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Schwannomas are mainly benign tumors arising from the Schwann cells of the peripheral nerve sheath. These tumors can often be associated with non-specific symptoms, such as abdominal heaviness. In this article, we present a detailed description of the surgical management of a giant sacral schwannoma in an elderly patient, for which intraoperative neuromonitoring made it possible to distinguish easily the nerves of the sacral plexus from which the tumor originated and to remove it without complications. Treatment of these rare and symptomatic giant tumors is still a challenge for surgeons; to treat adequately these tumors; a multidisciplinary approach is required to ensure an optimal therapeutic approach to reduce the risk of recurrence and, on the other hand, is not associated with unnecessary iatrogenic neurological damage.

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Enteral nutrition (EN) is preferred in order to provide nutrition and reduce catabolism in critically ill patients. Recent studies suggest that the use of EN is successful and complications are rare. However, an underestimated mechanical complication of tube feedings seen in critically ill patients is the coagulation and solidification of the EN causing gastrointestinal obstruction. This report describes two clinical cases (1.23% of all cases seen at our clinic) of obstruction and perforation of the small bowel secondary to the solidification of EN. The understanding and early recognition of this potential complication are essential for the prevention and successful treatment of this condition.

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AIM: Concomitant abdominal aortic and common iliac artery aneurysms occur in 40% of cases. However, giant common iliac artery aneurysms were rarely described in the current literature. The aim of the present study is to describe the successful treatment of a giant right common iliac artery aneurysm associated with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. MATERIAL OF STUDY: We present a case of aorto-iliac aneurysm, with giant right common iliac artery aneurysm, responsible of bladder and right psoas muscle compression. Through a midline laparotomy, an aortobisiliac prosthetic repair was performed, associated with prosthetic revascularization of the right internal iliac artery and inferior mesenteric artery. RESULTS: Postoperative recovery was uncomplicated and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 7 in good health and has remained so up to the most recent 12-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: Giant common IA aneurysms represent a very rare pathology, more often associated with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. After clinical examination, ultrasonography represents the first imaging modality to make diagnosis but CT scan is the gold standard for definitive conclusions, offering accurate anatomical details that are essential to choose the better strategy of treatment. Open surgery represents the gold standard, while endovascular repair has emerged more recently. However results about interventional treatment are not yet described in literature.

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Horseshoe kidney is a common urology anomaly, while its association with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm represents a very rare condition. Surgical approach remains controversial however, we believe that the left retroperitoneal approach should be preferred in order to avoid isthmus resection with any subsequent renal infarction, urinary tract damage and to facilitate renal arteries reimplantation, when required. We present a case of voluminous infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with horseshoe kidney, successfully treated through a left retroperitoneal approach on the retro-renal space.

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AIM: The pancreas is a preferred site of metastasis from renal cell carcinoma (RCC), that may occur even after many years from a radical nephrectomy. Surgical R0 resection remains the only potentially curative treatment for solitary tumor. The possibility of a multifocality of the lesions (20-45%) must be considered. MATERIAL OF STUDY: We report a case of metachronous pancreatic metastasis from RCC that occurred twice. After five years from a right polar inferior nephrectomy for a RCC, two nodular lesions were identified in the body-tail of the pancreas and were treated with distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy. After six months the CT imaging revealed a nodular lesion of few millimeters in the residual pancreatic body; we followed the slow growth and in October 2012, when the size reached 2 cm, the patient was operated to remove the residual portion of pancreatic body. After 16 months of follow-up the patient is well and there isn't relapse of disease. DISCUSSION: Patients with metachronous pancreatic lesions represent a particular group with a more indolent course of RCC, the appearance of metastases after a prolonged interval from nephrectomy is related to a more favorable prognosis. Radical lymph-node dissection is not necessary for the uncommon involvement of peripancreatic nodes, condition that explains the positive outcomes achieved with surgery. CONCLUSION: Patients with resected metastasis present an 88% survival rate at 5 years versus 47% observed in nonoperated patients; studies provide encouraging results in survival and quality of life of surgically treated patients.

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INTRODUCTION: The PLD, included in the group of malformative lesions of ductal plate, is characterized by progressive development of multiple parenchymal cysts. Different surgical treatments have been proposed for symptomatic patients with PLD: percutaneus aspiration, fenestration, hepatic resection and liver transplantation. The aim of this report is to outline the treatment of polycystic liver disease with laparoscopic fenestration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of thirteen patients with PLD, in all cases associated with polycystic kidney disease, 7 patients underwent to laparoscopic treatment of cysts fenestration, and 6, asymptomatic and not amenable to surgical treatment, underwent to clinical follow-up. Of the 7 patients, 5 have symptoms related to "effect mass" 1-2-3 of hepatic cysts while in the 2 asymptomatics the fenestration of the cysts was performed during the procedure of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis. DISCUSSION: The best indication for laparoscopic fenestration are those cases of PLD characterized by a relatively limited number of large cysts, preferably situated in the anterior segments of the liver and in the left lobe; in this patients, laparoscopic fenestration reduces significantly the volume of the liver and relieves symptoms. The laparoscopic fenestration of hepatic cyst, in carefully selected patients, is an effective technique in terms of morbidity, mortality, conversion rate and recurrence rates; while in patients with cyst diffuse in liver parenchyma is indicated the hepatic resection or liver transplantation. The optimal surgical approach is still evolving, the type of approach is related to extent and distribution of the cysts, and vascular anatomy of normal segment of the liver. KEY WORDS: Laparoscopic fenestration, Policystic liver.

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The retroperitoneal approach for the treatment of thoracoabdominal type IV and infrarenal aortic aneurysms is an accepted alternative to thoraco-phrenolaparotomy. The purpose of this retrospective study was to report our experience and results in terms of respiratory and renal complications. From January 1997 to December 2003, 48 patients (36 with thoracoabdominal type IV and 12 with infrarenal aortic aneurysms) were treated by a retroperitoneal extrapleural approach in intercostal space X or XI. We performed 40 aorto-aortic and 8 aorto-basilar reconstructions. The perioperative mortality was 2%. Postoperative respiratory insufficiency was 8%, and postoperative renal insufficiency 12%. Permanent dialysis was necessary in 4% of cases. The survival rates were 98%, 89.4% and 58.7 at 1, 5 and 7 years, respectively. Retroperitoneal extrapleural access with a partial phrenotomy results in a significantly reduced incidence of postoperative respiratory complications.

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