Cocaine Gut: A Rare Case of Cocaine-Induced Esophageal, Gastric, and Small Bowel Necrosis.

Cocaine is an indirect-acting sympathomimetic drug that inhibits norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake in the adrenergic presynaptic cleft. Cocaine use has been associated with strokes, angina, arrhythmias, and agitation. Data on gastrointestinal complications such as mesenteric ischemia, bowel necrosis, ulceration, and perforation are scarce. Here, we present a rare case of cocaine-induced esophageal, gastric, and small bowel necrosis that contributes to the limited literature on this subject. Diagnosis of cocaine-induced gastrointestinal complications involves a combination of imaging studies, laboratory assessments, and histopathological examinations. Timely surgical resection, supported by intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and pain management, is the mainstay of treatment. The prognosis varies but is significantly influenced by the promptness and effectiveness of the intervention, underscoring the importance of vigilant clinical care in such cases.

Gastric, Colonic, and Rectal Amyloidosis in the Setting of Familial Mediterranean Fever: A Unique Cause of Intractable Diarrhea.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a hereditary disorder characterized by episodes of fever, polyserositis, or cutaneous inflammation. The FMF attacks last 1-3 days and have no apparent triggers. Recurrent deposition of the serum amyloid A (SAA) protein in the gut can cause intractable diarrhea, dysmotility, and recurrent abdominal pain. Gastrointestinal amyloidosis is a rare, but serious, complication of FMF. In this case report, we describe a rare case of chronic diarrhea and recurrent abdominal pain due to FMF-induced gastrointestinal amyloidosis.

An Unpleasant Souvenir: Whipworm as an Incidental Finding During a Screening Colonoscopy.

Trichuriasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Trichuris trichiura that spreads through the ingestion of embryonated eggs in contaminated soil, water, or food. In nonendemic areas, T trichiura infestation is very rare and sporadic and is often diagnosed in immigrants from endemic countries such as the Philippines. Whipworms feed on human blood and also erode the colonic mucosa, thereby evoking an inflammatory response. In milder forms, trichuriasis can be asymptomatic and often an incidental diagnosis on screening colonoscopy. Heavily infested patients usually present with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, tenesmus, chronic diarrhea, iron deficiency anemia, or stunted growth. T trichiura worms can be removed with biopsy forceps during a colonoscopy; however, most patients require a course of albendazole, mebendazole, or ivermectin. We describe a unique case of T trichiura as an incidental finding during a screening colonoscopy. The whipworms were retrieved using biopsy forceps and the patient was treated with albendazole. At the time of the colonoscopy, the patient did not exhibit any specific symptoms related to the worm infestation.

Acute Mesentero-Axial Gastric Volvulus in the Setting of a Paraesophageal Hernia: A Rare Case Report.

Acute gastric volvulus is a surgical emergency that requires urgent intervention to prevent gastric ischemia and necrosis. Gastric volvulus manifests as an abnormal rotation or torsion of the stomach and may be associated with gastric outlet obstruction. This pathology can be classified as either mesentero-axial or organo-axial volvulus, depending on the axis of rotation. Similarly, it can be categorized as primary or secondary, depending on the etiology. We describe a case of a 63-year-old female with a history of peptic ulcer disease who presented with severe epigastric pain and vomiting of one-day duration. She was diagnosed with an acute mesentero-axial gastric volvulus, which was successfully reduced using a nasogastric tube.

Rectal Tropism: An Extremely Rare Case of Prostate Cancer Recurrence With Metastasis to the Rectum Postradical Prostatectomy.

Prostate cancer is the most common noncutaneous cancer affecting men in the United States. It is a slow-growing tumor that can be missed during the nascent phase. Prostate cancer commonly metastasizes to the bones and nearby lymph nodes. However, cases of metastatic prostate cancer to the rectum are exceptionally rare. Such metastases may cause obstructive or malabsorption symptoms similar to those observed in primary rectal carcinoma. We present a very rare case of prostate cancer recurrence with rectal metastasis in an elderly male with a history of castration-resistant prostate carcinoma status postradical prostatectomy.

