A secondary abdominal aorta-duodenal fistula accompanied with acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome presented with recurrent sepsis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aorta-duodenal fistulas are rare abnormal communications between the abdominal aorta and duodenum. Secondary abdominal aorta-duodenal fistulas often result from endovascular surgery for aneurysms and can present as severe late complications. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old male patient underwent endovascular reconstruction for an infrarenal abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysm. Prior to the operation, he was diagnosed with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Syphilis. Two years later, he was readmitted with lower extremity pain and fever. Blood cultures grew Enterococcus faecium, Salmonella, and Streptococcus anginosus. Sepsis was successfully treated with comprehensive anti-infective therapy. He was readmitted 6 months later, with blood cultures growing Enterococcus faecium and Escherichia coli. Although computed tomography did not show contrast agent leakage, we suspected an abdominal aorta-duodenal fistula. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy confirmed this suspicion. The patient underwent in situ abdominal aortic repair and received long-term antibiotic therapy. He remained symptom-free during a year and a half of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This case suggests that recurrent infections with non-typhoidal Salmonella and gut bacteria may be an initial clue to secondary abdominal aorta-duodenal fistula.

Primary Duodenal Aspergillosis in Poorly Controlled Diabetes: A Rare Entity.

Aspergillosis mostly involves the lung and sinuses in severely immunocompromised patients like those with hematological malignancies, postorgan transplants, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and secondary to chemotherapeutic agents. Duodenal aspergillosis is very rare and mostly occurs as a part of disseminated disease or in classical immunosuppressive conditions. We report a middle-aged female with uncontrolled diabetes who presented to us with epigastric pain and was finally diagnosed as a case of primary duodenal aspergillosis. Diabetes mellitus should also be kept as one of the predisposing conditions for it, and a high index of suspicion should be kept for it to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Clinical course of asymptomatic duodenal subepithelial lesions.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is limited knowledge regarding the management of duodenal subepithelial lesions (SELs) owing to a lack of understanding of their natural course. This study aimed to assess the natural course of asymptomatic duodenal SELs and provide management recommendations. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with duodenal SELs and followed up for a minimum of 6 months were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS: Among the 443,533 patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy between 2008 and 2020, duodenal SELs were identified in 0.39% (1,713 patients). Among them, 396 duodenal SELs were monitored for a median period of 72.5 months (interquartile range, 37.7-111.3 mo). Of them, 16 SELs (4.0%) showed substantial changes in size or morphology at a median follow-up of 35.1 months (interquartile range, 21.7-51.4 mo). Of these SELs with substantial changes, tissues of two SELs were acquired using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy: one was a lipoma and the other was non-diagnostic. Three SELs were surgically or endoscopically removed; two were diagnosed as gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and one was a lipoma. An initial size of 20 mm or larger was associated with substantial changes during follow-up (p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: While the majority of duodenal SELs may not exhibit substantial interval changes, regular follow-up with endoscopy may be necessary for cases with an initial size of 20 mm or larger, considering a possibility of malignancy.

Concomitant Sigmoid Diverticulitis and Periampullary Duodenal Diverticulitis Complicated by Lemmel Syndrome: A Case Report.

Diverticular disease is a major cause of hospitalizations, especially in the elderly. Although diverticulosis and its complications predominately affect the colon, the formation of diverticula in the small intestine, most commonly in the duodenum, is well characterized in the literature. Although small bowel diverticula are typically asymptomatic, and diagnosed incidentally, a complication of periampullary duodenal diverticulum is Lemmel syndrome. Lemmel syndrome is an extremely rare condition whereby periampullary duodenal diverticula, most commonly without diverticulitis, leads to obstruction of the common bile duct due to mass effect and associated complications including acute cholangitis and pancreatitis. Here, we present the first case, to our knowledge, of periampullary duodenal diverticulitis complicated by Lemmel syndrome with concomitant colonic diverticulitis with colovesical fistula. Our case and literature review emphasizes that Lemmel syndrome can present with or without suggestions of obstructive jaundice and can most often be managed conservatively if caught early, except in the setting of emergent complications.

Gastric emphysema and pneumatosis intestinalis in two common marmosets with duodenal dilation syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are widely used as primate experimental models in biomedical research. Duodenal dilation with chronic vomiting in captive common marmosets is a recently described life-threatening syndrome that is problematic for health control. However, the pathogenesis and cause of death are not fully understood. CASE PRESENTATION: We report two novel necropsy cases in which captive common marmosets were histopathologically diagnosed with gastric emphysema (GE) and pneumatosis intestinalis (PI). Marmoset duodenal dilation syndrome was confirmed in each case by clinical observation of chronic vomiting and by gross necropsy findings showing a dilated, gas-filled and fluid-filled descending duodenum that adhered to the ascending colon. A diagnosis of GE and PI was made on the basis of the bubble-like morphology of the gastric and intestinal mucosa, with histological examination revealing numerous vacuoles diffused throughout the lamina propria mucosae and submucosa. Immunostaining for prospero homeobox 1 and CD31 distinguished gas cysts from blood and lymph vessels. The presence of hepatic portal venous gas in case 1 and possible secondary bacteremia-related septic shock in case 2 were suggested to be acute life-threatening abdominal processes resulting from gastric emphysema and pneumatosis intestinalis. CONCLUSIONS: In both cases, the gross and histopathological findings of gas cysts in the GI tract walls matched the features of human GE and PI. These findings contribute to clarifying the cause of death in captive marmosets that have died of gastrointestinal diseases.

