Sphingobacterium Spritivorum Associated With Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis in a Cirrhotic Patient With Gram-Positive Bacteremia.

Sphingobacterium spritivorum (SS) is a ubiquitous gram-negative organism and an uncommon cause of infection in humans. To our knowledge, there are no reported cases of this bacterium causing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis. In this report, we discuss a case of a male patient in his late 60s who presented with severe sepsis from methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), in whom SS was subsequently identified via ascitic fluid culture. This unusual organism is known to have an innate resistance to multiple antibiotics and can cause life-threatening sepsis in cases of delayed or missed diagnosis. Clinicians should not be weighed down by anchoring bias and look for alternative, uncommon gram-negative organisms in cases of progressive sepsis in patients with ascites.

Spontaneous Dissections of Bilateral Internal Carotid and Vertebral Arteries due to Intractable Vomiting.

In young adults, spontaneous craniocervical arterial dissections (sCAD), which involve the major arteries of the head and neck, are associated with an increased risk of stroke. sCAD occurs in the absence of major trauma as seen in traumatic craniocervical artery dissection. It may affect unilateral or bilateral carotid or vertebral arteries. Cases of spontaneous bilateral carotid and vertebral artery dissections occurring simultaneously are extremely rare. We present a case of a 49-year-old female with no history of arteriopathy who presented with aphasia and right upper extremity weakness and was found to have dissections in bilateral extracranial and intracranial carotid arteries, as well as the bilateral vertebral arteries. She had symptomatic improvement with antithrombotic therapy and aggressive outpatient rehabilitation.

A Rare Case of Colo-Colonic Intussusception Caused by Colonic Submucosal Lipoma.

Unlike in infancy, where intussusception is an abdominal emergency, diagnosis of intussusception could be tricky in adults as most of these patients present sub-acutely with vague abdominal symptoms. Early diagnosis could impact these patients significantly in decreasing morbidity and mortality along with reduction in healthcare expenses. Colo-colonic intussusception is rare and accounts for less than 20% of adult intussusception. More than 50% of adult intussusception is caused by mass-like lesions. In such cases, this could be an early presentation of malignant intestinal lesions. Abdominal CT is mandatory in all adult patients; when combined with ultrasound, it has 95.5% accuracy of pre-operative diagnosis. Here we report a case of a 42-year-old female who presented with a two-month history of intermittent abdominal pain; a CT abdomen revealed colo-colonic intussusception which was initially missed on prior imaging. We discuss the importance of considering intussusception as a rare differential of abdominal pain, the need for early diagnosis, and the role of colonoscopy and non-surgical management in adults.