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ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Lipomatous pseudohypertrophy of the pancreas, pancreatic lipomatosis, pancreatic steatosis, non-alcoholic fatty pancreatic disease, or fatty pancreas is an extremely rare disease, characterized by the organ enlargement and a localized or diffuse replacement of pancreatic acinar cells by mature adipose tissue, preserving the pancreatic ductal system and islets of Langerhans. AIMS: To report a rare case of lipomatous pseudohypertrophy of the pancreas in a symptomatic patient and the surgical treatment employed. METHODS: A 24-year-old male patient with weight loss (10 kilograms in 8 months), hyperglycemia, severe and recurrent acute abdominal pain, epigastric discomfort associated with nausea, vomiting, and jaundice for 40 days. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed, revealing an irregular lipomatous pseudohypertrophy of the pancreas, measuring 6.0 × 5.6 cm in the head, uncinate process, and part of the body of the pancreas. The pancreatic duct dilation was diffuse and irregular, associated with atrophy of the remnant parenchyma, particularly in the tail of the pancreas. The patient underwent pancreatoduodenectomy without total mesopancreas excision followed by pancreatojejunostomy. RESULTS: The postoperative course was uneventful, the length of stay in the ICU was two days, and the patient was discharged on the seventh postoperative day. CONCLUSIONS: The disease treatment depends on the signs and symptoms at presentation and a pancreatoduodenectomy is indicated in patients with severe and recurrent abdominal pain.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the second cause of death by tumor in the world. In Brazil, the survival rate of patients with GC is only five years, due to the low rates of early diagnosis, with about 10 to 15% of the cases. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the factors associated with mortality in CG patients treated at a reference hospital. Method: The study was carried out based on the survey of 96 medical records of patients diagnosed with GC, whose analyzed data were: sex, age, educational level, occupation (socioeconomic level), and risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, family history of cancer, staging and type of treatment adopted, among other variables. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-PC) and Kaplan-Meier for survival analysis. Absolute and relative frequencies were calculated for all variables. Results: The sample consisted mainly of male patients with stable union, brown-colored, who lived in the metropolitan region and presented low schooling. In addition, risk factors such as smoking and alcoholism presented a high prevalence in the sample. Regarding mortality, factors such as arterial hypertension (p = 0.1581), diabetes (p = 0.3212), and alcohol consumption (p = 0.6704) were not associated with increased mortality in this study. Conclusion: The clinical and epidemiological profile of patients with GC presented a low degree of tumor differentiation, with predominance of the mixed or unclassifiable subtype. In addition, the majority of the sample was composed of patients living in the metropolitan region and the main form of treatment adopted was surgical intervention in combination with chemotherapy.

Background: Chronic pancreatitis is a progressive inflammation of the pancreas associated to fibrosis, pancreatic atrophy, calcifications, and chronic pain. Intractable pain is the main indication for surgical treatment. Surgical procedures are based in ductal decompression, ductal drainage, and resection. Aim: Analyze the surgical management of patients with symptomatic calcified chronic pancreatitis. Methods: From March 2009 and September 2019, 12 patients underwent surgical treatment due to chronic calcified pancreatitis. There were eleven male (91.7%) and one female (8.3%) and the mean age was 58.2 years (range 48–70 years). Regular alcohol ingestion was observed in all patients (100%). The main indication for surgery was pain control in ten patients (83.3%). Results: The procedures included Partington-Rochelle (6 patients, 50.0%), Frey procedure (3 patients, 25.0 %), pancreatoduodenectomy (2 patients, 16.6%) and total pancreatectomy (1 patient, 8.3%). Four patients (33.3%) had postoperative complications. No Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3b complications and no 90-days mortality were recorded in this series. Postoperative exocrine dysfunction was observed in 4 patients (33.3%), and all of them received pancreatic enzyme supplement. Conclusions: Surgical treatment is a safe and feasible choice with acceptable morbidity and no mortality for symptomatic patients with calcified chronic pancreatitis.

