OBJECTIVES:Pelvic MRI is a useful tool for assessing patients with anorectal malformations before and after operation. The images obtained after PSARP can be reviewed for quality and shape of the sphincter muscle, position of the rectum, shape of the sacrum, and associated pelvic abnormalities related to the initial operation. These were then correlated with the clinical status of the patient during follow-up after colostomy closure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty six male patients with intermediate or high anorectal malformation were included in the study between January 2012 to December 2013. The findings thus obtained in the MRI were correlated clinically with the Kelley's scoring system. RESULTS: A total of 26 post-PSARP patients were included in the study. Eighteen of them were also selected for clinical correlation after colostomy closure. According to MRI findings, 2 patients had good degree of development of the pelvic floor muscles, 11 of them had fair amount of muscles and the rest 13 of them had significantly thinned out muscles. Four patients showed well-developed external sphincter muscle, 15 of them were having fair degree of development and in the rest 7 of them it was poorly-developed. Our study also showed that only 3 patients were showing symmetrical development of the sphincter complex whereas in the rest 23 of them it was asymmetrical. Eighteen patients had centrally-placed pulled-through rectum, whereas in the rest 8 of them the colon was located away from the center of the sphincter complex. Sixteen patients had mesenteric fat inadvertently pulled along with the bowel during PSARP; and in this same study, 58% of our patients were also having associated anomalies detected by MRI. On clinical correlation, it was found that external sphincter muscle and fat interposition play an important role in the overall clinical status of the patients after colostomy closure. CONCLUSION: Pelvic MRI is a useful tool for assessment of anorectal malformation after PSARP. Our study shows that development of the external sphincter muscle and the presence of mesenteric fat interposition has significant impact on the overall clinical status of the patient; however, other factors like operative technique and muscle innervations may also play important role in the overall continence of the patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral pneumonia that has plagued the world for much of the first quarter of 2020 and was recently declared a global pandemic. The caregivers must be aware of the disease and take steps to curb its transmission within the premises of our care settings (hospitals/clinics). In this article, we suggest a few proactive steps that can be taken at the institutional and departmental levels to break the transmission chain.

Background and Objective The aim of the study is to evaluate the technical and clinical outcomes of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) performed with additional transabdominal ultrasound guidance. Material and Methods Patients who underwent TIPS between January 2004 to January 2020 in our center were studied. Technical, hemodynamic, angiographic, and clinical outcome were recorded up to 1 year of follow-up. Results TIPS was attempted in 162 patients (median [range] age 37[3–69] years; 105 were males and 57 were females; Etiology: Budd-Chiari syndrome [BCS] 91, cirrhosis 65, symptomatic acute portal venous thrombosis [PVT] 3, veno-occlusive disease [VOD] 2, congenital portosystemic shunt [CPSS] 1) during the study period. Indication for TIPS was refractory ascites in 135 patients (BCS 86, cirrhosis 49) and variceal bleed in 21 patients (BCS 5, cirrhosis 16). Technical success was seen in 161 of the 162 (99.4%) patients. The tract was created from hepatic vein in 55 patients and inferior vena cava (IVC) in 106 patients. Complications within 1 week post TIPS were seen in 29 of the 162 (18%) patients, of whom one developed unexplained arrhythmia and hypotension and died. Of the patients with available follow-up, clinical success was noted in 120 (81%), while 14 (9%) patients had partial nonresponse and six (4%) had complete nonresponse. Eight (5%) patients died during the follow-up period. Conclusion The technical success of TIPS creation with additional transabdominal ultrasound guidance is very high with low peri-procedural complication rate. It has enabled the inclusion of a wider spectrum of cases like acute PVT and obliterated hepatic veins which were otherwise considered contraindications.

A retrospective review of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in 55 patients with malignant disease is presented here. Major causative factors seem to be superficial gastritis and gastric erosions. With aggressive endoscopy, a diagnostic accuracy of 90 percent has been achieved. However, having the exact diagnosis too often has little significance on the final outcome of these critically ill patients, unless therapy directed against bleeding can provide time for effective antineoplastic treatment. With the better understanding of the pathology of the superficial gastric erosions, a better program of management can be evolved.

Purpose To assess the technical feasibility of percutaneous cholecystostomy (PCC) for acute cholecystitis and formulate an algorithm for PCC. Materials and methods This is a retrospective study of 35 patients (28 male and 7 female; mean age 60 years) who underwent image-guided PCC from 2008 to 2018 at a tertiary care hospital in South India. Descriptive summary statistics and frequencies were used to assess the technical success and complications. Results The patients (35/35) presented with fever, abdominal pain, and a few of them had severe sepsis. All these patients were high risk for surgery considering the comorbidities (17/35) and hemodynamic instability (18/35). PCC was performed under ultrasoundguidance, through transhepatic approach, and using single puncture and modified single puncture techniques. The procedure was technically successful in all 35 patients (100%). Two patients (2/35) did not improve clinically after PCC; hence, they were taken up for emergency cholecystectomy with high-risk consent. One patient required a repeat procedure after 3 days due to tube dislodgement. There were no major procedure-related complications. Conclusion Image-guided PCC can be performed safely and is effective for treating high-risk patients with acute cholecystitis.