Biomedical subjects

G Antsaklis

Publications and source records attributed to G Antsaklis.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Plasmapheresis in the management of acute severe hyperlipidemic pancreatitis: report of 5 cases.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Hyperlipidemic pancreatitis is an acute and potentially life-threatening complication of hypertriglyceridemia that can be provoked when triglyceride levels (TGL) exceed 11.3 mmol/l (1,000 mg/dl). Except for standard symptomatic treatment, plasmapheresis has been performed to rapidly reduce TGL and chylomicron levels in the blood. In 5 patients with hyperlipidemic pancreatitis, treatment with plasmapheresis was evaluated. METHODS: Five male patients who suffered from acute pancreatitis with severe primary hyperlipidemia were studied. In addition to the standard treatment, they were treated with plasmapheresis. RESULTS: Plasma exchange lowered the lipid level and TGLs in all cases. It also improved abdominal pain, the clinical state of the patients, and signs and symptoms of the disease. Complications of treatment were not encountered, none of the patients died and only 1 patient underwent surgery. Follow-up of the patients lasted 4-28 months, and recurrence of pancreatitis was not noted. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that plasmapheresis was successfully applied in patients with hyperlipidemic pancreatitis, especially to improve the acute phase of the disease.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2001

Splenic artery aneurysm rupture.

BACKGROUND: Splenic artery aneurysms are uncommon even though they are second only to those of the aorto-iliac system. There is also controversy regarding their management. METHODS: We report the case of a 50-year-old patient with ruptured splenic artery aneurysm and review the literature regarding its diagnosis and management. RESULTS: The patient underwent emergency laparotomy and splenectomy was performed. CONCLUSION: Resuscitation and an aggressive surgical approach should be taken in order to save the life of the patients.

Aneurysm, Ruptured↗

PubMed1975

Gallbladder function, cholesterol stones, and bile composition.

Gallbladder bile obtained at operation from five patients with no symptoms of biliary disease was undersaturated with cholesterol in every case. However, gallbladder bile from patients with stones composed of 97-100% crystalline cholesterol was on average just saturated with cholesterol when the gallbladder was functioning and undersaturated when it was not. Regardless of gallbladder function, the patients with stones had on average significantly more cholesterol in their bile than in the control group, but the differences between the mean composition of bile from functioning and non-functioning gallbladders were not significant. Common duct bile from patients with non-functioning and functioning gallbladders was on average supersaturated with cholesterol, but there was significantly more bile salt and significantly less cholesterol in the bile from patients with non-functioning gallbladders. Only in the case of patients with functioning gallbladders did the mean composition of the common duct and gallbladder biles differ significantly. The former contained significantly more cholesterol and less bile salt than the latter. It is suggested that patients with non-functioning gallbladders may be 'autocholecystectomised' with the duct bile reverting to a more 'normal' composition.

Bile↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Surgical treatment of ruptures of hydatid cysts of the liver].

During the last 20 years (1972-1992), 421 patients underwent surgery for hydatid disease of the liver. 96 out of 421 patients had a rupture such as, intrabiliary rupture 49 patients, intrathoracic rupture 43 patients and free rupture in the peritoneal cavity 4 patients. The surgical treatment required a variety of procedures: 1) Prolonged tube drainage of the residual cavity and exploration of the common bile duct followed by either T tube drainage or sphincteroplasty or choledocho-duedonostomy if it was necessary, for intrabiliary rupture. 2) Lung resection if it was necessary, and evacuation plus drainage and the hepatic cavity followed by suture of the diaphragmatic rupture of closure of the bronchial opening if present for intrathoracic rupture. 3) Lavage and prolonged tube drainage of the hepatic cavity for free rupture in the peritoneal cavity. Five patients died in the postoperative period one from suppurative cholagitis, one from pulmonary embolism and 3 from M.O.F.

Adolescent↗