ABSTRACT Background: Pancreatoduodenectomy is a technically challenging surgical procedure with an incidence of postoperative complications ranging from 30% to 61%. The procedure requires a high level of experience, and to minimize surgery-related complications and mortality, a high-quality standard surgery is imperative. Aim: To understand the Brazilian practice patterns for pancreatoduodenectomy. Method: A questionnaire was designed to obtain an overview of the surgical practice in pancreatic cancer, specific training, and experience in pancreatoduodenectomy. The survey was sent to members who declared an interest in pancreatic surgery. Results: A total of 60 questionnaires were sent, and 52 have returned (86.7%). The Southeast had the most survey respondents, with 25 surgeons (48.0%). Only two surgeons (3.9%) performed more than 50% of their pancreatoduodenectomies by laparoscopy. A classic Whipple procedure was performed by 24 surgeons (46.2%) and a standard International Study Group on Pancreatic Surgery lymphadenectomy by 43 surgeons (82.7%). For reconstruction, pancreaticojejunostomy was performed by 49 surgeons (94.2%), single limb technique by 41(78.9%), duct-to-mucosa anastomosis by 38 (73.1%), internal trans-anastomotic stenting by 26 (50.0%), antecolic route of gastric reconstruction by 39 (75.0%), and Braun enteroenterostomy was performed by only six surgeons (11.5%). Prophylactic abdominal drainage was performed by all surgeons, and somatostatin analogues were utilized by six surgeons (11.5%). Early postoperative enteral nutrition was routine for 22 surgeons (42.3%), and 34 surgeons (65.4%) reported routine use of a nasogastric suction tube. Conclusion: Heterogeneity was observed in the pancreatoduodenectomy practice patterns of surgeons in Brazil, some of them in contrast with established evidence in the literature.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a morbidade pós-operatória e investigar a existência de seus fatores preditivos. MÉTODOS: O estudo foi realizado de forma retrospectiva, a partir de uma base de dados mantida de forma prospectiva. De 1994 a 2008, 100 pacientes consecutivos foram submetidos à ressecções pancreaticas esquerdas. A principal variável de interesse foi a morbidade pós-operatória, tendo diversas outras características da população sido registradas simultaneamente. Posteriormente, para a análise de fatores preditivos de morbidade pós-operatória o subgrupo de pacientes que foi submetido aos procedimentos de pancreatectomia distal com preservação do baço (n=65) foi analisado separadamente quanto à relevância das diferentes técnicas de secção do parênquima pancreático, assim como, outros possíveis fatores preditivos à ocorrência de morbidade pós-operatória. RESULTADOS: Considerando-se juntamente todas as ressecções pancreáticas esquerdas realizadas, a ocorrência de complicações globais, de complicações relevantes e graves foi 55%, 42% e 20%, respectivamente. Os fatores que se mostraram preditivos à ocorrência de morbidade pós-operatória após pancreatectomia distal com preservação do baço foram a técnica de secção do parênquima pancreático, idade, índice de massa corporal e a realização de operação abdominal concomitante. CONCLUSÃO: A morbidade associada às ressecções pancreáticas, à esquerda dos vasos mesentéricos superiores, foi importante. De acordo com a estratificação adotada baseada na gravidade das complicações, alguns fatores preditivos foram identificados. Estudos futuros com coortes maiores de pacientes são necessários para confirmar tais resultados.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the postoperative morbidity of distal pancreatic resections and to investigate its predictive factors. METHODS: The study was conducted retrospectively from a prospectively database maintained. From 1994 to 2008, 100 consecutive patients underwent left pancreatic resections. The primary variable of interest was postoperative morbidity, and various other characteristics of the population were simultaneously recorded. Later, for the analysis of predictors of postoperative morbidity, the subgroup of patients who underwent distal pancreatectomy with spleen preservation (n = 65) was separately analyzed with regards to the different techniques of section of the pancreatic parenchyma, as well as to other possible predictors of postoperative morbidity. RESULTS: Considering all left pancreatic resections performed, the occurrence of overall, relevant and serious complications was 55%, 42% and 20%, respectively. The factors predictive of postoperative morbidity after distal pancreatectomy with spleen preservation were the technique employed for section of the pancreatic parenchyma, age, body mass index and the performance of concomitant abdominal operations. CONCLUSION: The morbidity associated with pancreatic resections to the left of the superior mesenteric vessels was high. According to the stratification adopted based on the severity of complications, some predictive factors have been identified. Future studies with larger cohorts of patients are needed to confirm these results.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a morbidade pós-operatória e investigar a existência de seus fatores preditivos. MÉTODOS: O estudo foi realizado de forma retrospectiva, a partir de uma base de dados mantida de forma prospectiva. De 1994 a 2008, 100 pacientes consecutivos foram submetidos à ressecções pancreaticas esquerdas. A principal variável de interesse foi a morbidade pós-operatória, tendo diversas outras características da população sido registradas simultaneamente. Posteriormente, para a análise de fatores preditivos de morbidade pós-operatória o subgrupo de pacientes que foi submetido aos procedimentos de pancreatectomia distal com preservação do baço (n=65) foi analisado separadamente quanto à relevância das diferentes técnicas de secção do parênquima pancreático, assim como, outros possíveis fatores preditivos à ocorrência de morbidade pós-operatória. RESULTADOS: Considerando-se juntamente todas as ressecções pancreáticas esquerdas realizadas, a ocorrência de complicações globais, de complicações relevantes e graves foi 55%, 42% e 20%, respectivamente. Os fatores que se mostraram preditivos à ocorrência de morbidade pós-operatória após pancreatectomia distal com preservação do baço foram a técnica de secção do parênquima pancreático, idade, índice de massa corporal e a realização de operação abdominal concomitante. CONCLUSÃO: A morbidade associada às ressecções pancreáticas, à esquerda dos vasos mesentéricos superiores, foi importante. De acordo com a estratificação adotada baseada na gravidade das complicações, alguns fatores preditivos foram identificados. Estudos futuros com coortes maiores de pacientes são necessários para confirmar tais resultados.