The diagnosis of left lower quadrant pain is based on well-established clinical symptoms, physical examination and physician's experience.

No abstract

HighlightsThis is a rare diagnosis, and the differential diagnosis often includes more common causes of inguinal masses.In this document, we aimed to present the rare case of a Nuck canal cyst.

Tuberculosis should be considered in the list of differential diagnoses for thyroid abscesses and nodular lesions in people living in geographic regions with a high tuberculosis prevalence.

Purpose: LigaSure (ValleyLab, CO, USA) is a bipolar diathermy system that seals vessels with reduced thermal spread. The device has been used successfully in abdominal surgery and has been introduced as a new method for hemostasis during thyroidectomy. This study compares the efficacy and advantages of LigaSure, when used for thyroidectomy in benign nodular thyroid disease, with the conventional clamp-and-tie technique. Methods: Between December 2003 and December 2008, 410 patients underwent thyroid surgery (333 with the conventional clamp-and-tie technique and 77 with LigaSure). Nine patients did not sign the ethical approval document and so were excluded from the study; the results of 68 LigaSure patients were evaluated. The main outcomes measured were age, sex, operating time, postoperative hypocalcemia, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, and drain use. 0078-6 11 Statistical analysis consisted of the chi-squared test and Student's t-test. Results: The mean operating time was significantly shorter in the LigaSure group by 24.1±1.7 minutes for a total thyroidectomy (P<0.0001) and 7.6±0.1 minutes for one side total plus other side subtotal thyroidectomy (P<0.0001). Bleeding during surgery was significantly lower in the LigaSure group (P<0.0001). There were no significant differences between the study groups in terms of postoperative hypoparathyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, and postthyroidectomy hemorrhage. Conclusion: TheLigaSure vessel sealer is a safe, effective alternative for thyroid surgery that reduces the overall operating time. However, its higher cost is a significant handicap for its use in surgery in developing countries.