Neuroendocrine tumor of the appendix masquerading as acute appendicitis with a mucocele on CT scan: a rare finding.

INTRODUCTION: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the appendix are rare and are often discovered incidentally during surgery for acute appendicitis or other unrelated conditions (Modlin et al. in Gastroenterology 128:1717-1751, 2005, Alsaad et al. in Oncol Rep 16:1105-1109, 2006, Frilling et al. in Lancet Oncol 15:e8-e21, 2014). These tumors can range from asymptomatic incidental findings to clinically significant tumors with metastases (Alsaad et al. in Oncol Rep 16:1105-1109, 2006, Gomes et al. in World J Emerg Surg 10:60, 2015, Paiva et al. in Eur J Cancer 38:702-705, 2002, Burke et al. in Am J Surg Pathol. 9:661-674, 1985). This case report presents a rare case of a NET of the appendix presenting as acute appendicitis. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 23-year-old male presented with right lower quadrant abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for 2 days. A CT scan revealed a mucocoele of the appendix. The patient underwent laparoscopic appendectomy, and the appendix was sent for histopathological examination. The final pathological report confirmed a NET of the appendix with a Ki-67 index of 1% and no lymphovascular invasion. Due to tumor invasion to the cecum and its large size (3-4 cm), the patient underwent right hemicolectomy. The final histopathology report of the resected specimen confirmed the diagnosis of NET of the appendix. DISCUSSION: The clinical diagnosis of NETs of the appendix can be challenging due to their rarity and non-specific presentation. Symptoms of NETs of the appendix can mimic those of acute appendicitis, making it difficult to differentiate between the two conditions. Imaging studies, such as CT scans, can provide valuable information about the size and location of the tumor (Gomes et al. in World J Emerg Surg 10:60, 2015, Maggard et al. in Ann Surg 240:117-122, 2004, Burke et al. in Am J Surg Pathol. 9:661-674, 1985, Frilling et al. in Lancet Oncol 15:e8-e21, 2014). However, the definitive diagnosis is made through histopathological examination of the resected specimen. The treatment of NETs of the appendix depends on factors such as the size, location, and grade of the tumor. Small tumors confined to the appendix with no lymph-vascular invasion can be treated with appendectomy alone, while larger tumors or those that have spread beyond the appendix may require more extensive surgery, such as right hemicolectomy (Gomes et al. in World J Emerg Surg 10:60, 2015, Mestier et al. in Dig Liver Dis 52:899-911, 2020, Maggard et al. in Ann Surg 240:117-122, 2004, Burke et al. in Am J Surg Pathol. 9:661-674, 1985, Frilling et al. in Lancet Oncol 15:e8-e21, 2014, Pavel et al. in Neuroendocrinology 103:172-185, 2016). In some cases, additional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be recommended. CONCLUSION: This case report emphasizes the importance of considering NETs of the appendix in the differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Imaging studies can provide valuable information, but the definitive diagnosis is made through histopathological examination. The treatment approach for NETs of the appendix depends on various factors and requires a multidisciplinary approach for optimal management.

A Rare Case and Presentation of Traumatic Penetrating Aortic Arch Injury: A Case Report and Literature Review.

A penetrating injury to the thoracic aorta is an extremely rare, life-threatening condition, with a high overall mortality rate. The incidence of a penetrating injury to the aortic arch is unknown because the majority of patients die before receiving adequate treatment due to excessive bleeding. Through a literature review, 23 cases of favorable outcomes were found. We report the first case from the Arab Gulf states. We present the extremely rare case of a 23-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with stable hemodynamics after being stabbed in the left supraclavicular region. The investigation revealed that he suffered from aortic arch transection and contrast extravasation. The patient was rushed to the operating room, where a primary repair was performed through a median sternotomy approach. The patient was discharged on the 14th postoperative day without complications. Penetrating chest trauma (aortic arch injury) is uncommon, and it is typically fatal at the scene or time of injury, even in patients who arrive at the emergency department alive or while undergoing surgery. CT aortography should be performed on patients with normal vital signs but abnormal clinical findings suggestive of a vascular injury. For injuries of types II to IV without concomitant injuries, immediate surgical repair is recommended. Aortic arch penetrating injuries continue to be extremely lethal. Emergency surgical repair remains the standard of care and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. However, managing such uncommon injuries remains a formidable challenge. We encourage additional studies.

Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Over the Primary Motor Cortex (M1) Enhances Motor Response Inhibition and Visual Recognition Memory.

