Acute gastric dilatation and acute pancreatitis in a patient with an eating disorder: solving a chicken and egg situation

A 26-year-old woman with an eating disorder presented to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain following binge eating. A plain film X-ray demonstrated a huge dilatation of the stomach with a high air-fluid level. Serum amylase was 2,265 IU/L, and serum lipase was 2,001 IU/L. Abdominopelvic computed tomography scan revealed a massive gastric dilatation and completely compressed duodenum. The distended right colonic loop and small bowel loops were reduced to the pelvic area and the displaced small bowel and mesenteries tightly pulled on the mesenteric vasculature. After nasogastric tube decompression and irrigation, her abdominal pain subsided. On the 15th day after admission, a follow-up abdominopelvic computed tomography scan demonstrated mild edematous changes of the pancreas compatible with pancreatitis.     

Gastric emphysema, a critical condition accompanied by eating disorders: a case report

Gastric emphysema encompasses a broad spectrum of diseases. A 31-year-old woman presented with severe vomiting and epigastric pain. She had lost body weight for several months, and was later diagnosed as having anorexia nervosa. A radiological study demonstrated intramural gas with huge gastric dilatation and portal venous gas. She underwent total gastrectomy and was rescued from extensive gastric necrosis. Her clinical findings suggest that extraordinary dilation of the stomach increased the intraluminal pressure, thereby resulting in perfusion disturbance and extensive gastric necrosis. There are five other case reports of gastric emphysema associated with eating disorders in the literature. All but one were young women, and one of 4 patients with massive gastric necrosis died due to septic shock. Eating disorders cause gastric emphysema through several unique mechanisms, including gastric muscular atrophy, occlusion of the gastroesophageal junction, and delayed gastric emptying. Gastric emphysema in relation to eating disorders carries a risk of life-threatening complications and requires urgent diagnosis and treatment.     

Silent acute gastric dilatation due to Salmonella infection in a diabetic elderly

Acute gastric dilatation is a potentially life-threatening entity that has been reported in patients with some acute infections like pneumonia and staphylococcal bacteremia. We describe a case of acute gastric dilatation presenting atypically in a 65-year-old diabetic with Salmonella diarrhoea. By the fourth day of hospital admission the patient's abdomen was distended in the absence of pain, nausea or vomiting. An abdominal radiograph showed marked gastric dilatation with no evidence of obstruction or ileus. With nasogastric tube insertion and initiation of intravenous antibiotics, the stomach was back to normal size. It is likely that Salmonella infection was the major cause of acute gastric dilatation in this patient.     

Gastrojejunostomy for pyloric stenosis after acute gastric dilatation due to overeating

A 34-year-old woman presented at our hospital withabdominal distention due to overeating.Acute gastric dilatation was diagnosed.The patient was hospitalized,and nasogastric decompression was initiated.On hospitalization day 3,she developed shock,and her respiratory state deteriorated,requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation.Nasogastric decompression contributed to the improvement in her clinical condition.She was discharged 3 mo after admission.During outpatient follow-up,her dietary intake decreased,and her body weight gradually decreased by 14 kg.An upper gastrointestinal series and endoscopy revealed pyloric stenosis; therefore,we performed gastrojejunostomy 18 mo after her initial admission.The patient was discharged from the hospital with no postoperative complications.Gastric necrosis and perforation due to overeating-induced gastric dilatation are life-threatening conditions.Surgical intervention may be required if delayed pyloric stenosis occurs after conservative treatment.We report a case of pyloric stenosis due to overeating-induced gastric dilatation treated by gastrojejunostomy 18 mo after the initial presentation.     

Dramatic electrocardiographic T-wave changes associated with gastric dilatation

A case report is presented of a 54-year old female patient with a history of acute-onset sharp retrosternal chest pain. Clinical examination was unremarkable, but the 12-lead ECG showed anterior T-wave inversion and the chest x-ray film showed gaseous dilatation of the stomach. The patient's symptoms and electrocardiographic abnormalities resolved immediately after gastric decompression. Further investigations revealed no evidence of coronary artery disease. This case report documents marked T-wave changes and atypical chest pain with gastric dilatation. The possible causes of the ECG changes and chest pain are discussed.     

Extraordinary cause of acute gastric dilatation and hepatic portal venous gas: Chronic use of synthetic cannabinoid

Addiction to synthetic cannabinoids(SCs) is a growing social and health problem worldwide. Chronic use of SCs may cause adverse effects in the gastrointestinal system. We describe a very rare case of acute gastric dilatation(AGD) and hepatic portal venous gas(HPVG),with findings of acute abdomen resulting from chronic use of a SC, Bonzai. AGD and HPVG were detected by computerized tomography examination. Patchy mucosal ischemia was seen in endoscopic examination. Despite the findings of an acute abdomen, a non-surgical approach with nasogastric decompression, antibiotic therapy, and close radiologic and endoscopic followup was preferred in the presented case. Clinical and radiologic findings decreased dramatically on the first day, and endoscopic findings gradually disappeared over 7 d. In conclusion, this case shows that chronic use of a SC may cause AGD and accompanying HPVG,which can be managed non-surgically despite the findings of acute abdomen.     

