Giant bullous emphysema mistaken for traumatic pneumothorax.

INTRODUCTION: Giant bullous emphysema (GBE) is defined by giant bullae in one or both upper lobes, occupying at least one-third of the hemithorax and compressing the surrounding parenchyma [1]. Symptoms include dyspnea, hypoxia, chest pain and pressure, and hemoptysis [2], which can be complicated by pneumothorax and infection of the bullae [3]. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old male was brought to the emergency department after he fell 5 m in a suicide attempt. The patient was in respiratory distress and had bilateral absence of breath sounds. He was intubated and bilateral chest tubes were inserted. A computerized tomography (CT) scan showed bilateral giant bullous emphysema in the upper lobes, confirming a diagnosis of GBE. As a result of the insertion of chest tubes, he developed bilateral high flow fistulas. During his hospitalization, he developed sepsis secondary to ventilator-associated pneumonia. In an attempt to control the fistulas, a right bullectomy was performed. Despite antibiotic treatment and surgical intervention, the patient died due to septic shock. DISCUSSION: The clinical picture of a patient with GBE can be similar to that of pneumothorax, and GBE has been reported as being misdiagnosed as pneumothorax [4,5]. A CT scan can play an important role in differentiating these conditions [6], thus avoiding needle decompression, which can be catastrophic [6]. CONCLUSION: Giant bullous emphysema can represent a pitfall in trauma assessment. We recommend that in cases where pneumothorax is suspected, if the patient is clinically stable, imaging studies should be performed prior to chest tube placement.

Transhiatal esophagectomy with gastric pull-up, pyloric exclusion and Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy for the management of esophageal caustic injury.

INTRODUCTION: Ingestion of caustic materials can lead to digestive tube perforation involving the mouth, pharynx, esophagus and stomach (Vezakis et al., 2016 [1]). In this case report, the authors opted for gastric pull-up in a case of esophageal and pyloric stenosis secondary to caustic ingestion, and a Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy in the lower portion of the gastric pull-up. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 37 years-old male presented complaints of dysphagia, which had started 28 days before admission after the ingestion of a caustic liquid. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed, and showed a complete occlusion of the esophagus, without the possibility of performing an esophagus dilatation or placing a nasoenteric tube. The option was made for a transhiatal esophagectomy with gastric pull-up, pyloric exclusion and Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy. The patient was later admitted with a stenosis of the esophageal anastomosis, which was resolved after performing endoscopic dilatation. DISCUSSION: The medical team opted to use the stomach for the reconstruction of the gastrointestinal transit due to less morbidity during manipulation of that organ, as well as safer anastomosis, when compared to the colon. In this case report, the esophagus and pylorus were generally compromised, however, with no apparent damage whatsoever in the stomach. Therefore, we opted to resect the esophagus and used the stomach to perform a gastric pull-up with the exclusion of the pylorus and reconstruction with a Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy. CONCLUSION: The proposed surgery is an option when dealing with similar cases, where endoscopic dilatation is not an option, and there is an associated pyloric stenosis.

Localized pancreatic Castleman disease presenting with extrahepatic dilatation of bile ducts: A case report and review of published cases.

INTRODUCTION: Castleman disease (CD) is a rare polyclonal lymphoproliferative disorder of unknown etiology, which usually develops in the mediastinum. It can also occur in the cervical, retroperitoneal and axillary regions. Localized pancreatic CD is quite rare [1]. PRESENTATION OF CASE: The authors herein present a case of a 34 years old female that was diagnosed during a symptomatic cholelithiasis evaluation. During the evaluation, an abdominal ultrasonography revealed a tumor at the head of the pancreas, which went on to generate a dilatation of the extrahepatic bile ducts. This finding was confirmed by abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Subsequently, the patient underwent a laparotomy, where a capsulated tumor was found at the head of the pancreas with well-defined margins. The decision was made for tumor excision. The histopathology and immunohistochemistry established CD, hyaline vascular variation. DISCUSSION: The authors of the present paper also performed a literature review concerning Pancreatic CD, where there were found only 33 cases until the time of the writing of this paper, and we have subsequently carried out a retrospective analysis of all cases. In a patient with atypical images, there might be a benefit from a preoperative diagnosis of CD, by using immunohistochemistry analysis in an image guided biopsy. Thus, avoiding unnecessary procedures and surgeries. CONCLUSION: Localized pancreatic CD is a very rare condition with good prognosis, but it can mimic many common diseases, such as gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor or pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Tumor Desmoplásico de Pequenas Células Redondas: Relato de caso / Desmoplastic Small-Round-Cell Tumor: Case Report / Tumor Desmoplásico de Células Pequeñas y Redondas: Relato de Caso

