Severe Sepsis Secondary to Toxic Megacolon Revealing an Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease can present with numerous infectious complications, including intra-abdominal abscess, perforations of the intestine, fistula formation, and the occurrence of septicemia. Toxic megacolon (TM) is a potentially fatal complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. In this case report, we report a 49-year-old male patient who was admitted to the intensive care unit for the management of severe sepsis that was secondary to an inaugural toxic megacolon complicating a silent inflammatory bowel disease, with a Lichtiger score of 11. Nonresponse to anti-bacterial therapy, noradrenaline, and intravenous corticosteroid therapy required an emergency total colectomy. After surgery, the patient died because of his unresolved septic shock. Correct management of this condition requires an accurate assessment of the patient's history, a correct physical examination, abdominal radiographs, and sigmoid coloscopy, and frequently requires surgery. The indications for surgery in cases of toxic megacolon, massive hemorrhage, perforation, peritonitis, or non-response to medical therapy are the most important ones. Patients with a history of inflammatory bowel disease are particularly prone to infectious complications since therapy for these inflammatory diseases is based on the use of immunosuppressive drugs and frequent abdominal surgeries.

Chemotherapy-Induced Leukoencephalopathy Revealed by Seizure and Alteration of the Mental Status.

Leukoencephalopathy is progressive demyelination of the white matter, induced by a variety of factors. Among the causes of leukoencephalopathy, chemotherapy is an uncommon cause that generates potentially reversible lesions. The clinical presentation is classically made of alterations in mental status, hallucinations, hypertension, seizures, and acute visual changes. Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis of this entity, especially by conventional and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging which enables an accurate diagnosis by identifying symmetric white matter lesions, especially in the parietal and occipital lobes. Herein, we report a 54-year-old female patient, newly diagnosed with non-metastatic moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the cecum. The patient received her first cancer chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil at 300 mg/m2). Five days later she was admitted to the intensive care unit for confusion following two generalized seizures. Conventional and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was performed and showed diffuse white matter lesions of the parietal and occipital lobes. A diagnosis of 5-fluorouracil-induced leukoencephalopathy was established. The diagnosis of leukoencephalopathy should be considered in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy with alterations in mental status and seizures.

Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis: A rare form of COVID-19's neurotropism.

INTRODUCTION: the COVID-19 pandemic still accounts for thousands of cases every day. It's neurological involvement has been well documented most likely due to auto-immune mechanisms than the virus itself. CASE REPORT: we report the case of a 38 years old women who developed an Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis following a COVID-19 infection, with a favorable outcome after immunosuppressive therapy. DISCUSSION: In this chapter, we discuss ADEM's pathogenesis as well as its clinical and radiological features before detailing its relationship with infectious and vaccination episodes. We also discuss how our patient disease evolved. CONCLUSION: Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis is an immune-mediated disorder in which the widespread inflammation of the brain and spinal cord is responsible for a variety of symptoms. The novel COVID-19 virus and its vaccine are both a newly incriminated etiologies of this demyelinating disorder.

Caesarean section under continuous spinal anaesthesia in a parturient with pulmonary hypertension: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Women with pulmonary hypertension have high morbidity and mortality during pregnancy. The inability to increase cardiac output can lead to heart failure, while hypercoagulability and reduced systemic vascular resistance also lead to other risks. CASE MANAGEMENT: This paper report the case of a parturient admitted for caesarean section under continuous spinal anaesthesia scheduled at 34 weeks of amenorrhea following severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. She had a history of significant mitral insufficiency. The procedure was performed without incident. The catheter was removed immediately postoperatively. The baby was female and in good health. She was transferred to the resuscitation service with restoration of oral nutrition. CONCLUSION: Loco-regional anaesthesia is to be preferred in pulmonary hypertension associated to pregnancy. In order to reduce the risk of mortality due to general anaesthesia for this type of patient, it is possible to practice the continuous spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section without having hemodynamic consequences.