Pulmonary air leak syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis patient.

Pulmonary air leak syndromes involve dissection of air out of the normal pulmonary airspaces and include pulmonary interstitial emphysema, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, pneumoperitoneum, subcutaneous emphysema and systemic air embolism. It presents as a spontaneous extension of dissecting air without a history of a procedure or penetrating injury. Pulmonary air leak syndromes are extremely rare complications of systemic autoimmune connective tissue diseases. Few cases were reported in the literature regarding rheumatoid arthritis patients. The purpose of this article is to emphasize on this rare pulmonary complication and discuss the physiopathology of the disease and the different risk factors for a better management of these patients. We report the case of a 45-year-old female, with a history of proven rheumatoid arthritis under methotrexate and steroids, who presented with a spontaneous dissecting subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and pneumoperitoneum. The patient's condition improved after chest drainage and adjustment of her medical treatment.

Jejunal intussusception on jejunostomy tube: A rare cause of occlusion in adults.

INTRODUCTION: Acute intestinal intussusception (AI) in adults secondary to jejunostomy is a rare complication and a surgical emergency requiring early diagnosis and treatment. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report the case of a 44-year-old patient, without medical history, who presented dysphagia after caustic ingestion. The patient underwent a Witzel feeding jejunostomy. The evolution was marked by the installation of abdominal distension with vomiting and alteration of the general state, the diagnosis of an intussusception in the jejunostomy tube was made in the abdominal CT scan, which required a surgical intervention, and reduction of intussusception, with simple after effects. DISCUSSION: Acute intestinal intussusception (IIA) secondary to jejunostomy tube placement is a rare abdominal emergency. It manifests with signs of upper gastrointestinal obstruction. Diagnosis is based on abdominal imaging by ultrasound or CT scan. Treatment is most often surgical (Chavrier et al., 1992) [1]. CONCLUSION: We present a very rare example of acute intestinal intussusception in adults, complicating jejunostomy, with non-specific clinical signs, which needed an early radiological diagnosis for adequate management.