Pneumatosis Intestinalis Manifesting as an Atypical Presentation of Crohn's Disease.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that has a bimodal distribution, occurring most frequently between ages 15 to 30 years and 40 to 60 years. It presents with a relapsing and remitting course. The most common area involved is the terminal ileum and right colon and the inflammation oftentimes leads to non-caseating granulomas and ulcerations in both the superficial mucosa and deeper layers. Additionally, pneumatosis intestinalis is defined as the presence of gas and free air in the extraluminal space of the intestines which is an abnormal occurrence and correlates with underlying pathology. There are only a few cases reported in the literature that present pneumatosis intestinalis in the setting of, and possibly linked to, Crohn's disease. Our case presents an elderly male patient with jejunal ulcerations and strictures suggesting Crohn's disease and associated pneumatosis intestinalis as evidenced on outpatient computed tomography (CT) enterography. Upon presentation to the hospital, the patient was non-toxic and was not complaining of any pain. During his inpatient stay, there was a suspicion of Crohn's disease and therefore he was started on Infliximab therapy. We will review the possible pathogenesis of Crohn's disease and other cases presenting pneumatosis intestinalis in the setting of Crohn's disease.

Rare Case of Gout Leading to Septic Arthritis, Osteomyelitis, and Septic Shock in an Elderly Patient.

Gout is a common, chronic inflammatory arthritis that oftentimes accompanies an initial acute and painful attack characterized by intense pain and swelling. Although it may present in different sites such as the ankles, wrists, knees, elbows, and fingers, the lower extremities are the most common site of involvement. The pathophysiology of gout is complex, but typically, the deposition of monosodium urate crystals within the joint space and the subsequent acute inflammatory response play an important role. Following an acute attack, chronic gout can present with tophi or nests of monosodium urate crystals surrounded by macrophages and multinucleated giant cells that trigger granulomatous inflammation. Progressively, chronic gout can lead to several other complications including joint destruction, gout nephropathy, spinal compression, and secondary infections. In this case report, we present an elderly female patient with chronic gout and multiple tophi formations in all digits of both of her hands. The tophi led to an ulceration and secondary septic arthritis and osteomyelitis of the right second digit. By the time the patient presented and was admitted to the hospital, she was in septic shock. We will review the pathogenesis of gout and other cases of concomitant septic arthritis and gout, as well as medical management and necessary surgical intervention as a means of treatment.

A Rare Case of Achalasia Sigmoid Esophagus Obstructed by Food Bolus.

Achalasia is a primary esophageal motility disorder that involves a failure of the lower esophageal sphincter to relax in response to swallowing. Specifically, the lower esophageal sphincter becomes hypertensive, and there is an absence of peristalsis in the esophagus. The pathophysiology is thought to be due to a loss of inhibitory nerve function from an autoimmune attack that targets the esophageal myenteric nerves. As a result, these abnormalities lead to a functional obstruction at the gastroesophageal junction. In severe cases, achalasia may present as a "sigmoid esophagus," a term used to describe the dilation and distortion of the cervical esophagus. In this case report, we discuss a patient with a known history of achalasia who presented with extra-esophageal symptoms including respiratory distress and tracheal compression from an esophagus dilated with a food impaction. She was found to have a sigmoid esophagus and required direct endoscopy and removal of the food bolus. We will review the pathogenesis of achalasia as well as medical and surgical approaches to treating severe achalasia as presented through other case reports.

Severe Acetaminophen Toxicity From the Use of Oxycodone-Acetaminophen With Normal Liver Function Tests and a Completely Asymptomatic Course of Hospitalization.

Acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP), after being metabolized to toxic N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine, can cause irreversible hepatic necrosis. The mainstay of treatment includes N-acetylcysteine and fomepizole or liver transplant in patients who further deteriorate. Currently, many overdoses unintentionally occur in the setting of ingesting combined products that contain APAP. We report a rare case of a 60-year-old woman who presented with altered mental status and APAP toxicity in the setting of oxycodone-APAP overdose. She had a toxic serum APAP level on arrival. During hospitalization, her APAP level remained at the toxic level on the Rumack-Matthew nomogram. However, her liver function tests remained within normal limits, and she remained completely asymptomatic. To our best knowledge, this is the second case report with asymptomatic APAP toxicity and normal liver function tests. We will explore the effect of concomitant oxycodone ingestion on possibly delaying APAP absorption and thus resulting in a more favorable prognosis without hepatotoxicity.

Myositis as an Extraintestinal Manifestation of Ulcerative Colitis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that is thoroughly studied and known to have a strong genetic component. It affects the mucosa and submucosa of the colon and rectum, causing diffuse friability and superficial erosions leading to bleeding. Common presenting symptoms include diarrhea that is often bloody or purulent and abdominal pain or cramping. There are also extraintestinal manifestations of UC such as cutaneous rashes, eye inflammation, and oral ulceration. A rarer manifestation of IBD is myositis, either dermatomyositis, polymyositis, or even rhabdomyolysis. Based on the literature review, myositis has been documented more so in cases of Crohn's disease versus UC. In this report, we discuss a patient with known UC who presented during a flare and subsequently complained of diffuse myalgia. She was found to have an elevated creatine kinase (CK), thus suggesting some form of myositis. We will review possible pathogenesis and other cases of UC presenting with myositis that have been documented.

Management of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Esophageal Stent Placement in an Elderly Patient With Dysphagia.

Esophageal cancer is typically identified as squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma. There are multiple risk factors that may contribute to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma including smoking, alcohol consumption, and the human papillomavirus. Lesions may appear ulcerated, friable, and circumferential and may obstruct the esophagus. Therefore, patients may complain of non-specific symptoms including dysphagia, weight loss, and retrosternal discomfort. Clinicians often rely on an upper endoscopy with biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Computed tomography scans and endoscopic ultrasounds are also employed to assess the extent of malignant spread. Management may involve endoscopic resection for superficial lesions or surgical resection for lesions penetrating the submucosa. Esophageal stents may play a role, specifically as a palliative measure for enhancing oral intake. We present an instance of utilizing a self-expandable, metal-covered esophageal stent with balloon dilation in the setting of a newly diagnosed esophageal squamous cell carcinoma lesion in a 73-year-old female. Ultimately, the use of an esophageal stent in this patient helped improve the patient's oral intake during her course of hospitalization. Her diet was slowly advanced to clear liquids and progressively to a low-residue diet before being discharged to follow-up with her diagnosis as outpatient with gastroenterology.

Rare Case of Primary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Lung With Bilateral Kidney and Liver Metastasis.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare epithelial tumor that is found in the salivary glands. It is typically slow-growing and follows an indolent course. While it can hematogenously spread to the lungs, distant metastases are rarely reported. Primary ACC in the lung is not common and makes up only 0.04-0.2% of all primary lung tumors. In addition, metastasis of the ACC to liver and bilateral kidneys is not common frequently documented. In this case report, we present a patient with unusual metastases of ACC, as well as non-specific symptoms that warrant discussion for ACC as potential differentials in the appropriate clinical setting.