Epiploic Appendagitis: A Riddle for Right Lower Quadrant Pain!

Epiploic appendagitis (EA) is inflammation of epiploic appendages, which are pedunculated fatty structures, extend from the cecum to the rectosigmoid junction, and are covered by the peritoneum. Torsion, infarction, and inflammation of it present with acute lower abdominal pain and localized tenderness in a well-looking patient. It poses as diagnostic conundrum due to its rarity and not picked by conventional radiography. A 50-year-old male presented with pain in RLQ for past 1 day, which kept on increasing without any other symptoms. His abdomen was soft with tenderness localized to the right lower quadrant (RLQ), classically at McBurney's point along with mild peritonism. Rest laboratory test, chest, and abdominal X-ray were normal except slight leukocytosis. Ultrasound was inconclusive. A working clinical diagnosis of appendicitis was made. Patient did not consent for surgery and was started on antibiotics with pain killers. With no significant improvement, he underwent CT scan which revealed focal area of soft-tissue attenuation along the lateral wall of ascending colon with fat stranding. He was diagnosed as EA and improved on conservative treatment. EA of RLQ of abdomen mimics acute appendicitis and can be considered as an uncommon differential diagnosis in presence of radiological findings of normal-appearing appendix. CT is the investigation of choice, and treatment is essentially conservative. Further, if appendix is found normal at exploration, surrounding epiploic appendages of the cecum and ascending colon should also be evaluated carefully for inflammation/hematoma/gangrene, besides looking for Meckel's diverticulum.

Inverted Meckel's diverticulum: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Inverted Meckel's diverticulum refers to the condition in which the diverticulum inverts on itself. The reasons for such an inversion are poorly understood due to the rarity of the condition. We present a case of inverted Meckel's diverticulum, an uncommon finding, as a cause of recurrent intussusception. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year old Indian woman presented with complaints of pain in the central abdomen for 3 days, accompanied with vomiting and loose stools. Computed tomography images were suggestive of intussusception with intestinal obstruction. Intra-operative findings were suggestive of an intussuscepted segment of ileum measuring 10 cm in length, proximal to ileocecal junction. Ileo-ileal anastomosis was performed after appropriate resection. Upon opening the specimen, we were surprised to find an inverted Meckel diverticulum with lipoma at one end causing the intussusception. The patient made an uneventful recovery and was discharged after 5 days. CONCLUSION: The reasons for inversion include abnormal peristalsis around the diverticulum and non-fixity of the diverticulum itself. The inverted diverticulum itself can cause luminal compromise and acts as a lead point for intussusception leading to obstruction. Computed tomography remains the diagnostic tool of choice for identifying intestinal obstruction and intussusception. Although pathological signs, such as lipoma, can be identified, the identification of any inversion will require a proficient radiologist. Inverted Meckel's diverticulum is a rare condition which is difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Treatment is surgical, whether diagnosed pre-operatively or intra-operatively, and includes segmental resection and anastomosis. This uncommon condition should be noted as one-off differential diagnosis for intussusception and intestinal obstruction.

Emerging Spectrum of Perforation Peritonitis in Developing World.

Background: Gastrointestinal perforations constitute a major cause of patients with acute abdomen pain coming to the surgery emergency room. Incidence, site of perforation, and age is different in the developing world and is showing new trends. The etiological spectrum in the developing world is different from the western world. This study was conducted to find out the latest trends in perforation peritonitis in India. Methods: This study was conducted in a single surgical unit of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital, India. A total of 350 consecutive patients with perforation peritonitis were studied in terms of age, sex, seasonal variation, biochemical parameters, clinical presentation, radiological and intraoperative findings, surgical intervention, and postoperative outcome. Results: The most common cause of perforation peritonitis in our study was a duodenal ulcer (~50%) followed by typhoid (20%), traumatic (14.5%), appendicular (7.4%), and tubercular (3.1%) cases. Males were three times more commonly affected than females. Peak incidence was noted in the 2nd and 3rd decades of life. Peptic ulcer perforations were common in autumn and winter and typhoid perforations were common during the summer and rainy seasons. Conclusion: Spectrum of perforation peritonitis cases in this part of world is different from developed western countries. It is different in respect of younger age at presentation, site of perforation, and etiological factors. Infective pathology makes up to a quarter of total cases in the developing world. The developing world has more perforation peritonitis cases involving the upper gastrointestinal tract, while the western world has a predominance of lower gastrointestinal tract perforations.

Cystic Lymphangioma of the Greater Omentum: A Case of Partial Spontaneous Regression and Review of the Literature.

