Abdominal angina--a rare cause of chronic abdominal pain

We report here a case of chronic postprandial abdominal pain and weight loss of more than one year duration. He was diagnosed to have abdominal angina (chronic mesenteric ischemia) on CT angiography. Open surgical revascularization procedure-right common iliac mesenteric polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) bypass graft achieved positive short and longterm outcome with follow-up of twenty two months.     

Mesenteric fibromatosis: a rare cause of acute abdominal pain

A 45-year-old man, with a previous history of astrocytoma, presented with diffuse abdominal pain. A CT scan was non-specific and the pain worsened; his abdomen became peritonitic on examination. An exploratory laparotomy was performed, and a large small bowel mesenteric mass was found together with an associated haematoma. Subsequent histology showed the tumour to be a benign fibromatosis, and the patient recovered uneventfully. There were no reports in the literature of any association between astrocytomas and fibromatosis. Mesenteric fibromatosis is a rare tumour often associated with Gardner's syndrome. It can present in a multitude of ways and the only definite treatment is surgical resection.     

A rare cause of an abdominal mass

A 57-year-old male presented with right upper abdominal lump since 3 months. He was diagnosed to have a hepatic artery aneurysm. He was investigated thoroughly but no cause was found. He was subjected to endovascular embolisation of the aneurysm using endovascular coils. Subsequently the aneurysm was completely occluded. Hepatic artery aneurysms are very rare among all visceral aneurysms. We report this rare case of hepatic artery aneurysm presenting as an abdominal lump. This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis and management of this rare entity as a rupture may be catastrophic.     

Internal herniation of wandering spleen--a rare cause of recurrent abdominal pain

A rare case of wandering spleen herniating through a defect in transverse mesocolon, which was managed electively by splenopexy using polyglycolic acid mesh is reported. An enlarged wandering spleen is at constant risk of trauma, torsion and infarction. Internal herniation seems to increase the above risks. Early recognition and elective splenopexy should be the treatment of choice.     

Intussusception of the appendix secondary to mucinous cystadenoma: A rare cause of abdominal pain

A 35-year-old woman was seen as an outpatient with a 3-month history of pain in the right iliac fossa. A CT scan of her abdomen revealed the presence of a mucocele of the appendix. Intra-operatively, an appendico-appendicular intussusception was found. Histology confirmed the presence of a mucinous cystadenoma with the presence of acellular mucin on the serosal surface of the appendix. This association has rarely been described in the literature. Prompt surgical intervention is advocated to prevent the subsequent development of pseudomyxoma peritonei. We present a case of intussusception of the appendix with a mucinous cystadenoma as its lead point.     

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis--a rare cause of severe abdominal pain. Case report.

A 48-year-old man with a long history of recurrent severe abdominal pain developed moderate drug dependence before the diagnosis of eosinophilic gastroenteritis was established. The symptoms quickly responded to corticosteroid treatment.     

Lymphangioma of the mesentery. A rare cause of acute abdominal pain syndrome in adults]

We report about one case of cystic lymphangioma of the jejunum in a 27-year-old woman admitted to hospital for abdominal pain. The study of this case and the review of the literature enabled us to bring out the main characteristics of the lesion: rarity in adults, benignancy, mode of occurrence--most often painful--, radiological--and particularly CT--features, diagnosis based on histological findings only, and lastly, treatment with surgical exeresis that must be complete to prevent recurrence.     

Thoracolumbar hernia: A rare cause of back pain

We report a case of a hernia through the thoracolumbar fascia in a young adult male who presented with pain and swelling in the thoracolumbar region. Surgical repair of the defect was performed in the superficial layer of the thoracolumbar fascia and, 18 months following surgery, he remained asymptomatic. The purpose of this report is to make clinicians aware of a thoracolumbar hernia as a rare cause of back pain.     

A rare cause of acute abdominal pain in adolescence: Hydrosalpinx leading to isolated torsion of fallopian tube

Torsion of the fallopian tube accompanying hydrosalpinx is a rare occurrence in the pediatric population. This report describes a 13 year old sexually inactive girl with isolated tubal torsion due to hydrosalpinx. The girl had lower left abdominal pain for two days. The physical examination revealed left lower quadrant tenderness with a firm round anterior mass on rectal examination. Abdominal ultrasound showed left tubal enlargement with free pelvic peritoneal fluid. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed engorgement and dilatation of the left fallopian tube without contrast enhancement suspicious of tubal torsion. At operation, torsion of the left tube on its longitudinal axis was observed, and a salpingectomy was performed.