Cervical lymphadenopathy in childhood: nasopharyngeal carcinoma as a challenging diagnosis

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a carcinoma that arises from the nasopharyngeal mucosa and differs from other head and neck carcinomas by its unique histologic, epidemiologic, and biologic characteristics. NPC is rare in most countries, especially Europe and North America. However, it has a high incidence in several regions of South China. The incidence variability of NPC, among different geographical and ethnic groups, indicates a combination of genetic susceptibility, infection by Epstein-Barr virus and environmental factors. NPC is classified into three histological subtypes according to the 1991 World Health Organization classification: squamous cell carcinoma, nonkeratinizing carcinoma, and basaloid squamous cell carcinoma. The symptoms of patients with NPC are related to the primary tumor site and the degree of dissemination. Therefore, patients can remain asymptomatic during a long period of time. Imaging exams and biopsy of the tumor mass generally are sufficient to establish the diagnosis. NPC is a rare disease among children. The authors report a case of a 12-year-old boy who sought medical attention complaining of a progressive growing tumoral mass on the right side of the neck. The computed tomography images of the head and neck and the histological examination of a cervical lymph node biopsy diagnosed a metastatic NPC

Aortic aneurysm and diverticulum of Kommerell: a dreadful concomitance

First described in 1936, the diverticulum of Kommerell (DOK) is a dilatation of the proximal segment of an aberrant subclavian artery. Appearing more frequently in the left-sided aortic arch, the aberrant right subclavian artery passes behind the esophagus toward the right arm, causing symptoms in the minority of cases. Diagnosis is generally incidental with this pattern. When symptomatic, dysphagia, respiratory symptoms, hoarseness, chest pain, and upper limb ischemia are the most common complaints. Although debatable, the origin of DOK is accepted as being degenerative or congenital. The degenerative condition is normally associated with atherosclerosis and occurs more frequently after the age of 50 years with no gender predominance. Complications may be life threatening and are more commonly related to the diverticulum aneurysm or when associated with aortic diseases such as aneurysms or dissection. The authors present a case of a 67-year-old male with a history of acute chest pain, neurological disturbances, and hypertensive crisis. The diagnostic workup revealed an aortic arch aneurysm with intramural hematoma and a diverticulum aneurysm of Kommerell. Treatment was conservative at first. The patient presented a satisfactory outcome and was referred to an outpatient clinic for follow up and further therapeutic consolidation

Esophageal rupture: a severe complication of transesophageal echocardiography

Since when the first transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was undertaken in 1975, technological advances have made this diagnostic modality more reliable. TEE indications became widespread in cardiac and non-cardiac surgeries, intensive care units, and ambulatory clinics. The procedure is generally considered a safe diagnostic tool, but occasionally complications do occur. The insertion and manipulation of the ultrasound probe can cause oropharyngeal, esophageal, or gastric trauma. Although rare, these complications may present a mortality rate of up to 56% depending on the treatment approach and the elapsed time to the diagnosis. The authors report a case of a 65-year-old woman submitted to attempt a TEE in order to better study or diagnose an inter-atrial communication. After 3 days of the procedure, the patient was admitted to the hospital with edema, hyperemia of the anterior face of the neck, accompanied by systemic symptoms. The imaging diagnostic work-up evidenced signs of esophageal rupture and upper mediastinal involvement, the former confirmed by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The patient was treated with antibiotics and cervical and mediastinal drainage, with a favorable outcome

Calcification of the ligamentum flavum in the thoracolumbar spine: an unusual cause of compressive myelopathy

The focal calcification or ossification of the ligamentum flavum is a rare cause of thoracic myelopathy and most often occurs among individuals of Japanese descent. It is rare in other ethnic groups and in individuals below the age of 50.It is most often described at the lower thoracic level, being uncommon in the lumbar region and rare in the cervical region. Here, we present the case of a 44-year-old White female patient who sought medical attention with an eightmonthhistory of paraesthesia of the lower limbs and progressive difficulty in walking. The clinical profile, together with computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the spine, led to a diagnosis of compressive thoracic myelopathy due to ossification of the ligamentum flavum in the thoracicand lumbar spine. The patient underwent laminectomy and dissection of some of the affected ligamentum flavum, without any intraoperative complications. After three months of clinical follow-up, the patient had progressed favorably, having no sensory complaints and again becoming ambulatory.nul