Surgical management of duodenal crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Operative options for duodenal Crohn's disease include bypass, stricturoplasty, or resection. What factors are associated with operation selection and whether differences exist in outcomes is unknown. METHODS: Patients with duodenal Crohn's disease requiring operative intervention across a multi-state health system were identified. Patient and operative characteristics, short-term surgical outcomes, and the need for future endoscopic or surgical management of duodenal Crohn's disease were analyzed. RESULTS: 40 patients underwent bypass (n = 26), stricturoplasty (n = 8), or resection (n = 6). Median age of diagnosis of Crohn's disease was 23.5 years, and over half of the patients had undergone prior surgery for CD. Operation type varied by the most proximal extent of duodenal involvement. Patients with proximal duodenal CD underwent bypass operations more commonly than those with mid- or distal duodenal disease (p = 0.03). Patients who underwent duodenal stricturoplasty more often required concomitant operations for other sites of small bowel or colonic CD (63%) compared to those who underwent bypass (39%) or resection (33%). No patients required subsequent surgery for duodenal CD at a median follow-up of 2.8 years, but two patients required endoscopic dilation (n = 1 after stricturoplasty, n = 1 after resection). CONCLUSION: Patients who require surgery for duodenal Crohn's disease appear to have an aggressive Crohn's disease phenotype, represented by a younger age of diagnosis and a high rate of prior resection for Crohn's disease. Choice of operation varied by proximal extent of duodenal Crohn's disease.

Robotic management of primary cholecystoduodenal fistula: A case report and brief literature review.

BACKGROUND: Cholecystoduodenal fistula (CDF) arises from persistent biliary tree disorders, causing fusion between the gallbladder and duodenum. Initially, open resection was common until laparoscopic fistula closure gained popularity. However, complexities within the gallbladder fossa yielded inconsistent outcomes. Advanced imaging and robotic surgery now enhance precision and detection. METHOD: A 62-year-old woman with chronic cholangitis attributed to cholecystoduodenal fistula underwent successful robotic cholecystectomy and fistula closure. RESULTS: Postoperatively, the symptoms subsided with no complications during the robotic procedure. Existing studies report favourable outcomes for robotic cholecystectomy and fistula closure. CONCLUSIONS: Our case report showcases a rare instance of successful robotic cholecystectomy with CDF closure. This case, along with a review of previous cases, suggests the potential of robotic surgery as the preferred approach, especially for patients anticipated to face significant laparoscopic morbidity.

A rare cause of intestinal obstruction: right paraduodenal hernia.

Internal herniation is an extremely rare cause of intestinal obstruction. Paraduodenal hernias result from abnormal rotation of the bowel. Symptoms that may range from recurrent abdominal pain to acute obstruction may occur. If it is not diagnosed and treated in time, the disease may result in intestinal ischemia. This article aimed to present the diagnosis and treatment process of a 47-year-old male presenting with acute abdomen symptoms by evaluating retrospectively with the accompaniment of literature. During the abdominal exploration of the patient, nearly all of the intestines were observed to be herniated from the right paraduodenal region to the posterior area. The opening of the hernial sac was repaired primarily by reducing the intestinal bowel loops into the intraperitoneal region. The patient undergoing anastomosis by performing resection of the ischemic part after reduction of herniated bowel loops was discharged uneventfully on the post-operative 10th day. Paraduodenal hernia is a condition that should be considered in patients with abdominal pain and intestinal obstruction symptoms. Early diagnosis is of vital importance to prevent the complications which can develop.

Sonographic features of Lemmel's syndrome: Differential diagnosis from stones in the lower portion of the common bile duct.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Periampullary diverticula (PAD), a location-specific type of duodenal diverticula, can cause serious complications. PAD is difficult to differentially diagnose, mainly due to its nonspecific symptoms. This study aimed to identify sonographic features of PAD and to evaluate their value in the differential diagnosis of PAD from stones in the lower common bile duct (CBD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 30 patients with PAD and 60 patients with lower CBD stones were retrospectively enrolled, and sonographic features were analyzed. Measurements of sonographic features included echo shaped, posterior echo changes, location and relation to surrounding organs, and status of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct dilation, and their diagnostic performance was assessed. RESULTS: Characteristic sonographic features of PAD were identified, including strong echoes (28/30, 93.3 %), strip shape (28/30, 93.3 %), multiple reflections in the posterior echo (27/30, 90.0 %), and location outside the CBD or near the biliary wall in connection with the duodenum (27/30, 90.0 %). Inter-observer agreement was good (Kappa values = 0.69-0.82). Comparative analysis of sonographic features revealed significant differences in echo shape, posterior echo changes (multiple reflections and acoustic shadowing), location and relation to surrounding organs, and intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct dilatation status between the dilatation status of the two groups. In particular, these characteristics achieved a sensitivity of 100 % and a specificity of 98 % for the differential diagnosis of PAD and lower CBD stones. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified characteristic sonographic features of PAD, which could be used as potential diagnostic indicators to distinguish PAD from lower CBD stones.

[Primary aortoduodenal fistula - a rare cause of life-threatening upper gastrointestinal bleeding]. / Primär aortoduodenal fistel.

Primary aortoduodenal fistula is a rare condition caused mainly by a bulging infra-renal aortic aneurysm with subsequent erosion of the duodenum and formation of a fistula. We present a patient who suffered from a herald upper gastrointestinal bleeding followed by circulo-respiratory collapse only hours after, due to bleeding from the fistula. The mortality is reported to be 100 %, requiring emergency EVAR or open aortic graft repair to control any further bleeding.