Warfarin-induced spontaneous intramural small bowel hematoma presenting as an acute abdomen: A case report.

RATIONALE: Spontaneous intramural small-bowel hematoma (SISBH) is a rare complication of anticoagulation therapy. Presentation of SISBH can vary from mild abdominal pain to an acute abdomen. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 70-year-old woman was brought to the emergency department because of severe abdominal pain for 1 day. She had a medical history of coronary artery disease and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and was receiving anticoagulation therapy with warfarin for 3 years. DIAGNOSIS: Computed tomography disclosed disproportional dilatation of the segmental small bowel and near-total obstruction of the intestinal lumen at the level of the jejunum, indicating an acute abdomen. INTERVENTIONS: We performed laparoscopic exploration and found a segmental distal jejunum was tense, heavy, firm, and discolored with a blue hue. Histopathological examination of the resected jejunum revealed diffuse hemorrhage and necrosis at the mucosa and submucosal layers, indicating SISBH. OUTCOMES: The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged in a relatively stable condition. LESSONS: Warfarin-induced SISBH presenting as an acute abdomen is an emergency condition that needs early diagnosis and timely management. Surgical intervention may be indicated for intestinal obstruction, ischemia, perforation, peritonitis, and intra-abdominal hemorrhage.

Secondary colonic necrosis. Case report.

BACKGROUND: Colonic vascular lesion secondary to verapamil overdose is mediated by free radicals, forming vascular microtrombos and endotoxin generation, being a difficult diagnosis. CLINICAL CASE: A 27-year-old female is admitted with an acute abdomen of 4 days after an event referred for a suicidal attempt due to an overdose of verapamil, operating surgically where there is a right transmural colon necrosis, performing a right hemicolectomy with terminal ileostomy. CONCLUSIONS: Recognize and properly treat an acute abdomen, not always reach an adequate diagnosis, so a thorough history could conclude.

ANTECEDENTES: La lesión vascular colónica secundaria a la sobredosis de verapamilo, es mediada por radicales libres, formando microtrombos vasculares y generación de endotoxinas, siendo un diagnostico difícil. CASO CLÍNICO: Femenino de 27 años, ingresa con abdomen agudo de 4 días posteriores a un evento remitido de intento suicida por sobredosis de verapamilo, interviniéndose quirúrgicamente donde se halla necrosis colónica transmural derecha, realizando hemicolectomía derecha con ileostomía terminal. CONCLUSIONES: Reconocer y tratar de forma adecuada un abdomen agudo, no siempre se suele llegar a un adecuado diagnostico, por lo cual una minuciosa anamnesis lograría concluirlo.

Multiple perforation of small-intestine diverticula in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome represents a group of hereditary connective tissue disorders characterized by ligamentous hyperlaxity, fragile skin and joint hypermobility. Gastrointestinal complications in this syndrome are less well known.

[Intraparietal hemorrhage of the small intestine related to hypocoagulation as an unusual cause of hemoperitoneum]. / Intraparietální hemoragie tenkého streva pri antikoagulacní terapii pacienta jako neobvyklá prícina hemoperitonea.

The authors present a case of acute abdomen, spontaneous hemoperitoneum, caused by intraparietal hemorrhage of the small intestine in a patient with hypocoagulation that was pharmacologically induced by warfarin anticoagulation therapy. Potential etiology of the described case is considered by the authors.

A Case of Idiopathic Mesenteric Phlebosclerosis with Progressive Intestinal Necrosis.

The patient was a 39-year-old woman who was referred to our department from her previous doctor with a 2-day history of right abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography showed wall thickening associated with calcification in the ascending colon. Contrast enhancement in the same portion of the intestinal wall was rather poor. Fluid accumulation was also seen around the intestine, so emergency surgery was performed under a provisional diagnosis of intestinal necrosis. Intestinal necrosis due to idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis was diagnosed from postoperative histopathological tests. Idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis displays a chronic course and in most cases conservative treatment is indicated. Bowel obstruction is common among patients who require surgical treatment, but rare cases such as the present one are also seen in which intestinal necrosis occurs. In recent years, an association with herbal medicine has been indicated as one potential cause of this disease, and this entity should be kept in mind when patients with acute abdomen and a history of taking herbal medicines are encountered.