Solitary gastric Peutz-Jeghers type stomach polyp mimicking a malignant gastric tumor

Most cases of Peutz-Jeghers type polyps of the stomach are associated with mucocutaneous pigmentation and multiple intestinal polyposis. A solitary Peutz-Jeghers type polyp of the stomach is rare. We here report a case of a 71-year-old woman with a solitary Peutz-Jeghers type polyp of the stomach who presented with intolerable epigastric pain and weight loss of 5 kg over the prior two months. During the hospital treatment course for this patient, endoscopic examination revealed a bulging lesion with a central hole, mucosal ulceration, an asymmetrical wall thickness and a narrowing of the gastric lumen. A gastric biopsy further revealed ulceration with moderate dysplasia. The patient received endoscopic ultrasonography which showed a second subepithelial lesion that measured 4 cm × 3 cm. Computed tomography of the abdomen subsequently showed a thickened gastric wall with three visibly enlarged lymph nodes, all greater than 1 cm. The suspected diagnosis was malignant gastric cancer with lymph node metastases. The other lesion, which measured 2 cm × 2 cm × 1 cm was noted in the submucosa of the jejunum during surgery. The patient was treated using a subtotal gastrectomy and partial resection of the jejunal tumor. The final pathological report indicated a gastric Peutz-Jeghers type polyp with proliferation of smooth muscle bundles in the submucosal layer, and hyperplastic glands in the mucosal layer and ectopic pancreas of the jejunum. This is the first reported clinical case of a solitary Peutz-Jeghers type polyp of the stomach accompanying a lymph node enlargement and ectopic pancreas in the jejunum that simulates stomach cancer with lymph node metastases.     

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome resulting from acute massive gastric dilatation caused by Helicobacter pylori-induced acute antral gastritis

A previously well, slender 14-year-old boy developed right epigastric pain with vomiting. His vomiting gradually changed to bile-stained fluid for 8 h. He was diagnosed with superior mesenteric artery syndrome with acute massive gastric dilatation by contrast-enhanced computed tomography, which also showed markedly thickened prepyloric gastric wall that may have caused gastric outlet stenosis. Acute gastric mucosal lesions of the antrum were confirmed by endoscopic and histological studies. Endoscopic biopsy specimens using rapid urease test and histopathology detected Helicobacter pylori. Serum anti-H. pylori antibody was negative. He did well after conservative treatment. We conclude that an acute form of superior mesenteric artery syndrome resulted from compression of the artery by acute massive gastric dilatation associated with transient gastric outlet stenosis caused by acute antral gastritis, which resulted from the initial H. pylori infection.     

Endoscopic approach to gastric remnant outlet obstruction after gastric bypass: A case report

BACKGROUND Acute gastric remnant bleeding is a rare complication of bariatric surgery. Furthermore, acute bleeding from the gastric remnant resulting in gastric remnant outlet obstruction has not been described previously. Endoscopic management of gastric remnant bleed has been challenging due to difficulty accessing the excluded stomach. Traditionally, this necessitates surgical intervention. Recently, however, the adoption of endoscopic ultrasound-directed transgastric intervention provides an alternative approach to management.CASE SUMMARY A 65-year-old male with a prior gastric bypass presented with the sudden onset of progressive abdominal distension, nausea, and melena of two days duration. His imaging illustrated a massively distended stomach. A nasogastric tube did not result in drainage of fluid or decompression of his abdomen. His endoscopy revealed a normal-appearing gastro-jejunal anastomosis and confirmed the distended "fluid"-filled gastric remnant. An endoscopic ultrasound-directed gastrogastrostomy was created to decompress the gastric remnant. Two liters of blood was suctioned before a large adherent clot was visualized in the gastric antrum. The patient underwent emergent angiography with embolization of the gastroduodenal artery. He was discharged with a stable hemoglobin level and resolution of symptoms. Healing superficial gastric ulcers were visualized on a follow-up endoscopy. Gastric biopsies were consistent with Helicobacter pylori infection for which the patient was treated, and successful eradication was achieved.CONCLUSION This patient benefited from a timely diagnosis and effective therapy of an acute gastric remnant obstruction from a bleeding ulcer with endoscopic ultrasound-directed transgastric intervention.     

