A stinging wasp in the stomach: accidental endoscopic diagnosis of a systemic anaphylactic reaction.

There are only four reported cases of bees or wasps being found as foreign bodies in the esophagus or stomach. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of a wasp puncture in the stomach causing local (acute heartburn) and systemic symptoms (anaphylaxis)

Endoscopic palliative management of esophageal and tracheal rupture

The increasing number of patients requiring intensive care and airway support has led to a growing recognition that significant short- and long-term morbidity may be associated with the use of artificial airways; this is despite significant improvements in the materials used in laryngeal tubes, which aim to decrease the trauma associated with long-term intubation. We present the first case, to our knowledge,of huge, nontraumatic, esophageal perforation, widely communicating with the trachea, and which was treated successfully with double endoscopic stent placement

Retrospective analysis of management of ingested foreign bodies and food impactions in emergency endoscopic setting in adults

Background: Ingestion of foreign bodies and food impaction represent the second most common endoscopic emergency after bleeding. The aim of this paper is to report the management and the outcomes in 67 patients admitted for suspected ingestion of foreign body between December 2012 and December 2014. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Palermo University Hospitals, Italy, over a 2-year period. We reviewed patients’ database (age, sex, type of foreign body and its anatomical location, treatments, and outcomes as complications, success rates, and mortalities). Results: Foreign bodies were found in all of our 67 patients. Almost all were found in the stomach and lower esophagus (77 %). The types of foreign body were very different, but they were chiefly meat boluses, fishbones or cartilages, button battery and dental prostheses. In all patients it was possible to endoscopically remove the foreign body. Complications related to the endoscopic procedure were unfrequent (about 7 %) and have been treated conservatively. 5.9 % of patients had previous esophageal or laryngeal surgery, and 8.9 % had an underlying esophageal disease, such as a narrowing, dismotility or achalasia. Conclusion: Our experience with foreign bodies and food impaction emphasizes the importance of endoscopic approach and removal, simple and secure when performed by experienced hands and under conscious sedation in most cases. High success rates, lower incidence of minor complications, reduction of the need of surgery and reduced hospitalization time are the strengths of the endoscopic approach

A case of splenic rupture: a rare event after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is generally safe and well-accepted. In rare cases, it is associated with complications (intra- e postoperative bleeding, visceral injury and surgical site infection). Splenic lesion has been reported only after direct trauma. We report an unusual case of splenic rupture presenting after “uncomplicated” LC. Case presentation A 77-year-old woman presented with distended abdomen, tenderness in the left upper quadrant and severe anemia 12 hours after LC. Clinical examination revealed hypovolemic shock. Abdominal computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of splenic rupture, and the patient required an urgent splenectomy through midline incision. The post-operative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on 7th postoperative day. Splenic injury rarely complicates LC. We postulate that congenital or post-traumatic adhesions of the parietal peritoneum to the spleen may have been stretched from the splenic capsule during pneumoperitoneum establishment, resulting in subcapsular hematoma and subsequent delayed rupture. Conclusions Splenic rupture is an unusual but life-threatening complication of LC. Direct visualization of the spleen at the end of LC might be a useful procedure to aid early recognition and management in such cases

Trocar-related abdominal wall bleeding in 200 patients after laparoscopic cholecistectomy: Personal experience

AIM: To determine the complications and incidence of the first and second access-related vascular injuries induced by videolaparoscopic cholecistectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed vascular injuries in 200 consecutive patients who underwent videolaparoscopic cholecistectomy from 2003 to 2005. One hundred and one patients with placement of radial expanding trocars were assigned into group A and 99 patients with placement of pyramidal tipped trocars into group B. All the patients were submitted to open access according to Hasson for the first trocar. RESULTS: Bleeding did not occur at the intraoperative cannula-site in group A. However, it occurred at the intraoperative cannula-site of 7 patients (7.1%) in group B, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.01). No mortality was registered. More vascular lesions were found in group B. CONCLUSION: The advantage of Hasson technique is that peritoneal cavity access is gained under direct vision, preventing most severe injuries. The open technique with radial expanding trocars is recommended for secure access to the abdominal cavity in videolaparoscopy. Great care should be taken to avoid major complications and understanding the abdominal wall anatomy is important for reducing bleeding during or after s placement of trocars

Multiple food hypersensitivity as a cause of refractory chronic constipation in adults

Chronic constipation that is unresponsive to laxative treatment is a severe illness, but children unresponsive to laxatives have been successfully treated with an elimination diet. We report the first cases of refractory chronic constipation caused by food hypersensitivity in adults. Four patients with refractory constipation who were unresponsive to high doses of laxatives were put on an oligo-antigenic diet and underwent successive double-blind, placebo-controlled, food challenges (DBPFC). Routine laboratory tests, immunological assays, colonoscopy, esophago-gastroduodenoscopy and rectal and duodenal histology were performed. While on an elimination diet, bowel habits normalized in all patients and a DBPFC challenge triggered the reappearance of constipation. In comparison with another 13 patients with refractory constipation unresponsive to the elimination diet, observed over the same period, the patients with food-hypersensitivity-related constipation had the following characteristics: longer duration of illness (p < 0.03), lower body mass index (p < 0.03), higher frequency of self-reported food intolerance (p < 0.01), higher frequency of nocturnal abdominal pain and anal itching (p < 0.01). In patients with food hypersensitivity, hemoglobin concentrations and peripheral leukocytes were lower than those in controls (p < 0.03). The duodenal and rectal mucosa histology showed lymphocyte and eosinophil infiltration, and the duodenal villi were flattened in two cases. In adult patients, refractory chronic constipation may be caused by food hypersensitivity and an elimination diet is effective in these subjects

