10 research outputs found
Mucinous adenocarcinona of the appendix
Diagnosis of malignancy in the vermiform appendix is quite rare. The most common histological malignant neoplasia found in this tiny portion of the gastrointestinal tract is represented by the mucinous adenocarcinoma. This entity predominates in males around 50 years of age, and clinical presentation usually mimics or occurs along with an acute appendicitis. Early diagnosis is outside the rule since most cases at this stage are symptomless. The authors present the case of a 59-year-old female patient who looked for medical attention complaining of abdominal pain. Physical examination and laboratory workup were poor in diagnostic findings. The computed tomography images were compatible with the diagnosis of appendicitis and/or appendiceal neoplasia. The patient underwent a laparotomy and right hemicolectomy. The histological examination disclosed a moderately differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix stage T4a, N0, M0. The patient outcome was uneventful and was referred to an oncological center
Rupture of an ascending aortic aneurysm as a cause of sudden death
An 84-year-old female patient was brought to the emergency department in cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers were performed but were unsuccessful. The patient had a past medical history of systemic arterial hypertension with target-organ lesions, including stroke and myocardial infarction. The autopsy was carried out, and the most striking finding was cardiac tamponade due to the rupture of an ascending aortic aneurysm at the site of a complex atheromatous plaque. Rupture is the most serious complication of a thoracic aneurysm and must be considered in the differential diagnosis of sudden deat
Recurrence of alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins in two consecutive siblings
Alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (ACD/MPV) is a rare, developmental lung disorder, which has been increasingly reported. This entity usually presents as neonatal persistent pulmonary hypertension that is unresponsive to treatment, and is known to be uniformly fatal. Recent discoveries in the genetic field, and intensive treatments, may change the natural course of this disease, permitting easier diagnosis and giving new hope for the dismal prognosis. The authors present two cases of siblings, with two years of difference, from different fathers - one of them was a first-degree and the other a second-degree cousin of the mother. Both patients were full-term babies born apparently without malformations and were sent to the nursery. Both siblings near 35 hours of age presented severe respiratory failure due to pulmonary hypertension. The outcome was fatal in both cases and at autopsy ACD/MPV was diagnosed. The authors call attention to this entity in the differential diagnosis of acute respiratory distress in early life
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis of indeterminate cause: a fatal adult case
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an uncommon life-threatening disorder characterized by wide spread non-neoplastic proliferation and inappropriate activation of mature macrophages resulting in hypercytokinemia.This uncontrollable and ineffective systemic immune response causes fever, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias and subsequently multiorgan failure. The authors report a case of a 41-year-old male patient with a 30-day history of weight loss, fever, icterus, hepatomegaly, and cytopenias. The diagnosticworkup disclosed hypertriglyceridemia, hypofibrinogenemia, and elevated ferritin. Bone marrow examination and clinical course raised the suspicion of HLH and treatment was started with high-dose corticosteroids and immune globulin. The patient underwent multi-organ failure and expired after 58 days ofhospitalization. The autopsy finding included massive bone marrow infiltration by non-neoplastic histiocytes, many of them showing hemophagocytosis, which immunohistochemical study revealed diffuse CD68-positive histiocytes, which were negative for S100 protein. Hemophagocytosis was also observedin the lungs, lymph nodes and liver. The immediate cause of death was attributed to a massive intestinal bleeding due to extensive ischemic necrosis at the duodenum/jejunal transition area.nul
Rupture of an ascending aortic aneurysm as a cause of sudden death
An 84-year-old female patient was brought to the emergency department in cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers were performed but were unsuccessful. The patient had a past medical history of systemic arterial hypertension with target-organ lesions, including stroke and myocardial infarction. The autopsy was carried out, and the most striking finding was cardiac tamponade due to the rupture of an ascending aortic aneurysm at the site of a complex atheromatous plaque. Rupture is the most serious complication of a thoracic aneurysm and must be considered in the differential diagnosis of sudden deat
Hirschsprung’s disease: the importance of early diagnosis
