Category Archives: Case Report

Refractory Lactic Acidosis and an Approach to Its Management – A Case Report

Yingke He1, John Ong2, Sharon Ong3

1 Division of Anaesthesiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
2 Department of Engineering, Materials Engineering and Material-Tissue Interactions Group, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
3 Department of Surgical Intensive Care, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2019-0010

Background: Lactic acidosis (LA) is a complication of diseases commonly seen in intensive care patients which carries an increased risk of mortality. It is classified by its pathophysiology; Type A results from tissue hypo-perfusion and hypoxia, and Type B results from abnormal metabolic activity in the absence of hypoxia. Reports of the co-occurrence of both types have been rarely reported in the literature relating to intensive care patients. This case report describes the challenging management of a patient diagnosed with both Type A and Type B LA.
Case presentation: A 55-year-old female with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) developed hospital-acquired pneumonia, respiratory failure, shock and intra-abdominal septicaemia from a bowel perforation. Blood gases revealed a mixed picture lactic acidosis. Correction of septic shock, respiratory failure and surgical repair caused initial improvement to the lactic acidosis, but this gradually worsened in the intensive care unit. Only upon starting chemotherapy and renal replacement therapy was full resolution of the lactic acidosis achieved. The patient was discharged but succumbed to her DLBCL several months later.
Conclusion: Type A and Type B LA can co-occur, making management difficult. A systematic approach can help diagnose any underlying pathology and aid in early management.

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Pulseless Electrical Activity Arrest as the First Symptom of Testicular Cancer with Subsequent Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens

Shane Belvedere

Department of Vascular Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, 300 Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2019-0009

Introduction: Phlegmasia cerulea dolens (PCD) is a severe, rare complication of deep vein thrombosis, which is characterised by compartment syndrome, arterial compromise, venous gangrene, and shock. Prothrombotic states are the primary risk factor for PCD, which, in most cases, is associated with pulmonary embolism and carries a high mortality.
Case report: A 46-year-old male presented following a pulseless electrical activity (PEA) arrest due to saddle pulmonary embolism (PE). He subsequently developed PCD and venous gangrene secondary to inferior vena cava obstruction, in the setting of a new diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumour.
Discussion: PEA arrest, as the initial presenting problem in malignancy, is rare. It is extreme for the first indication of cancer to be a PEA arrest from massive PE. While hypoxic brain injury from the cardiac arrest precluded intervention in this case, a surgical approach entailing en bloc resection of aortocaval metastasis, with subsequent IVC reconstruction, followed by lower limb venous thrombectomy would have been favoured as it was considered that an endovascular approach would not have been successful.
Conclusion: A case of a patient with phlegmasia cerulea dolens secondary to testicular cancer, who presented following PEA arrest is described.

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Hypercalcaemic Crisis Due to Primary Hyperparathyroidism: Report of Two Cases

Tatiana Daniela Sala1,2, Simona Mureşan3, Ramona Roman1, Alexandra Lazăr1,4, Răzvan Ion2, Ionela Paşcanu1,5

1 University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureş, Romania
2 Emergency Mures County Hospital, Surgery Clinic no.2, Târgu Mureş, Romania
3 Physiology Department, University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureş, Romania
4 Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Clinic no. 1, Târgu Mureş, Romania
5 Endocrinology Clinic, Târgu Mureş, Romania

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2019-0004

Introduction: A hypercalcaemic crisis, also called para thyrotoxicosis, hyper parathyroid crisis or parathyroid storm, is a complication of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and an endocrinology emergency that can have dramatic or even fatal consequences if it is not recognised and treated in time.
Case presentation: Two cases presented in the emergency department with critical hypercalcaemic symptoms and severe elevation of serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels, consistent with a hypercalcaemic crisis. The first case, a 16-year-old female patient, had imaging data that highlighted a single right inferior parathyroid adenoma and a targeted surgical approach was used. The second case, a 35-year-old man was admitted for abdominal pain, poor appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Laboratory tests revealed severe hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, and an increased serum iPth level. There was no correlation between scintigraphy and ultrasonography, and a bilateral exploration of the neck was preferred, resulting in the exposure of two parathyroid adenomas. The patients were referred for surgery and recovery in both cases was uneventful
Conclusion: These cases support the evidence that surgery remains the best approach for patients with a hypercalcaemic crisis of hyperparathyroidism origin, ensuring the rapid improvement of both the symptomatology and biochemical alterations of this critical disease.

