Clasp and sling fibres of the porcine LOS show marked intrinsic functional differences. This should be considered when developing more specific approaches to human LOS motility disorders.

Damage to the airway epithelium is common in asthma. Corticosteroids induce apoptosis in and suppress proliferation of airway epithelial cells in culture. Whether apoptosis contributes to impaired epithelial cell repair after injury is not known. We examined whether corticosteroids would impair epithelial cell migration in an in vitro model of wound closure. Wounds (approximately 0.5-1.3 mm2) were created in cultured 1HAEo- human airway epithelial cell monolayers, after which cells were treated with up to 10 microM dexamethasone or budesonide for 24 h. Cultured cells were pretreated for 24 or 48 h with dexamethasone to observe the effect of long-term exposure on wound closure. After 12 h, the remaining wound area in monolayers pretreated for 48 h with 10 microM dexamethasone was 43+/-18% vs. 10+/-8% for untreated control monolayers. The addition of either corticosteroid immediately after injury did not slow closure significantly. After 12 h the remaining wound area in monolayers treated with 10 microM budesonide was 39+/-4% vs. 43+/-3% for untreated control monolayers. The proportion of apoptotic epithelial cells as measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP biotin nick end labeling both at and away from the wound edge was higher in monolayers treated with budesonide compared with controls. However, wound closure in the apoptosis-resistant 1HAEo-.Bcl-2+ cell line was not different after dexamethasone treatment. We demonstrate that corticosteroid treatment before mechanical wounding impairs airway epithelial cell migration. The addition of corticosteroids after injury does not slow migration, despite their ability to induce apoptosis in these cells.

Colorectal surgery causes protease release from peritoneal MCs. Protease release does not differ between both types of colectomy (laparoscopy vs laparotomy). However, MC activation is increased in colectomy patients developing POI. Therefore, degranulation of peritoneal MCs as a factor contributing to human POI after colectomy might be considered in future studies as a target to avoid POI.

Fournier's gangrene is a potentially fatal necrotizing fasciitis affecting the perineum and genital area. The usual treatment includes prompt surgical debridement and, in many cases, a diverting colostomy. We present two cases of Fournier's gangrene that were treated with extensive local debridement and rectal diversion with a new device for faecal matter management, avoiding the need for a colostomy.

Patients up-staged after sentinel node mapping do not have a poorer prognosis than patients without node involvement. Detection of isolated cancer cells was not a poor prognosis factor in these patients.

Introduction. In pediatrics, there are few standard criteria to classify and consolidate postoperative complications, particularly in appendectomy, where according to the literature, complications range from 5% to 30%.Methods. A cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study of patients undergoing surgery as a result of suspected acute appendicitis (AA) from December 2018 to January 2020 was carried out. Complications were grouped and consolidated according to the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification. Postoperative complications and factors involved were analyzed by conducting a bivariate and multivariate statistical study using SPSS statistical software, version 25.Results. A total of 124 patients were studied. Mean age was 9 years (3-14 years). 62% were boys, and 38% were girls. All patients underwent appendectomy -80.6% through laparotomy, and 19.4% through laparoscopy. 20% of patients had postoperative complications, which were grouped according to the CD classification (p = 0.002). Most complications were included in the CD I group (64%). Collections treated with antibiotic therapy were included in the CD II group (28%). Intra-abdominal collections requiring re-intervention for drainage purposes were included in the CD IIIb group (8%). The main factors driving complications were complicated AA (81% gangrenous and perforated) (p < 0.001) and progression time (80% >24 h of progression) (p = 0.036), which increased mean hospital stay by 7 ± 4 days (p = 0.016). 137 ± 37 CRP levels were associated with plastron identification (p < 0.001), whereas 109 ± 19 CRP levels were associated with peritonitis (p < 0.001).Conclusions. The Clavien-Dindo classification allows post-appendectomy complications in pediatric surgery to be classified using a common language, by associating complication grade with treatment complexity.

Arterioportal fistulas are uncommon. The case of a patient with massive uncontrollable esophageal variceal bleeding is presented. Reversible portal hypertension was caused by a posttraumatic giant intrapancreatic aortosplenic fistula. Percutaneous closure was unsuccessful, and pancreatectomy was performed to control the bleeding. The case is discussed and the literature on this exceptional cause of portal hypertension is reviewed.

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