Abdomen agudo durante la gestación y el puerperio / Acute abdomen during pregnancy and the puerperium

El abdomen agudo en la gestación y el puerperio constituye un diagnóstico complejo y un reto terapéutico. Nuestro objetivo es realizar una revisión bibliográfica de esta patología a propósito de un caso de peritonitis secundaria a absceso tubárico con apendicitis por helmintos concomitante. Principalmente, su sintomatología se resume en el dolor y la distensión abdominal, las náuseas y/o los vómitos. Estos síntomas se encuentran presentes en el embarazo normal, dificultando el diagnóstico diferencial. El abdomen agudo es relativamente infrecuente durante la gestación y el puerperio, siendo la apendicitis aguda la principal causa de origen no obstétrico. Asocia una elevada morbimortalidad materno-fetal, que aumenta a medida que la gestación avanza, requiriendo un manejo multidisciplinar para alcanzar un diagnóstico precoz y un tratamiento efectivo. Fundamentalmente, el abordaje terapéutico es quirúrgico debido, en gran medida, al diagnóstico tardío con frecuente asociación de complicaciones. Un manejo temprano será primordial para minimizar riesgos para la madre y el feto

Acute abdomen in pregnancy and the postpartum period is a complex diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. We review the literature on this topic and report a case of peritonitis secondary to tubal abscess with concomitant helminth appendicitis. The main symptoms of this entity are pain and bloating, nausea and/or vomiting. These symptoms are present in normal pregnancy, which hampers the differential diagnosis. Acute abdomen is relatively uncommon during pregnancy and the postpartum, and the main obstetric cause is acute appendicitis. Maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality are high and increase as the pregnancy progresses, requiring multidisciplinary management to achieve early diagnosis and effective treatment. The therapeutic approach is mainly surgical, largely due to late diagnosis and associated complications. Early management is essential to minimize the risks to the mother and fetus

Codeine: An Under-Recognized and Easily Treated Cause of Acute Abdominal Pain.

We present 2 cases of acute abdominal pain secondary to oral codeine that resolved after the administration of intravenous naloxone.

Multiple colon perforation as a fatal complication during treatment of metastatic melanoma with ipilimumab - case report.

Ipilimumab, an anticancer drug, is an anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibody. It is used in treatment of disseminated melanoma. Therapy is associated with high risk of complications. One of the most serious, although one of the rarest is perforation of gastrointestinal tract. In this case report we describe a 52-year old male, with disseminated melanoma with unknown starting point, treated with anti- CTLA4 monoclonal antibody. After 3rd dose of drug administration, bloody diarrhea and acute abdominal pain occurred as a symptom of gastrointestinal perforation. A single perforation was sutured during laparotomy. Symptoms of acute abdomen returned after 10 days. Pus-faecalperitonitis, symptoms of necro-hemorrhagic colitis and multilocal perforation of the colon were found during relaparotomy. Pancolectomy with end ileostomy was performed. Few hours since relaparotomy pacient died due to multiple organ failure. The purpose of this case report is to draw attention to a risk of multilocal colon perforation in patient treated with ipilumumab.

Unnecessary surgery for acute abdomen secondary to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use.

Acute abdominal pain is the reason for 5% to 10% of all emergency department visits. In 1 in every 9 patients, operated on for an acute abdomen, laparotomy is negative. In a minority of patients, the acute abdomen is caused by side effects of medication. We present a case of unnecessary abdominal surgery in a patient with acute abdominal pain caused by intestinal angioedema (AE), which was eventually due to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-i) use. We hope that this case report increases awareness of this underdiagnosed side effect. Emergency department physicians, surgeons, internists, and family physicians should always consider ACE-i in the differential diagnosis of unexplained abdominal pain. Since early withdrawal of the medication causing intestinal AE can prevent further complications and, in some cases, needless surgery, we propose an altered version of the known diagnostic algorithm, in which ACE-i and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-induced AE is excluded at an early stage.

A case report of unusual vasculitic reaction after Methocarbamol injection.

Descriptive case report of a 42-year old woman with coetaneous vasculitis, and severe abdominal pain, which was led to diagnostic laparotomy. These presentations are probably as a side effect of Methocarbamol injection. This is the first report according to our literature search (PubMed, google scholar, ISI web of knowledge, ProQuest, MD consult, Science Direct, SCOPUS) about Methocarbamol related vasculitis from 1966 since now. Vasculitis is not a known side effect of Methocarbamol. This case indicates, likely the potential for development of vasculitis with this medication.

