Project description:Mesenteric cysts were first described in 1507 and since then remain as a rare intraabdominal pathology. The etiology of this kind of tumor is still unclear and the classification remains controversial. They are usually asymptomatic, but can also cause acute abdominal pain and sometimes need emergency surgical approach. Clinical history, physical exam and complementary tests do not always provide diagnosis, which in many cases is made after surgery. Surgical management with complete excision of the cyst is the gold standard treatment. Laparoscopy technique should be preferred whenever is possible. The knowledge of these rare tumors is important for considering the correct approach. The goals of this article is to describe a case report of mesenteric cyst presented with acute abdominal pain at the emergency and do a brief literature review about this entity.
Project description:IntroductionThe cervical lymphoepithelial or branchial cleft cyst are benign dysembryologic cystic tumors developing in the anterolateral region of the neck. They are relatively uncommon anomalies.The aims of this study are to analyze the anatomoclinical features and to discuss the modalities of care for the management of this disease.Presentation of caseWe report a case of a 70 years-old woman who was admitted to our department with a complaint of painless mass in the right supraclavicular region. Clinical examination and radiological investigations found a mass compatible with cervical cyst. Treatment consisted of the complete resection of the cyst. histopathological examination found a Cervical lymphoepithelial cyst.ConclusionThe cervical lymphoepithelial can be easily misdiagnosed. It is imperative that clinicians make an accurate diagnosis for appropriate treatment (that is, surgical excision).
Project description:A 49-year-old female patient, asymptomatic, presented to the cardiology office for a right atrial mass, identified incidentally in a non-electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated contrast-enhanced computed tomography, performed for follow-up of pulmonary tuberculosis. Echocardiography, surprisingly, showed an anechogenic ovoid mass in the right atrium measuring 40 × 40 mm2, implanted in the interatrial septum without affecting the tricuspid valve. ECG-gated computed tomography angiography (CTA), confirmed the dimensions of the mass, which presented homogeneous content, calcified areas, and a 12-mm pedicle implanted near the ostium of the coronary sinus. Additionally, contrast uptake and infiltration of adjacent structures were ruled out. In the surgical field, an encapsulated mass with blood content was found, which pathology reported as a hematic endocardial cyst (HEC). These are rare cardiac masses, constituting 1.5% of all primary cardiac tumors. It is usually an incidental finding, and its clinical presentation will depend on its dimensions and the intracardiac hemodynamic impact. A highlighting feature is its anechogenic content on ultrasound, however, multimodality imaging allows for making diagnostic assumptions, discerning between primary cardiac tumors, and provides morphological and hemodynamic information useful for therapeutic decision making. The age of the patient, the large size of the HEC, and its location in the interatrial septum make up a completely atypical presentation of this rare disease, which motivated this report.
Project description:Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a rare, life-threatening autoimmune blistering disease with pruritus and tension blisters/bullous as the main clinical manifestations. Glucocorticosteroids are the main therapeutic agents for it, but their efficacy is poor in some patients. Tofacitinib, a small molecule agent that inhibits JAK1/3, has shown incredible efficacy in a wide range of autoimmune diseases and maybe a new valuable treatment option for refractory BP. To report a case of refractory BP successfully treated with tofacitinib, then explore the underlying mechanism behind the treatment, and finally review similarities to other cases reported in the literature. Case report and literature review of published cases of successful BP treatment with JAK inhibitors. The case report describes a 73-year-old male with refractory BP that was successfully managed with the combination therapy of tofacitinib and low-dose glucocorticoids for 28 weeks. Immunohistochemistry and RNA sequencing were performed to analyze the underlying mechanism of tofacitinib therapy. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify other cases of treatment with JAK inhibitors. Throughout the 28-week treatment period, the patient experienced clinical, autoantibody and histologic resolution. Immunohistochemical analysis showed tofacitinib significantly decreased the pSTAT3 and pSTAT6 levels in the skin lesions of this patient. RNA sequencing and immunohistochemical testing of lesion samples from other BP patients identified activation of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Literature review revealed 17 previously reported cases of BP treated with four kinds of JAK inhibitors successfully, including tofacitinib (10), baricitinib (1), upadacitinib (3) and abrocitinib (3). Our findings support the potential of tofacitinib as a safe and effective treatment option for BP. Larger studies are underway to better understand this efficacy and safety.
Project description:Lemierre's syndrome has been shown to be increasing in incidence in the past 20 years with one popular suggesting that said rise occurred from less aggressive antibacterial coverage. We report a case of Lemierre's syndrome and also reviewed the 15 most recent case reports. A previously healthy 25 year old male who initially developed sore throat and flu-like symptoms, was prescribed antibacterials as an outpatient but was hospitalized for worsening symptoms. He was later diagnosed with Lemierre's syndrome and improved clinically with IV antimicrobials alone. From our concise literature review, we determined that a decrease in antibiotic prescriptions may not fully explain why the incidence of Lemierre's has been increasing. Thus, future research should be focused in evaluating possible worsening susceptibilities to antibiotics and improvements on detection. We also advise physicians to be aware of the signs and symptoms of this rare but potentially fatal condition as well as the available detection methods and treatment.