Incidence of Pneumoperitoneum After Gastrostomy Tube Removal.

We present the case of an 88-year-old man with a previous medical history of severe colitis and colonic strictures who presented with hematemesis. The patient was found to have a lower esophageal ulcer without any signs of perforation. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed a scar in the greater curvature of the stomach from a previously removed gastrostomy tube two months prior. On CT imaging, an incidental finding of pneumoperitoneum was also found alongside stomach perforation near the healing scar. Due to the lack of evidence of any other colonic perforation, the patient was believed to have developed this pneumoperitoneum status post-gastrectomy tube removal two months prior to presentation. Pneumoperitoneum has a wide range of presenting symptoms that vary in severity and nature, and our patient failed to present with any physical or laboratory signs of infection. Over the course of the next four months, the patient was monitored with serial CT scans, during which the pneumoperitoneum resolved. In this report, we present a case of a patient who was found to develop pneumoperitoneum post-gastric tube removal and its complete resolution without surgical or procedural intervention.

A Rare Complication of Rhabdomyolysis: Peripheral Neuropathy.

Rhabdomyolysis is a complex medical condition characterized by muscle necrosis and the release of intracellular components into the circulation. Although its most common cause is a direct traumatic injury, it can result from non-traumatic factors as well, including infection, toxins, and drugs. Serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels are usually elevated in this condition and they correlate with the severity of the muscle damage (the higher the CPK peak, the greater the magnitude of muscle damage), although lower levels of CPK do not necessarily rule it out. The common complications associated with rhabdomyolysis include acute kidney injury, compartment syndrome, and, in rare cases, peripheral neuropathy. In this report, we present a case of a young patient, with a history of alcohol abuse, who presented with bilateral numbness of the feet post-immobilization and was subsequently found to have severe rhabdomyolysis.

A Rare Case Report of Herbal Medication Induced Pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis is an acute inflammation of the pancreas that varies in clinical manifestation from mild to life-threatening that may require hospitalization. A 56-year-old male patient with a past medical history of diabetes mellitus and osteoarthritis developed acute pancreatitis likely secondary to the use of herbal medication intended for weight loss. Other causes of pancreatitis were excluded. This report describes a case of herbal medication-associated pancreatitis after the exclusion of other causes. The incidence of herbal medication-associated pancreatitis is indeterminate due to inadequate literature on similar cases. The aim of this review is to describe the effect of herbal-based medicines and their counteraction on developing acute pancreatitis.

Acute Pancreatitis Caused by Complications of Influenza A in the Setting of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Although most cases of acute pancreatitis are attributed to alcohol and gallstones, acute pancreatitis can be a presenting feature or complication of a viral etiology (influenza). We report a rare case of acute pancreatitis secondary to H1N1 influenza A virus in the setting of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The typical flu-like respiratory illness usually observed with influenza was absent preceding the episode of pancreatitis owing to the different antigenic properties of influenza A (compared to influenza B) and an underlying immunocompromised state.

Acute esophageal necrosis masquerading acute coronary syndrome

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) also known as "black esophagus" or "acute necrotizing esophagus" is a rare entity characterized by striking endoscopic findings of circumferential black coloring of the esophagus. AEN most frequently seen in the distal esophagus and can extend proximally along the entire esophagus. Characteristically, the circumferential black mucosa stops abruptly at the EGJ. AEN tends to present as acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, though other symptoms including dysphagia and epigastric pain have been described. The etiology of AEN is multifactorial including a combination of ischemic insult, mucosal barrier defect, and a backflow injury of gastric secretions. Described is a case of AEN in a patient with history of uncontrolled diabetes who presented with an atypical chest pain mimicking acute coronary syndrome with negative subsequent cardiovascular workup.

Acute esophageal necrosis masquerading acute coronary syndrome.