Anti-Transglutaminase Antibody Assay of the Culture Medium of Intestinal Biopsy Specimen Can Improve the Accuracy of Celiac Disease Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: We measured anti-transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibody in the culture medium of intestinal biopsy specimens from patients with suspected celiac disease (CD) and evaluated the relationship between antibody production and severity of intestinal mucosal damage. METHODS: We performed diagnostic testing for CD on 273 consecutive patients. In addition to routine histologic evaluation of duodenal biopsy specimens, we assayed anti-tTG antibodies in serum and in the culture medium of duodenal biopsy specimens. RESULTS: CD was diagnosed in 191 of the 273 patients. Sensitivity and specificity of the serum anti-endomysium (EmA) and anti-tTG assays were 83% and 85% and 99% and 95%, respectively, and both had 88% diagnostic accuracy. EmA and anti-tTG assayed in the culture medium had 98% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 98% diagnostic accuracy (vs serum assays; P <0.0001). Twenty-nine CD patient specimens (16%) were negative for serum anti-tTG and EmA; for 24 of these patients, anti-tTG assay of the culture medium was positive. The CD patients whose biopsy specimens were positive for serum antibodies showed the following intestinal histologies: total villous atrophy, 35%; severe villous atrophy, 25%; mild atrophy, 25%; villi with no atrophy but with increased intraepithelial lymphocytes, 15%. None of the CD patients whose specimens were negative for serum antibodies showed total or severe villous atrophy; 77% had mild villous atrophy, and 23% had no villous atrophy but had increased intraepithelial lymphocyte counts. Mild villous atrophy was also seen in specimens from approximately 15% of patients without CD. CONCLUSION: Anti-tTG assay of the culture medium of biopsy specimens can improve the accuracy of CD diagnosis in patients negative for serum antibodies

Risk of low bone mineral density and low body mass index in patients with non-celiac wheat-sensitivity: a prospective observation study.

Background: Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or ‘wheat sensitivity’ (NCWS) is included in the spectrum of gluten-related disorders. No data are available on the prevalence of low bone mass density (BMD) in NCWS. Our study aims to evaluate the prevalence of low BMD in NCWS patients and search for correlations with other clinical characteristics. Methods: This prospective observation study included 75 NCWS patients (63 women; median age 36 years) with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-like symptoms, 65 IBS and 50 celiac controls. Patients were recruited at two Internal Medicine Departments. Elimination diet and double-blind placebo controlled (DBPC) wheat challenge proved the NCWS diagnosis. All subjects underwent BMD assessment by Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), duodenal histology, HLA DQ typing, body mass index (BMI) evaluation and assessment for daily calcium intake. Results: DBPC cow's milk proteins challenge showed that 30 of the 75 NCWS patients suffered from multiple food sensitivity. Osteopenia and osteoporosis frequency increased from IBS to NCWS and to celiac disease (CD) (P <0.0001). Thirty-five NCWS patients (46.6%) showed osteopenia or osteoporosis. Low BMD was related to low BMI and multiple food sensitivity. Values of daily dietary calcium intake in NCWS patients were significantly lower than in IBS controls. Conclusions: An elevated frequency of bone mass loss in NCWS patients was found; this was related to low BMI and was more frequent in patients with NCWS associated with other food sensitivity. A low daily intake of dietary calcium was observed in patients with NCWS

Antiendomysium antibodies assay in the culture medium of intestinal mucosa: an accurate method for celiac disease diagnosis

Background Celiac disease (CD) diagnosis is becoming more difficult as patients with no intestinal histology lesions may also be suffering from CD. Aim To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of antiendomysium (EmA) assay in the culture medium of intestinal biopsies for CD diagnosis. Patients and methods The clinical charts of 418 patients with CD and 705 non-CD controls who had all undergone EmA assay in the culture medium were reviewed. Results EmA assay in the culture medium had a higher sensitivity (98 vs. 80%) and specificity (99 vs. 95%) than serum EmA/antibodies to tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) assay. All patients with CD who were tested as false-negatives for serum EmA and/or anti-tTG (32 adults and 39 children) carried the human leukocyte antigen alleles associated to CD. Furthermore, during the follow-up, four patients with negative-serum EmA/anti-tTG, normal villi architecture, and positive-EmAs in the culture medium, developed villous atrophy and underwent gluten-free diet with consequent resolution of the symptoms and complete intestinal histology recovery. Conclusion EmA assay in the culture medium should be included in the diagnostic criteria for CD diagnosis in 'seronegative' patients. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 23:1018-1023 (C) 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins