Purpose: The aim of the present study is to describe the cavity-reducing internal capitonnage technique that we used for the surgical therapy of liver hydatid cyst, and contribute to the literature by presenting the short- and long-term outcomes of the patients who were operated on with this technique. Methods: A drainage and internal capitonnage technique was performed on 12 cases due to liver hydatid cyst in our clinic between January 2016 and December 2019. Results: The mean age of cases was 36.25 ± 12.5 years, with 7 females and 5 males. All cases had pain in the right upper quadrant, and a sense of fullness in 5 cases. None of the cases had ruptured cysts, jaundice, or other clinical manifestations. The preoperative laboratory findings were normal in 8 cases. Intraoperative biliary-cyst communication was demonstrated in 8 cases (66.7%). Cases were followed up for a mean duration of 38.1 months (range, 24–88 months). Conclusion The drainage/internal capitonnage with/without selective bile duct repair is a technique that can be performed with very low morbidity and mortality rates in experienced hands, especially for centrally located hydatid cysts.

Purpose: The aim of the present study is to describe the cavity-reducing internal capitonnage technique that we used for the surgical therapy of liver hydatid cyst, and contribute to the literature by presenting the short- and long-term outcomes of the patients who were operated on with this technique. Methods: A drainage and internal capitonnage technique was performed on 12 cases due to liver hydatid cyst in our clinic between January 2016 and December 2019. Results: The mean age of cases was 36.25 ± 12.5 years, with 7 females and 5 males. All cases had pain in the right upper quadrant, and a sense of fullness in 5 cases. None of the cases had ruptured cysts, jaundice, or other clinical manifestations. The preoperative laboratory findings were normal in 8 cases. Intraoperative biliary-cyst communication was demonstrated in 8 cases (66.7%). Cases were followed up for a mean duration of 38.1 months (range, 24–88 months). Conclusion The drainage/internal capitonnage with/without selective bile duct repair is a technique that can be performed with very low morbidity and mortality rates in experienced hands, especially for centrally located hydatid cysts.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the C-reactive protein (CRP) ratio for the survival of patients with Fournier gangrene (FG). Methods: Fifty-two patients with FG between January 2011 and September 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Data on clinical presentation, Fournier Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI), CRP ratio, management, and outcome were analyzed. The CRP ratio was calculated as preoperative CRP/postoperative CRP value that measured 48 hours after surgical intervention. Possible alternative cutoff points for the FGSI and CRP were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. The risk factors related to the prognosis were evaluated by univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results: The mean CRP ratios were 6.7±6.6 in the survivor group and 1.2±0.8 in the nonsurvivor group (P=0.001). FGSI was significantly higher in the non-survivor group compared to survivor group (8.5±2.5 vs. 3.5±2.2, P=0.001). There was a negative correlation between FGSI and CRP ratio (r=–0.51). ROC analysis determined the cutoff value as 1.78 for CRP (sensitivity, 86%; specificity, 82%; area under the ROC curve, 0.90) to predict death. The incidence of death for patients with CRP ratio of ≤1.78 increased 26.7 fold for those with CRP ratio of >1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.8–146.5; P=0.001). In the multivariable logistic regression model, CRP ratio (odds ratio [OR], 10.3; 95% CI, 1.5–72.2; P=0.019) and FGSI (OR, 17.8; 95% CI, 2.6–121.1; P=0.003) were independent risk factors for death. Conclusion The CRP ratio is a simple method to use to predict mortality in FG.

Purpose: Since the treatment strategy for benign and malignant pancreatic lesions differ, we aimed to evaluate the clinical value of PET/CT in the diagnosis and management of pancreatic lesions. Methods: Ninety patients who had a histologically confirmed pancreatic lesion were studied. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to investigate the ability of PET/CT to differentiate malignant lesions from benign tumors. Results: The malignant and benign groups comprised 64 and 26 patients, respectively. Despite the similarity in the size of primary tumors (P = 0.588), the mean maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) obtained from PET/CT imaging were significantly higher in malignant lesions (9.36 ± 5.9) than those of benign tumors (1.04 ± 2.6, P < 0.001). ROC analysis showed that the optimal SUVmax cutoff value for differentiating malignant lesions (to an accuracy of 91%; 95% confidence interval, 83%–98%) from benign tumors was 3.9 (sensitivity, 92.2%; specificity, 84.6%). Conclusion PET/CT evaluation of pancreatic lesions confers advantages including fine assessment of malignant potential with high sensitivity and accuracy using a threshold SUVmax value of 3.9.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to review patients with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC). Methods: A total of 79 patients diagnosed with XGC were included in the study. The criteria for XGC in the pathology specimens were the presence of histiocytes, cholesterol deposits, lipids, and focal or widespread wall enlargement. Results: Patients were diagnosed with XGC, of which 52 (65.8%) were male and 27 (34.2%) were female, creating a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. The mean age was 65.8 ± 14.3 years (range, 36–97 years). The most common presenting symptom was abdominal pain (63.3%), and the least common presenting symptom was jaundice (8.9%). Of the total, 25 patients were found to have pathological conditions with the potential to obstruct the bile duct or to slow bile flow.A frozen section examination was performed on 20 patients due to suspicion of a tumor by intraoperative macroscopic examination. However, no malignancy was detected in the cases who underwent a frozen section examination. An increase in wall thickness of the gallbladder was observed in 81.6% (n = 31) of the patients on computed tomography scans and in 81.8% (n = 18) of the patients on magnetic resonance imaging scans in which possible tumor lesions were reported, but no tumor was detected. Conclusion It is difficult to diagnose XGC either preoperatively or intraoperatively, and further imaging methods are needed in the preoperative period other than ultrasonography. However, a definitive diagnosis depends exclusively on pathologic examination.