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Query: UMLS:C0000727 (acute abdomen)
 3,084 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

There are three clinical presentations of anthrax in humans: cutaneous (>95% of cases), orogastric and inhalational. The infectious form, the spore, enters the body and is thought to germinate within macrophages either at the site of inoculation (cutaneous or orogastric) or in the regional lymph node (inhalational). The bacillus then synthesizes its antiphagocytic capsule and the lethal and oedema toxins which interfere with the non-specific host defences leading to the characteristic locally destructive lesion and spread by lymphatics to the systemic circulation and other organs. The cutaneous form begins as a papule which progresses over several days to a vesicle and then ulcerates. There is often oedema, sometimes massive, probably due to the oedema toxin that surrounds the lesions which then develop a characteristic black eschar. The patient may be febrile with mild to severe systemic symptoms of malaise, headache and toxicity. Oropharyngeal anthrax presents with severe sore throat or an ulcer in the oropharyngeal cavity associated with neck swelling, fever, toxicity and dysphagia. Gastrointestinal anthrax begins with anorexia, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain which may be similar to an acute abdomen. There may be diarrhoea and ascites, both of which may be haemorrhagic. Inhalational anthrax begins with non-specific symptoms of malaise, fever, myalgia and non-productive cough. After a period of 2-3 days, this is followed by a sudden onset of severe respiratory distress associated with diaphoresis, cyanosis and increased chest pain. There may be a widened mediastinum and pleural effusions on chest X-ray. Death follows in 24-36 h from respiratory failure, sepsis and shock. The diagnosis of anthrax is easy if it is considered. The organism is readily observed by Gram or Wright stain in local lesions or blood smear and can be easily cultured from the blood and other body fluids. However, because of its rarity, it is not often included in the differential diagnosis and in inhalational disease the diagnosis is rarely made until the patient is moribund. More rapid diagnostic tests are under development. Penicillin, combined with supportive care, remains the mainstay of treatment, although the organism is susceptible in vitro to many antibiotics. In recent years, there have been significant advances in our knowledge of the organism and its toxins and it is anticipated that similar progress will be made in the future in developing more rapid diagnostic tests and new modalities of treatment.
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PMID:Clinical aspects, diagnosis and treatment of anthrax 1047 74

Internal abdominal hernias are an unusual cause of intestinal occlusion. They are responsible for 2% of all the intestinal obstructions. Various types of hernia have been described. The diagnosis is difficult, but should be suspected in patients suffering from intestinal obstruction who have undergone earlier laparotomy. Diagnosis is even more difficult in cases of congenital internal hernia. The authors report a case of left paraduodenal hernia (congenital), and a case of transmesenteric hernia (acquired). Both patients complained of a short history of abdominal pain and characteristic symptoms of acute abdomen (nausea, vomit, cramps and obstipation). Emergency surgery using laparotomy enabled diagnosis and treatment. The authors underline the difficulty of diagnosing these hernias and emphasise the diagnostic and therapeutic importance of emergency surgery.
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PMID:[Internal abdominal hernia. Unusual cause of intestinal occlusion]. 1083 4

Our patient had a history of chronic endometriosis and pelvic pain and complained of recent onset of right-sided abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Transvaginal ultrasonography revealed a thick-walled mass superior and medial to the right ovary, which was thought to be an inflamed appendix. The woman was not pregnant, and the structure appeared to be anatomically separate from the uterus. Subsequent laparoscopy confirmed the diagnosis of acute appendicitis; uncomplicated laparoscopic appendectomy followed. In the setting of chronic endometriosis, other nongynecologic sources of acute pelvic pain must be considered. Surgical intervention is appropriate whenever clinical suspicion for an acute abdomen is high, and the a priori diagnosis of endometriosis should not result in operative delay.
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PMID:Transvaginal ultrasonographic identification of appendicitis in a setting of chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis. 1121 49

A report is presented of a 48-year-old gay man, HIV-positive for 7 years, who came to the emergency room due to six hours of abdominal pain accompanied by anorexia, nausea, and dry heaves. Initial examination and laboratory tests showed nonspecific bowel gas, and the patient was discharged with instructions to use an enema at home for constipation. After worsening of symptoms, a private physician diagnosed acute abdomen with surgical consultation. A jejunal perforation secondary to B-cell Hodgkin's lymphoma was diagnosed and the patient was treated with low-dose CHOP (cytoxan, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone) for four cycles and had his antiretroviral regimen changed.
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PMID:Acute abdomen in an HIV-positive man. 1136 99

A 6-year-old female was sent to our ER due to nausea, vomiting and abdominal distension for 2 days. This child had a history of constipation and failed intermittent medical treatment for 2 years. Her plain abdominal X-ray showed multiple intestinal loops and under the impression of acute abdomen with mechanical intestinal obstruction, an exploratory laparotomy was performed. A huge mesenteric tumor was discovered to be the cause of the intestinal obstruction; the involved bowel and the mesenteric lymphangioma were resected and primary anastomosis was done. Mesenteric cystic lymphangioma is a rare cause of bowel obstruction; preoperative diagnosis is difficult due to silent clinical course and lack of awareness of the clinical and morphological features of this disease. The case is presented along with a review of literature with the conclusion that a high index of suspicion is recommended. An abdominal ultrasonography may be recommended to evaluate a long-term constipated child to ascertain that any cystic lesion will not be missed.
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PMID:Mesenteric lymphangioma causing bowel obstruction: report of one case. 1189 Feb 27

