Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are defined as aberrant linkages between arteries and veins in the absence of a capillary network. This case report will discuss the incidental finding of an AVM likely originating from the diaphragm. A 65-year-old female presents for an umbilical hernia repair. Her past medical history is significant for HTN, type 2 diabetes mellitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and class 1 obesity. She has a past surgical history of hysteroscopy in 2020 and laparoscopy in 1996. She has no history of tobacco use, alcohol use, or recreational drug use. She is allergic to contrast. A computed tomography (CT) scan was ordered and incidentally showed a soft tissue mass in the left upper quadrant adjacent to the stomach and diaphragm, possibly a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) or splenule, in addition to diastasis of the abdominal wall. Biopsies of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum from the esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) were all benign. A nuclear medicine scan of the liver and spleen found an estimated 2.3 cm soft tissue nodule located between the fundus of the stomach and the left hemidiaphragm that does not demonstrate sulfa colloid uptake and is therefore not consistent with a splenule. This is the only incidence cited of an AVM originating from the diaphragm. We suspect that the origin of this AVM is the inferior phrenic artery. The decision for management for this case was to get a CT scan of the abdomen and chest to trace the path of the AVM and manage with surveillance.
Purpureocillium lilacinum is a filamentous fungus commonly found in soil that has been recognized as an opportunistic pathogen. Cutaneous infections with Purpureocillium lilacinum are relatively rare, and they usually occur in individuals with some predisposing factors such as minor trauma or pre-existing skin conditions. Infections in immunocompetent individuals are unexpected due to the fungus’s typically low pathogenicity and the robust immune response of healthy individuals. In immunocompetent hosts, the skin serves as an effective barrier against many fungal infections. While cases of cutaneous infections in immunocompetent hosts have been documented, they are considered rare outliers. Presented is the case of a 93-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with a 10-day history of progressive, painful left upper extremity erythema and swelling. The patient had aggressive progression of hemorrhagic bullae requiring surgical debridement. While the patient’s presentation was originally thought to be consistent with necrotizing fasciitis, only cutaneous necrosis was encountered, and the patient was ultimately diagnosed with a superficial P. lilacinum infection. The failure of treatment leading to death in the described case could be attributed to a combination of factors including intrinsic resistance of the fungus, delayed diagnosis, underlying health conditions, antifungal susceptibility variations, fungal persistence, and immunosuppressive factors.
Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthritis is one of the most common and debilitating pathologies evaluated by the hand surgeon, affecting up to 35% of individuals over 55 years of age. Though multifactorial in etiology, dorsal and radial subluxation of the thumb CMC due to incompetency of the volar beak ligament is thought to be among the most important factors contribution to the arthritis. Multiple operative interventions have been proposed to best address this pathology. In the United States, trapeziectomy with ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition (LRTI) as described by Burton and Pellegrini remains the most widely used technique. As an isolated trauma, dislocation of the thumb CMC joint is a rare injury, only comprising approximately 1% of injuries evaluated by hand surgeons. Typically, thumb CMC dislocations occur due to axial load with the thumb in a flexed position. They are most commonly dorsal dislocations, and are thought to occur due to failure of the dorsoradial ligament. To date, no cases of CMC dislocation after LRTI have yet been described in the literature. Here we present a patient with volar thumb CMC dislocation as a rare complication after LRTI. After percutaneous pinning and immobilization followed by hand therapy, the patient has had a successful return to work with improved pain, restored function, and no further instability.
The success rate of vascularized free flap transplantation in head and neck oncologic surgery is high, ranging from 94% to 98.8%; however, flap necrosis sometimes occurs after surgery. When vessel-related complications occur, flap necrosis proceeds rapidly. Thus, flap monitoring after surgery is especially important. We recently treated two patients with flap-related complications. A vesicle appeared on the surface of the flap and enlarged within a short time; the flap’s color changed to purple, and a reoperation was eventually performed. While there are approaches to monitor flaps, this is the first report suggesting the assessment of vesicle formation for flap monitoring, since the vesicles occur several hours before changes in the flap color.
Isolated congenital aplasia of carpal bones in the absence of an associated congenital syndrome is exceedingly rare. Since the first documented case report of congenital carpal bone absence in 1911, only 12 additional case reports have been published. Here we present a case report of an otherwise healthy 43-year-old male with unilateral congenital absence of the lunate, which has only been previously reported once in the literature.
Traditional access for open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of posterior rib fractures occurs through either a posterior lateral thoracotomy or posterior paramedian approach. We report the case of severe blunt chest wall injury reconstruction using the novel implementation of an Opening Wedge Thoracostomy (OWT) approach. This approach is conventionally indicated for expansion thoracostomy in the surgical management of scoliosis. The OWT approach facilitates chest wall reconstruction vis-a-vis reflection of the trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles providing excellent exposure of the posterior thoracic cage facilitating surgical reduction and fixation. Satisfactory stability of the posterior chest is not achievable using previously described approaches. OWT approach exposure for posterior thoracic reconstruction absents the surveyed literature.
