Background: The treatment protocol for penetrating chest injury has not been previously documented in our setting for open pneumothorax. We decided to use the horizontal mattress suture closure (HMSC) because of the initial problems of using the traditional three taping method to abolish the open pneumothorax following penetrating chest injury. This retrospective study was to evaluate the effect of HMSC of open pneumothorax in penetrating chest trauma and to determine the outcome. Methods: We retrospectively examined 65 patients with open peumothorax following penetrating chest trauma treated at the Thoracic Surgery Unit of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri between January 2012 and December 2014. We assessed the impact of HMSC on chest wound following penetrating thoracic trauma. Excluded were patient who required a thoracotomy. No ethical consideration was required for this retrospective study. Results: Sixty-five (25.4%) patients out of 256 who had chest trauma were managed for open pneumothorax following penetrating chest injury. There were 59 males and 6 females, aged 4-55 years (mean age, 29.9 ± 9.7 years). The causes of penetrating chest injury were gunshot injury in 44 patients (68%), stab injury in 20 patients (30%), and gunshot and stab injury in two patients (3%). The mean time between sustaining the injury and presentation at the emergency was 16.1 ± 34.2 h with 40 patients (61.5%) presenting within 12 h. Thirty-three patients had pneumohemothorax, 12 had only pneumothorax and 20 had subcutaneous emphysema with "sucking" chest wound and the sizes of the chest wall defects were between 3-8 cm. The mean volume drainage at the insertion of closed tube thoracostomy drainage was 724.4 ± 557.6 ml while the total drainage was 1115 ± 724 ml, three patients (4.6%) had empyema thoracis, three patients (4.6%) died and the total number of days on admission was 13.2 ± 7.8 days. The diagnosis of open pneumothorax was made by clinical evaluation of the patient. Conclusion: The technique of HMSC for open pneumothorax and insertion of a chest tube is a useful method for the treatment of penetrating chest injury and pleural fluid collections and, therefore, the method is recommended in well-selected patients.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Duodenal duplication cyst is a rare condition but can be associated with serious complications. Keeping this in mind, we are reviewing the topic and presenting a rare case report of isolated duodenal duplication cyst emphasizing the importance of computed tomography scan in reaching the diagnosis.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

[FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Wandering spleen is a rare condition that accounts for < 0.25% of all indications for splenectomy. It is characterized by ectopic localization of the spleen owing to the lack or weakening of its ligaments. Clinical presentation is varied and ranges from asymptomatic abdominal mass to an abdominal mass with recurrent pain and acute abdomen following torsion of its pedicle. We report a case of wandering spleen in a 47-year-old female presenting with recurrent abdominal pain for a year duration, which was treated by splenectomy.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub] [CITATIONS]

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a rare inflammatory autoimmune disease of the muscle and skin characterized primarily by proximal myopathy and various cutaneous signs, with multi-systemic manifestations. The hallmark cutaneous changes are confluent macular violaceous erythema and edema in characteristic anatomic locations including eyelids (heliotrope rash), posterior neck, shoulder girdle and upper arm (shawl sign), extensor elbow, knee, and knuckles (Gottron's sign).Proximal muscle weakness is also a common manifestation of the disorder.Dermatomyositis can occur as manifestation of internal malignancy.This case report is that of a 53 year old man with Dermatomyositis and Nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub] [CITATIONS]