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Management of Pneumomediastinum Associated with H1N1 Pneumonia: A Case Report

Bhavna P Singh1, Gurucharan S Shetty2, Padmakumar Arayamparambil Vijayan1, Ullas Gopalakrishna1, Garud Chandan1, Ario Santini3, Vivek Padegal4

1 Fortis Hospitals, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Bangalore, India
2 Fortis Hospitals, Department of Radiology, Bangalore, India
3 University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureş, Romania; Hon Fellow, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
4 Fortis Hospitals, Department of Pulmonology, Bangalore, India

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2019-0001

H1N1 is seen in tropical countries like India, occurring irrespective of the season. Complications of the disease are frequently encountered and there is little in the way or guidelines as to the how these should be managed. The treatment of one such complication, a recurrent pneumiomediastinum is the subject of the current paper. The management followed guidance for the treatment of a similar condition known as primary spontaneous pneumomediastinum, an uncommon condition resulting from alveolar rupture-otherwise known as the Macklin phenomenon.

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Ibuprofen, a Potential Cause of Acute Hemorrhagic Gastritis in Children – A Case Report

Maria Oana Mărginean1,2, Lorena Elena Meliț1,2, Simona Mocanu3, Vlăduț Săsăran2

1 Paediatrics Clinic 1, Târgu Mureș, Romania
2 University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureş, Romania
3 Pathology Department County Clinic Hospital, Târgu Mureș, Romania

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2018-0022

Introduction: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is an uncommon but possible life-threatening entity in children, frequently caused by erosive gastritis. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are one of the most common class of drugs which can cause gastrointestinal complications, including hemorrhagic gastritis.
Case report: The case of a 6-year-old male, admitted for hematemesis, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. It was ascertained at the time of admission, that ibuprofen had been prescribed as the patient had a fever. This was inappropriately administered as the mother did not respect the intervals between the doses.
Initial laboratory tests revealed neutrophilia, leukopenia, high levels of lactate dehydrogenase and urea. An upper digestive endoscopy revealed an increased friability of the mucosa, digested blood in the gastric corpus and fornix. No active bleeding site was detected. The histopathological examination described a reactive modification of the corporeal gastric mucosa. Intravenous treatment with proton pump inhibitors and fluid replacement were initiated, with favorable results.
Conclusion: Ibuprofen can lead to upper digestive hemorrhage independently of the administered dose. Parents should avoid administering Ibuprofen for fever suppression without consulting their pediatrician.

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Acute Pulmonary Embolism in a Teenage Female – A Case Report

Iulia Armean1, Lorena Elena Meliț1,2, Iunius Simu3, Carmen Duicu1,2

1 Emergency Clinical County Hospital Tîrgu Mureș, Pediatrics Clinic No. 1, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
2 University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu Mureș, 1st Department of Pediatrics, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
3 Emergency Clinical County Hospital Tîrgu Mureș, Radiology Department, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2018-0015

Thrombophilia represents a tendency towards excessive blood clotting and the subsequent development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). VTE is a rare condition in children that comprises both deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). This paper reports the case of a 16-year-old girl, admitted to the Pediatrics Clinic No. 1, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania, for dyspnea, chest pain and loss of consciousness. Her personal history showed that she had had two orthopedic surgical interventions in infancy, two pregnancies, one spontaneous miscarriage and a recent caesarian section at 20 weeks of gestation for premature detachment of a normally positioned placenta associated with a deceased fetus. Laboratory tests showed increased levels of D-dimers. Angio-Computed Tomography (Angio-CT) showed multiple filling defects in both pulmonary arteries, establishing the diagnosis of PE. The laboratory tests were undertaken to assist in the diagnoses of a possible thrombophilia underlined a low level of antithrombin III. Antiphospholipid syndrome was ruled out and genetic tests revealed no specific mutation. Anticoagulant therapy was initiated with unfractionated heparin and afterwards subcutaneously low molecular heparin was prescribed for three months. Later it has been changed to oral therapy with acenocoumarol. The patient was discharged in good general status with the recommendation of life-long anticoagulation therapy. Thrombophilia is a significant risk factor for PE, and it must be ruled out in all cases of repeated miscarriage.