Introdução: O tumor desmoplásico de pequenas células redondas é uma rara neoplasia que se inicia e se espalha pela superfície peritoneal. Foi descrito pela primeira vez em 1989 e, em 1991, houve seu reconhecimento como entidade clínica e patológica distintas. Relato do caso: Homem de 34 anos apresentou quadro de dor abdominal e perda de peso, evoluindo para obstrução intestinal dois meses após. A laparotomia demonstrou grande massa abdominopélvica irressecável. O laudo anatomopatológico associado à imuno-histoquímica evidenciou diagnóstico de tumor desmoplásico de pequenas células redondas. A tomografia computadorizada confirmou derrame pleural bilateral, implantes peritoneais e massas abdominais e pélvicas. Realizou-se quimioterapia com carbo/taxol com intervalo de 21 dias. Substituiu-se o esquema para VAC/IE com intervalo de 21 dias, com resposta parcial, porém ainda se mantendo um tumor irressecável. Houve piora progressiva da performance do paciente, com evolução ao óbito por obstrução intestinal no 15º mês de seguimento. Conclusão: O tumor desmoplásico de pequenas células redondas, em razão da sua raridade, continua sendo um desafio para o diagnóstico e o tratamento.

Introduction: The desmoplastic small round cell tumor is a rare neoplasm that starts and spreads through the peritoneal surface. It was first described in 1989 and in 1991 was recognized as a distinct clinical and pathological entity. Case report: A 34-year-old man presented with abdominal pain and weight loss, progressing to an intestinal obstruction after two months. Laparotomy showed an unresectable abdominopelvic mass. Anatomopathological an immunohistochemistry analysis showed a desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor. Computerized Tomography showed bilateral pleural effusion, peritoneal implants, along with masses in the abdominal and pelvic region. Chemotherapy with carbo/taxol was administered at intervals of 21-days. Later, the chemotherapy was changed to VAC/IE at a 21-day interval, with a partial response, but it was still an unresectable tumor. There was a worsening in patient performance, and he died of an abdominal obstruction on the 15º month of follow-up. Conclusion: Due to its rarity, the desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor, is still a diagnostic and treatment challenge.

Introducción: El tumor desmoplásico de células pequeñas y redondas es una neoplasia rara que comienza y se disemina a través de la superficie peritoneal. Fue descrito por primera vez en 1989 y en 1991 fue reconocido como una entidad clínica y patológica distintas. Relato del caso: Un hombre de 34 años presentó dolor abdominal y pérdida de peso, progresando a una obstrucción intestinal después de dos meses. La laparotomía mostró una masa abdominopélvica irresecable. El análisis anatomopatológico e inmunohistoquímico mostró un tumor desmoplásico de células pequeñas y redondas. La tomografía computarizada mostró derrame pleural bilateral, implantes peritoneales y masas en la región abdominal y pélvica. Se administró quimioterapia con carbo/taxol en un intervalo de 21 días. Más tarde, la quimioterapia cambió a VAC/IE con un intervalo de 21 días, con una respuesta parcial, pero seguía siendo un tumor irresecable. Hubo un empeoramiento en el estado del paciente, y murió de una obstrucción intestinal en el 15º mes de seguimiento. Conclusión: Debido a su rareza, tumor desmoplásico de células pequeñas y redondas, sigue siendo un desafío de diagnóstico y tratamiento.