Splenic pregnancy: a case report and review of the literature

Primary splenic pregnancy is the least common form of extrauterine pregnancy. We report a case of splenic pregnancy occurring in a 29-year-old woman presenting with acute abdomen and hemoperitoneum. Recognition of this rare form of gestation is of critical importance, owing to the risk of exsanguination and death, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen in women of reproductive age.     

A vertebral artery without atlantic and intradural sections: a case report and a review of the literature.

This report covers a case in which the right vertebral artery (VA) did not participate in the formation of the basilar artery. The artery had an external diameter of about 1 mm. It ran trough the transverse foramina of C6 through C2, then turned backward and entered the spinal canal and the dural envelope between the posterior arch of C1 and the lamina of C2 as a medullary artery to end in the spinal arteries. The basilar artery was a continuation of the left VA only. Only very few cases of non-union of the VA with the basilar artery have been previously described. Cases with extreme reduction of one of the VAs are not exceptional. This variant is clinically important. On arteriography, this extremely rare condition could easily be misdiagnosed as an obstruction. In view of manipulative therapy and in the detection of vertebrobasilar insufficiency, one has to bear in mind that cases of non-union may influence the interpretation of these tests.     

Cervical pregnancy: case report and literature review

Cervical pregnancy is gaining recognition as a serious complication of early pregnancy. In view of the increasing incidence of the condition and the formidable therapeutic problems posed, a review of the literature is timely. This paper also presents a case report illustrating many of the typical features associated with cervical pregnancy.     

Pemphigus vulgaris in pregnancy: a case report and review of literature

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an uncommon, immune-mediated bullous dermatosis, which, during its active phase, has been associated with infertility. Pemphigus vulgaris during pregnancy is exceedingly rare-only 26 cases with immunopathological confirmation have been reported. The disease may be associated with adverse neonatal outcome, including prematurity and fetal death. Transient skin lesions may occasionally appear in the neonate. We report a patient who conceived during the active phase of PV, required high doses of corticosteroids to control the disease, and was delivered of a pre-term, appropriate-for-gestational age newborn.     

Retroesophageal right subclavian artery: a case report and review of the literature

BackgroundVariations of vessels arising from the aortic arch are numerous. One of the common anatomical variations is the right subclavian artery originating as the last branch of the aortic arch. This is a report of a case of an adult male cadaver with a retroesophageal right subclavian artery.ObjectiveTo highlight the significance of a retroesophageal right subclavian artery, especially its clinical and surgical implications.MethodIs a report of a case of an anomalous vessel found during routine student dissection of the chest region in a male cadaver.ResultThe retroesophageal subclavian artery was seen originating as the last branch from the postero-lateral aspect of the thoracic aorta at the vertebral level T4. The heart was normal with no other vascular variations seen in this region.ConclusionAnatomists and pathologists mainly encounter a retroesophageal right subclavian artery by chance and is usually described as asymptomatic, but several clinical conditions have been associated with its occurrence. This is a clear example of when knowledge of an anatomical variation is helpful in clinical practice.     

主动脉夹层动脉瘤合并肺动脉夹层动脉瘤猝死病例报道及文献回顾

目的：对罕见的主动脉及肺动脉同时发生的夹层动脉瘤进行报道并讨论其死亡原因。方法：分析1例因主动脉夹层动脉瘤合并肺动脉夹层动脉瘤猝死病例的解剖所见、组织学特征,结合文献分析讨论。结果：死者男性,76岁,因外力打击后猝死于家中。解剖所见主动脉、肺动脉夹层动脉瘤形成,肺动脉各级分支夹层动脉瘤形成伴动脉管腔狭窄。组织学证实大动脉动脉粥样硬化。结论：主动脉合并肺动脉夹层动脉瘤非常罕见,病情凶险,易引起猝死。     

Heterotopic pregnancy after IVF-ET: report of a case and a review of the literature

A case of heterotopic, intrauterine and tubal ectopic pregnancy is reported, following in-vitro fertilization and transfer of four 4-cell embryos. The literature on the subject is reviewed and the possible aetiological factors, as well as the clinical essentials for early pre-operative diagnosis are discussed.     

