Acute pancreatitis is a potentially life threatening disease. The spectrum of severity of the illness ranges from mild self-limiting disease to a highly fatal severe necrotizing pancreatitis. Despite intensive research and improved patient care, overall mortality still remains high, reaching up to 30–40% in cases with infected pancreatic necrosis. Although little is known about the exact pathogenesis, it has been widely accepted that premature activation of digestive enzymes within the pancreatic acinar cell is the trigger that leads to autodigestion of pancreatic tissue which is followed by infiltration and activation of leukocytes. Extensive research has been done over the past few decades regarding their role in diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of severe acute pancreatitis. Although many standalone biochemical markers have been studied for early assessment of severity, C-reactive protein still remains the most frequently used along with Interleukin-6. In this review we have discussed briefly the pathogenesis and the role of different biochemical markers in the diagnosis and severity evaluation in acute pancreatitis.

Lichtenstein repair under local anesthesia is as good as TEP under general anesthesia. The shorter operating room time, smaller mesh size, and lower cost of local anesthetic drugs all contribute to make Lichtenstein repair the better choice for repair of uncomplicated unilateral inguinal hernia, especially in developing nations with scarce resources.

Laparoscopic surgery (LS), also termed minimal access surgery, has brought a paradigm shift in the approach to modern surgical care. Early postoperative recovery, less pain, improved aesthesis and early return to work have led to its popularity both amongst surgeons and patients. Its application has progressed from cholecystectomies and appendectomies to various other fields including gastrointestinal surgery, urology, gynecology and oncosurgery. However, LS has its own package of complications. Port site infection (PSI), although infrequent, is one of the bothersome complications which undermine the benefits of minimal invasive surgery. Not only does it add to the morbidity of the patient but also spoils the reputation of the surgeon. Despite the advances in the field of antimicrobial agents, sterilization techniques, surgical techniques, operating room ventilation, PSIs still prevail. The emergence of rapid growing atypical mycobacteria with multidrug resistance, which are the causative organism in most of the cases, has further compounded the problem. PSIs are preventable if appropriate measures are taken preoperatively, intraoperatively and postoperatively. PSIs can often be treated non-surgically, with early identification and appropriate management. Macrolides, quinolones and aminoglycosides antibiotics do show promising activity against the atypical mycobacteria. This review article highlights the clinical burden, presentations and management of PSIs in LS as shared by various authors in the literature. We have given emphasis to atypical mycobacteria, which are emerging as a common etiological agent for PSIs in LS. Although the existing literature lacks consensus regarding PSI management, the complication can be best avoided by strictly abiding by the commandments of sterilization techniques of the laparoscopic instruments with appropriate sterilizing agent.

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BackgroundDedifferentiated liposarcoma is an uncommon variant of liposarcoma, with poor prognosis and higher preponderance to local recurrence. Only nine cases of dedifferentiated liposarcoma of small bowel mesentery have been reported till now. This is a case of giant dedifferentiated liposarcoma of the small bowel mesentery, weighing nearly 9 kg (19.8 lbs), with synchronous lesions in the extraperitoneal space, which is the first such case to be reported.Case presentationWe report a case of a 62-year-old man, who presented with a huge abdominal mass occupying nearly the entire abdomen. A contrast enhanced computed tomography of abdomen and pelvis revealed a large, poorly enhancing, heterogeneous, lobulated mass of size 27 × 16 cm, displacing the bowel loops peripherally. At laparotomy, a large mass arising from the small bowel mesentery was found. In addition, many other smaller synchronous lesions were studded in the entire small bowel mesentery and a couple more in the extraperitoneal space. A palliative excision of the giant mass along with the adjacent small bowel was done. The other smaller swellings were not causing any mass effect and were left behind as they were numerous, virtually ruling out any possibility of a curative excision. The histopathological examination suggested the diagnosis of dedifferentiated liposarcoma. On immunohistochemistry, S-100 was positive in the well-differentiated sarcomatous areas. The CD 117 and SMA were strongly negative ruling out the possibility of a gastrointestinal stromal tumour. The CD 34 however was positive in the tumour cells.ConclusionsDedifferentiated liposarcoma of the small bowel mesentery is rare. Involvement of nearly whole of the small bowel mesentery in the disease process virtually rules out the possibility of a curative resection, the mainstay of management. This report would add to the knowledge of this rare disease and the possible therapeutic problem that may be encountered in case of multifocal disease.

Sternalis muscle also called rectus sternalis, rectus thoracis, or episternalis is an anomalous muscle of the anterior chest wall with unknown anatomical function. It is regularly observed in lower animal but infrequently in humans. Presence of this muscle can create confusion with tumours of the anterior chest wall during routine mammography. Although less is known about its origin and innervations, knowledge about this muscle can have many clinical implications. A case of unilateral sternalis muscle detected during mastectomy, in a female with carcinoma of the right breast, is being reported with a brief review of the literature and highlighting its clinical significance.

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Introduction Post-mastectomy radiation in left-sided breast cancer in women continues to pose a significant risk to the underlying lungs and heart. This study analyzed the difference in planning target volume (PTV) coverage and dose to the organs at risk (OAR) by using three different planning methods for the same patient - three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Material and methods Thirty-five left-sided breast cancer patients’ post-mastectomy were included in this study, and three different plans for adjuvant radiation were created using 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT. The prescribed dose was 50Gy in 25 fractions. Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done, followed by a pairwise t-test to establish a hierarchy of plan quality and dosimetric benefits. The plans were compared with PTV 95 , homogeneity index (HI), conformity index (CI), hotspot (V 107% ), left lung V 20Gy , mean lung dose, heart V 25Gy , mean heart dose, and integral dose (ID) to the body. Results Both VMAT and IMRT led to improved PTV 95% coverage (95.63±1.82%, p=0.000 in VMAT; 93.70±2.16 %, p=0.000; 81.40±6.27% in 3D-CRT arm) and improved CI (0.91±0.06 in IMRT [p<0.05] and 0.96±0.02 for VMAT plans [p<0.05]) as compared to 3D-CRT (0.66±0.11), which was statistically significant on pairwise analysis. In contrast, the difference in HI and reduction in hotspots were not significantly different. Left lung V 20 was statistically very different between the three arms with the highest values in IMRT (36.64±4.45) followed by 3D-CRT (34.80±2.24) and the most negligible value in VMAT (33.03±4.20). Mean lung dose was also statistically different between the three arms. There was a statistically significant difference in mean heart dose between the three arms on pairwise analysis. Both the inverse planning methods led to a statistically significant increase in low dose volume (V 5 and V 10 ) of the ipsilateral lung, opposite lung, and heart, and increased ID to the body excluding the PTV. Conclusion While both the inverse planning modalities led to increased coverage, better CI, and better HI and decreased high dose volumes in OARs, there was increased low volume irradiation of heart, lungs, and body with VMAT faring marginally better than IMRT in coverage and decreasing lung irradiation with comparable heart irradiation.