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Melanosis Coli (MC) is a benign pigmentation disorder of the colon occasionally diagnosed at endoscopy. The authors report a case of M. coli in a patient with a gunshot to the abdomen, in whom the entity produced an interesting clinical picture, and a review of the literature on this condition.

In order to determine the usefulness of serum amylase and lipase in the initial evaluation and subsequent management of blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) patients, we collected serum amylase and lipase on 85 consecutive BAT patients at admission, hospital day 1, hospital day 3, and hospital day 7. Only one patient had a pancreatic injury. A total of 45 patients (53%) had at least one enzyme abnormality during the study. There was no correlation between amylase or lipase values and age, sex, type of injury, diagnostic tests, operation, and outcome. In a control group of nonabdominal-trauma patients with admit studies only, all enzyme values were normal. We conclude that serum amylase and lipase are randomly elevated in patients with nonpancreatic-BAT both initially and during subsequent hospitalization and are not useful clinical tools in these patients.

Total ligation of the pancreatic ducts of a normal gland in dogs and man results in atrophy of the acinar cells with preservation of islet cell function. Theoretically, this might be applied in the therapy of chronic pancreatitis since, in effect, an exocrine pancreatectomy results. Sustained islet cell function, as evidenced by a normal glucose tolerance test, following pancreatic duct ligation, was demonstrated in dogs for periods of up to two years. Resection of the head of the pancreas and ligation of the distal gland in six patients with chronic pancreatitis and an abnormal glucose tolerance test resulted in the development of insulin-dependent diabetes in all instances. Insulin-dependent diabetes was also demonstrated in one patient with a normal preoperative glucose tolerance test. Recurrent pancreatitis developed in only one patient. The study suggests that pancreatic duct ligation is effective in treating chronic pancreatitis but casts considerable doubt on the effectiveness of this procedure in preventing the development of diabetes, if the glucose tolerance test is abnormal

A prospective, randomized study was conducted on 219 surgical patients with biliary tract disease. There were 100 patients undergoing elective biliary surgery, and 119 others with suspected biliary sepsis who were assigned to Prophylactic or Therapeutic clinical categories, then randomized into ampicillin or cefamandole treatment groups. Organisms resistant to the antibiotics given were found less often among patients in the cefamandole groups than among those in the ampicillin groups. No postoperative wound or intra-abdominal sepsis (IAS) occurred in the Prophylactic category. In the Therapeutic category there were two cases (3.2%) of wound and IAS in the ampicillin group and one case (1.8%) of wound infection in the cefamandole group. Overall, cefamandole showed superior coverage in vitro against the biliary flora, but both drugs were equally effective in maintaining a low incidence of postoperative sepsis as well as a minimal number of febrile or total hospital days. The authors suggest that the choice of antimicrobials may not be as critical as effective surgical management in the prevention of septic complications following biliary tract surgery.

Although most patients with acute pancreatitis can be treated sucessfully by non-operative therapy and progress to oral alimentation without difficulty, an occasional patient may require exploration during the acute or subacute phase. This is justified principally by the recurrence of pain following attempts at oral alimentation in the hospital.