Colocolic intussusception secondary to colonic adenocarcinoma with impending caecal perforation in an elderly patient: A rare case report.

INTRODUCTION: Intussusception is a surgical emergency in which a part of the intestine slides into the distal adjacent part. Adult colocolic intussusception secondary to a tumoral process is a rare but serious clinical condition requiring immediate surgical intervention. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 65-year-old male patient presenting with abdominal pain and distention, subsequently diagnosed with colocolic intussusception in the descending colon with closed-loop bowel obstruction with impending caecal perforation. An exophytic mass on the descending colon was discovered intra-operatively, prompting a subtotal colectomy with ileosigmoidal anastomosis and loop ileostomy with the suspicion of malignancy. The histopathological examination of the surgical specimen concluded a moderately-differentiated colonic adenocarcinoma with 40% mucinous component. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Adult intestinal intussusception is a rare but serious condition differing greatly in etiology from its pediatric counterpart. Its preoperative diagnosis is challenging in adults, which appears to be due to its imprecise presenting signs and symptoms; thus, the condition can be mistaken for other causes of intestinal obstruction. Adenocarcinomas remain the most common cause of malignant tumors in the colon, which also makes them one of the causes for colocolic intussusception. CONCLUSION: Intussusception can appear as a surgical emergency even in the elderly, necessitating prompt surgical intervention to avoid intestinal ischemia and gangrene. Its diagnosis can be aided to a great degree by CT imaging.

High altitude illness in pilgrims after rapid ascent to 4380 M.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the study was to characterize high altitude illness in Nepali pilgrims. METHODS: We kept standardized records at the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) Temporary Health Camp at Gosainkund Lake (4380 m) in the Nepal Himalaya during the annual Janai Purnima Festival in 2014. Records included rate of ascent and Lake Louise Score (LLS). We defined High Altitude Headache (HAH) as headache alone or LLS = 2. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) was LLS≥3. High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) was AMS with ataxia or altered mental status. RESULTS: An estimated 10,000 pilgrims ascended rapidly, most in 1-2 days, from Dhunche (1960 m) to Gosainkund Lake (4380 m). We saw 769 patients, of whom 86 had HAH. There were 226 patients with AMS, including 11 patients with HACE. We treated patients with HACE using dexamethasone and supplemental oxygen prior to rapid descent. Each patient with HACE descended carried by a porter. There were no fatalities due to HACE. There were no cases of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). CONCLUSIONS: HAH and AMS were common in pilgrims ascending rapidly to 4380 m. There were 11 cases of HACE, treated with dexamethasone, supplemental oxygen and descent. There were no fatalities.