Vitamin D supplementation and lipid profile: What does the best available evidence show?

Vitamin D supplements have increasingly been used for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. Historically, effects of the vitamin on the cardiovascular (CV) system have been proposed and demonstrated in the literature, including benefits on serum lipids. Although observational studies support an association between increased serum vitamin D levels and a favorable lipid profile, interventional studies have shown no effects.     

Massive gastrointestinal bleeding due to isolated jejunal varices in a patient without portal hypertension

INTRODUCTIONIsolated ectopic varices located in the small bowel are uncommon. Portal hypertension caused by liver cirrhosis is the most common predisposing risk factor.PRESENTATION OF CASEWe present an unusual case of massive gastrointestinal bleeding from idiopathic jejunal varices in a 73-year-old Caucasian male without portal hypertension. Exploratory laparotomy disclosed ectopic varices located in the small intestine. Segmental resection of the jejunum with end to end anastomosis resulted in a complete resolution of the haemorrhage. During a 5 year follow up, the patient is stable with no bleeding recurrence.DISCUSSIONInformation on aetiology, diagnosis and management of jejunal varices is reviewed.CONCLUSIONDiagnosis and management of isolated jejunal varices is challenging. Surgeons as well as acute care physicians have to consider idiopatic form of jejunal varices as a potential cause of gastrointestinal bleeding when gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy are negative.     

Benign Cephalic Histiocytosis: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Benign cephalic histiocytosis (BCH) is a rare type of non‐Langerhans histiocytic disorder, usually presenting with small, yellow‐red or yellow‐brown, asymptomatic papules, located mostly on the head and neck of infants and young children. The histopathologic hallmark of BCH is a well‐circumscribed histiocytic infiltrate in the superficial to mid‐reticular dermis. BCH is a self‐healing disorder, with the eruptions regressing spontaneously in most cases; therefore no treatment is required. We present a case of BCH in a 7‐month‐old boy who was referred to our department with multiple, asymptomatic, yellow‐red papules located on his face, and we review 55 cases published in the English‐language literature in an effort to better describe and understand this unusual entity.