scholarly journals Invasive Amoebiasis: A Review ofEntamoebaInfections Highlighted with Case Reports

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 355-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Skappak ◽  
Sarah Akierman ◽  
Sara Belga ◽  
Kerri Novak ◽  
Kris Chadee ◽  
...  

Entamoeba histolyticainfections of the gastrointestinal tract are common in the developing world but rare in North America. The authors present two cases: one involving an individual who had not travelled to an endemic area and another involving an individual who was born in Bulgaria. Both presented with severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. Endoscopic assessment revealed scattered colonic ulcerations and one patient was found to have a liver abscess on imaging. Stool ova and parasite studies were negative in both cases and both were diagnosed on review of colonic biopsies. On review of allEntamoebacases in the Calgary Health Zone (Alberta), ova and parasite analysis found an average of 63.7Entamoebacases per year and a pathology database review revealed a total of seven cases of invasiveE histolytica(2001 to 2011). Both patients responded well to antibiotic therapy.E histolyticashould be considered in new-onset colitis, especially in individuals from endemic areas.

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1964 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-392
Author(s):  
C. George Ray ◽  
Ralph J. Wedgwood

Six cases of neonatal infection with Listeria monocytogenes occurring in Seattle, Washington, a previously unreported and apparently unsuspected endemic area are reported. A review of the case reports in the United States and Canada are discussed and the manifestations of the disease in the pregnant mother and infant are characterized. An effort has been made to analyze mortality and its relation to specific antibiotic therapy and individual antibiotic disc sensitivities, as well as to the possible predisposing factors involved in the infection. The findings would suggest that the high mortality and morbidity in this disease might be lowered if a high index of suspicion is combined with adequate and prompt culturing techniques. Specific antibiotic therapy should be selected by sensitivity testing since it appears that standard therapy for unknown sepsis is not always adequate to significantly lower the mortality. Consideration should especially be given to the use of a tetracycline if Listeria is suspected in the very early neonatal period.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
N. K. Sujay ◽  
Matthew Jones ◽  
Emma Whittle ◽  
Helen Murphy ◽  
Marcus K. H. Auth

Prenatal alcohol exposure may have adverse effects on the developing foetus resulting in significant growth restriction, characteristic craniofacial features, and central nervous system dysfunction. The toxic effects of alcohol on the developing brain are well recognised. However, little is known about the effects of alcohol on the developing gastrointestinal tract or their mechanism. There are few case reports showing an association between foetal alcohol syndrome and gastrointestinal neuropathy. We report a rare association between foetal alcohol syndrome and severe gastrooesophageal reflux disease in an infant who ultimately required fundoplication to optimise her growth and nutrition. The child had failed to respond to maximal medical treatment (domperidone and omeprazole), high calorie feeds, PEG feeding, or total parenteral nutrition. The effect of alcohol on the developing foetus is not limited to the central nervous system but also can have varied and devastating effects on the gastrointestinal tract.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. e244081
Author(s):  
Christopher Fang ◽  
Junice Wong ◽  
Wei Wen Ang

An 81-year-old woman with no history of immunocompromise presented with 2 days of upper abdominal pain associated with nausea. On arrival, her physical examination was unremarkable apart from mild epigastric and right hypochondriac tenderness, and laboratory investigations were unremarkable apart from mild thrombocytopenia and transaminitis. A CT scan performed on the day of admission revealed a tiny 0.3 cm stone in the common bile duct, with no upstream dilatation. On day 2 of admission, she developed a vesicular rash and with acutely worsening transaminitis. She deteriorated rapidly and demised from complications of acute liver failure within the next 24 hours. The diagnosis of varicella was confirmed with antibody testing. Fulminant varicella hepatitis is an extremely rare and lethal condition with only a handful of reported cases in the current literature. We aim to share our clinical experience and summarise the salient points from existing case reports.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Nadhem ◽  
Omar Salh