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) also known as "black esophagus" or "acute necrotizing esophagus" is a rare entity characterized by striking endoscopic findings of circumferential black coloring of the esophagus. AEN most frequently seen in the distal esophagus and can extend proximally along the entire esophagus. Characteristically, the circumferential black mucosa stops abruptly at the EGJ. AEN tends to present as acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, though other symptoms including dysphagia and epigastric pain have been described. The etiology of AEN is multifactorial including a combination of ischemic insult, mucosal barrier defect, and a backflow injury of gastric secretions. Described is a case of AEN in a patient with history of uncontrolled diabetes who presented with an atypical chest pain mimicking acute coronary syndrome with negative subsequent cardiovascular workup.

Anal squamous cell carcinoma with metastasis to duodenum causing duodenal stricture and gastric outlet obstruction.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the anal canal is a rare entity encompassing only 2-4 percent of all colon, rectal, and anal cancers. SCC of the anal canal tends to be loco-regional, and in the event of distant metastasis, a most common site of spread is to liver and lung. We report an unusual case of SCC of the anal canal with duodenal metastases in a 49-year-old female who had presented with symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting eight months after the primary diagnosis of SCC of the anal canal. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed duodenal stricture with subsequent biopsy revealing duodenal mucosa with scattered malignant cell clusters within lymphatic spaces, consistent with metastatic carcinoma. Immunohistological staining demonstrated malignant cells positive for CK7, p16, p63 favoring a metastatic SCC.

Clinical Resolution of Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome following Overcorrection of Severe Hyponatremia.

Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome (ODS) occurs after rapid overcorrection of severe chronic hyponatremia usually in those with a predisposition such as chronic alcoholism, malnutrition, or liver disease. Rarely, do patients make a full recovery. We report a case of ODS secondary to overcorrection of severe hyponatremia with pathognomonic clinical and radiologic signs making a complete neurological recovery. A detailed course of events, review of literature, and optimal and aggressive management strategies are discussed. There is some controversy in the literature regarding the prognosis of these patients. Our aim here is to show that, with aggressive therapy and long-term care, recovery is possible in these patients.

Acute Gastric Volvulus Causing Splenic Avulsion and Hemoperitoneum.

Gastric volvulus is an abnormal, potentially life-threatening, torsion of the stomach. The presence of complications such as hemoperitoneum increases the diagnostic urgency; however it can also mask the presentation of gastric volvulus. We encountered a 66-year-old female who presented with symptomatic gastric outlet obstruction and was found to have hemoperitoneum and splenic avulsion on imaging. In our case, hemoperitoneum was a clinical red herring as initial imaging concentrated on the presence of hemoperitoneum and was nondiagnostic of gastric volvulus. Interestingly, our patient experienced complete resolution of her presenting symptomatology following placement of a nasogastric tube. Furthermore, endoscopic evaluation revealed no overt pathology to explain outlet obstruction. In light of these findings, gastric torsion was strongly suspected. A repeat CT scan was confirmatory, elucidated reduction of the stomach to its anatomic position, retroactively diagnosing a gastric volvulus. This case is unusual in its presentation and setting. The patient presented with two rare complications of gastric volvulus, hemoperitoneum and splenic avulsion. Additionally, ten years prior to this presentation the patient had a temporary gastrostomy tube. Gastropexy with a gastrostomy is the treatment for gastric volvulus and should have been preventative of her presentation with torsion. Furthermore, the gastric volvulus was not initially recognized radiographically due to the presence of masking radiographic findings. This case serves to highlight the utility of clinical acumen and maintain a high index of suspicion for gastric volvulus in all cases presenting with Borchardt's triad.

Expression of fractalkine and fractalkine receptor in urinary bladder after cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced cystitis.

Alterations in the expression of the chemokine, fractalkine (CX3CL1), were examined in the urinary bladder after cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced cystitis of varying duration: acute (4 h or 48 h), or chronic (10 day). CYP-induced cystitis significantly (p