Adult supraglottitis: a life-threatening disease and potential airway emergency

Description 

An 87-year-old woman was brought by ambulance to the emergency department (ED) with fever and dyspnoea. There was audible stridor, and the patient was noted to have a large left-sided submandibular swelling. She was in respiratory distress with a respiratory rate of 30. She was administered 100% oxygen. The on-call anaesthetics and ear, nose and throat (ENT) team were called emergently on arrival of the patient due to concern regarding possible impending airway compromise. A portable anteroposterior chest X-ray was performed on the patient on arrival to the ED as the cause of her dyspnoea was initially unclear. This showed marked upper airway narrowing (detail from the chest X-ray is depicted in figure 1). Only a venous blood gas was taken from the patient prior to intubation which showed acidosis with a pH of 7.31 and hypercarbia of 7.62 kilopascals.

Figure 1

Anteriorposterior radiograph...

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Two cases of high-output heart failure as initial presentation of iliac arteriovenous fistula

We present two cases of females in their 40s presenting with biventricular heart failure being the consequence of a large arteriovenous fistula. Both patients had undergone abdominal surgery several years prior to the heart failure event with the initial finding of moderate pulmonary hypertension and high-output heart failure. CT revealed a large arteriovenous fistula between the common iliac artery and vein which subsequently was closed percutaneously.

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Port-wine stain as a clue for two rare coexisting entities

Phakomatosis pigmentovascularis (PPV) is an uncommon dermatosis characterised by the presence of both pigmentary and vascular abnormalities.¹ Its pathogenesis is not elucidated, and the prognosis is mainly determined by the presence of extracutaneous manifestations, such as Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS), that is defined by the triad of a port-wine stain (PWS), anomalous veins and progressive overgrowth of the affected extremity. Herein, we report a case of an adult patient, who presented with a large PWS, nevus of Ota, ocular melanosis, and limb hypertrophy and varicosities. These findings represented a rare association of PPV type IIb and KTS.

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Recurrent inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour of the lung: FDG PET/CT scan findings

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT) is a rare neoplasm, occurring most often in children and young adults. IMTs have intermediate biological behaviour with the chance of local invasion, recurrence and even distant metastasis. Wide range of clinical presentations makes the precise diagnosis of IMT more challenging. The best method for definitive diagnosis is tissue biopsy and newer imaging modalities including fleurodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT are useful tools in detection of disease recurrence or distant metastasis. Complete surgical resection is the best-known treatment for this tumour. Here we are presenting an IMT case in a 12-year-old girl in which her recurrent pulmonary IMT was diagnosed based on FDG PET/CT findings and referred for further salvage treatment. Overall imaging modalities are not specific, but PET/CT scan can be useful tool for evaluation of IMT regarding initial staging and restaging to assess treatment response and recurrence.

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Neonatal facial palsy, a case series: is CPAP the culprit?

We report a case series of three idiopathic unilateral facial nerve palsies in neonates with no identified risk factors. Neuroimaging done was normal. All the neonates had complete spontaneous recovery within a month, with no residual deficits. As per our knowledge, there are very few case reports of facial palsy in a neonate reported in literature and are often labelled as idiopathic.

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T-wave alternans: a harbinger for malignant ventricular arrhythmias

Description

A 50-year-old male chronic alcoholic presented to our emergency department with seizures and loss of consciousness after an alcoholic binge. He had no other significant medical history and was not on any regular medications. On examination, his pulse was 90 beats/min and his blood pressure was 80/60 mm Hg. His resting ECG showed sinus rhythm with QT prolongation. His serum sodium was 133 mmol/dL, potassium was 3.5 mmol/dL, magnesium was 1.4 mmol/dL and calcium was 6.6 mg/dL. The ECG demonstrated wide QRS tachycardia with a heart rate of approximately 200 beats/min and mild irregularity and morphology suggestive of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia initiated by a ventricular premature contraction falling on the terminal part of the T wave of the preceding sinus beat (figure 1A, black arrows). The postelectroversion tracing showed sinus rhythm at a rate of 55 beats/min, with alternating small, narrow (figure 1B, red arrows) and broad deep T-wave inversions (figure 1B, black...

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Acute presentation of a partially obstructing laryngeal tumour: adjuvant agents to gaseous induction of anaesthesia

We present the case of a 53-year-old man who attended our emergency department with stridor. He had recently undergone investigation for possible glottic cancer. We discuss the airway management of such a case. We believe this to be the first description of propofol target controlled infusion and clonidine to supplement a sevoflurane gas induction, in order to obtund response to intubation while maintaining spontaneous ventilation. We also consider how airway interventions may impact prognosis and need to be considered.

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Marked attenuation of the amplitude of transcranial motor-evoked potentials after intravenous bolus administration of ketamine: a case report

It is believed that ketamine does not affect motor-evoked potential amplitude, whereas various anesthetic drugs attenuate the amplitude of transcranial motor-evoked potential. However, we encountered a patient...

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Pseudomyxoma peritonei presenting as irreducible epigastric hernia

Abstract

Abdominal wall hernia is a common and usually straightforward pathology presenting in surgery clinics. On occasion, the surgeon is faced with unexpected findings requiring difficult intraoperative decision. We present a case of pseudomyxoma peritonei incidentally found during surgery for epigastric hernia. The patient complained of a long lasting epigastric hernia with recent onset pain and growth. Surgery was limited to laparoscopic incisional biopsy of mucinous peritoneal deposit, confirming the diagnosis and suggesting an appendiceal origin. The patient was subsequently referred to a specialized peritoneal cancer unit for definitive treatment which consisted of cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, which can be compromised by previous organ resection. This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high level of suspicion before unusual clinical courses of common pathology.

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Case series of two falciform ligament incisional hernias and their laparoscopic repair

Abstract

Incisional hernias involving the falciform ligament have only been reported in two case reports in the English literature. This is the first reported case series of two falciform ligament incisional hernias. Both patients had undergone a prior cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic transabdominal pre-peritoneal repair was performed with an uneventful recovery in both patients. In the previously published reports both patients underwent an open herniorrhaphy with an underlay mesh repair. These are the first two documented laparoscopic repairs of a falciform ligament incisional hernia. The laparoscopic repair also included intra-corporeal suturing of the hernia necks with a non-absorbable suture. We extrapolated this data from the component separation technique which reconstituted the abdominal musculature in their normal anatomical position resulting in a reduced hernia recurrence rate.

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Laparoscopic approach for a presacral myelolipoma resembling a liposarcoma

Abstract

Myelolipomas are rare benign tumors that are commonly found in the adrenal glands. Extra-adrenal locations are rare, and presacral myelolipomas represent the most common extra-adrenal location. The differential diagnosis of malignant presacral neoplasms is very challenging. We present a case of a presacral neoplasm that was completely removed with a laparoscopic approach and diagnosed as a myelolipoma only after pathological examination.

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