Idiopathic SEP is a rare disorder characterized by frequently recurring bouts of intestinal obstruction. Surgical therapy is the gold standard management strategy.

Although unusual pathological findings are seldom seen during an appendectomy, all appendectomy specimens should be sent for routine histopathological examination.

To provide an overview of the medical literature on giant splenic artery aneurysm (SAA).The PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and Google databases were searched using keywords to identify articles related to SAA. Keywords used were splenic artery aneurysm, giant splenic artery aneuryms, huge splenic artery aneurysm, splenic artery aneurysm rupture, and visceral artery aneurysm. SAAs with a diameter ≥5 cm are considered as giant and included in this study. The language of the publication was not a limitation criterion, and publications dated before January 15, 2015 were considered.The literature review included 69 papers (62 fulltext, 6 abstract, 1 nonavailable) on giant SAA. A sum of 78 patients (50 males, 28 females) involved in the study with an age range of 27–87 years (mean ± SD: 55.8 ± 14.0 years). Age range for male was 30–87 (mean ± SD: 57.5 ± 12.0 years) and for female was 27–84 (mean ± SD: 52.7 ± 16.6 years). Most frequent predisposing factors were acute or chronic pancreatitis, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and cirrhosis. Aneurysm dimensions were obtained for 77 patients with a range of 50–300 mm (mean ± SD: 97.1 ± 46.0 mm). Aneurysm dimension range for females was 50–210 mm (mean ± SD: 97.5 ± 40.2 mm) and for males was 50–300 mm (mean ± SD: 96.9 ± 48.9 mm). Intraperitoneal/retroperitoneal rupture was present in 15, among which with a lesion dimension range of 50–180 mm (mean ± SD; 100 ± 49.3 mm) which was range of 50–300 mm (mean ± SD: 96.3 ± 45.2 mm) in cases without rupture. Mortality for rupture patients was 33.3%. Other frequent complications were gastrosplenic fistula (n = 3), colosplenic fistula (n = 1), pancreatic fistula (n = 1), splenic arteriovenous fistula (n = 3), and portosplenic fistula (n = 1). Eight of the patients died in early postoperative period while 67 survived. Survival status of the remaining 3 patients is unclear. Range of follow-up period for the surviving patients varies from 3 weeks to 42 months.Either rupture or fistulization into hollow organs risk increase in compliance with aneurysm diameter. Mortality is significantly high in rupture cases. Patients with an evident risk should undergo either surgical or interventional radiological treatment without delay.

Although IFPs are rare and benign, surgery is the only solution in case of intestinal obstruction. Differential diagnosis should be made via immunohistochemical examination.

The diagnosis of left lower quadrant pain is based on well-established clinical symptoms, physical examination and physician's experience.

AIM:To overview the literature on pancreatic hydatid cyst (PHC) disease, a disease frequently misdiagnosed during preoperative radiologic investigation. METHODS:PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and Google databases were searched to identify articles related to PHC using the following keywords: hydatid cyst, hydatid disease, unusual location of hydatid cyst, hydatid cyst and pancreas, pancreatic hydatid cyst, and pancreatic echinococcosis. The search included letters to the editor, case reports, review articles, original articles, meeting presentations and abstracts that had been published between January 2010 and April 2014 without any restrictions on language, journal, or country. All articles identified and retrieved which contained adequate information on the study population (including patient age and sex) and disease and treatment related data (such as cyst size, cyst location, and clinical management) were included in the study; articles with insufficient demographic and clinical data were excluded. In addition, we evaluated a case of a 48-year-old female patient with PHC who was treated in our clinic. RESULTS:A total of 58 patients, including our one new case, (age range: 4 to 70 years, mean ± SD: 31.4 ± 15.9 years) were included in the analysis. Twentynine of the patients were female, and 29 were male. The information about cyst location was available from studies involving 54 patients and indicated the following distribution of locations: pancreatic head (n = 21), pancreatic tail (n = 18), pancreatic body and tail (n = 8), pancreatic body (n = 5), pancreatic head and body (n = 1), and pancreatic neck (n = 1). Extra-pancreatic locations of hydatid cysts were reported in the studies involving 44 of the patients. Among these, no other focus than pancreas was detected in 32 of the patients (isolated cases) while 12 of the patients had hydatid cysts in extra-pancreatic sites (liver: n = 6, liver + spleen + peritoneum: n = 2, kidney: n = 1, liver + kidney: n = 1, kidney + peritoneum: n = 1 and liver + lung: n = 1). Serological information was available in the studies involving 40 patients, and 21 of those patients were serologically positive and 15 were serologically negative; the remaining 4 patients underwent no serological testing. Information about pancreatic cyst size was available in the studies involving 42 patients; the smallest cyst diameter reported was 26 mm and the largest cyst diameter reported was 180 mm (mean ± SD: 71.3 ± 36.1 mm). Complications were available in the studies of 16 patients and showed the following distribution: cystobiliary fistula (n = 4), cystopancreatic fistula (n = 4), pancreatitis (n = 6), and portal hypertension (n = 2). Postoperative follow-up data were available in the studies involving 48 patients and postoperative recurrence data in the studies of 51 patients; no cases of recurrence occurred in any ORIGINAL ARTICLE Submit a Manuscript: http://www.wjgnet.com/esps/ Help Desk: http://www.wjgnet.com/esps/helpdesk.aspx DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v6.i10.190 World J Gastro...

This study aimed to discuss the role of agents, such as steroids and methotrexate (MTX), in the treatment of patients with idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM). Using Pubmed and Google Scholar data bases, a retrospective study was carried out on IGM cases treated with steroids and/or MTX between 1972 and 2010. Four IGM cases treated with MTX at our clinic were also summarized in this study. A total of 541 IGM cases since 1972, including ours, were retrospectively analyzed. Steroid treatment 5-85 mg was administered over 5 days-22 months to 112 patients aged 21-48 years. Recurrence occurred in 22 patients, steroid-induced diabetes mellitus in 5 patients, no response to treatment was observed in 4 patients, in 2 patients, the mass decreased in size, and static disease was observed in one. The steroid treatment was changed to MTX treatment in 4 patients who had recurrence, 5 with steroid-induced DM and in 4 who were nonrespondents. Three patients were started on steroid together with MTX as a primary treatment. Of the patients treated with MTX, a satisfactory result was obtained in 14 cases and in 2, mastectomy was performed because of recurrence despite the treatment with MTX. IGM is a troublesome condition that presents management problems due to the side effects of steroids. Our study demonstrates that the use of MTX in IGM cases has been effective in preventing complications, in resolving the inflammatory process, and in limiting side effects of corticosteroids.

Most cases of hepatic hydatid disease exhibit uncomplicated clinical course and management. However, the diagnosis and management of complicated hepatic hydatid disease is a special issue. One of the most common and serious complications of hepatic hydatid disease is the rupture of the cyst into intrahepatic bile ducts. The clinical appearance of intrabiliary rupture can range from asymptomatic to jaundice, cholecystitis, cholangitis, liver abscess, pancreatitis and septicemia. Current treatments for major ruptures can result in high morbidity and mortality rates. Furthermore, ruptures that cannot be diagnosed preoperatively can induce complications such as biliary fistulae, biloma, cavitary infection and obstructive jaundice. In the past, these complications were diagnosed and treated by surgical methods. Currently, complications in both the pre- and postoperative periods are diagnosed and treated by non-invasive or minimally invasive methods. In clinical practice, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is indicated for patients with preoperative frank intrabiliary rupture in which hydatid elements are clearly seen in the bile ducts, or for biliary adverse events after surgery, including persistent biliary fistulae and jaundice. However, controversy concerning routine preoperative ERCP and prophylactic endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients suspected of having minor cystobiliary communications still remains. In this article, the role of ERCP in the diagnosis and management of hepatic hydatid disease during the pre- and postoperative periods is reviewed.