Safety of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Placement in Pregnancy: A Case Report and Literature Review

Gastrostomy tube placement in pregnancy is historically contraindicated due to risk of injury to the developing fetus and exposure to anesthetic agents. However, in cases where oral nutritional access is severely jeopardized, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement can be a life-saving measure. In this case report and literature review, we present a case of successful PEG placement in a pregnant woman, followed by a discussion of the existing literature regarding PEG placement during pregnancy.

A Rare Case of Pseudomembranous Colitis Presenting with Pleural Effusion and Ascites with Literature Review

Clostridium difficile infection usually results from long-term and irregular antibiotic intake. The high-risk individuals for this infection include the patients undergoing chemotherapy due to malignancy, immunocompromised patients, and hospitalized patients receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics. The most common clinical manifestation of Clostridium difficile infection is diarrhea. However, pleural effusion and ascites have rarely been observed. As mentioned, these manifestations can be developed in a patient being treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Therefore, the present study reports a rare case of Clostridium difficile infection manifesting with these rare manifestations who was a 78-year-old female patient with a history of COVID-19, orthopedic surgery, and antibiotic treatment with cefixime and gentamicin.

Hepatitis B-Associated Symptomatic Iron Overload, with Complete Resolution after Nucleoside Analogue Treatment

Symptomatic iron overload and hyperferritinemia are rarely mentioned as complications of chronic hepatitis B infection. We report a case of a 70-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of iron overload including aches in the calves, fatigue, poor appetite, and low mood. Laboratory results showed a serum ferritin of 2449 μg/L and transferrin saturation of 74%. Her symptoms completely resolved with hepatitis B antiviral treatment. Serum ferritin and transferrin saturation also normalized. Symptomatic iron overload is a rare yet clinically important complication that can result from chronic hepatitis B infection.

Ileocaecal Tuberculosis Presenting with Massive Hematochezia: A Rare Clinical Manifestation

Abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, anorexia, and fever are common symptoms of intestinal tuberculosis, while bleeding from the lumen, intestinal obstruction, perforation, and fistula formation are uncommon presentations in ileocaecal tuberculosis. Here, we present a case of a 33-year-old male with intestinal tuberculosis who initially presented with massive bleeding per rectum.

Bleeding Meckel’s Diverticulum in a 33-Year-Old Female Diagnosed with Video Capsule Endoscopy and a Technetium-99 m Pertechnetate Scan with a Favorable Response to H2 Blocker and PPI

Meckel’s diverticulum is a true diverticulum consisting of all three layers of the small intestine resulting from incomplete regression of the vitelline duct. While it is often benign, it can present with serious complications such as intussusception, ulceration, torsion, hemorrhage, obstruction, inflammation, and fistula formation. Although it typically presents in infancy and early childhood, it can also manifest much later into adulthood. We report a case of Meckel’s diverticulum complicated by significant bleeding in a 33-year-old female patient. Diagnosis was accomplished with video capsule endoscopy and a technetium-99 m pertechnetate scan. The patient responded well to acid suppression, initially with an H2 blocker and later with a PPI (proton pump inhibitor), and remained asymptomatic for nearly four months in the interim to definitive surgical treatment. Microscopic examination of the resected diverticulum confirmed the presence of ectopic gastric mucosa. A PubMed literature search revealed several similar cases of Meckel’s diverticulum complicated by hemorrhage with a favorable response to H2 blockers and PPIs. While surgical resection remains the mainstay of definitive treatment, medications aimed at acid suppression can delay the need for urgent surgery, allow for diagnostic assessment, and optimize conditions for elective surgical treatment.

Gastric Signet-Ring Cell Carcinoma That Presented as an Elevated Lesion due to Fibromuscular Obliteration in the Lamina Propria

The widespread use of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in recent years has reduced the H. pylori infection rate, indicating that gastric cancer cases diagnosed in the future may be H. pylori-naïve. The typical endoscopic presentation of signet-ring cell carcinoma, which accounts for the majority of H. pylori-naïve gastric cancer cases, is a discolored, flat, or depressed lesion; it is rarely presented as an elevated lesion. In this study, we treated a patient with elevated signet-ring cell carcinoma in an H. pylori-naïve stomach. Histopathological testing after endoscopic submucosal dissection showed proliferation of fibromuscular tissue in the tumor, which may have caused the formation of the elevated lesion.

Acute Mesenteric Ischemia in a COVID-19 Patient: Delay in Referral and Recommendation for Surgery

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is more common with symptoms such as fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath. However, it may be associated with COVID-19-induced gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms including acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI). These conditions make the diagnosis of AMI challenging. Timely referral with correct diagnosis and attention to the uncommon symptoms of COVID-19 can play an important role in the management and treatment of AMI in COVID-19 patients. We present a patient with AMI due to thrombotic complications of COVID-19, who referred to the hospital too late and ignored the recommendation for abdominal surgery.

An Alarming Mimicry of Intra-Abdominal Infections: Acute Appendiceal Diverticulitis

A 65-year-old woman presented with three days of colicky abdominal pain. Abdominal imaging illustrated small bowel enteritis, ascites in both paracolic gutters, and incidental hepatic steatosis. Although ascites fluid demonstrated high neutrophil count consistent with peritonitis and the patient received adequate antibiotics, she clinically deteriorated. Subsequent exploratory laparotomy revealed necrotic appendix and multiple intra-abdominal abscesses. Histopathology showed acute suppurative appendicitis with multiple other intact small diverticula, indicating likely perforation of inflamed appendiceal diverticula with subsequent abscess formation and abdominal peritonitis. This case highlights the importance of ascites fluid analysis and continued clinical correlation, especially in cases of rare entities with atypical presentations.

CMV-Related Gastric Ulcer and Gastroduodenitis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review

Background. Cytomegalovirus (CMV)- related gastroduodenal infection is rare in immunocompetent hosts, and although it is considered a self-limiting condition in most cases, there is scarce literature to assert its management. Case Presentation. We report a case of a 66-year-old immunocompetent male patient diagnosed with a giant gastric ulcer caused by CMV infection. The ulcer manifested as refractory vomiting and melena. Rapid and full resolution was observed on proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) monotherapy. Conclusion. Gastric CMV infection might mimic an advanced gastric tumor in individuals with an intact immune system. The condition is rare, and the diagnosis is challenging and oftentimes overlooked. However, a rapid resolution has been documented in all cases, even without antiviral therapy.

A Novel Cause of Biliary Peritonitis after Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: Case Report and Literature Review

Background. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) can lead to several complications such as duodenal or bile duct perforation. The incidence of pneumoperitoneum post-ERCP is rarely seen (<1%) and is associated with perforations of the duodenum or common bile duct in therapeutic ERCP after sphincterotomy. In this case, we disclose a novel cause of biliary peritonitis after ERCP. Case Presentation. A 65-year-old man presented with abdominal pain and distended abdomen after uneventful ERCP with sphincterotomy. An abdominal computed tomography (CT) was performed whose finding indicated duodenal perforation. The patient was rushed to an emergency laparotomy where only a rupture of an otherwise normal subcapsular intrahepatic bile duct was found. The surrounding liver parenchyma was healthy. The cause of this condition was probably post-ERCP pneumobilia and the increase of pressure in the biliary tract. Conclusions. This is the first case in literature describing the rupture of a subcapsular healthy bile duct as cause of biliary peritonitis after ERCP. This case also suggests that in the management of post-ERCP complications, the cooperation of radiologists and surgeons is vital for the patient’s wellbeing.