Congenital intestinal aganglionosis, also called Hirschsprung disease (HD), is defined as the absence of ganglionic cells in the myenteric (Auerbach) and submucosal (Meissner) plexus, due to a failure in the enteric nervous system development. The extent of intestinal involvement may vary according to the age of embryo development in which this failure occurs. It is not unusual for other malformations to be present, as well as chromosomal trisomies, manly trisomy 21. Enterocolitis is a frequent, life threatening, and feared complication of HD. Moreover, oligohydramnios is a well-known condition frequently associated with malformations, including those related to the gastrointestinal tract. The authors report the case of a newborn that presented a delayed meconium passage. On the third day of life, he presented enterocolitis—the outcome of which was favorable with clinical treatment. While the diagnosis of HD was awaiting confirmation, the enterocolitis relapsed and this time he died due to septic shock. The autopsy findings were compatible with a short segment of congenital intestinal aganglionosis. No other malformation was found. The authors call attention for an early diagnosis of HD whenever the meconium passage does not happen for at least 48 hours and for the risk factors of enterocolitis. This case also demonstrates HD associated with oligohydramnios
Diagnosis of aggressive subtypes of eyelid basal cell carcinoma by 2-mm punch biopsy: prospective and comparative study
ABSTRACT Objective : to compare the accuracy of preoperative 2-mm punch biopsy at one site and at two sites in the diagnosis of aggressive subtypes of eyelid basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Methods : we randomly assigned patients to Group 1 (biopsy at one site) and Group 2 (biopsy at two sites). We compared the biopsy results to the gold standard (pathology of the surgical specimen). We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy and Kappa coefficient to determine the level of agreement in both groups. Results : we analyzed 105 lesions (Group 1: n = 44; Group 2: n = 61). The agreement was 54.5% in Group 1 and 73.8% in Group 2 (p = 0.041). There was no significant difference between the groups regarding the distribution of quantitative and qualitative variables (gender, age, disease duration, tumor larger diameter, area and commitment of margins). Biopsy at two sites was two times more likely to agree with the gold standard than the biopsy of a single site. Conclusions : the accuracy and the performance indicators were better for 2-mm punch biopsy in two sites than in one site for the diagnosis of aggressive subtypes of eyelid BCC
Co-infection of disseminated histoplasmosis and tuberculosis in an AIDS patient
Histoplasmosis is a fungal disease caused by the dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, recognized as an AIDS-defining illness since the Center for Disease Control’s revision criteria in 1985. This infection is reported to be present in 5-20% of AIDS patients, and in 95% of the cases it is manifested in its disseminated form. Serum antibodies and/or antigen research can make diagnosis, but the demonstration of the agent by culture or histopathological examination remains the gold standard methods. Co-infections in patients with AIDS are well known; however, reports on disseminated tuberculosis and histoplasmosis are scarce. The authors report the case of a female patient who presented a short-course history of weight loss, fever, and mild respiratory symptoms, with hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy. Laboratory workup called attention to anemia, altered liver, canalicular enzymes, liver function tests, high titer of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and pulmonary nodules on thoracic computed tomography. Incidental finding of yeast forms within the leukocytes during a routine blood cell count highlighted the diagnosis of histoplasmosis. The patient started receiving amphotericin B but succumbed soon after. The authors emphasize the possibility of this co-infection, the diagnosis of severe infection through the finding of yeast forms within peripheral leukocytes, and for the high titer of LDH in aiding the differential diagnosis
Nodular lymphocyte predominance Hodgkin lymphoma of the parotid gland: a case report
The parotid is the most frequent site of primary salivary gland tumors.Lymphomas represent 0.2 to 0.8% of all malignant parotid tumors. PrimaryHodgkin lymphoma of the parotid gland is rare with few cases reported inliterature. The nodular lymphocyte predominance Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)is considered a particular clinical and histopathological subtype of HL. Ithas never been reported in the parotid gland since its incorporation in the2001 World Health Organization Classification. The authors describe a caseof a 32-year-old male who sought medical attention because of a one-yearhistory of right cheek enlargement. A parotid nodule was submitted to a fineneedle aspiration biopsy which disclosed a suspected lymphoproliferativedisorder. A surgical dissection of the parotid gland was performed and anenlarged intraparotid lymph node measuring 4cm in its longest axis wasexcised, preserving the parotid gland integrity as well as the facial nerve.The pathological examination disclosed the diagnosis of nodular lymphocytepredominance Hodgkin lymphoma in this lymph node within the parotid gland.The treatment was completed with local radiotherapy and the 5-year follow upwas uneventful