Medical management of interstitial ectopic pregnancy: a case report and literature review

Recent reports describe successful treatment of interstitial ectopic pregnancies using methotrexate. While the number of reported cases is increasing, no consensus exists regarding the management of this complication of pregnancy. We present the successful use of combined systemic and direct intrasac injection of methotrexate for an interstitial pregnancy with the highest yet reported initial beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin concentration (102,000 mIU/ml). We also describe the use of Doppler ultrasound for monitoring treatment progression. Through a review of the current literature, we propose to facilitate management decisions and increase outcome success by summarizing previously reported treatment regimens and by describing enhanced parameters for patient selection and monitoring.      

Manifestations of pseudoxanthoma elasticum during pregnancy: a case report and review of the literature

A 30-year-old white woman with pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) was followed throughout her pregnancy with several fetal ultrasonographic examinations and other diagnostic studies; these showed normal development up to the 26th wk and then a marked deceleration of fetal growth. The ultrasonographic appearance of the placenta was abnormal at all times probably related to the microscopic changes. The baby, born at 36 wk, showed severe intrauterine growth retardation as a probable consequence of the abnormal placenta detected by ultrasound and corroborated at birth. The cotyledons were small and more numerous than normal. One third of the placenta was hypoplastic or atrophic, with focal calcification in septa, stroma, villi, and decidua, and increased deposition of fibrin around villi. The most striking change was the increased number of septa and the abnormal elastic tissue.     

Infraoptic anterior cerebral artery: case series report and literature review

An infraoptic course of the precommunicating anterior cerebral artery (A1 segment) is a rare anomaly. We report three patients with an infraoptic A1 diagnosed by computed tomography angiography and we review the literature focusing on embryological development. In all three patients, a left infraoptic A1 that originated from the ophthalmic level of the internal carotid artery was diagnosed incidentally. Only one patient had a normal supraoptic A1. The embryogenesis of this anomaly is unclear. We propose that an error in the development of the definitive ophthalmic artery is possible mechanisms giving rise to this anomaly.     

Use of extracorporeal respiratory support during pregnancy: a case report and literature review

We describe the case of a 25 year-old woman at 27 weeks of gestation who was admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A. She presented with septic shock and refractory hypoxemia unresponsive to rescue therapies such as recruitment maneuvers, prone positioning, and nitric oxide inhalation. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for respiratory support was instituted, and the patient's clinical conditions progressively improved: she was extubated after 16 days and discharged from the ICU 3 days later. No fetal complications were observed. At 38 weeks of gestation she gave birth to a healthy baby.     

Primary venous dissecting aneurysm arising during pregnancy: a case report and review of the literature

This report describes a case of venous dissecting aneurysm presenting as a popliteal mass, in a 33 year old woman. A 1 x 1 x 0.5 cm lump developed early in the course of a second pregnancy. Primary venous aneurysms are rare vascular abnormalities that can affect either the superficial or deep veins, and have been described throughout the venous system. Most commonly found in the neck and central thoracic veins, they have also been found in visceral veins and extremities. There is a tendency for vascular disturbances to occur during pregnancy. The haemodynamic changes and hormonal milieu may be the cause of vascular alterations, which can lead to new aneurysm formation, or weakening of pre-existing aneurysms. This is the first reported case of a dissecting venous aneurysm, and has the added interest that it occurred during pregnancy.     

Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia associated with pregnancy: a case report and review of the literature

A case of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALH) is reported in a 33-year-old woman who developed an auricular nodule during the second trimester of her pregnancy. Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia usually occurs on the head and neck of young adults and is more common in women than in men. Characteristic histologic features of ALH present in this case included proliferation of thick-walled blood vessels lined by prominent endothelial cells, infiltration of the interstitium by chronic inflammatory cells (mainly eosinophils), and presence of lymphoid follicles with germinal centers. The auricular tumor was completely excised. Thirteen months after excision, the patient remains tumor free. Although there are not many case reports on ALH during pregnancy or involving use of oral contraceptive pills, sex hormones may play a role in the pathogenesis of ALH. This hypothesis, in the context of cases previously described in the literature, and the differential diagnosis of ALH are discussed.     

