[Unusual pathology of the popliteal space. Popliteal artery entrapment].

After reviewing the main anatomical anomalies responsible for the popliteal artery entrapment syndrome, the author emphasizes the need for early diagnosis prior to onset of complications. Whenever confronted with hamstring pain due to sports-related physical stress in a youngster, loss of posterior tibial and pedal pulse should be checked for during static contraction, and then during forced passive stretching of the gastrocnemius muscle; modifications in arterial Doppler tracings during these maneuvers will confirm the diagnosis. Should this fail to occur at this early stage, severe complications will develop in time, manifested primarily by thrombosis of the popliteal artery; ectasia of this artery in itself carrying a risk of further peripheral embolism, thrombosis and rupture.

[A pre-wirsungal portal vein. Apropos of a case].

Portal vein anomalies are rare. One of the more frequent is pre-duodenal portal vein (50 cases). The case report is describing a pre-pancreatic but retroduodenal portal vein discovered in an operation for chronic pancreatitis.

[Mechanical anastomosis on the second duodenum. Value, technics and indications].

The authors present 50 anastomoses on the second part of duodenum after gastrectomy, that were done for gastro-duodenal ulcer in 24 patients, gastric carcinoma for 20 patients and post-gastrectomy syndromes in 5 patients. The mechanical procedure provide excellent security (without leakage) and was easy to perform. When it is necessary to make the restoration of duodenal continuity, this device is a good technical solution.

[Colonic cancer. Indications and results apropos of a continuous series of 223 patients].

The authors report a retrospective study of 223 surgical colonic carcinoma (1978-1987), the rectal carcinoma left out of them because of disparity in technical aspects. The total post-operative mortality rate was 9.4 per cent, made of great mortality in emergency (31 per cent) and in palliative surgery (17 per cent).