Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction syndrome in patients with severe COVID-19 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Several gastrointestinal complications have been reported in patients with COVID-19, including motility disorders, such as acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO). This affection is characterized by colonic distention in the absence of mechanical obstruction. ACPO in the context of severe COVID-19 may be related to neurotropism and direct damage of SARS-CoV-2 in enterocytes. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective study of patients who were hospitalized for critical COVID-19 and developed ACPO between March 2020 and September 2021. The diagnostic criteria to define ACPO was the presence of 2 or more of the following: abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and changes in the bowel movements, associated with distension of the colon in computed tomography. Data of sex, age, past medical history, treatment, and outcomes were collected. RESULTS: Five patients were detected. All required admission to the Intensive Care Unit. The ACPO syndrome developed with a mean of 33.8 days from the onset of symptoms. The mean duration of the ACPO syndrome was 24.6 days. The treatment included colonic decompression with placement of rectal and nasogastric tubes, endoscopy decompression in two patients, bowel rest, fluid, and electrolytes replacement. One patient died. The remaining resolved the gastrointestinal symptoms without surgery. CONCLUSIONS: ACPO is an infrequent complication in patients with COVID-19. It occurs especially in patients with critical condition, who require prolonged stays in intensive care and multiple pharmacological treatments. It is important to recognize its presence early and thus establish an appropriate treatment, since the risk of complications is high.

Cecostomía endoscópica percutánea, una terapia eficaz en el síndrome de Ogilvie: relato de caso y revisión bibliográfica / Percutaneous endoscopic cecostomy, effective therapy for the treatment of Ogilvie syndrome: case and literature review

Ogilvie syndrome, or Acute Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction (ACPO) is characterized by colonic distension in the absence of mechanical obstruction. In general, it evolves favorably following a conservative treatment, and surgical procedures are not necessary6. We describe a case of ACPO with evolution of two days, in a 79-year old male patient, with asthma, type 2 diabetes mellitus, systemic arterial hypertension and policystic kidneys. After failure of conservative treatment based on support measures and neostigmine, percutaneous endoscopic support cecostomy, using a gastrostomy tube. The technique and its early execution were chosen considering that it was easy to be implemented, low cost and need for immediate colonic decompression due to high risk of ischemia and perforation of the colon, associated to a rapid clinical deterioration of the patient

El síndrome de Ogilvie o Pseudoobstrucción colónica aguda (ACPO) se caracteriza por la distensión del colon en ausencia de obstrucción mecánica. En general, el tratamiento conservador es favorable, no siendo necesaria una intervención quirúrgica. Describimos el caso de una ACPO con dos días de evolución, en paciente masculino de 79 años, asmático, portador de diabetes mellitus tipo 2, hipertensión arterial sistémica y riñones poliquísticos. Después del fracaso del tratamiento conservador con medidas de soporte y neostigmina, se optó por la realización de cecostomía endoscópica percutánea de protección, utilizando una sonda de gastrostomía. La elección de la técnica y su realización precoz se dio teniendo en vista su facilidad de ejecución, su bajo costo y la necesidad de descompresión colónica inmediata por el elevado riesgo de isquemia y perforación del colon, asociado al rápido empeoramiento clínico del paciente.

[Dysmorphic neonatal syndrome and Ogilvie syndrome]. / Síndrome dismórfico neonatal y síndrome de Ogilvie.

BACKGROUND: Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction, or Ogilvie syndrome, is a motility abnormality characterised by rapid and progressive dilation of the large intestine. To achieve a diagnosis it is fundamental to exclude mechanical obstruction with imaging studies such as computer axial tomography. The combined incidence of Ogilvie and dysmorphic syndrome has not been described. CLINICAL CASE: Female patient of 28 years old with a history of infant cerebral palsy came to emergency room with 4 days of intestinal obstruction. She had hypokalaemia that was reverted, but persisted with obstruction. Later after 72h with recovery of fluids and electrolytes and administration of prokinetics, the obstruction reversed. She was discharged with no complications. CONCLUSIONS: Non-invasive medical treatment solves most cases. Promising results have been achieved with neostigmine. In the event of no response to drug therapy, the next step is endoscopic treatment. Even with high recurrence this is preferred due to its lower level of complications in contrast to surgical decompression. Neonatal dysmorphic syndrome is often associated with disorders of the central nervous system. So far, there have been no reports on the incidence of this disease with Ogilvie syndrome, although 9% of cases have been described as associated with neurological events. Conservative management in this disease is the initial approach. Interventions should be reserved for when conservative treatment fails.

Síndrome de Ogilvie: a propósito de un caso / Ogilvies syndrome: a case report

Se analiza una paciente que presenta Síndrome de Ogilvie (Pseudoobstrucción Colónica), después del drenaje percutáneo de un Pseudoquiste Pancreático. Se mencionan diferentes cuadros clínicos que se han complicado con este síndrome, como también las manifestaciones clínicas, los métodos de diagnóstico y las posibilidades terapéuticas. En la literatura consultada no ha sido encontrado el drenaje de un Pseudoquiste como etiología del Síndrome de Ogilvie. (AU)