Tracheal lacerations are rare, but potentially fatal, complications of intubations. Diagnosis of such conditions is difficult, and thus a high level of suspicion must be kept. We present a case and review the literature for factors that indicate high-risk patients.

Subcutaneous emphysema is an unusual but potentially dangerous complication of pregnancy and labour. The incidence is unknown. About 200 cases have been reported in world literature, mainly in primiparous women. This report describes a 30-year-old primigravid who complained during labour of a sudden swelling in her face associated with a ...

Eyelash and eyebrow tattooing are commonly performed procedures that have a very low rate of reported complications. We describe one case of infraorbital pigmentation after eyelash tattooing and another of periorbital pigmentation after eyebrow tattooing. Although most complications related to eyelash and eyebrow tattooing, including pigment fanning, have been reported ...

The present review addresses common and rare, but potentially severe complications of obstetric anaesthesia. Although several recent randomized and controlled studies on the prevention of spinal hypotension have been reported, the incidence of neurological complications caused by neuraxial blocks is estimated primarily from the results of retrospective investigations and case ...

OBJECTIVE: To present a case of an epidural hematoma after lumbar puncture in a pediatric patient without known risk factors for such a complication and to review the literature regarding this complication. DESIGN: Case report, review of the literature, and discussion. DATA SOURCES: A review of MEDLINE (1966-1998) for keywords ...

We report a patient who presented with paraprosthetic leak complicated by dissection of the interatrial septum after mitral valve replacement. A review of the literature provides confirmation that only 3 cases have been previously reported of this potential, albeit extremely rare, complication of prosthetic mitral valve replacement. Prosthesis oversizing and ...

Syringing of the ear is one of the commonest procedures performed for cleaning cerumen from the external auditory canal. Common complications following syringing are pain, external auditory canal trauma and otitis externa. Hearing and vestibular loss are often mentioned as a complication in descriptions of this technique, but we have ...

Medical records of 434 consecutive dogs (n=310) and cats (n=124) that received coagulation studies prior to ultrasound-guided biopsy procedures between January 1993 and June 1996 were reviewed for bleeding complications. Minor complications occurred in 21.9% of cases. Major complications occurred in 6% of the cases. Significant bleeding complications were observed ...

We report a case of a 34-year-old woman, presenting initially with anaemia followed by sacro-iliac pain, and subsequently found to have necrotizing fasciitis complicating Crohn's disease where the organisms were introduced via a fistulous tract. It is perhaps surprising that this is not a more common complication of fistulating Crohn's ...

Delayed pneumocephalus is a very rare complication of CSF shunt systems with only 37 cases so far reported. We report three additional cases with different mechanisms of production, clinical presentations and managements. While the first patient was treated with closure of the site of air entrance and shunt externalization, in ...

Catheter fracture and embolization of the distal fragment are well-known complications of subclavian central venous long-term cannulation. In hemodialysis it is an exceptional event. We report a case of accidental rupture of a cuffed hemodialysis catheter with distal migration of a fragment during a procedure of catheter exchange via guide-wire. ...

Thromboembolic events are serious, but fortunately rare, complications following ovarian stimulation for IVF. Here, we report a case of internal jugular vein thrombosis after ovarian stimulation with gonadotrophins. Most of the cases of thrombosis are late complications of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) or hereditary hypercoagulability. Screening for these risk factors ...

Hyponatremia secondary to the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) is an uncommon complication of treatment with the new class of antidepressant agents, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Most of the reported cases were associated with fluoxetine; only 2 have previously been described in association with citalopram. ...

Hemorrhage, nausea and vomiting and poor oral intake remain the most commonly encountered complications after adenotonsillectomy in the pediatric population. Life-threatening infectious complications such as meningitis have rarely been reported. We report a case of meningococcal septicemia complicating adenotonsillectomy in a 3-year-old male child. Possible etiologies postulated include: septicemia following ...

This report includes cases of hyponatremia in preeclampsia. Two patients were identified with preeclampsia complicated by hyponatremia, one with and the other without nephrotic syndrome. Together with 3 cases of hyponatremia recently reported, these additional cases from the same geographic area suggest that hyponatremia is not a rare complication of ...

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, a food-borne pathogen, causes infection that commonly presents as gastroenteritis and mesenteric lymphadenitis. Post-infectious complications include erythema nodosum, reactive arthritis and, less commonly, uveitis and nephritis. Six serotypes of Y. pseudotuberculosis have been identified, and post-infectious complications have been identified following infection with some, but not all, serotypes. ...

