect surgeons from intraoperative “surprises”.