Lime-induced phytophotodermatitis.

Phytophotodermatitis, also commonly known as phototoxic dermatitis, is a common skin condition that occurs after contact with certain plants and subsequent exposure to sunlight. It is often confused with skin burns due to the blistering nature of its lesions. We herein report a case of phytophotodermatitis that developed in a 26-year-old male following contact with lime and subsequent exposure to sunlight.

Spontaneous Celiac Artery Dissection Presenting With Splenic Infarction: A Case Report.

Spontaneous isolated celiac artery dissection (SICAD) is extremely rare. We herein report a case of a 43-year-old male with no known history of cardiovascular disease who presented to the emergency department (ED) with sudden onset severe epigastric abdominal pain without a known trigger. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed a focal dissection and irregular enhancement of the celiac trunk with associated splenic artery embolus and large splenic infarct. The patient was successfully treated conservatively with blood pressure control, antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy.

Genetics of Hypercoagulable and Hypocoagulable States.

Hemostasis is the normal process of blood coagulation in vivo to stop pathologic bleeding. Virchow triad includes venous stasis, hypercoagulability, and vascular injury. Natural anticoagulants include protein C, protein S, and antithrombin. Factor V Leiden is the most common inherited thrombophilia, followed by prothrombin gene mutation. All inherited thrombophilias are passed down in an autosomal dominant fashion. Patients harboring the antiphospholipid antibodies have an increased risk for thrombosis. von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder; the pattern of inheritance is autosomal. Hemophilia A and B are the only hereditary bleeding disorders inherited in a sex-linked recessive pattern.

The First Report of Small Cell Cancer of the Uvula Presenting With Ectopic Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Syndrome.

Small cell carcinoma (SmCC) of the head and neck is a rare occurrence. We herein present a case of a 62-year-old female who was diagnosed with small cell cancer of the uvula. The patient developed increased body swelling, elevated blood pressure, persistent hypokalemia and new onset diabetes mellitus. Further workup confirmed a diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome secondary to ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production. To our knowledge, this is only the second case of SmCC of the uvula described in literature, and the first associated with any paraneoplastic syndrome. By reporting this case, we aim to characterize the tumor clinical course and highlight the aggressive nature of its growth.

Acute large bowel obstruction secondary to stage 4 colonic carcinoma in an elderly man with severe aortic stenosis: a therapeutic challenge.

Colonic adenocarcinoma is a common gastrointestinal malignancy affecting the elderly, and has a multifactorial aetiology. Depending on the individual circumstances, surgical resection is the treatment of choice for colon cancer even for oligometastasis. Metastatic evidence as well as presence of comorbidities, particularly in the elderly, make surgical management difficult and often present a clinical challenge for clinicians. This is a case report exploring the treatment options for an 80-year-old male patient presenting with acute large bowel obstruction secondary to colonic adenocarcinoma with disseminated metastases and severe aortic stenosis.

Pancreatic cancer presenting as a Sister Mary Joseph's nodule.

A 69-year-old man presented with a painful umbilical nodule of 1 month duration. On examination the nodule was blackish in colour with a serous discharging fluid and was 2×2 cm in size, tender and fixed to the skin. There were no scars or sinuses at the umbilicus and no palpable mass or organomegaly on systemic examination. The patient underwent wide local excision of the skin nodule and on histopathology was reported as metastatic adenocarcinoma of the skin. A CT of the abdomen was performed to look for the primary site, which showed a 5×4 cm lesion in the tail of the pancreas. A biopsy from the pancreatic lesion was taken which was reported as an adenocarcinoma. CA19-9 was more than 1000 U/mL. The patient was advised palliative chemotherapy with gemcitabine. He was unwilling to take any further treatment in view of the advanced nature of the disease.

Primary colorectal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a retropositive patient.

A 43-year-old man known case of retropositive illness presented with abdomen pain of 15 days and loose stools for 10 days. Loose stools were foul smelling and blood stained. The patient was a known case of type 2 diabetes and retroviral illness on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). General physical examination was normal. On examination an irregular mass was palpable in the right iliac fossa and right flank. The mass was hard in nature; irregular with restricted mobility. There was no palpable liver or spleen. CT of the abdomen and pelvis revealed a well-defined heterogeneously enhancing hypodense mass lesion measuring 16 × 11.7 × 12 cm involving the ileocaecal region and extending medially and inferiorly to sigmoid colon and rectum. A colonoscopy showed a proliferative highly vascular mass 15 cm from anal verge at the rectosigmoid junction. Histopathology revealed sheets of neoplastic lymphoid cells in rectal wall suggestive of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Rhabdomyosarcoma of spermatic cord in a 65-year-old man presenting as a groin swelling.

A 65-year-old man presented with a swelling in the right groin of 6 months duration. The swelling was associated with dull aching pain and the patient reported of increase in size of the swelling during lifting of heavy weights. The swelling was 6×5 cm, hard in consistency, mobile and there was no impulse of cough. Ultrasonography showed a solid mass measuring 5.3×1.5×5.2 cm arising from the spermatic cord. High-inguinal orchiectomy was performed. Histopathology revealed rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the spermatic cord. Patient was advised adjuvant chemotherapy but he refused. Spermatic cord RMS is a rare tumour derived from the undifferentiated mesoderm. It is most often observed in children and adolescents. It rarely appears after the second decade of life. It usually manifests as a painless, firm to hard mass in the inguinal canal or scrotum. Radical high-inguinal orchiectomy is the treatment of choice.

Portal pyaemia secondary to open haemorrhoidectomy: need for prophylactic broad spectrum antibiotics.

A 70-year-old man presenting with long standing grade 3 Haemorrhoids, underwent open haemorrhoidectomy under spinal anaesthesia. The patient passed stools on subsequent day and there was no bleeding per rectum. On day 5, he complained of dull aching upper abdominal pain. On physical examination, the abdomen was soft and there was mild tenderness in the epigastric region. Subsequently, he developed high temperature with chills and rigors. His condition failed to improve and the abdominal pain increased in severity. There was no pain in the perianal region and per rectum examination was normal. Leucocyte count rose to 12×10(9)/L and there were toxic changes on peripheral smear. Blood culture grew Staphylococcus aureus. Liver enzymes were mildly elevated. Coagulation profile was deranged. Fibrin degradation products were positive. D-dimer was high. CT revealed acute thrombosis of left portal vein and microabscesses suggestive of portal pyaemia.

Aggressive fibromatosis (desmoid tumour) of the head and neck: a benign neoplasm with high recurrence.

A 50-year-old man presented with a 5-month history of swelling over the right side of neck. The swelling was associated with dull aching pain radiating to the forearm without associated weakness of upper extremity or sensory loss. There was no history of trauma. On examination a fixed mass approximately 8×6 cm in size, smooth, firm in consistency, with ill-defined margins was present in the right posterior triangle. MRI scan of the neck revealed well-defined, lobulated, heterogeneously enhancing altered signal intensity mass at the root of neck. Debulking of the tumour was performed in view of its close proximity to the brachial plexus. Histopathology revealed aggressive fibromatosis (AF). AF is a benign fibrous neoplasm arising from fascia, periosteum and musculoaponeurotic structures of the body. AF in the head and neck region tends to be locally aggressive with a nature to invade bone and soft tissue structures.