Mucosal lesions due to gastric distension in the rat

The pathogenesis of acute gastric mucosal lesions produced by distension of the rat stomach was studied. One hour of distension with 0.1 N HCl, but not saline, produced lesions in the glandular stomach in all rats. Histologic studies revealed marked thinning of the mucosa plus thrombus formation in the ulcerated area. Gastric distension with 8 ml HCl (per 100 g body weight) produced severe lesions, 4 ml minimal lesions and 2 ml no lesions. Intragastric pressure in the 8-ml group remained above 110 mm H₂O for the first 10 min. Distension with 8 ml acid/100 g body weight for just 10 min resulted in significant lesion formation. Acid distension did not cause generalized disruption of the gastric mucosal barrier to H⁺ back-diffusion. It appears that an intragastric pressure of over 110 mm H₂O for 10 min damages the mucosa by pressure (with thinning) and ischemia (with thrombosis), resulting in decreased resistance to acid peptic digestion and consequent acute lesion formation.Dr. Gati was a Visiting Scientist under the National Academy of Sciences Scientific Exchange Program.     

Endoscopic mucosal resection for early gastric cancer. A case report

European experience in endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for early gastric cancer is still relatively low, since early stomach cancer is diagnosed at a much lower rate in Europe than in Japan and generally operable patients are referred to surgery for radical resection. Endoscopic mucosal resection or mucosectomy was developed as a promising technology to diagnose and treat mucosal lesions in the esophagus, stomach and colon. In contrast to surgical resection, EMR allows "early cancers" to be removed with a minimal cost, morbidity and mortality. We present the case of a patient with hepatic cirrhosis incidentally diagnosed with an elevated-type IIa early gastric cancer. Echoendoscopy was performed in order to assess the depth of invasion into the gastric wall confirming the only mucosal involvement. We performed an EMR using "cup and suction" method. After the procedure, the patient experienced an acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding from the ulcer bed requiring argon plasma coagulation. The histopathological examination confirmed an early cancer, without involvement of muscularis mucosae. The patient has had an uneventful evolution being well at six months after the procedure     

Massive gastric distention due to duodenal involvement by retroperitoneal tumors.

We present three patients with retroperitoneal tumor involving the duodenum in whom upper gastrointestinal (GI) studies revealed delayed gastric emptying and massive gastric dilatation out of proportion to the degree of duodenal dilatation. While the radiographic findings mimicked acute gastric outlet obstruction, delayed films demonstrated narrowing and encasement of the duodenum at the site of obstruction in all three patients. Thus, the duodenum should be carefully evaluated radiographically in patients with acute gastric dilatation, particularly if there is a known history of malignancy.     

Noncardiac chest pain due to acute gastric anisakiasis

Summary This paper described the first confirmed case of acute anginalike chest pain caused by gastric anisakiasis. A 55-year-old male, with a history of a sudden onset of chest pain and also a history of eating raw mackerel and tuna 9 hr prior to the onset of chest pain, was found upon endoscopy to have an imbedded parasite in the mucosal lining of his stomach. The chest pain disappeared after the endoscopic removal of larva. Endoscopy is highly recommended at the earliest possible time for patients who are suspected to have acute gastric anisakiasis.     

Gastric blood flow and the gastric mucosal barrier

The basic mechanisms underlying cytoprotection of gastrointestinal mucosae against damage are not understood. One hypothesis is that the initial and primary system affected by a cytoprotective agent is the local circulation of the tissue that is being protected. According to this circulatory hypothesis, a cytoprotective prostaglandin would increase gastric mucosal blood flow, thereby ameliorating the effect of topical damaging agents, such as ethanol, aspirin or bile salts. Four questions need to be considered in order to evaluate the circulatory hypothesis: (i) What degree of ischemia is necessary to break the gastric mucosal barrier? (ii) Is peptic ulcer disease due to local ischemia of the mucosa? (iii) Do mucosal damaging agents invariably reduce gastric blood flow? (iv) Do cytoprotective agents invariably increase gastric blood flow? A survey of available literature concerning blood flow and damage to the gastric mucosa suggests that: (i) severe degrees of gastric ischemia are necessary to impair vital functions of the epithelial cells of the stomach; (ii) peptic ulcer disease is not a manifestation of isolated gastric ischemia; (iii) mucosal damaging agents do not invariably reduce gastric blood flow; and (iv) cytoprotective drugs do not invariably increase gastric mucosal blood flow. The weight of available evidence does not support the circulatory hypothesis about the mechanism of cytoprotection.     

Mucosal ablation using photodynamic therapy for the treatment of dysplasia: an experimental study in the normal rat stomach.