Acute abdomen associated with organophosphate poisoning.

BACKGROUND: Pesticides are extensively used in developed and developing countries. OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to evaluate the clinical course of patients with carbamate or organophosphate poisoning presenting to a University-based emergency department (ED). METHODS: All consecutive patients admitted to our ED due to intoxication with carbamate or organophosphate compounds over a 2-year period were enrolled prospectively. RESULTS: A total of 49 consecutive patients (26 females) were diagnosed with carbamate or organophosphate poisoning in the 24-month study period. The mean age of the patients was 32±13.1 years (range 16-70 years). Signs and symptoms most frequently noted in patients with organophosphate or carbamate poisoning were perspiration, vomiting, and bronchorrhea. Abdominal pain was reported by 65.3% of the patients. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed in 22 patients who complained of abdominal pain as a leading symptom. Among these, 63.6% were found to have abdominal free fluid. Pancreatitis and peritonitis developed in one case. Atropine treatment was administered for approximately 24-36h, with a mean total dose of 13.75±6.75mg. Pralidoxime was administered to 70.9% of patients with organophosphate poisoning, but was not used in patients intoxicated with carbamates. Endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilatory support were required in 14.2% of the patients. Mean duration of mechanical ventilation was 3.7±2.2 days. The overall mortality rate was 10.2%. CONCLUSION: Patients with a diagnosis of organophosphate poisoning should be screened for acute abdomen. The findings in our study suggest that these patients should undergo routine abdominal ultrasonography, especially in cases with abdominal pain along with other abdominal complaints.

[Cocaine-related gastric perforation]. / Kokain-assoziierte Magenperforation.

Since the 1980s the abuse of cocaine has been -associated with gastroduodenal perforations in the United States. Here, we report the case of a 28-year-old man who came to our hospital with severe abdominal pain after smoking cocaine. Physical examination revealed generalised abdominal guarding. His X-ray did not show any free intraperitoneal air. However, there was a slightly elevated white blood cell count. Upon laparoscopic exploration of the abdomen, the -patient was found to have a generalised peritonitis secondary to a perforation of the prepyloric anterior wall. The operative procedure consisted of ulcer excision and primary closure with a pyloroplasty as well as an extensive abdominal irrigation after laparotomy.

Multiple colon ulcerations, perforation and death during treatment of malignant melanoma with sorafenib.

BACKGROUND: Sorafenib (Nexavar) is an oral multi-kinase inhibitor with anti-angiogenic and antiproliferative effects. It has shown in-vitro and clinical activity against several kinds of tumors, such as malignant melanoma. HISTORY, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND COURSE: A 66-year-old man with malignant melanoma was treated with sorafenib, 2 yen 400 mg per day. Because of severe diarrhea and abdominal pain, sorafenib was eventually discontinued and the patient was hospitalized for further treatment. Diagnostic work-up by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy revealed multiple deep ulcerations within the whole colon. One week after admission the patient developed symptoms of acute abdomen with signs of bowel perforation requiring an emergency operation. Colectomy of the right colon with ileostomy revealed multiple (20-30) acute and subacute colonic perforations. Despite intensive care treatment the patient died of septic complications 13 days after surgery. CONCLUSION: Treatment with anti-angiogenic multi-kinase inhibitors may be associated with gastrointestinal perforations. This has been reported for sorafenib in up to 2.3 % of cases.

Spontaneous rectus sheath hematoma presenting as acute surgical abdomen: an important differential in elderly coagulopathic patients.

Rectus sheath hematoma (RSH) presenting as acute surgical abdomen is a rare clinical entity. Failing to establish an early diagnosis will probably result in increased morbidity or unnecessary surgical intervention. We describe herein a case of an 85-year-old woman receiving anticoagulants who presented with typical clinical manifestations of acute surgical abdomen and a slightly palpable abdominal mass. Ultrasonography was inconclusive whereas computed tomography scans demonstrated a large right rectus sheath hematoma associated with hemoperitoneum. The patient was treated conservatively with success. It is therefore concluded that RSH must be considered in any elderly patient on anticoagulant therapy who presents with manifestations of acute surgical abdomen.