Benign cystic teratomas are the most common ovarian neoplasms in women. Teratomas are usually benign, unilateral, and most often found in young and premenopausal women. Most are 5 cm to 10 cm in diameter when diagnosed, and on sectioning, they usually contain thick sebaceous material, tangled hair, and various dermal structures. One of the major complications seen in cystic teratoma is torsion, a partial or complete twisting of the ovarian suspensary pedicle causing severe pain, nausea, and tissue necrosis. The patient described had bilateral cystic teratomas, one uncommonly large and torsed, causing an acute abdomen. Discussion includes the diagnosis, operative management, and postoperative findings.
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PMID:Adnexal torsion presenting as an acute abdomen in a patient with bilateral cystic teratoma of the ovary. 1200 70

Isolated infection and/or gangrene of the round and falciform liver ligaments is among the rarest causes of acute abdomen. The diagnosis is based on demonstrating localized or patchy inflammatory or gangrenous changes in the ligaments without apparent etiology. We report the case of an 18-year-old male who presented with a 24-hour history of generalized abdominal pain and distention, nausea, and vomiting. With a preoperative diagnosis of probable perforated duodenal ulcus and generalized peritonitis the patient underwent emergency surgery. Multiple patchy gangrenous areas of the round and falciform ligaments were found starting from the umbilicus up to the hepatic hilum. The ligaments were resected in toto. The patient's postoperative course was unremarkable. No apparent etiology of the condition was found. We provide the first extensive review of the world literature. Isolated infection and/or gangrene of the round and falciform liver ligaments should be suspected in patients with upper abdominal complaints when imaging studies demonstrate ligament abnormality, tumor, or fluid. Treatment is only surgical. Depending on surgeon's expertise, patient's condition, and severity and extent of disease either open or laparoscopic surgery may be performed.
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PMID:Isolated gangrene of the round and falciform liver ligaments: a rare cause of peritonitis: case report and review of the world literature. 1235 42

A 77-year-old woman who had been examined 8 months previously because of chronic abdominal pain and an altered pattern of defecation presented to the emergency department with complaints of nausea, vomiting and acute pain in the abdomen. Her appetite was diminished and she had lost 10 kg in the past year. The abdominal X-ray showed a balloon-like, gas-filled intra-abdominal configuration, which proved to be a giant diverticulum of the sigmoid. She was treated by resection of the diverticulum and the sigmoid. A giant diverticulum is a rare complication of diverticulosis, a frequently occurring condition that is encountered most often in the sigmoid; the complication can easily be missed. The presenting symptoms can vary from an acute abdomen to chronic non-specific abdominal complaints. The most important complications of a giant diverticulum are perforation, obstruction or a volvulus. In view of the severity of these complications, resection of that part of the intestine in which the giant diverticulum arises is the treatment of choice.
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PMID:[Giant diverticulum of the sigmoid]. 1514 55

Although supravesical hernias were described as early as 1804, there have been fewer than 100 cases reported in the literature. The supravesical fossa is a triangular area bounded laterally and above by median and medial umbilical ligaments, and below by the peritoneal reflection that passes from the anterior abdominal wall to the dome of the bladder. A hernia starting in this fossa usually protrudes through the abdominal wall as a direct inguinal hernia (external supravesical hernia). Less commonly, it remains within the abdomen, passing into spaces around the bladder (internal supravesical hernia). A 43-year-old mill worker presented with an enlarged painful mass in the left groin. He underwent a surgical repair of a direct inguinal hernia without addressing an unrecognized supravesicular component. Eight hours after his discharge next morning, he presented with acute abdomen, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal distention. The second surgery revealed the presence of a left lateral internal supravesical hernia with incarcerated small bowel. This was also repaired, and the patient was discharged in stable condition. This report aims to review and discuss the surgical anatomy of these rare supravesical hernias and calls attention to this type of hernia as an unusual cause of small bowel obstruction.
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PMID:Inguinal mass due to an external supravesical hernia and acute abdomen due to an internal supravesical hernia: a case report and review of the literature. 1510 98

Mesenteric inflammatory veno-occlusive disease (MIVOD) is a relatively recently known and not very often diagnosed form of ischemic bowel disease of low incidence und unknown etiology. We present the case of a patient who after presentation of inconclusive signs of epigastric pain and rectal bleeding suddenly developed right abdominal pain with local peritonism. Suspecting intestinal ischemia or perforated appendicitis we first performed laparoscopy, which showed an inflammable tumor of cecum, ascending colon and appendix with massive adhesions to the abdominal wall. We performed an open right hemicolectomy with primary anastomosis. The patient developed a deep vein thrombosis of the vena tibialis post. and vena saphena parva. After 12 months our patient is free of complaints and recurrence. Investigations carried out showed no evidence of hypercoagulopathy. The presentation of MIVOD can range from chronic inflammatory bowel disease with recurrent abdominal pain in combination with nausea, emesis and bloody diarrhea to acute abdomen. Therefore diagnostic misinterpretation and mistherapy as well as underdiagnosis is common. Histologic investigation shows a variable inflammatory infiltration of multiple veins of the intestinal wall and the mesentery as well as thrombotic vessel occlusion in different stages without involvement of the arteries. All forms of hypercoagulopathy, parasitic disease, sepsis and malignancy have to be excluded. Therapeutic success can only be achieved with surgical resection of the affected bowel, whereon in general no recurrence will occur.
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PMID:[Mesenteric inflammatory veno-occlusive disease (MIVOD)--a rare cause of intestinal ischemia]. 1639 91


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