Surgery is the only effective treatment for dysplasia in the gastrointestinal tract with considerable associated morbidity and mortality and is difficult to justify without confirmed malignancy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) produces localised necrosis, which can be limited to the mucosa. This study examined the mechanical properties of the normal rat stomach after PDT. The aim of this study was to measure the bursting pressure of PDT lesions in the stomach and to assess gastric emptying after producing circumferential mucosal necrosis at the pylorus by PDT. Two photosensitising agents were used--5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA), and aluminium disulphonated phthalocyanine (A1S2Pc). Normal rats were sensitised and PDT lesions created in the stomach with red light. The bursting pressure was measured and compared with that in thermal control lesions. In further experiments, circumferential mucosal necrosis was produced at the pylorus, and animals observed for subsequent eating and weight gain. It was found that gastric bursting pressure was reduced after thermal injury, but not at any time after PDT (with A1S2Pc, but not ALA, adhesive omental reinforcement was required to maintain the gastric wall strength at one week). For the pyloric lesions, gastric emptying was permanently impaired using A1S2Pc, but with low dose ALA (20 mg/kg) had returned to normal by three days. With ALA, but not A1S2Pc, necrosis could be limited to the mucosa. In conclusion, using ALA, selective ablation of the gastric mucosa is possible, which does not reduce the strength of the stomach and only temporarily delays gastric emptying. PDT is a promising technique for the circumferential ablation of dysplastic mucosa.     

Aspirin damage to ischemic gastric mucosa in shocked cats.

Cardiac output and blood flow to different regions and layers of the stomach were determined by the microsphere distribution technique. Aspirin tablets were placed in the stomach of anesthetized cats by gastrotomy. In some animals the arterial pressure was reduced to about 60 mmHg for 30 min by bleeding. The gastric mucosal blood flow decreased markedly during the bleeding. Three hours after reinfusion of the blood gastric mucosal erosions were present at the site of contact of the tablet with the mucosa. In most of the non-bled animals no mucosal lesions were found 4 1/2 after aspirin application. No mucosal damage occurred in animals subjected to bleeding without aspirin treatment. It is concluded that the aspirin damage to the gastric mucosa increases under hemorrhagic shock because of mucosal ischemia in the shocked animals.     

急性胃黏膜病变148例临床分析

目的 探讨急性胃黏膜病变的诊治情况,提高对该病的认识。方法 回顾性分析2001-01～2003-12广东揭阳市人民医院148例急性胃黏膜病变住院病人的临床资料。结果 急性胃黏膜病变约占同期上消化道出血住院病人的21.0％,病因依次为药物因素,严重的内、外科疾病及其它。确诊的手段主要是急诊胃镜检查。去除诱因,积极处理原发病,降低胃内酸度是治疗的基础。结论 急性胃黏膜病变主要病因为应用损害胃黏膜的药物及严重的内外科疾病所致,质子泵抑制剂、生长抑素及其类似品治疗有效。     

Effect of ethanol on endothelin-1 release from gastric vasculature

The effects of ethanol on gastric vasculature in isolated vascularly perfused rabbit stomach was investigated. The isolated stomach was perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution containing 3% dextran bubbled with 95% O₂ and 5% CO₂ at a rate of 12 ml/min. After mixture and perfusion of 10 mM to 400 mM of ethanol, perfusion pressure and endothelin-1 concentration in effluent from gastric vasculature were measured. Perfusion pressure and endothelin-1 concentration in effluent increased in a dose-dependent manner with increasing ethanol concentrations. In conclusion, the data suggest that ethanol may stimulate the release of endothelin from gastric vasculature and may cause gastric ischemia due to vasoconstriction resulting in acute gastric mucosal injury.     

Massive upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage from an arteriovenous malformation of the stomach

Arteriovenous malformations of the stomach are rare; blood loss may be manifested either by chronic anemia or by massive recurrent hemorrhage. We report a patient with massive upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage from a gastric arteriovenous malformation. Emergency operation to control hemorrhage precluded the performance of angiography; diagnosis was made from the appearance of the lesion and dilatation of the veins draining the involved area. Complete operative excision of the lesion was curative.     

Chronic mesenteric vascular insufficiency with gastric ulceration

Four middle-aged women presented with long histories of severe progressive weight loss and chronic abdominal pain. Endoscopically atypical gastric ulcers were identified in all; the ulcers were multiple and antral in location, with irregular shapes, sloping edges, and whitish sclerotic bases, and were surrounded by mottled and erythematous mucosa containing numerous superficial erosions. They did not heal with conservative therapy. All 4 patients were found to be suffering from chronic mesenteric vascular insufficiency. Balloon dilatation of the superior mesenteric artery in one and surgical revascularization in the others resulted in progressive clinical improvement and healing of the ulcers. The striking feature in these patients with mesenteric ischemia was the finding of gastric ulcers with a morphology different from the ordinary gastric ulcer, which healed only with revascularization. Future observation of similar lesions should suggest the possible diagnosis and expedite early treatment of mesenteric insufficiency in patients with this disorder.