BACKGROUND Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain modulatory technique that can boost cognitive processes and alter performance in cognitive tasks. The effect of anodal-tDCS on cognitive functions following a single session has been repeatedly reported. However, results are varied, mixed, and confounded by several factors, including differences in tDCS current intensity and sham conditions used. Therefore, we assessed the effect of a single session of anodal-tDCS over the primary motor cortex (M1) on cognitive functions, particularly response inhibitory control and visual recognition memory, in healthy adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty healthy male subjects participated in a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled tDCS study (2 mA, for 20 min). In the sham stimulation, subjects received the same intensity (2 mA, for 30 s, ramped up, then ramped down). We assessed the cognitive functions response inhibitory control and visual recognition memory using the stop signal task (SST) and pattern recognition memory (PRM) task before and after the stimulation. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference in cognitive function as assessed by the stop signal task go trial (SST) (P=0.019) and SST correct response time on go trials (P=0.04) after real stimulation only. There was no significant effect observed in sham condition. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that anodal-tDCS applied over M1 improves inhibitory control and visual recognition memory compared to sham stimulation. Thus, application of anodal-tDCS to the M1, as an integral node in inhibitory motor control, might be a promising adjuvant therapeutic intervention for modulation of motor response inhibition.

The Emergency surgery score (ESS) accurately predicts outcomes of emergency surgical admissions at a Saudi academic health center.

BACKGROUND: The emergency surgery score (ESS) has emerged as a tool to predict outcomes in emergency surgery (EGS) patients. Our study examines the ability of ESS to predict outcomes in EGS admissions. METHODS: All EGS admissions to King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC) from January 2017 to October 2019 were included. ESS was calculated for each patient. Correlations between ESS and 30-day mortality and complications were evaluated. RESULTS: 1607 patients were included. 30-day mortality rate was 2.2% while complication rate was 18.7%. Mortality increased as ESS increased, from 0.3% for ESS≤2, to 30.1% for ESS >10, with a c-statistic of 0.88. Complication rates were 2.2%, 40%, and 100% at ESS of 0, 6, and 15, respectively, with a c-statistic of 0.82. CONCLUSIONS: ESS accurately predicted outcomes at our tertiary center. ESS could be useful in identifying high risk EGS admissions and in benchmarking quality of care across Saudi institutions.

Dermatological Manifestations in Patients With SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been initially defined as a disease of the respiratory tract; however, with the increasing number of patients and announcing that the virus became a pandemic, new systemic clinical manifestations are observed, including dermatological manifestations. However, the identification and characteristics of these manifestations are still controversial. This review article aims to evaluate the medical literature and explore the dermatological clinical manifestations in patients with SARS-CoV-2. The literature was reviewed through MEDLINE®, Ovid, PubMed®, and Embase®. Searching terms included were a combination of "dermatological" OR "skin" AND "symptoms" OR "manifestations" AND "SARS-CoV-2". The following step was filtering the results to include only original research studies investigating the different types of skin and dermatological clinical manifestations in patients with SARS-CoV-2. A total of 879 studies were retrieved. Following the exclusion of studies on animals and including only studies on humans, 32 studies emerged. Altogether, seven studies were identified as eligible, covering 555 patients with SARS-CoV-2 who had dermatological symptoms. Three studies were retrospective, two studies were prospective, and two studies were case series. Different types of dermatological lesions can occur in patients with SARS-CoV-2, most commonly erythema, urticaria, and varicella-like rash. Dermatological manifestations with SARS-CoV-2 can be misdiagnosed with other conditions. Further studies with robust design are needed.

Prevalence of knee injuries among male college students in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The knee is considered the most common injured joint between young sport participants. However, there is lack of proper prevalence estimation in our population. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of knee injuries among male college students and to observe the demographic data associated with it. Our secondary objective was to evaluate the awareness and knowledge about these injuries. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. A survey was distributed to collect the data among male college students, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Out of 688 students who participated and completed the questionnaire, a total of 482 were considered valid and met the inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of knee injury was 23.2% (n = 112). Most of them injured during sport activities especially soccer and 68.7% involved in a non-contact mechanism of injury. Among those who went to a hospital mostly were diagnosed as contusion (31.4%) then as meniscus tear, ACL, and collateral ligament injury, respectively. Majority was treated conservatively and only 10.7% needed surgery surprisingly. There was no statistically significant difference between those who are injured and whether they were warmed up and stretched or not (P = 0.619). Low level of knowledge about knee injuries was noticed among the participants 57.7%. CONCLUSION: Our study has highlighted the high prevalence of knee injuries and the need to raise the level of awareness and knowledge about these injuries in our population. Soccer was the most common sport associated with knee injuries; most of these injuries were treated conservatively.