Bezoar is defined as the accumulation of undigested foreign bodies or nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract. These foreign bodies can be hair (trichobezoar), fibers or seeds of vegetables and fruits (phytobezoar), or remnants of milk (lactobezoar) and stones (lithobezoar). Lithobezoar, the accumulation of stones in the digestive tract, is commonly seen in stomach. In this paper, a 7-year-old girl with colonic lithobezoar who presented with constipation, abdominal pain, and the history of pica was successfully treated by the extraction of the stones under general anesthesia.

Background: Intra-abdominal adhesions and their complications following abdominal surgery are serious problems, with an incidence of 67-93%. Prevention of peritoneal adhesion formation may eliminate the need for surgical intervention, decreasing complications, morbidity, and cost. Bevacizumab is a recombinant monoclonal antibody which specifically binds vascular endothelial growth factor, an important cytokine in adhesion formation, and neutralizes its biological activity. We developed an experimental model in rats to determine the effect of bevacizumab in preventing adhesion formation and analyzed its effect both micro-and macroscopically. Methods: We used 32 Wistar rats randomly divided into two groups: Group A (control) and Group B (bevacizumab), with 16 rats each. A modified cecum abrasion model was developed; 0.9% NaCl solution was administered intraperitoneally to Group A and bevacizumab to Group B. On day 15, adhesion formation was evaluated both macro-and microscopically. Results: Both micro-and macroscopic adhesion grades in Group B were significantly lower than those of control Group A; macroscopic grades were 2.69 ± 0.95 and 0.69 ± 0.8, and microscopic grades were 2.25 ± 1.06 and 0.5 ± 0.52 for Groups A and B, respectively. Conclusions: Bevacizumab was effective in preventing intraperitoneal adhesion formation in our study; however, its inhibitory effects on embryogenesis and the hematopoietic, endocrine, and immune systems may limit its clinical use.

Background: Acute appendicitis is the most frequently performed emergent operation. Although the clinical signs, symptoms and physical examination are the mainstay of diagnosis, imaging and biochemical tests also help. We analyzed the reliability of our operation decision and the contribution of biochemical tests and imaging to diagnosis in the light of pathological results. Material and Methods: The files of 361 patients (199male and 162 female) who underwent appendectomy were analyzed retrospectively in terms of age, sex, physical examination, blood tests, imaging and pathological results. Results: The mean age of the patients was found 31±13.5. Pathology revealed normal appendix in 20.1% of the cases. The patients with a leukocytosis or more were found an increased possibility of acute appendicitis. Physical examination was still the mainstay in diagnosis and ultrasound had a low sensitivity. Conclusion: Physical examination is still mainstay in acute appendicitis diagnosis. Leukocytosis of 11x10 3 /ml or more increases the possibility of acute appendicitis.

ABSTRACT

Background: Acute appendicitis is a very common surgical emergency. Early and correct diagnosis and early intervention are necessary to prevent complications. It is often diagnosed on clinical signs and a certain ratio of negative appendectomy is acceptable. For early and accurate diagnosis, various scoring systems such as Alvarado, Ohmann, Eskelinen and more recently Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis (RIPASA) have been developed. Objective: In this study, we aimed to compare the effectiveness and accuracy of scoring systems. Materials and methods: The patients who attended emergency department and operated with acute appendicitis pre-diagnosis were evaluated retrospectively. Alvarado, Ohmann, Eskelinen, and RIPASA scores were calculated and compared with histopathologic results by reviewing the patient files. Results: A total of 76 patients (44 males and 32 females) were included in the study. The mean age was 33.8 ± 13.2 years. Of which, 59 patients (77.6%) were diagnosed to have acute appendicitis on histopathological examination. The mean leukocyte count was 13.9 ± 3.7 × 103 μL. Sensitivity and specificity of Alvarado, Ohmann, Eskelinen, and RIPASA were 36%–82%; 58%–71%; 36%–8%, and 68%–71%, respectively. Cut-off values were 8, 14, 55.63, and 10, respectively. RIPASA had the highest accuracy. The cut-off value of leukocyte counts was 13,900 × 103/μL. Sensitivity and specificity were 64% and 88%, respectively; positive predictive value was 95%. In the receiver operating curve analysis, the area under the curve was found to be 74%. Conclusion: The RIPASA scoring system is a more reliable scoring system than Ohmann, Eskelinen, and Alvarado scoring systems. In cases of suspected acute appendicitis, it may be useful to evaluate patients with RIPASA score in emergency departments by general practitioners, where there is no general surgeon. Thus, patients can be guided in a timely manner to reduce the complications that may arise from delays. The cut-off value of 13,900 × 103/μL is an important marker for the presence of acute appendicitis.