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Introduction and importance: Drug-induced pancreatitis is an important health issue that makes a minority of causes of acute pancreatitis. Tigecycline-induced pancreatitis is a rare condition with poorly understood mechanism and has a small incident compared to other causes of pancreatitis. Case presentation: The authors present a case of a 39-year-old female patient with acute pancreatitis. Tigecycline was the suspected culprit by exclusion. The patient was managed by keeping her nill per os, rehydration, pain management and discontinuation of the drug. The patient improved gradually. Clinical discussion: Tigecycline-induced acute pancreatitis is a rare but known complication that is mostly seen in patients with chronic renal insufficiency combined with high dose of administration. Onset is usually within 14 days of initiation. Discontinuation of the drug is the most effective intervention in addition to supportive management. Conclusion: Acute pancreatitis should be suspected in any patient presenting with vomiting, abdominal pain and acidosis while on tigecycline. Monitoring of amylase and lipase can be beneficial especially in those with chronic renal insufficiency or those receiving a high dose.
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Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is an oncological emergency characterized by metabolic and electrolyte imbalances associated with the rapid destruction of tumor cells. It is commonly recognized when cytotoxic treatment for hematological malignancies is initiated. Spontaneous TLS with solid tumors like rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is exceedingly rare. It has been noted that the highest incidence of this tumor occurs in individuals under the age of 20 years, with an incidence rate of 4.4 cases per 1 million. Here, we present the case of a 22-year-old male who presented with spontaneous clinical TLS. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a large pelvic mass, diffuse lymphadenopathy, and infiltration of the ocular muscles. Subsequently, a biopsy was conducted, and the histopathological results indicated alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Our literature review revealed five cases of spontaneous TLS caused by RMS, with our patient being the only adult among all published cases.
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Cancer-associated microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (CA-MAHA) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome. The most effective approach to treating CA-MAHA is to address the underlying malignancy. Documented cases of CA-MAHA are limited to fewer than 50 patients in the literature. Herein, we present a 51-year-old female patient who developed CA-MAHA as a complication of gastric adenocarcinoma. Despite receiving neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer, the patient experienced disease progression with metastatic lesions in the liver, pancreas, and other sites. This report highlights the challenges in diagnosing and distinguishing CA-MAHA from other similar conditions such as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), and rheumatological paraneoplastic syndromes. Additionally, it concludes that CA-MAHA is associated with a poor prognosis and limited clinical benefit from treatment, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and effective management strategies.
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Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) represent a collection of highly varied tumors that originate from neuroendocrine cells. They are considered rare tumors that predominantly affect the lungs. Epithelial NENs can be categorized into neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and neuroendocrine carcinomas. It is extremely rare for NET grade 1 (NET G1) to exist in the nasopharynx, these tumors are slow-growing and the onset of symptoms and identification of the tumor may take several years. The majority of cases occur in ages between 60 and 65 years. In this article, we present a case of a 26-year-old female who presented with recurrent epistaxis and nasal obstruction for one and a half years. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a substantial nasopharyngeal mass. Subsequently, a biopsy was conducted, and the histopathological results indicated a NET G1. Our literature review revealed 5 cases of NET G1 in the nasopharynx, with our patient being the youngest among all published cases.
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Introduction: Multiple primary malignancies (MPM) may be in one organ or in multiple separate organs. They are categorized into synchronous and metachronous according to the time interval between the two malignancies. Multiple risk factors could be attributed to the development of second primary malignancy. Case presentation: The authors report a case of a 51-year-old male patient with renal cell carcinoma. During his evaluation, he seemed to have a lung mass which revealed to be a carcinoid tumour. As the patient had two primary malignancies, he was managed according to the treatment options for each tumour. Discussion: Although MPMs have been reported increasingly in the past decade, overall incidence is still very rare. Appropriate management and survival depend on distinguishing between dual primary tumours from metastatic disease. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary approach is very crucial for diagnosis and management such rare cases.
