Acute appendicitis is one of the most common abdominal emergencies, even though most cases of appendicitis will be due to obstruction of the appendiceal lumen, in rare occasions and mostly due to poor sanitary conditions a parasitic infection may cause appendicitis. Entamoeba histolytica is a common parasite and has a broad clinical spectrum from an asymptomatic disease to a life-threatening condition. In rare occasions, trophozoites can invade the appendiceal wall causing appendicitis. Preoperative diagnosis of acute amebic appendicitis is usually difficult, yet surgical treatment as in non-amebic appendicitis is the treatment of choice. However, due to the increased rate of postoperative complications associated with acute amebic appendicitis, a course of nitroimidazoles, and increased awareness in basic sanitary measures is usually recommended. We present a case of a 29-year-old woman, she presented with abdominal pain and appendicitis was suspected. After successful surgery, pathology confirmed acute amebic appendicitis.
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has strained all medical systems, especially in countries like Ecuador, where health services were already limited. These conditions, combined with a deadly and unusual disease, like primary heart angiosarcoma, can lead to severe outcomes. Angiosarcomas represent the most common and aggressive primary malignant heart tumor; regretfully, its clinical manifestations are vague and can be easily missed. Most patients become symptomatic when there is local invasion, embolization, or metastases, leading to late diagnosis and poor survival. High clinical awareness, adequate diagnosis, and prompt treatment are vital in these rare diseases, in which time is of paramount importance. Case presentation We report the case of a 28-year-old female who had cough, hemoptysis, and ground-glass opacities in the CT (computed tomography). Since Ecuador is in the middle of this pandemic, she was misdiagnosed and mistreated. Primary heart angiosarcoma was diagnosed, and regretfully, the patient suffered multiple complications due to diagnosis and died. Conclusion To this day, most cardiac angiosarcomas are found in a late-stage with distal metastasis and advanced local invasion. Sadly, this tumor is frequently missed due to its incidence and broad-spectrum of clinical symptoms. Considering that its manifestations can be misleading, misdiagnosis can occur, especially in pandemic times. Therefore, knowledge of other pathologies prevents COVID-19 from overshadowing other diagnoses, hence preventing delayed diagnosis or even misdiagnosis and consequent adverse outcomes for patients.
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