Acute pancreatitis is an important cause of acute upper abdominal pain. Because its clinical features are similar to a number of other acute illnesses, it is difficult to make a diagnosis only on the basis of symptoms and signs. The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is based on 2 of the following 3 criteria: (1) abdominal pain consistent with pancreatitis, (2) serum lipase and/or amylase ≥3 times the upper limit of normal, and (3) characteristic findings from abdominal imaging. The sensitivity and specificity of lipase in diagnosing acute pancreatitis are undisputed. However, normal lipase level should not exclude a pancreatitis diagnosis. In patients with atypical pancreatitis presentation, imaging is needed. We experienced two cases of acute pancreatitis associated with normal serum enzyme levels. Both patients were diagnosed based on clinical and radiological evidence. They were successfully treated with intravenous fluids and analgesics with clinical and laboratory improvement. The importance of this case series is the unlikely presentation of acute pancreatitis. We believe that more research is needed to determine the exact proportion of acute pancreatitis patients who first present with normal serum lipase, since similar cases have been seen in case reports.


Author(s):  
Tulika Chatterjee ◽  
Johnathon Stephens ◽  
Moni Roy

Segmental arterial mediolysis (SAM) is a non-inflammatory, non-atherosclerotic vasculopathy mostly involving the abdominal arteries. SAM was recently recognized as a more prevalent aetiology of abdominal pain than initially thought by healthcare providers. It is still a commonly missed diagnosis in patients with recurrent emergency room (ER) visits for abdominal pain. Most published case reports in the past have highlighted catastrophic sequelae such as intra-abdominal haemorrhage requiring surgical intervention. We report a case of SAM where the diagnosis was initially missed. After diagnosis, conservative medical management was offered which led to clinical improvement.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Zhang ◽  
Shuo Yuan ◽  
Rami W. A. Alshayyah ◽  
Wankai Liu ◽  
Yang Yu ◽  
...  

Objectives: Spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder (SRUB) is extremely rare and might be misdiagnosed, leading to a high mortality rate. The current study aimed to identify the cause, clinical features, and diagnosis strategy of SRUB.Methodology: We presented a case report for two women (79 and 63 years old) misdiagnosed with acute abdomen and acute kidney injury, respectively, who were finally confirmed to have SRUB by a series of investigations and exploratory surgery. Meanwhile, literature from multiple databases was reviewed. PubMed, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Biological Medical Literature Database (CBM), WANFANG DATA, and the Chongqing VIP database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP) were searched with the keywords “spontaneous bladder rupture” or “spontaneous rupture of bladder” or “spontaneous rupture of urinary bladder.” All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 20.0 software.Results: A total of 137 Chinese and 182 English literature papers were included in this article review. A total of 713 SRUB patients were analyzed, including the two patients reported by us. The most common cause of SRUB was alcohol intoxication, lower urinary tract obstruction, bladder tumor or inflammation, pregnancy-related causes, bladder dysfunction, pelvic radiotherapy, and history of bladder surgery or bladder diverticulum. Most cases were diagnosed by exploratory laparotomy and CT cystography. Patients with extraperitoneal rupture could present with abdominal pain, abdominal distention, dysuria, oliguria or anuria, and fever. While the main symptoms of intraperitoneal rupture patients could be various and non-specific. The common misdiagnoses include acute abdomen, inflammatory digestive disease, bladder tumor or inflammation, and renal failure. Most of the patients (84.57%) were treated by open surgical repair, and most of them were intraperitoneal rupture patients. Overall, 1.12% of patients were treated by laparoscopic surgery, and all of them were intraperitoneal rupture patients. Besides, 17 intraperitoneal rupture patients and 6 extraperitoneal rupture patients were treated by indwelling catheterization and antibiotic therapy. Nine patients died of delayed diagnosis and treatment.Conclusions: SRUB often presents with various and non-specific symptoms, which results in misdiagnosis or delayed treatment. Medical staff noticing abdominal pain suggestive of peritonitis with urinary symptoms should be suspicious of bladder rupture, especially in patients with a history of bladder disease. CT cystography can be the best preoperative non-invasive examination tool for both diagnosis and evaluation. Conservative management in the form of urine drainage and antibiotic therapy can be used in patients without severe infection, bleeding, or major injury. Otherwise, surgical treatment is recommended. Early diagnosis and management of SRUB are crucial for an uneventful recovery.


