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Query: UMLS:C0003615 (appendicitis)
 4,439 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We carried out a retrospective study to analyse clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic aspects of acute appendicitis cases as the National University Hospital (CNHU) at Bangui in the Central African Republic. We compared our findings with those for other African countries and for industrialized countries. From September 15 1990 to February 15 1992, 285 patients underwent laparotomy to treat acute appendicitis. We carried out a study of clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic aspects on 57 patients with complete case histories (20% of the patients undergoing surgery). The appendices of these patients were sent to the Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy of the Faculty of Medicine at Marseille, France, for analysis. The frequency of appendectomy among patients undergoing visceral surgery by laparotomy with no acute traumatic abdominal syndrome was 42.3%. The incidence of appendectomy for the city of Bangui in 1991 was 36.5 per 100,000 inhabitants. These cases of appendicitis were diagnosed essentially on clinical grounds. Leukocyte counts exceeded 10,000 per mm3 in 30% of the patients. Histological examination revealed the presence of parasites in 10 cases : Schistosoma mansoni eggs (seven cases) and Ascaris lumbricoides eggs (one case) in patients with acute appendicitis and one case each of Schistosoma mansoni eggs and Ascaris lumbricoides eggs at the time of diagnosis but normal histological results for the removed appendix. Most of the patients consulted late, a mean of four days after the onset of symptoms. The frequency of appendectomy on principle was 12.7% and parenteral antibiotic treatment was prescribed systematically follow- ing surgery. The mean duration of hospital stay after surgery was 7.6 days. No early postoperative complications were noted. However, two late postoperative complications resulting in the death of the patient were observed, giving a mortality rate of 3.5%. These complications were one case of peritonitis after appendectomy involving intestinal resection and one case of occlusive syndrome with septic shock. The frequency of acute appendicitis at the CNHU at Bangui was similar to that reported in another tropical African country (~ 1%). However, the incidence of appendectomies at Bangui is lower than generally reported for western countries (15 to 40%). Positive diagnosis was made on classic data obtained on clinical examination and on associated biological data, if available. Parasites were identified on histological examination in some cases of acute appendicitis, but it is unclear whether these parasites were actually responsible for the appendicitis. Efficient examinations for the exploration of acute nonspecific abdominal pain, such as the measurement of inflammation indicators, particularly serum activated protein C levels, graded-compression ultrasound scans and celioscopy, should be made available in the hospitals of African countries to increase the precision of diagnosis and to decrease the still too high frequency of appendectomies performed on principle. The postoperative mortality rate at the CNHU of Bangui is higher than the low rates (0.1 to 0.25%) reported for industrialized countries but is close to those reported for African countries. This high rate of mortality results partly from the lateness of consultations, because patients in tropical Africa often consult a traditional healer before resorting to modern medicine, and partly from misdiagnoses.
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PMID:[Acute appendicitis at the National University Hospital in Bangui, Central African Republic: epidemiologic, clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic aspects]. 1144 Aug 89

We report the case of a 28-year-old woman who presented simultaneously with superior sagittal sinus thrombosis and thyroid crisis, and was subsequently found to have protein C deficiency. February 3, 2003, she admitted complaining of abdominal pain. The diagnosis of appendicitis was made, and she was operated on under lumbar anaesthesia. Day 7, she developed acute headache and distal weakness of the left lower limb. On examination she was alert, with a temperature of 38 degrees C, a sinus tachycardia of 124/min and blood pressure 164/84 mmHg. Neurological examination revealed neck stiffness and left hemiparesis, predominantly in her lower limb. Gadlinium-enhanced brain MRI revealed extensive superior sagittal sinus thrombosis. CT scan demonstrated infarction in the right frontal cortex, and subarachnoid hemorrhage adjacent to the right cerebellar tentorium. The patient was treated with a free radical scavenger edarabon, and glycerin. No anticoagulant therapy was instituted. Over the next 24 hours, her condition worsened. She became comatose, as well as developing a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Day 12, laboratory examinations revealed an undetectable TSH-level CTSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) <0.005 mcIU/ml), with a level of free thyroxin 7.77 ng/dl (0.9-1.7), free triiodothyronin 29.6 pg/ml (2.3-4.3), and positive anti-TSH receptor antibodies determined subsequently. Coagulation factor VIII activity was 155% (normal range 60-150). Protein C deficiency (antigen 59%, activity 49%) was also present, suggesting a congenital type I heterozygous deficiency. A diagnosis of thyroid crisis on the basis of Graves' disease was made. The patient remained comatose and died on Day 16, with renal failure. The patient had protein C deficiency, a well-established risk factor for cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). However, additional risk factors are required in most cases to precipitate CVT. In our case, this trigger was most likely thyroid crisis, suggesting that thyrotoxicosis, probably through hypercoagulability, may be a predisposing factor for the development of CVT.
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PMID:[Thyroid crisis and protein C deficiency in a case of superior sagittal sinus thrombosis]. 1737 Jun 53

BACKGROUND Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a type of venous thromboembolism with diverse clinical and environmental risk factors. Very few cases of DVT with multiple high risk factors have been reported. Here, we report an uncommon DVT case with multiple etiological causes, including appendicitis/appendectomy, morbid obesity, immobilization, positive phosphatidylserine IgG, and heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation. CASE REPORT A 43-year-old female was brought to the emergency room because of 2-week history of pain and swelling and ultrasound revealing evidence of DVT in the right leg. One month ago, she underwent an exploratory laparotomy because of subacute appendicitis. After surgery, the patient stayed at home in bed with very limited activity. She did not have a cough, hemoptysis, chest pain, or shortness of breath. She was morbidly obese, and had a past medical history of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. A full coagulation workup was completed, including Protein C, Protein S, and antiphospholipid antibody, as well as factor V and prothrombin gene mutation screen. Her D-dimer was positive. Computed tomography (CT) angiography of the lungs ruled out major emboli but was unable to rule out minor emboli. A heterozygous factor V Leiden R506Q mutation was detected. Of interest was a significantly positive phosphatidylserine IgG with a value of over 42. She was started with enoxaparin (120 mg, twice a day), and warfarin was added on day 2 when pulmonary embolism was ruled out by CT angiography. The International Normalized Ratio (INR) was monitored daily to adjust warfarin dose. CONCLUSIONS Multiple etiological factors present in this patient may have contributed to her lower-limb DVT, including appendicitis/appendectomy, morbid obesity, immobilization, positive phosphatidylserine IgG, and factor V Leiden mutation. Therefore, it is important to follow the complete workup for hypercoagulable states. This can help with diagnosis and therapy, and also give insight into the pathogenicity, which can help with prevention of recurrence and severe complications of DVT.
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PMID:An Uncommon Case of Lower Limb Deep Vein Thrombosis with Multiple Etiological Causes. 2834 60