Gliofibroma: a case report and review of the literature

Gliofibroma is a rare astrocytic tumor, composed of a glial component ranging from benign to high grade of malignancy and a consistently benign mesenchymal component. Its exact biological behavior is not fully known. In addition, histogenesis and prognostic factors are also still debatable. We herein present a rare case of gliofibroma in a 25-yr-old male with seizure. A computed tomographic scan of the brain showed a 1.5 cm-sized, enhancing mass with calcification. Histologically, the tumor consisted of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive glial cells admixed with a mesenchymal component and extensive collagen lay down. The glial cells displayed variable cellularity, but without mitosis or necrosis. Since the MIB-1 labeling index was up to 35.8% in the cellular areas of the glial component, it could be considered to be a predictor of worse prognosis.     

The right accessory hepatic artery; a case report and review of the literature

A rare case of the right accessory hepatic artery was observed during multidetector-row Computer Tomography examination in a 65-year-old Caucasian female with portal vein thrombosis. This artery arose from the common hepatic artery near the celiac trunk and ran behind the hepatic portal vein to the right lobe of the liver. The diameter of the right accessory hepatic artery when compared to the diameter of the proper hepatic and common hepatic arteries corroborated the functional importance of this vessel. In-depth knowledge of not only “standard” anatomy but also of the numerous angiological variants is necessary in clinical practice. The variation shown in our case has very rarely been reported in medical literature.     

A fusiform aneurysm of a persistent trigeminal artery variant: case report and literature review

A 48-year-old man suffered from spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. Emergent right internal carotid angiography showed the presence of a persistent trigeminal artery (PTA) variant with a fusiform aneurysm on its proximal segment where it branched from the internal carotid artery. This artery supplied the territory of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery. After consideration of the adequacy of the cerebellar circulation without this anomalous artery, intraluminal occlusion of the aneurysm together with the PTA variant was performed using detachable coils. The patient recovered uneventfully without any neurologic deficits.     

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection associated with cocaine use: a case report and brief review.

Isolated, spontaneous dissection of the coronary arteries in the absence of trauma is an unusual but well-documented occurrence. Fewer than 50 cases have been reported in males in the English language literature, and only one case, nonfatal, was associated with cocaine use. We present the second overall and the first fatal case of cocaine-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection and a brief review of the literature on coronary dissection and the cardiovascular effects of cocaine use. The mechanism of cocaine's toxicity on the heart and vasculature is complex, multifactorial, and predominantly related to cocaine's adrenergic properties. The increased arterial blood pressure from cocaine's inotropic and chronotropic effects combined with its direct vasoconstrictive effect leads to increased shear forces on the coronary endothelium. This elevated stress may be responsible for the formation of an intimal tear and the subsequent dissection of the coronary artery. If the dissected portion of the arterial wall is displaced enough to significantly occlude the true lumen, infarction can result. In light of this possibility, coronary artery dissection must be considered in young patients presenting with symptoms of cardiac ischemia and a history of cocaine use.     

椎动脉及大脑后动脉并后交通动脉变异1例

正解剖教学中发现1成年男尸右大脑后动脉有2支,起自基底动脉的右大脑后动脉外径明显小于左大脑后动脉和起自颈内动脉的右大脑后动脉;无右后交通动脉,左后交通动脉发育不良(图1)。描述如下:(1)椎动脉外径差大:双侧椎动脉均起自锁骨下动脉,左/右侧起始处、入枕骨大孔处和末端的外径为分别为3.78 mm/7.52 mm、2.66 mm/6.10 mm和1.74 mm/4.52 mm,起始处至寰椎横突孔上方的距离12.50 cm/12.99 cm。     

肺动脉内膜肉瘤1例并文献复习

目的探讨血管内膜肉瘤的临床及病理特点。方法对1例肺动脉内膜肉瘤进行光镜、电镜观察和免疫组化检测并复习文献。结果肿瘤位于肺动脉血管腔内,阻塞管腔,并延伸至周围小血管。光镜下肿瘤细胞主要为梭形细胞,散在分布上皮样细胞和多核巨细胞,核分裂象约46／50HPF。电镜观察见细胞内含有丰富的粗面内质网、线粒体,无向特殊细胞分化的特征。免疫组化染色vimentin呈弥漫阳性、α—SMA灶性阳性、HMB-45散在弱阳性,CKpan、CD34、CD31和S-100蛋白等均阴性。结论内膜肉瘤是一种罕见的发生于大血管壁的恶性肿瘤,预后差,免疫表型无特异性,了解该肿瘤发病部位、临床及病理特点有助于做出正确诊断。