We describe a case of a 70-year-old female who presented with pain and swelling in her right groin. CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis found Amyand’s hernia with evidence of inflammation of the appendiceal tip consistent with appendicitis. Laparoscopic appendectomy and open hernia repair revealed an incarcerated hernia. Using blunt dissection, the inflamed tip of the appendix was found in the femoral canal. The appendix was removed. The patient had a De Garengeot’s hernia, not the Amyand’s hernia initially suspected. Patient was discharged home the following day.
Patients with colorectal cancer will develop recurrence of the disease with greater than 90% having it in the first 5 years following surgery. If detected early, may be amenable to potentially curative surgical resection. This provides the rationale for a follow-up strategy in patients with resected colorectal cancer. We report a case of a 68-year-old female who had a loco regional recurrence after 13 years of primary surgery involving the middle part of sacrum, raising the question regarding the long term surveillance.
We describe the phenomenon of the development of lower urinary tract symptoms (storage) following accidents in which there is no direct bladder trauma or pelvic fracture and propose the term “Whiplash bladder”. That bladder symptoms may develop in such circumstances is under appreciated in the urological and medical legal literature.
Reports of bilateral Preiser’s disease-avascular necrosis of the scaphoid -- are rare with only 4 cases reported in the English literature. We present the fifth reported case of bilateral Preiser’s disease in the setting of a previously undiagnosed hypercoagulability disorder.
Objective: Trapeziometacarpal (TM) joint arthritis is a common source of hand pain in patients presenting to the hand surgeon’s clinic. Long-term data on the natural history of symptomatic TM arthritis is lacking.Methods: We identified 251 patients with symptomatic TM arthritis and performed a retrospective chart review which identified treatment modalities (including surgery) and long term outcomes which were assessed via a telephone survey.Results: We found that of the 251 patients who presented with symptomatic TM arthritis, the 114 patients who had surgery had less pain and disability in the long term than those patients who were treated conservatively with splinting or injection (average pain score 1.8 vs. 3.8). However, the majority of patients did not ultimately undergo surgery.Conclusions: Although patients fare better from a pain and function standpoint with surgery, surgery is not inevitable.
Duodenal duplication cysts (DDC) are a rare type of enteric duplication. We describe the clinical presentation and laparoscopic management of a 7-year-old boy with a periampullary DDC.We also discuss the embryologic and imaging features that distinguish DDC from choledococele (CC). Careful consideration of the anatomic relationships between the ampulla, common bile duct, and duplication cyst are essential to avoid intraoperative bile duct injury.
Anastomotic leaks following abdominoperineal resection with rectal anastomosis become clinically significant in 2.9%-22% of cases. Local recurrence of cancer and local inflammation are the most common causes of these leaks . Colonic perforation presenting with suppurative involvement of the lower extremities has been previously reported. We describe herein the case of a colorectal anastomotic leak secondary to pathology-proved acute appendicitis presenting with suppurative necessitation causing right hip septic arthritis five years following lower anterior resection (LAR) for stage unspecified colorectal cancer. No similar case has been demonstrated in the surveyed literature.
Objective: Current literature debates whether administration of sugammadex translates into a higher operating room (OR) efficiency when compared to neostigmine. This study is a blinded assessment of the effects of sugammadex versus neostigmine on OR efficiency as determined by time of reversal to time of the next case.Methods: 50 patients undergoing abdominal surgery were randomized and evenly distributed into two groups, one receiving sugammadex (4 mg/kg) and the other, neostigmine (0.06 mg/kg) plus glycopyrrolate (0.004 mg/kg). Muscle paralysis was induced with intravenous rocuronium (0.6 mg/kg). Train of four (TOF) was monitored using acceleromyography every 10 minutes until reversal. Reversal agents were blindly prepared and administered during closing. TOF was then recorded every minute until a T4/T1 ratio ≥ 0.9 was achieved. This was designated as time of complete reversal. Subsequently, post-reversal outcome measures were collected.Results: Patients receiving sugammadex experienced a significantly shorter reversal time compared to those receiving neostigmine and glycopyrrolate (2.92 ± 1.71 minutes vs. 7.68 ± 5.63 minutes; p = .0002). No other outcome measures were significantly different between groups: time of OR ready for next case was 55.4 min vs. 56.1 min respectively; not significant.Conclusions: While sugammadex was significantly faster at reversing patient neuromuscular blockade the time from reversal to patient extubation after Sugammadex was prolonged. . This could be due to blinding, as blinded providers are unable to anticipate time of reversal and must compensate by making decisions at safe fixed intervals. This is reflected in that the time gained by administration of sugammadex is approximately equal to the delay experienced across all endpoints collected to the patients’ actual discharge.
