Primary aortoenteric fistula (PAEF) is a rare but catastrophic cause of massive gastrointestinal bleeding. Diagnosis of PAEF is difficult to make and is frequently delayed without strong clinical suspicion. Timely surgical intervention is essential for patient's survival. We report on a case of an 86-year-old woman with no history of abdominal surgery, who presented with abdominal pain. Initially, computed tomography scan showed an intra-abdominal abscess, located anterior to the aortic bifurcation. However, she was discharged without treatment because of spontaneous improvement on a follow-up computed tomography scan, which showed a newly developed right common iliac artery aneurysm. One week later, she was readmitted due to recurrent abdominal pain. On the second day of admission, sudden onset of gastrointestinal bleeding occurred for the first time. After several endoscopic examinations, an aortoenteric fistula bleeding site was found in the sigmoid colon, and aortography showed progression of a right common iliac artery aneurysm. We finally concluded that intra-abdominal abscess induced an infected aortic aneurysm and enteric fistula to the sigmoid colon. This case demonstrated an extremely rare type of PAEF to the sigmoid colon caused by an infected abdominal aortic aneurysm, which has rarely been reported.
The primary ovarian lymphoma is a rare disease with poor prognosis. The incidence of autoimmune hemolytic anemia in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is estimated at 3%. However, a substantial portion of the previously reported cases of ovarian lymphoma actually represented ovarian involvement by more diffuse lymphomatous process. If stringent criteria are used for case selection, true primary ovarian lymphoma usually carries a favorable prognosis. We present a primary malignant lymphoma of ovary accompanied by autoimmune hemolytic anemia in a 29-yr-old patient. After ablative surgery, the hemoglobin level and the reticulocyte count were normalized. One year following surgery and chemotherapy, the patient is alive and disease free.
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the most frequently involved site of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Stomach is the most common site of involvement among the GI tract. However, MALT lymphoma of the large intestine is rare. A diagnosis is established by pathological examination of the surgical or endoscopic specimens. A 72-year-old man with low abdominal pain was diagnosed as a sigmoid MALT lymphoma, which was noted as an obstructing mass in a colonoscopic examination. A left hemicolectomy was performed, and the patient has had no recurrence postoperatively without any chemotherapy.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a clinical syndrome characterized by chest pain, transient left ventricular dysfunction, and specific electrocardiographic changes induced by physical or emotional stress. We describe a rare case of this syndrome associated with acute mitral valve bacterial endocarditis in a young female.
Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative disease and caused by Actinomycosis species, principally Actinomyces israelii, which are part of the normal inhabitant on the mucous membrane of the oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, and urogenital tract. It usually affects cervicofacial, thoracic and abdominal tissue. Cervicofacial type has the highest percentage of occurrence with 50%. Actinomycosis frequently occurs following dental extraction, jaw surgery, chronic infection or poor oral hygiene. It may also be considered as an opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients such as malignancy, human immunodeficiency virus infection, diabetes mellitus, steroid usage or alcoholism. But, actinomycosis rarely occurs in adults with normal immunity and rare in the esophagus. We report an unusual case of esophageal actinomycosis which was developed in a patient with normal immunity and improved by therapy with intravenous penicillin G followed oral amoxicillin, and we also reviewed the associated literature. (Korean J Gastroenterol 2013;61:93-96)
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