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Emerging Infection with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica in Neonate. A Case Report

Manuela Arbune1,2, Silvia Fotea1,3, Aurel Nechita1,3, Victorita Stefanescu1,3

1 “Dunarea de Jos” University, Medicine and Pharmacy Research Centre, Romania
2 Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital Galati, Romania
3 Emergency Pediatric Clinical Hospital Galati, Romania

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2018-0013

Background: Elizabethkingia meningoseptica are Gram-negative rod bacteria which are commonly found in the environment. The bacteria have also been associated with nosocomial infections, having been isolated on contaminated medical equipment, especially in neonatal wards.
Case report: Here, we present the case of a premature female infant born at 33 weeks’ gestational age, with neonatal meningitis. The onset was marked by fever, in the 5th day of life, while in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The patient was commenced on Gentamicin and Ampicillin, but her clinical condition worsened. Psychomotor agitation and food refusal developed in the 10th day of life, and a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis was made based on clinical and cerebrospinal fluid findings. A strain of Elizabethkingia meningoseptica sensitive to Vancomycin, Rifampicin and Clarithromycin was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid. First-line antibiotic therapy with Meropenem and Vancomycin was adjusted by replacing Meronem with Piperacillin/Tazobactam and Rifampicin. The patient’s clinical condition improved, although some isolated febrile episodes were still present. The cerebrospinal fluid was normalized after 6 weeks of antibiotic treatment, although periventriculitis and tetraventricular hydrocephalus were revealed by imaging studies. Neurosurgical drainage was necessary.
Conclusion: Elizabethkingia meningoseptica can cause severe infection, with high risk of mortality and neurological sequelae in neonates. Intensive care and multidisciplinary interventions are crucial for case management.

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Incidental Finding of a Left Atrial Myxoma while Characterising an Autoimmune Disease

Rafael Garcia-Carretero1, Gema Naranjo-Mansilla1, Esther Luna-Heredia1,
Paloma Arias-Baldo2, Blanca-Nieves Beamonte-Vela1

1 Department of Internal Medicine, Mostoles University Hospital, Spain
2 Department of Radiology, Mostoles University Hospital, Spain

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2018-0009

Although cardiac tumours are uncommon, cardiac myxomas account for more than fifty percent of all cases and are the most frequent primary cardiac tumour. They have a broad clinical spectrum, usually related to cardiac symptoms, peripheral embolic events or systemic manifestations. We present a case report of a 68-year-old man who presented with systemic symptoms and analytical features suggestive of an autoimmune disease. In the ensuing diagnostic procedures, a cardiac myxoma was found, and after surgical resection, both the systemic manifestations and the analytical abnormalities disappeared.

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Severe Fatal Systemic Embolism Due to Non-Bacterial Thrombotic Endocarditis as the Initial Manifestation of Gastric Adenocarcinoma: Case Report

Anca Moţăţăianu1,2, Smaranda Maier1,2, Anita Gothard2, Zoltán Bajkó1,2, Rodica Bălaşa1,2

1 Department of Neurology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Târgu Mureş, Romania
2 1st Neurology Clinic, Mureş County Clinical Emergency Hospital, Romania

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2018-0008

Introduction: Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE), also known as marantic endocarditis, is a rare, underdiagnosed complication of cancer, in the context of a hypercoagulable state. NBTE represents a serious complication due to the high risk of embolisation from the sterile cardiac vegetations. If these are not properly diagnosed and treated, infarctions in multiple arterial territories may occur.
Case presentation: The case of a 47-year-old male is described. The patient was diagnosed with a gastric adenocarcinoma, in which the first clinical manifestation was NBTE. Subsequently, a hypercoagulability syndrome was associated with multi-organ infarctions, including stroke and eventually resulted in a fatal outcome.
Conclusions: NBTE must be considered in patients with multiple arterial infarcts with no cardiovascular risk factors, in the absence of an infectious syndrome and negative blood cultures. Cancer screening must be performed to detect the cause of the prothrombotic state.

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Post-Pneumonectomy ARDS and Ogilvie Syndrome – A Case Report

Radu T. Stoica1,2, Ioan Cordoș1,3, Anca Macri1

1 “Marius Nasta” Pneumophtisiology Institute, Bucharest, Romania
2 Faculty of Medicine, “Titu Maiorescu” University, Bucharest, Romania
3 “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2018-0007

Introduction: The Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a severe hypoxemic acute lung injury that may complicate lung resections. Reported mortality is very high, up to 50%. This report covers an ARDS case occurring post left pneumonectomy, with a favorable outcome, despite association with an acute colonic pseudo-obstruction syndrome (Ogilvie syndrome) that required abdominal surgery for decompression.
Case report: A 60-year old Caucasian male, diagnosed with a stage IIIA left lung tumor underwent a left pneumonectomy. On the second postoperative day, the patient developed ARDS, requiring ventilatory support. Two days later, as the multiple organ dysfunction worsened, a bowel obstruction occurred. With an acute colonic pseudo-obstruction diagnosis, the decision was to perform laparotomy and a temporary cecostomy. A subsequent improvement in the respiratory parameters and vital functions resulted in weaning from ventilator 8 days after the onset of the ARDS and transfer to the surgery ward 14 days after pneumonectomy.

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