Project description:BackgroundCardiac myxomas are considered the most common benign heart tumours. The clinical manifestations mainly depend on the size of the tumour. They usually vary from asymptomatic, mild non-specific symptoms, to severe obstructive cardiac and systemic findings. We describe herein a significantly large left atrial myxoma in a patient misdiagnosed with respiratory asthma.Case summaryA 54-year-old lady, was diagnosed previously with asthma, presented with a history of dyspnoea on exertion, palpitations, and mild peripheral oedema. Chest X-ray suggested pulmonary congestion. Due to high suspicion of cardiac issues, transthoracic echocardiography was done revealing giant left atrial mass. Consequently, the mass was approached and excised surgically through the inverted T biatrial incision. Grossly, the mass measured 10 × 8 × 6 cm, and it had a smooth surface and was filled with gelatinous material. The histopathology confirmed benign myxoma without malignant features.DiscussionOur article mainly focuses on the diagnostic challenges of a patient with atrial myxoma. The major discrepancy between the tumour size and the severity of the patient's symptoms should draw physicians' attention to consider atrial myxoma over a long list of differentials, in order to take immediate action to reduce the mortality and improve the overall prognosis.
Project description:Bronchogenic cysts originate from abnormal budding of the tracheal diverticula during the embryological period. Inaccuracy in the process of growing of the ventral foregut will give rise to bronchogenic cyst. Scapular bronchogenic cyst is an extremely rare form of this anomaly. A three years old boy suffered for 2 years with left sided suprascapular cystic lesion which was gradually increasing in size. The swelling was 4 × 3 cm in size and non tender. The cyst was evaluated by CT scan that showed complex cystic lesion over the left scapular spine. Total excision of the cyst was done and histopathology showed cutaneous bronchogenic cyst. The proposed mechanism for such cutaneous lesion is that the accessory buds from the tracheobronchial tree/primitive foregut migrated from the thorax in an aberrant manner to lie in periscapular positions. The definitive treatment of scapular lesions is total surgical excision. The final diagnosis is based on the histopathological findings in the majority of cases.
Project description:Myxoma is the most common type of benign cardiac tumor in adults, and it has a strong tendency to embolize or metastasize to distant organs. Patients with multiple brain metastases have rarely been seen in clinics; hence, standard treatment protocols for multimyxoma metastasis in the brain have not been established. We present the case of a 47-year-old female who had convulsions in the right hand and repeated seizures. Computed tomography revealed multiple tumor sites in her brain. Craniotomy was conducted to remove the tumor sites. However, recurrent brain tumors and unexpected cerebral infarctions occurred frequently shortly after the treatment because the cardiac myxoma had not been treated due to the patient's personal concerns. The myxoma was resected by gamma knife radiosurgery, and temozolomide was given prior to cardiac surgery. There has been no evidence of tumor recurrence from the 2 years following the surgery until the present. This case highlights the importance of prioritizing cardiac lesions over cerebral lesions; if a cerebral metastasis has been found, it is likely that the cardiac myxoma is already unstable, with high rates of spread and metastasis. Therefore, it is unwise to treat metastasis sites before the cardiac myxoma. Additionally, the case suggests that gamma knife radiosurgery combined with temozolomide is effective as treatment for multiple myxoma metastasis in the brain. Compared with conventional cerebral surgery, gamma knife radiosurgery is safer, causes less bleeding, and requires a shorter time for recovery.
Project description:IntroductionCiliated hepatic foregut cyst (CHFC) is a rare cystic lesion that arises from the embryonic foregut with approximately 100 cases reported. Most commonly identified in segment IV of the liver, CHFC is typically asymptomatic and incidentally found on abdominal imaging. It is important to consider this entity in the differential diagnosis of atypical liver lesions since CHFC carries a risk of transformation into squamous cell carcinoma. A suspicion of CHFC is therefore an indication for surgical resection.Case presentationA 62-year-old male presented to surgery consultation for further evaluation of a hepatic cyst incidentally found on abdominal ultrasound. The patient was completely asymptomatic. Both abdominal computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scan confirmed a 4 cm subcapsular cyst in segment IVa. Additional workup was unremarkable. Considering the diagnostic doubt the patient underwent laparoscopic cyst enucleation. Histology revealed a ciliated pseudostratified epithelium consistent with a CHFC.Clinical discussionCHFC is a rare diagnostic entity that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic hepatic lesions, particularly those located in segment IV of the liver. Since it is frequently asymptomatic, CHFC is usually found incidentally during surgery or imaging studies. Diagnosis of CHFC preoperatively is difficult due to the lack of specific radiographic findings. Moreover, metaplasia and squamous carcinoma can occur. Therefore complete surgical excision is the recommended treatment.ConclusionDespite its rarity, CHFC carries a risk of malignant transformation. Accurate diagnosis is mandatory and surgical excision is recommended even in asymptomatic CHFC.