1/15. flour contamination as a source of lead intoxication.CASE REPORT: A 43-year-old man was hospitalized because of severe anemia and recurrent bouts of abdominal pain over 20 days. There was no known occupational exposure to toxins. Concomitantly, the patient's father complained of having the same symptoms. Familial lead poisoning was diagnosed when all 6 family members tested had high blood leads (31-64 micrograms/dL). RESULTS: Following detailed examination of the potential sources common to all members of the household, the cause of poisoning was determined to be corn flour containing 38.7 mg/g lead. physicians are reminded to consider lead poisoning in the differential diagnosis of individuals with unexplained symptoms, particularly those of abdominal discomfort and anemia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/15. hemangiosarcoma of the spleen: report of a case and review of previously reported cases.Splenic hamangiosarcomas are rare tumors, usually discovered at autopsy. In a few instances the diagnosis was made premortem, at the time of splenectomy for spontaneous rupture. The tumors usually present with abdominal pain, left upper guadrant mass and tenderness, and occasionally with a microangiopathic type of anemia. The histogenesis of the tumor is in dispute. Some authors feel that they are degenerations of hemangiomas. Others feel that they arise de novo in the spleen. There is not proven association of thorotrast administration or vinyl chloride exposure to the development of hemangiosarcomas in the spleen. The prognosis of the tumor is uniformly poor and most of the patients surviving laparotomy have followed a uniformly fatal clinical course. In a few cases treated with chemotherapy there has been no evidence of clinical benefit. The case report in this article presented with essentially all the features enumerated above.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/15. hemangiosarcoma of the spleen: helical computed tomography features.hemangiosarcoma of the spleen is a rare malignant tumor. prognosis is poor and is usually related to splenic rupture. Clinical symptoms include abdominal pain and left upper quadrant mass. Many clinical conditions have similar presenting symptoms and make diagnosis difficult. However, in this case report, we describe characteristic contrast enhancement pattern with spiral CT imaging of hemangiosarcoma of the spleen. Such imaging features with the previously described clinical symptoms will help in making the diagnosis early. Early splenectomy will improve prognosis and survival.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/15. lead poisoning from a toy necklace.A 4-year-old, previously healthy boy experienced intermittent abdominal pain for several weeks. He was diagnosed with probable gastroenteritis, but his symptoms worsened. Laboratory tests revealed normocytic anemia, and an abdominal radiograph showed a metallic foreign body in the stomach, without evidence of obstruction. Endoscopy resulted in the retrieval of a quarter and a medallion pendant from the stomach. A venous blood lead level measurement was extremely elevated, at 123 microg/dL (level of concern: > or =10 microg/dL). The medallion was tested by the state environmental quality laboratory and was found to contain 38.8% lead (388,000 mg/kg), 3.6% antimony, and 0.5% tin. Similar medallions purchased from toy vending machines were analyzed and were found to contain similarly high levels of lead. State health officials notified the US consumer product safety Commission, which resulted in a national voluntary recall of >1.4 million metal toy necklaces.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/15. Migrating calcified enterolith and chronic anemia: an unusual case presentation of a Meckel's diverticulum.Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the small intestine, occurring in about 2 % of the population. The most common complications associated with a Meckel's diverticulum include obstruction, bleeding, and inflammation (7, 9, 11, 18-20). The estimated lifetime risk of developing symptoms with a Meckel's diverticulum is 4-6 % (16), with the risks of complications decreasing with age. Stones within Meckel's diverticulum are recognized as a rare complication in the adult population (13,15). However, it has not been reported in the pediatric age group. The authors describe a 19-month-old male who presented with intermittent abdominal pain and vomiting, chronic microcytic anemia and a calcified stone in the lower abdomen, who was found to have a Meckel's enterolith.