The problem of paresthesia after dental procedures has existed for years. The literature presents several simple precautions dentists can take to avoid paresthesia caused by injection in nonsurgical cases. Although the risks of complications are still extremely small (1:785,000), there has been an increase recently in the number of cases ...

Lethal complications after tonsillectomy. Two cases of serious complications after paediatric tonsillectomy, that were referred to our department, resulted in death, one due to massive haemorrhage and one due to hyponatremia. Thanks to early recognition and adequate treatment, two other cases could be successfully treated. The literature on serious complications ...

Umbilical venous catheters and percutaneously placed central venous lines play an integral role in the management of critically ill newborn infants. Health care providers involved with the placement of these catheters must be familiar with, and able to diagnose, subtle sites for catheter misplacements. Three cases are presented illustrating potential ...

Acquired tonsillar herniation and syrinx formation are recognized complications of a lumboperitoneal shunt used to treat conditions of increased CSF volume. Treatment of this complication is by ventriculoperitoneal shunt or foramen magnum decompression. We describe the first case of acquired tonsillar herniation in a pseudotumour cerebri (following lumboperitoneal shunt insertion) ...

The authors report the case of an elder woman involved in a motor vehicle collision (MVC) requiring emergent intubation using the technique of retrograde intubation (RI). Since RI is a blind technique, potential complications arising from its use are numerous and may result in increased morbidity and mortality. Such was ...

Arthroscopic subacromial decompression has become increasingly popular as an operative treatment for shoulder impingement syndrome. It is generally a safe procedure with low morbidity and very few complications. A case where the deltoid became detached during arthroscopic subacromial decompression is presented as an example of the perils of overaggressive subacromial ...

We present an uncommon case of a 3-year-old boy with a finger sucking habit who developed dystrophic calcification in his left thumb. Two years after excision, there was no recurrence, and the thumb retained full range of motion. We also discuss its probable pathogenesis and present a brief review of ...

EMLA (eutectic mixture of local anesthetics) cream is used topically to provide local anesthesia for a variety of painful superficial procedures. Although the side effects of EMLA are usually mild and transient local skin reactions, potential life threatening complications can be encountered. We report a case of central nervous toxicity ...

This report presents a case of a male newborn with a severe circumferential amniotic band, treated by single-stage excision of the ring, and microvascular venous anastomosis between the proximal and distal parts of the affected site. No complications were encountered. A microsurgical approach to improve the circulation may be useful ...

OBJECTIVE: To review causes of nonsurgical pneumoperitoneum (NSP), identify nonsurgical etiologies, and guide conservative management where appropriate. DATA SOURCE: We conducted a computerized MEDLINE database search from 1970 to 1999 by using key words pneumoperitoneum and benign, nonsurgical, spontaneous, iatrogenic, barotrauma, pneumatosis, diaphragmatic defects, free air, mechanical ventilation, gynecologic, and ...

A case of large bowel impaction caused by migration of a BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB) is presented. The literature is reviewed regarding both the use and the complications inherent in such balloon devices. This is the first reported case of an intragastric balloon impacted in the colon 9 months after ...

Peritoneal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst (CSFoma) formation is a rare postoperative complication of augmentation cystoplasty in children, with only three other cases being reported in the world literature. We describe two patients with CSFoma formation following augmentation ileocystoplasty. The management of these cases and a brief review of the pathogenesis and ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of epididymo-orchitis that developed four years after treatment with intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and to review the incidence of this adverse effect. DATA SOURCES: Information about the patient was obtained from the medical chart. A MEDLINE search of English-language literature (from January 1976 to April ...

Osteochondromas are the most common benign tumor of the bone. They are sometimes responsible for vascular complications involving either veins or arteries, principally around the knee. We report six cases of such complications. An extensive review of literature through a computerized research was performed. We found 97 cases that were ...

Totally implantable venous device (TIVD) are widely used for the treatment of patients requiring long-term chemotherapy, total parenteral nutrition and fluid replacement. Until today, many kinds of complications have been reported in the literature. We report an unusual case of catheter fracture as a consequence of pinchoff syndrome, and discuss ...

Common and usually self-limited diseases may occasionally have fatal consequences. Hydrocephalus is a very rare complication of mumps, with just a few cases reported in the literature. Here we report a fatal case of hydrocephalus presenting 19 years after mumps encephalitis. The long latency period between encephalitis and hydrocephalus-associated symptoms ...