Author(s):  
Iza F R Machado ◽  
Isabel Q Menezes ◽  
Sabrina R Figueiredo ◽  
Fernando Morbeck Almeida Coelho ◽  
Debora R B Terrabuio ◽  
...  

Abstract Context Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a proinflammatory and prothrombotic condition, but its impact on adrenal function has not been adequately evaluated. Case report A 46-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain, hypotension, skin hyperpigmentation after COVID-19 infection. The patient had hyponatremia, serum cortisol <1.0 ug/dL, ACTH of 807 pg/mL and aldosterone <3 ng/dL. Computed tomography (CT) findings of adrenal enlargement with no parenchymal and minimal peripheral capsular enhancement after contrast were consistent with bilateral adrenal infarction. The patient had autoimmune hepatitis and positive antiphospholipid antibodies, but no previous thrombotic events. The patient was treated with intravenous hydrocortisone, followed by oral hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone. Discussion Among 115 articles, we identified nine articles, including case reports, of new-onset adrenal insufficiency and/or adrenal hemorrhage/infarction on CT in COVID-19. Adrenal insufficiency was hormonally diagnosed in five cases, but ACTH levels were measured in only three cases (high in one case and normal/low in other two cases). Bilateral adrenal non- or hemorrhagic infarction was identified in five reports (two had adrenal insufficiency, two had normal cortisol levels and one case had no data). Interestingly, the only case with well-characterized new-onset acute primary adrenal insufficiency after COVID-19 had a previous diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome. In our case, antiphospholipid syndrome diagnosis was established only after the adrenal infarction triggered by COVID-19. Conclusions Our findings support the association between bilateral adrenal infarction and antiphospholipid syndrome triggered by COVID-19. Therefore, patients with positive antiphospholipid antibodies should be closely monitored for symptoms or signs of acute adrenal insufficiency during COVID-19.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-95
Author(s):  
Geraint J Rees ◽  
J Stephen Davies ◽  
David M Scott-Coombes

Abstract Pseudopheochromocytoma usually presents with the signs and symptoms suggestive of pheochromocytoma, yet investigations fail to show any evidence of the tumor. This case reports a man who presented with severe abdominal pain and hypertension without previous symptoms of anxiety, tremor or palpitations at the time of presentation. Initial 24 hours urinary metanephrines were raised which suggested a diagnosis of hemorrhage into a pheochromocytoma. Clinicians need to be aware of this scenario if unnecessary surgery is to be avoided.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arvind Achra ◽  
Pradyot Prakash ◽  
Bhupendra Verma ◽  
Askash Amar

Intestinal myiasis is an accidental phenomenon that occurs when fly eggs or larvae are ingested in food and passed into the faeces as larvae. It is usually transient and the patients are asymptomatic. In some cases, however, the passage of larvae may be associated with symptoms. The present case reports describe two such cases, one associated with persistent passage of maggots in stool and urticaria; and other associated with altered bowel habits and inflammatory changes in lower gastrointestinal tract. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v6i1.10803 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.6(1) 2015 124-126


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75
Author(s):  
Artem A. Kozlov ◽  
Irina V. Shevchuk ◽  
Aleksei E. Zavialov ◽  
Anatoly N. Emelyanov

The study presents a case report of a generalized form of severe tetanus in an unvaccinated 11-year-old child. Pain and convulsive syndromes, respiratory failure, and damage to the gastrointestinal tract prevailed in the acute period. Antibiotic therapy, anti-tetanus serum, adequate pain relief, and anticonvulsant therapy were the leading treatments of the child. Moreover, the paper discusses literature data on the options for the clinical course and choice of treatment strategies. The lack of planned vaccination in children is unsafe.


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