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/15. Crohn's disease diagnosed by wireless capsule endoscopy in adolescents with abdominal pain, protein-losing enteropathy, anemia and negative endoscopic and radiologic findings.BACKGROUND: Approximately one-fourth of new Crohn's disease diagnoses are made in individuals under the age of 20 years, in whom proximal Crohn's disease tends to be more common. OBJECTIVES: To describe the role of wireless capsule endoscopy in diagnosing isolated small intestinal Crohn's disease in two adolescents. methods: Wireless capsule endoscopy was performed in two adolescents with severe protein-losing enteropathy and negative standard diagnostic workup. RESULTS: Wireless capsule endoscopy successfully diagnosed Crohn's disease with uncharacteristic presentations and negative radiographic and endoscopic findings in both patients. CONCLUSIONS: The non-invasiveness and ease in performance of capsule endoscopy on an ambulatory basis make this diagnostic modality especially advantageous for children.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/15. Saturnism caused by hand-made plates: partial diagnosis by a computer-aided program.A man, aged 41 years, suffering from anaemia and abdominal pains was admitted to the Department of medicine. Over the previous 2 years he had had several periods in hospital for these symptoms. There was, apparently, no occupational or accidental exposure to toxic substances and a correct diagnosis of the condition had not been possible. The computer-aided program AIDEDIAG II was therefore used to attempt a diagnosis. This approach indicated possible saturnism which was confirmed by metabolic and lead analyses. The lead source was identified as the hand-made food-plates used by the patient for his meals.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/15. Primary gastric melanoma: a case report.melanoma accounts for 1-3 per cent of all malignant tumors. Except cutaneous, other less common melanomas include, among others, those in the GI tract. However, their primary or secondary nature is often difficult to establish. Referring to the stomach, scattered cases of primary melanomas have been reported in the literature. We report a case of a man with an ulcerated sub-mucosal mass at the antrum of the stomach, manifested with dull upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and anemia. This lesion was histologically proved to be melanoma. A detailed clinical and laboratory investigation revealed no primary site elsewhere. To our knowledge, very few cases of primary gastric melanoma have been reported. Our case is the fourth ever published and the first located at the antrum of the stomach. The debate upon the primitive nature of such lesions still persists. Thus, specific diagnostic criteria have been proposed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/15. Mesenteric cysts in children.Mesenteric cysts are rare intraabdominal lesions of childhood that may vary in presentation from an asymptomatic mass to an acute abdomen. From 1970 to 1990, 15 children were diagnosed and treated for mesenteric cysts at Ste Justine Hospital in Montreal. The ages ranged from birth to 18 years (average age, 6 years). There were 9 boys and 6 girls. Ten patients required emergency surgery and five underwent elective surgery. The main presenting symptom was abdominal pain. Ten patients had preoperative ultrasounds that were diagnostic for a cystic mass in all patients. The second most frequent preoperative diagnosis was appendicitis. The cysts were located in the small bowel mesentery in 5 cases, the base of the mesentery with retroperitoneal extension in 4 cases, the transverse mesocolon in 4 cases, and the gastrocolic ligament in 2 cases. Operative procedures performed included complete cyst excision (9 patients), complete excision with intestinal resection (5 patients), and drainage of the cyst (1 patient). The only recurrence in this series occurred after drainage. One other patient had recurrence of a mesenteric cyst following resection performed elsewhere. Mesenteric cysts are rare in children, are usually symptomatic, and are most commonly misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis. Accurate preoperative diagnosis is possible with current ultrasonographic imaging techniques. Complete cyst resection is the procedure of choice and results in an excellent outcome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/15. Radiological diagnosis of inorganic lead poisoning.A 43-year-old woman had abdominal pain and anemia due to inorganic lead poisoning. Plain abdominal x-ray films showed metallic densities within the lumen of the large bowel. The patient admitted that she used to chew the sheets of metallic lead enclosing wine bottle necks regularly. We report the case because of both the unusual radiographic findings and the exceptional source of lead intoxication.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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