Postoperative hemorrhagic complications of the "open-door" maxillotomy approach to the skull base and clivus are uncommon. We report a case of maxillary artery pseudoaneurysm and discuss the management of this condition.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Jejunal diverticulosis (JD) is a rare disease that has a variable presentation. The signs, symptoms, diagnosis, complications and treatment of JD will be discussed through a review of the literature and a series of cases from our own institution. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the diagnosis, treatment and complications ...

The technique for percutaneous and open neurolytic celiac plexus injection, using ethanol or phenol, for relief of intractable pancreatic cancer pain has been well described. Prospective randomized studies, demonstrating safety and efficacy with few complications, have led to widespread acceptance and use of this palliative procedure. The complications of neurolytic ...

We report a case of a 10-week-old girl, with tetralogy of Fallot and a Blalock-Taussig shunt, who presented with hypercyanotic episodes. She was found to have serous fluid leakage around her shunt, causing compression of her trachea. Hypercyanotic episodes resulting from shunt leakage have not previously been reported. An awareness ...

During the past 2 years, media attention has focused on catastrophic outcomes associated with liposuction. A critical review of the lipoplasty literature was undertaken to determine the incidence of severe and mortal complications. Reported lipoplasty complications and patient outcome studies published in the English literature through January 1, 1999, were ...

Numerous natural and synthetic substitutes have been proposed for dural grafting. Autografts, allografts, xenografts and nonabsorbable or absorbable polymer sheets have been used in experimental models and clinical practice. This article reviews the literature regarding the features, advantages, and related complications of different dural substitutes.

Businesses can improve operations by capitalizing on the collective knowledge of their human resources.

The risk of fire in the airway associated with laser surgery is well known, but there are reports of endotracheal tube fires ignited by electrocautery, particularly during pharyngeal surgery or tracheostomy or both. This uncommon complication has potentially devastating consequences. Surgeons undertaking these procedures should be aware of this complication ...

Skin staples are ideal for pediatric scalp laceration closure because of their rapidity of placement and economy and ease of use. We report two cases of rotatory staple migration necessitating improvised removal techniques. Clinicians should be alert for this complication, which may result from a combination of staple design, local ...

In this review article, four cases of peripheral endovascular stent infection (including a case presented in this issue of the journal) reported in the medical literature are reported. While the actual incidence of endovascular stent infection is probably low, when it occurs it can have serious consequences. This complication may ...

Thoracoscopic sympathectomy is an acceptable form of treatment for palmar hyperhidrosis. Many authors have reported favourable results. Complications range from pneumo-haemothorax, Horner's syndrome, compensatory hyperhidrosis and bleeding. Plas et al reported 2.7% of the procedures had complications requiring intervention and 9.7% had non-interventive complications. There have been isolated reports of ...

Disseminated infection after intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin instillation for bladder cancer is a rare but potential complication. Vascular infection is an additional serious complication but is seldom reported. We present the first report of a small series of patients with vascular infections after intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin instillation, and we review the ...

Basal encephaloceles are rare occurrences with occult and often varied presentations. Frequently, the need for surgical treatment is not clear to the patient or the physician, leading to potentially fatal complications. We report the case of a 44-year-old woman with an 8-year history of nonspecific complaints who presented to us ...

This article reviews the literature regarding the interplay between gastrointestinal complaints and psychological factors, an increasingly recognized and therapeutically important aspect of referral practice. Knowledge in this field is distilled to broad principles and approaches that can be applied to the different clinical entities affecting the gut, from the esophagus ...

We were asked to review a case from an outside hospital in which there was inadvertent perforation of the right ventricle during the percutaneous placement of a chest tube. We present the case in the hopes that by doing so, others will avoid such a complication in the future. After ...

OBJECTIVES: 856 cases of hypospadias, operated over a period of 7 years, using various methods of one-stage repair, are reviewed in order to assess their functional and cosmetic results and their rate of complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 856 boys with an average age of 3.5 years were classified according to ...

A healthy, young adolescent girl developed primary pneumococcal peritonitis, an infection rarely reported in this age group in North America. Her course was further complicated by exudative pleural effusion and pneumonia despite receiving 10 days of clindamycin therapy. Laparascopy proved useful in making the initial diagnosis, but may have contributed ...

Subacute, postoperative ischemic lesion in small bowel loops is a poorly defined phenomenon. The authors observed this rare complication with full or partial regeneration in jejunal loops used for esophageal reconstruction. Beside the case reports, they discuss the cause, the mechanism, the possible prevention and correction of this rarely reported ...