Objective: Few reports have evaluated postoperative continuous thoracic epidural analgesia on patients who received a lung transplant. This analgesic modality may facilitate extubation, early ambulation, and achieve adequate pain control with minimization of opioid use. An opioid sparing technique could minimize the side effects of opioids such as ileus, constipation, and somnolence.Methods: A retrospective chart review following local IRB approval was performed. A total of 97 patients’ charts were collected, from April 2015 to March 2017. Forty-eight patients received T6-7 epidural, and forty-nine patients received standard intravenous (IV) analgesia. Outcome measures collected included length of intensive care unit stay, total duration of hospitalization, need for reintubation or noninvasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV), need for IV lidocaine gtt, and total narcotics consumption during hospitalization in milligrams of morphine equivalents (MME).Results: Both groups were comparable in age, BMI, and race/gender distribution. Additionally, patient pain requirements were comparable between groups. However, a significantly smaller proportion of thoracic epidural patients required NIPPV post-operatively, (20.4%, 53.2%: p = .0015). Further, the number of patients requiring reintubation was almost halved, (12.5%, 21.3%: NS). Patients receiving thoracic epidural also experienced shorter ICU times (p = .0335) and on average, an overall reduced length of stay by six days.Conclusions: For patients undergoing lung transplant, epidural analgesia is a viable alternative to IV pain control. Further, it significantly reduced respiratory depression and length of stay in the ICU. More refined comparisons can be made by conducting a precise prospective study with a more structured protocol in place.
Traumatic tension pneumothoraces can result from blunt or penetrating trauma. We present a case of a 48-year-old man that was diagnosed with traumatic tension pneumothorax following anterior penetrating left hemithorax trauma from a Sylvester Palm frond thorn. Prior reports of traumatic tension pneumothoraces resulting from Sylvester Palm frond thorns were not found in the surveyed literature.
Background: Blunt injury of the spleen is common and with the shift towards nonoperative management in haemodynamically stable patients, the delayed development of splenic artery pseudoaneurysms are of great concern. Management traditionally involves angioembolisation with the intent to preserve splenic function; however recent studies suggest that this is not without complication.Case presentation: We present a rare case of delayed splenic pseudoaneurysm arising 6 days post motorbike accident, with initial computerised tomography showing no evidence of splenic injury. The patient was successfully embolised and progressed well without complication. No clear cause was found for his development of splenic injury.Conclusions: Splenic artery pseudoaneurysms are not uncommon and necessitate follow-up imaging after nonoperative management of blunt splenic trauma. Once diagnosed, embolisation versus conservative management can be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Nocardia cerebral abscess is uncommon. It accounts for 1%-2% of all cerebral abscesses. It typically occurs in immunocompromised patients but cases in immunocompetent hosts been reported. Diagnosis of Nocardia brain abscess can be difficult and misleading. In this report we report a case of Nocardia abscessus brain abscess that was misdiagnosed initially as brain tumor. The patient has been successfully managed medically along with surgical evacuation twice.
Pneumatosis intestinalis can be identified radiographically incidentally in an asymptomatic patient, or it may be present in its fulminant form with peritonitis. Although multiple mechanisms have been postulated, most believe it arises from mechanical or infectious factors. Respiratory factors have also been described as possible causes for this condition. Clinically, it is important to differentiate among patients whom require surgical intervention from those who would benefit from conservative management, such as hyperbaric oxygen, changes in diet, and/or antibiotic administration. Although supplemental oxygen has become the standard of care for the treatment of benign pneumatosis intestinalis, we question whether all patients require oxygen therapy as a treatment. Although oxygen may be beneficial, the literature suggests there may be detrimental effects from oxygen toxicity and the free radicals formed during hyper-oxygenation. Furthermore, given the rising epidemic of antibiotic resistance and the various toxicities associated with usage of antibiotics, do all patients really require antibiotics? We present a case of a patient with complaints of hematuria, but no other gross abdominal complaints and was incidentally found to have pneumatosis intestinalis and pneumoperitoneum without any evidence of vascular compromise or ischemia. This patient was managed successfully with conservative treatment without oxygen therapy or antibiotics.
Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is an extremely rare cutaneous neoplasm of the dermal layer of the skin and is histologically classified as a sarcoma. DFSP itself has an incidence of 0.8 cases per million annually. It accounts for 1% of all soft tissue sarcomas and less than 0.1% of all malignancies. DFSP has a high rate of local recurrence especially if there are positive margins on excision, but only up to 4% develop metastasis. Most reported cases are located in the trunk, extremities and head especially scalp. However, DFSP of the breast is very rare with very few reported in the literature. We report a case of a 33-year-old woman who presented with a histological diagnosis of DFSP of the breast, based on incisional biopsy. We report this case which highlights the important aspects in evaluating DFSP in the breast as well as its treatment.
