Perforated Jejunal Diverticulitis: a rare cause of acute abdominal pain

It is imperative for surgeons to have a heightened awareness of complications of jejunal diverticular disease so that they can act quickly and contribute to a successful clinical outcome for their patients.     

Intussusception: a rare cause of abdominal pain in pregnancy.

A 34-year-old woman presented at 19 weeks in her third pregnancy with abdominal pain and hyperemesis. This was her third admission during the pregnancy for similar complaints. A few days after admission an exacerbation in her pain was noted, in particular on eating or lying down, and a firm and mobile epigastric mass could be palpated separate from her uterus. The differential diagnosis was a hernia or a degenerating pedunculated fibroid. Sonography revealed a mass separate from the uterus with an appearance consistent with intussusception. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis. A limited right hemicolectomy was performed. The final diagnosis was adenocarcinoma of the colon. It is difficult to diagnose intussusception during pregnancy. The presenting symptoms of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and constipation are common in pregnancy and the displacement of the bowel by the gravid uterus hampers examination. Intussusception is very rare in adults and generally it is associated with tumors. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult but possible with accurate imaging.     

Endotoxin-induced pulmonary dysfunction is prevented by C1-esterase inhibitor.

In septic shock, hypotension, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and neutrophil activation are related to the activation of the blood coagulation contact system. This study evaluates in dogs the effect of the C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH), a main inhibitor of the blood coagulation contact system, on the cardiovascular and respiratory dysfunction associated with endotoxic shock. Two groups were included: controls, which received Escherichia coli endotoxin, and a C1-INH group in which C1-INH was infused before E. coli endotoxin administration. In both groups, endotoxin produced hypodynamic shock; however, the decrease in the systolic index and the ventricular systolic work indexes were greater in controls than the C1-INH group. In controls, the arterial O2 partial pressure decreased by 30% and the alveolo-arterial O2 difference increased by 625%, these parameters remained unchanged in the C1-INH group. Hypoxemia was associated with increased intrapulmonary shunt, decreased blood coagulation contact factors, and decreased C3c. In contrast, C1-INH administration prevented endotoxin-induced hypoxemia, the increase in intrapulmonary shunt, and the decrease in blood coagulation contact factors. This study shows that, in dogs with endotoxic shock, pulmonary dysfunction is associated with an activation of the blood coagulation contact phase system. An inhibition of this system by C1-INH prevented the hypoxemia induced by endotoxic shock.     

Ovarian vein thrombosis: a rare cause of abdominal pain outside the peripartum period

Ovarian vein thrombosis (OVT) is a rare cause of abdominal pain that may mimic a surgical abdomen. The differential diagnosis of OVT includes acute appendicitis, endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease, pyelonephritis, nephrolithiasis, tubo-ovarian abscess, and ovarian torsion. The complications of OVT, including sepsis and pulmonary embolism, are significant. Diagnosis relies on a careful examination of the radiographic findings. This diagnosis should be considered not only in postpartum patients but also in women with pelvic inflammatory disease, recent abdominal surgery, malignancy, or known hypercoagulable state. In this report we present a case of OVT in a 29-year-old woman presenting with 3 days of sharp left-sided abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting after bilateral salpingectomy. We then discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical management of OVT.     

Infarction of the greater omentum. Elusive cause of acute abdominal pain

Omental infarction may be much more common than the number of cases reported in the literature would imply. The condition should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain. A thorough search for it should be made in patients whose findings at laparotomy are not consistent with the preoperative diagnosis (usually acute appendicitis), especially when serosanguineous fluid is found in the peritoneal cavity. Treatment is excision of infarcted omentum to prevent formation of adhesions with obstructive and septic complications.     

Acquired C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) deficiency type II. Replacement therapy with C1-INH and analysis of patients'' C1-INH and anti-C1-INH autoantibodies.

The response of two patients with autoantibody-mediated C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) deficiency to replacement therapy with C1-INH was studied over a period of 3 d. In patient 1 an acute attack of angioedema was successfully managed by infusion of 1,000 U of C1-INH concentrate. C1-INH function returned to normal levels within 30 min, while CH50 and C4 peaked after 6-7 h and C1 hemolytic activity reached 50-60% of normal after 3 d. Immediately after the injection an increase in C1-INH-anti-C1-INH complexes was observed. Based on NH2-terminal sequence analysis of the patients' Mr 96,000 C1-INH, it is concluded that this fragment is generated after cleavage of C1-INH in its active site by one of its target proteases without generating a covalent C1-INH-enzyme complex. In a second patient with a four to five times higher anti-C1-INH antibody titer, the infusion of 500 ml of plasma or of 2,000 U of C1-INH concentrate influenced neither the severity of the patient's angioedema nor the tested parameters, except for an increase in the amount of C1-INH-anti-C1-INH complexes. Analysis of patients' anti-C1-INH antibodies revealed that the antibodies recognize different epitopes within the C1-INH. This suggests that patients with acquired angioedema type II are a heterogenous group with respect to the C1-INH autoantibodies.     

Bench-to-bedside review: The role of C1-esterase inhibitor in sepsis and other critical illnesses

The purpose of this bench-to-bedside review is to summarize the literature relating to complement activation in sepsis and other critical illnesses and the role of C1-esterase inhibitor (C1 INH) as a potential therapy.     

Ruptured renal artery aneurysm: an uncommon cause of acute abdominal pain

Previously thought to be extremely rare, renal artery aneurysms are now being found more commonly as incidental findings during the evaluation of refractory hypertension. Symptoms related to the aneurysm are uncommon and rupture occurs infrequently, but with devastating consequences. Factors predisposing to rupture include pregnancy, polyarteritis nodosa, and lack of aneurysmal calcification. Angiography is the study of choice for diagnosing the presence of visceral aneurysm and rupture. We report a case of ruptured renal artery aneurysm that presented with sudden onset of abdominal pain but no significant findings on physical examination. The patient's size precluded the detection of a pulsatile abdominal mass or the ability to obtain an abdominal angiogram. Computed tomography scan with contrast revealed the correct diagnosis, and successful treatment was initiated.     

Effects of methylamine and heparin on a rapid chromogenic assay of C1-esterase inhibitor in plasma

We describe a rapid assay of C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-inh) activity in plasma. After adding purified C1s serine protease (EC 3.4.21.42) in excess to plasma, we determine the residual C1s activity towards a new chromogenic tripeptide, CH3CO-Lys(CbO)-Gly-Arg-pNA. Optimal conditions include the addition of methylamine (final concentration 0.12 mol/L) to reduce the potential inhibitory capacity of alpha 2-macroglobulin towards C1s and the addition of heparin (final concentration 3000 int. units/L) to enhance the reaction of C1s with C1-inh. The correlation with C1-inh antigen concentrations in plasma was excellent. The estimated interassay CV was 4.3%, whereas the intra-assay CV was 2.0% for activity concentrations within the range of normal individuals (means +/- 2 SD: 70-124%), 1.3% at lower concentrations. The method is more convenient, rapid, and precise than previous methods, and C1-inh activity in plasma can be assessed within 30 min. We found that concentrations of C1-inh in plasma were low during open-heart bypass surgery.