Proctitis in men having sex with men: anything else you can think of?

We report two cases of proctitis in men having sex with men.

Gastroparesis secondary to pulmonary vein cryoablation: a factor to consider.

We present a patient who underwent cryoballoon ablation for symptomatic atrial fibrillation, with gastroparesis five days later. The case was resolved with conservative measures such as prokinetics. The case was a 72-year-old female with a history of symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation treated with edoxaban. Pulmonary vein isolation using a cryoballoon catheter was performed. Five days later, she presented with upper abdominal pain, bloating and vomiting.

Splenic rupture as an endoscopic complication: as rare as it appears?

The case was an 86-year-old male with multiple cardiovascular comorbidites, including anticoagulated atrial fibrillation, who underwent a colonoscopy due to acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding and anemia. Colonoscopy only showed some small angiodysplasias in the cecum. A few hours later, the patient presented with abdominal pain and hemodynamic instability. An abdominal computed tomography was performed, which showed a splenic laceration and hemoperitoneum. An expectant attitude was decided, with a good evolution from the abdominal point of view. There was no sign of active splenic bleeding in a control computed tomography. However, he developed decompensated heart failure and finally died.

Lemmel syndrome: an uncommon complication of periampular duodenal diverticulum.

Lemmel's syndrome consists of obstructive jaundice due to compression of a periampular duodenal diverticulum (DDP), in the absence of choledocholithiasis or tumor. DDP are pseudodiverticula without a muscle layer within a radius of 2-3 centimeters from the ampulla of Vater. They rarely cause obstructive jaundice, although the prevalence is estimated at up to 22 % according to the sensitivity of the diagnostic test. They are usually incidental findings, but up to 1-5 % can be complicated with diverticulitis, bleeding, perforation, obstructive jaundice (Lemmel syndrome), choledocholithiasis, pancreatitis or cholangitis.

It seems like cholangiocarcinoma but it is not: discovering the choledochal cyst.

A 52-year-old female was referred for a study of a left intrahepatic bile duct dilation with an initial suspicion of Klatskin. Analytically, there was no cholestasis and tumor markers were negative. On echoendoscopy, there was dilation of the intrahepatic bile duct to the confluence at the level of the left hepatic lobe, with no evidence of a lesion that could be biopsied by fine needle aspiration (FNA).

Subcapsular hepatic hematoma as a complication of ERCP: what do we know about its etiology?

We present the case of a 79-year-old male who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) after cholangitis. The papilla was rigid and the biliary tract was dilated with sharpening of the distal bile duct, with no obvious cause. There was no bile flow after sphincterotomy, no stone after sweeping the duct with a balloon and the brush did not expand properly when trying to obtain cytologic material. Finally, a plastic stent was placed and purulent bile flowed. Biopsies of the papilla were taken due to the suspicion of tumor infiltration. The next day, the patient had pain in the right upper quadrant and blood tests highlighted mild anemization.

Intestinal spirochetosis: normal intestinal flora or etiology of diarrhea?

A 22-year-old male began with up to 12 loose stools per day, with mucus and no blood. They were present for two months, even during the night. Moreover, he complained of abdominal pain and weight loss. There were no findings on the blood tests. Fecal calprotectin was 225 µg/g. Stool microbiology tests were negative. Ileocolonoscopy displayed normal mucosa but the histological study of the biopsies showed Treponemas genus Brachispira. The patient had a sexual risk behavior. Treatment with metronidazole was initiated with clinical improvement.

Apropos of a case of pancreatic lymphoepithelial cyst: importance of the preoperative diagnosis by ecoendoscopy.

The case was a 75-year-old female with dyspeptic symptoms of a 2 month duration. There was a polycystic lesion at the level of the uncinate pancreatic process of 44 x 42 x 34 mm on abdominal ultrasound and MRI, which caused a slight dilation of the main pancreatic duct. EUS was performed that identified a multicystic formation of 25x36 mm in the pancreatic body and FNA was performed of the lesion. The cytological analysis identified squamous epithelial cells with lymphoid tissue, which was compatible with a lymphoepithelial cyst, with no evidence of cell atypia or other signs of malignancy. Radiological control and monitoring of the lesion was performed and it has remained stable for 2 years.

Digestive involvement in a patient with Lambert-Eaton syndrome.

We present the case of a 50-year-old male diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, secondary to thymoma or Lambert-Eaton syndrome during the study of repeated vomiting. Gastrointestinal symptoms persisted despite the treatment of the thymoma. He suffered from sigma volvulus that required sigmoidectomy 9 years after diagnosis. Neuromuscular junction disorders are not characterized by gastrointestinal involvement, as in our case. They have previously sporadically been related to intestinal motility dysfunction.

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis, the great simulator. From inflammatory disease to a tumor.

A 52-year-old Senegalese male presented due to abdominal pain and fever, with findings suggestive of a stenosing tumor of the right colon. Biopsies during colonoscopy were compatible with adenocarcinoma and infiltration into neighboring organs was observed during the surgery. New biopsies were taken that did not show dysplasia but granulomatous foci that were suggestive of a non-filiated infection. Thus, tuberculosis was ruled out.

Atrophic enteropathy refractory to a gluten-free diet: what should we consider?

Olmesartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist used for the treatment of blood hypertension. Long-term use has been associated with diarrhea and sometimes intestinal involvement may mimic enteropathies such as celiac disease. Clinicians should consider drugs within the differential diagnosis of enteropathies. We report the case of a female who sought medical help for malabsorptive symptoms and was finally diagnosed with olmesartan-associated gastritis and atrophic enteropathy.

Enteroscopic diagnosis of intestinal malabsorption of a rare etiology: diaphragm disease.

We present the case of a 59-year-old patient with malabsorption syndrome which started with polyneuropathy. Capsule endoscopy and enteroscopy show villous denudation. Histological study confirms diaphragm disease of the small bowel. Diaphragm disease is a rare disease characterized by the presence of multiple thin diaphragms, such as septa, that narrow the intestinal lumen. The clinical features can be iron deficiency anemia, intestinal obstruction, change in bowel habits or acute abdomen secondary to perforation. It is usually generally with sustained use of high doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The diagnosis usually requires the use of a capsule endoscopy or enteroscopy with biopsies.

Enteroscopy in the diagnosis of melanoma metastases.

We present abdominal computed tomography and enteroscopy images of a 48-year-old male patient with a previous melanoma who presented with epigastric pain. The pain was not controlled with medical management. Abdominal computed tomography and a histological study of biopsies form enteroscopy confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma. The gastrointestinal involvement of melanoma is usually metastatic. Symptomatic gastrointestinal involvement occurs in less than 5% of melanomas, although postmortem analyses have reported up to 70%. The clinical presentation is variable and usually presents as abdominal pain. The diagnosis of small intestinal involvement of melanoma is a challenge due to its poor accessibility. The enteroscopy has a fundamental role as it allows a direct visualization and biopsies to be taken for histological study.

A positive clinical experience of a long-term treatment pattern with leukocyte apheresis and Adacolumn in ulcerative proctitis.

Ulcerative proctitis (UP) is often involved in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The increase of leukocytes and pro-inflammatory factors in peripheral blood and in the active forms, as well as the infiltration of neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages in the intestinal mucosa is known to occur in this entity. This infiltration of cells damages the mucosa due to the liberation of proteases, oxidation radicals and cytokines, among others. Apheresis techniques such as leukocyte apheresis may be used among the different therapeutic options such as steroids, sulfasalazine, 5-aminosalicylic, tacrolimus, azathioprine, cyclosporine, mycophenolate and biological agents.

A pneumoperitoneum due to intestinal cystic pneumatosis associated with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis is characterized by multiple air-filled cysts in the intestine wall. A perforation causes pneumoperitoneum, frequently with minimal clinical affectation and do not require surgery at first in most cases. Recently, some cancer treatments, mainly molecular targeted therapy, have been associated with this complication. For this reason, radiologic findings of intestinal pneumatosis and/or secondary perforation during patient follow-up should be carefully interpreted. The clinical-analytical findings should always be considered. We report a case associated with the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in order to illustrate this point.

Proctitis and perirectal abscesses: is there anything else to think about?

Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a condition caused by invasive serovars of Chlamydia trachomatis. The classical inguinal presentation that is characterized by the development of transient genital ulcer(s) and inguinal or femoral lymphadenopathy has decreased in our environment. At present, infection by this bacterium has emerged as an important cause of proctitis and proctocolitis in men who have sex with other men. We report the case of a homosexual man with acute proctitis that was complicated by a perirectal abscess secondary to a Chlamydia trachomatis infection.

Complicated peribiliary cysts in patient without any prior liver disease.

Peribiliary cysts involve cystic dilation of the extramural peribiliary glands in the liver hilum and portal tracts. Most peribiliary cysts are asymptomatic. We present the case of a patient without any prior liver disease who developed obstructive jaundice and a liver abscess due to peribiliary cysts. Peribiliary cysts usually appear in patients with severe chronic liver disease and are asymptomatic, although they sometimes appear in patients without prior liver disease and cause serious complications.

Sarcoidosis onset simulating a unique hepatic metastasis.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease with an uncertain etiology, characterized by the production of non-necrotizing granulomas. The most frequent presentation is pulmonary and mediastinal, although it might affect any other organ. Hepatic alterations occur in 50 to 65% of the cases. Nevertheless, it is commonly subclinical or detected during a study of the alteration of liver enzymes. It is very unusual that disease onset occurs as an isolated hepatic tumor. A hepatic biopsy is usually required to confirm the diagnosis. A differential diagnosis must be established via any hepatic granulomatous disease, infectious or autoimmune disease as well as the exclusion of malignancy. We present a clinical case of a female diagnosed with an isolated hepatic sarcoidosis that simulated a unique hepatic metastatic lesion. The hepatic biopsy was diagnostic.

Idiopathic esophageal ulcer as an initial manifestation of HIV infection.

The esophageal ulcer us a common complication in people affected by the acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), especially in the final stages and in patients who develop an acute retroviral syndrome. Although, it can be caused by various infectious agents, such as species of candida, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV), no aetiological agent is successfully identified in a large proportion of patients and it is classified as idiopathic. We report the case of an idiopathic esophageal ulcer associated with the initial diagnosis of HIV-1.