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Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are rare vascular malignancies that are rarely reported in the upper limb, and even rarer as secondary metastasis to the small bowel. We present a case of a 39-year-old male patient, a known case of metastatic SFT, presenting with severe abdominal pain and vomiting. Computed tomography showed ileo-ileal intussusception. Subsequently, he underwent surgical resection. Histopathological examination showed high-grade sarcoma of the intestinal wall, confirming small intestinal metastasis. This constitutes one of the rare cases of SFTs metastasizing to the small bowel, specifically to the ileum. A review of the literature on similar cases is presented. There appears to be a connection between upper limb SFT and bowel metastasis according to reported literature. However, the scarcity of similar reports makes the generalizability of the conclusion limited.
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Background: snake envenomation is a serious healthcare issue. Daboia palaestinae is an endemic species to the Middle East that is responsible for the majority of envenomation cases with serious health issue consequences. Case Presentation: we report a case of a 20-year-old Palestinian man who presented to emergency room following a snake bite. He developed atrial fibrillation which is a rare but serious complication of D. palaestinae snakebite. We reviewed the proper approach and management to such cases. Conclusion: cardiac arrhythmias are a rare but serious, often fatal, complication of snake envenomation. Early detection and proper management is key to avoid morbidity and mortality.
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Background Infertility is a public health issue with a significant impact on the well-being of affected couples. Aim This paper aims to detect the determinants of pregnancy and their outcome after assisted reproductive therapy (ART) in a sample of Palestinian society. Methods A retrospective observational study was carried out at Razan Medical Center for Infertility. Subjects were assigned into twelve categories based on the type of infertility (primary versus secondary), the cause of infertility, and the treatment modality. Age at marriage, age at presentation, duration of infertility, in addition to regularity of menstruation, were also studied. Biochemical pregnancy was considered the endpoint for the purpose of the analysis. Results We reviewed the files of 459 subjects diagnosed with infertility. 79.74% had primary infertility while 20.26% had secondary. 28.85% were found to be infertile due to anovulation, 2.86% due to endometriosis, 16.74% attributed to male factor, and 3.3% had tubal damage. 13.43% of cases were multifactorial while 34.80% were idiopathic. Four biochemical markers were assessed in our study: thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (xÌ=2.32±2.46), luteinizing hormone (xÌ=6.71±4.90), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (xÌ=6.59±6.11), and human prolactin (xÌ=41.88±6.50). The menstrual cycle was regular in 70.58% of subjects, in contrast to 29.41% with irregular cycles. The female mean age at presentation was 22.76±5.58, while their mean age of marriage was 22.76±4. The mean duration of infertility was 3.97±6.87 years. Patients were treated via three modalities - ovarian stimulation (2.2%), intrauterine insemination (29.58%), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (68.21%) - with a success rate of 51.85%. Of the studied factors, only diagnosis, follicle-stimulating hormone, and treatment modality had a significant impact on the outcome, with p-values of 0.040, 0.003, and <.0.001, respectively. Conclusions There is a strong relationship between diagnosis prior to intervention, level of FSH, and treatment modality and successful outcome of ART.
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Abdominal pain in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (PD) is considered a serious, alarming symptom since they are at increased risk for exogenous infection introduced through the peritoneal catheter. Differential diagnosis includes perforated peptic ulcer, cholecystitis, ischemic colitis, appendicitis, diverticulitis, ingestion of foreign body, or malignancy. Typical features of perforation include signs of acute abdomen in addition to free air under the diaphragm detected on imaging. Perforation is an indication of emergency laparotomy, which is the gold standard for diagnosis. We reported a case of a 23-year-old Palestinian male patient who had recently started continuous ambulatory PD. He presented with generalized, colicky abdominal pain associated with nausea and vomiting. He noticed turbid peritoneal fluid while performing daily dialysis sessions. The patient was diagnosed with PD-related peritonitis but had no improvement on intraperitoneal antibiotics. Further evaluation revealed an intraabdominal cause, a perforated appendix. He underwent an urgent laparotomy and switched to hemodialysis. The patient expired due to the complications of his disease. Although PD-related peritonitis is readily diagnosed in patients on continuous ambulatory PD, an underlying intraabdominal pathology should be suspected when the condition is resistant to conventional treatment. Accepting or refuting such a diagnosis can be challenging.