Introduction. Omental cysts are a part of cystic lymphangiomas and are benign proliferations of ectopic lymphatics without a communication with the normal lymphatic system. They commonly involve the neck in the pediatric population and are uncommon at other sites and occur rarely in adults. Case Presentation. A 42-year-old female with complaints of vague lower abdominal pain for 8 months presented with a soft, nontender swelling of size 22 × 18 cm in the hypogastrium and umbilical region. Computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed a peripherally enhancing hypodense cystic lesion of size 19 × 14 × 12 cm perhaps arising from the mesentery. The cyst had spontaneously reduced in size by about 70% over the next 4 months. During surgery, the cyst of size 10 × 9 × 8 cm was present in the greater omentum. Excision was done, and histopathology was suggestive of cystic lymphangioma. Discussion. Cystic lymphangiomas have an incidence of 1/20000 at infancy and 1/100000 to 1/250000 of hospital admissions in adults, and the female-to-male ratio is 2 : 1. In adults, they are found in the age group between 40 and 70 years. Spontaneous regression of omental cysts is very rare and presumably from increased pressure in cysts overcoming incomplete obstructions or by establishment of alternative routes of drainage. CONCLUSION: As the disease is essentially benign and if there are no significant pressure symptoms, the cysts of short duration can be watched further for regression. Long-standing, symptomatic cysts, nonregression, and diagnostic uncertainty will warrant surgery to confirm the diagnosis and relieve the symptoms.

Acute Intestinal Obstruction Due to Ileocolic Intussusception in an Adult; A Rare Presentation of Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor.

BACKGROUND Intussusception is not very common in adults, and acute intestinal obstruction with intussusception due to inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is extremely rare. IMT is an uncommon lesion and has no single defined cause. It predominantly affects the pediatric age group and commonly involves the lungs. Here we present a case of IMT causing ileocolic intussusception leading to acute intestinal obstruction in an adult. CASE REPORT A 40-year-old female came to the emergency department with severe colicky pain in her abdomen, and reported 6 to 7 episodes of vomiting with bilious contents, along with an inability to pass feces and flatus for 3 days. An x-ray of her abdomen in erect posture revealed multiple air-fluid levels. Because she had a previous history of tuberculosis, a possible tubercular stricture as the cause of her acute obstruction was considered; an exploratory laparotomy was performed showing her bowel loops were dilated with ileocolic intussusception. The lead point of intussusception (a well-defined 4×4×3.5 cm solid mass), was found at 15 cm proximal to the ileocecal junction. A right hemicolectomy with ileo-transverse anastomosis was performed. The histopathological examination confirmed the presence of IMT. CONCLUSIONS IMT causing ileocolic intussusception with acute intestinal obstruction is an extremely rare presentation of an uncommon entity in adults. High index of suspicion, and appropriate investigations (x-ray abdomen, ultrasound, computed tomography, and colonoscopy) depending on presentation and clinical condition of the patient can result in prompt diagnosis and early management.

Extensive sinovenous thrombosis and hemorrhagic infarction during therapy for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Sinovenous thrombosis (SVT) is a well-recognized and serious complication in children treated for acute leukemia. This frequently occurs during or immediately upon completion of induction therapy and is commonly attributed to asparaginase therapy.Headache is the first and most common clinical symptom to occur during the early development of SVT. With advancement of the thrombosis, the clinical symptoms can progress to increased sleepiness, focal neurological deficit, seizures, and altered consciousness. We report the case of a 4-year-old girl who presented after several days of headaches and anorexia, which then progressed to seizures, left-sided weakness, and altered consciousness. She was later found to have a widespread and occlusive SVT with right cerebral hemorrhagic infarction. This case is notable for the extensive nature of the cerebral SVT and the child's complete clinical recovery from the neurological event. The report discusses the relation of the thrombosis and leukemia and also emphasizes the importance of early recognition and prompt management, while incorporating a collaborative multidisciplinary approach to prevent long-term consequences.

Surfactant administration prior to one lung ventilation: physiological and inflammatory correlates in a piglet model.

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that surfactant, when given prophylactically during one lung ventilation (OLV), improves physiological stability and reduces inflammation. METHODS: Prospective controlled animal study. After 30 min of mechanical ventilation, surfactant was administered to the left lung of the treatment group. Right lung mechanical ventilation continued for 3 hr, after which the left lung was unblocked. Bilateral mechanical ventilation was continued for 30 min thereafter. Physiological parameters and biomarkers of inflammation in plasma, lung tissue homogenates, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were measured. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Oxygenation improved in the surfactant group, reaching statistical significance at 3 hr of OLV and again after 30 min of bilateral mechanical ventilation following the OLV. Plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1 ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α showed a trend for reduction. The lung homogenates from the ventilated lungs had significantly lower levels of IL-1 ß (P < 0.01) and IL-6 (P < 0.01). The BAL specimen showed an overall reduction in the cytokine levels; IL-1 ß was significantly lower in the ventilated lungs (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Surfactant administration improves oxygenation and decreases inflammation, as evidenced by a decrease in several inflammatory cytokines both in the plasma and lungs of a piglet model of OLV.