Primary aortoesophageal fistula: a rare cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a potentially life-threateningemergency, especially in the elderly. This condition accounts for approximately1% of all emergency room admissions. Among the causes of such bleedingis aortoesophageal fistula, a dreaded but apparently rare condition, firstrecognized in 1818. The great majority of cases are of primary aortoesophagealfistula, caused by atheromatous aortic aneurysms or, less frequently, bypenetrating aortic ulcer. The clinical presentation of aortoesophageal fistulais typically characterized by the so-called Chiari’s triad, consisting of thoracicpain followed by herald bleeding, a variable, short symptom-free interval,and fatal exsanguinating hemorrhage. The prognosis is poor, the in-hospitalmortality rate being 60%. Conservative treatment does not prolong survival,and the in-hospital mortality rate is 40% for patients submitted to conventionalsurgical treatment. Here, we report the case of a 93-year-old woman whopresented to the emergency room with a history of hematemesis. The patientwas first submitted to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, the findings of whichwere suggestive of aortoesophageal fistula. The diagnosis was confirmedby multidetector computed tomography of the chest. Surgery was indicated.However, on the way to the operating room, the patient presented with massivebleeding and went into cardiac arrest, which resulted in her death

Idiopathic sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis: an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction

Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP), also called encapsulating peritonitis, is a rare and benign cause of intestinal obstruction of unknown etiology. Its onset may be acute or subacute although there are some reports with a two-month history. More commonly, this entity is secondary to chronic peritoneal dialysis, ventriculoperitoneal and peritoneovenous shunting, the use of β-blockers and systemic lupus erythematous. Recurrent episodes of bacterial peritonitis, intestinal tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, familial Mediterranean fever, gastrointestinal cancer, liver transplantation, intra-abdominal fibrogenic foreign bodies, and luteinized ovarian thecomas are also related to SEP. The idiopathic presentation is more rare. Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, malnutrition, and clinically palpable mass characterize the clinical features. Diagnosis is frequently made with gross findings during surgery, imaging workup and histopathology. The authors report the case of a 36-yearold male patient with a 10-day history of abdominal pain that was operated on because of intestinal obstruction. Diagnosis was made preoperatively and confirmed by the intraoperative findings and histopathology

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

Unusual tomographic findings of complicated necrotizing pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a potential life-threatening disease, which originates\ud from inflammatory involvement of the pancreas and surrounding tissues.\ud Serious complications eventuate and treatment is difficult. AP is classified in\ud both interstitial edematous pancreatitis, which occurs in 70-80% of patients,\ud and necrotizing pancreatitis, which occurs in 20-30% of patients. Diagnosis\ud is based on the presence of two of the following criteria: abdominal pain,\ud increased serum determination of amylase and/or lipase more than three times\ud the reference value, and characteristic tomographic findings. Among the latter,\ud there is the pancreatic and surrounding tissue damage as well as that related\ud to distant organ involvement. This case report shows the fatal case of a male\ud patient with a history of heavy alcoholic abuse admitted with the diagnosis of\ud necrotizing pancreatitis. The authors call attention to the unusual tomographic\ud findings; namely, a huge duodenal hematoma and a large hemoperitoneum,\ud ischemic involvement of the spleen and kidneys, as well as pancreatic and\ud peripancreatic necrosis

Segmental omental infarction: an unusual cause of acute abdomen

Omental infarction is a rare cause of acute abdominal pain, and the cause of omental infarction itself remains unknown. The diagnosis of omental infarction is occasionally made intra-operatively, because it is poorly known and presents no specific clinical features. Therefore omental infarction should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of abdominal inflammatory processes, mainly those affecting the right lower quadrant. The increasing use of computed tomography in cases of acute abdomen has facilitated the diagnosis of omental infarction in the pre-operative period. Here, we present the case of a 36-year-old, overweight female patient with clinical symptoms of acute abdomen. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed indications of omental infarction. The patient was treated conservatively with analgesics and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. The clinical evolution was favorable.nul

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the bladder in a child: a case report

Tumores miofibroblásticos inflamatórios raramente acometem vias urinárias ou crianças, comumente mimetizando neoplasias malignas nos exames de imagem. Foram descritos apenas 35 casos desses tumores na bexiga de crianças, segundo a literatura recente. Os autores apresentam o caso de uma criança com um tumor miofibroblástico vesical que evoluiu favoravelmente após ressecção cirúrgica completa