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Ovarian steroid cell tumors are a rare subtype of sex-cord stromal cell tumors. Overall, these tumors make <0.1% of all ovarian tumors. These neoplasms can be divided according to the cell of origin into stromal luteomas, Leydig cell tumors, and steroid cell tumors not otherwise specified. These tumors can be benign, malignant, or borderline, with variable presentation. We report a case of 24-year-old virgin female who was referred to our hospital after being diagnosed with steroid cell tumor-not otherwise specified. Prior to her admission, the patient had been treated unsuccessfully with oral contraceptive pills due to male-pattern facial hair growth, abdominal cramps, and irregular menstrual cycle. Lack of improvement warranted further investigations. Hormonal studies showed an elevated total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and morning fasting cortisol. Ultrasonography and computed tomography confirmed the presence of a large pelvic mass with mixed solid and cystic component. Therefore, unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. Pathological and immunohistochemical examination suggested the presence of a large ovarian steroid cell tumor-not otherwise specified with malignant behavior. The patient did not receive adjuvant therapy and developed metastatic disease. She received four cycles of BEP protocol with no improvement, so she was referred to our center to continue oncological management. Case revision confirmed the presence of steroid cell tumor, but of a different subtype: Leydig cell. She received six cycles of carboplatin-paclitaxel, but her assessment showed disease progression. We report this case with review of literature regarding the appropriate approach to these rare tumors. Although rare, ovarian steroid cell tumors should be included in the differential diagnosis of virilization in young females, especially those refractory to hormonal therapy. In our study, we aimed to present the first reported Palestinian case, which highlights the importance of detailed morphological examination in addition to the difficulties encountered to reach a proper diagnosis. We also provided a review of the existing literature regarding chemotherapeutic lines used in such cases and the response to each.
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Primary sarcomas of the breast are extremely rare and heterogenous malignancies; they should be differentiated from phyllodes tumors. They are characterized by their high rate of recurrence, rapid growth and aggressive coarse. We present a case of a 41-year-old Palestinian female who presented with a recurrent breast mass. Biopsy showed primary sarcoma and imaging confirmed metastasis to axillary lymph nodes. The patient received six cycles of ifosfamide-adriamycin protocol resulting in complete pathological response. She underwent left sided modified radical mastectomy followed by radiation and six more cycles of the same protocol as adjuvant. Primary breast sarcomas are rare neoplasms that require multidisciplinary discussion to guide treatment. The approach to these tumors is chemotherapy followed by surgical resection when operable, in addition to local control via radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy.
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Introduction and importance: Central nervous system sarcomas are rare tumors of mesenchymal origin. Angiosarcomas are an even rarer subtype with poor prognosis and no consensus regarding therapeutic approach. Case presentation: This article presents the case of a 50-year-old Palestinian female patient with a history of treated breast cancer who presented to the emergency room with a tonic-clonic seizure. Brain computed tomography showed a cerebral space-occupying lesion managed with craniotomy and gross tumor resection. Histopathology revealed an epithelioid cerebral angiosarcoma. The patient was treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide resulting in the resolution of the tumor as well as symptoms and complaints. Clinical discussion: Primary cerebral epithelioid angiosarcoma is a highly malignant tumor of an unknown etiology. The patient history of breast created an additional challenge, as recurrence with metastasis had to be excluded. Signs of blood product degradation are an important radiological feature. According to existing literature, gross tumor resection followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy offers the best approach and outcome. Conclusion: Cerebral angiosarcoma is a rare disease with a challenging therapeutic approach due to the scarcity of available literature. It should be included in the differential diagnosis of space-occupying lesions, especially in those with a history of exposure to radiotherapy. Immunohistochemistry is key for diagnosis. Surgical resection followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy is associated with a longer disease-free survival when compared to either option alone.
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Bortezomib is a novel proteasome inhibitor widely used in the treatment of multiple myeloma, especially in the case of recurrent, relapsing, or refractory myeloma. Its common side effects include nausea, vomiting, neuropathic pain, and hemorrhage. Cutaneous manifestations are considered rare. Here we report a case of a 72-year-old female patient, and a known case of multiple myeloma on VRD protocol (bortezomib [Velcade] combined with lenalidominde [Revlimid] and dexamethasone) after relapse. The patient presented with a complaint of raised, itchy, erythematous skin rash, starting in the soles and palms and then spreading to the whole body. A skin biopsy confirmed that the lesions were due to an allergic reaction. The patient was admitted as a case of sepsis and died. Skin rash is considered a rare side effect of bortezomib, with variable presentation and onset. The mainstay of treatment is corticosteroids.