Volume 85 - 2022 - Fasc.3 - Clinical images
An unexpected cause of constipation and abdominal distension in COPD
A 62-year old man presented to our tertiary care hospital for a second opinion regarding end stage COPD GOLD 4D. He had a medical history of former alcohol use complicated by liver steatosis and former smoking. Upon admission the patient complained of constipation and abdominal distension. Physical examination showed diffuse hypertympanic percussion and diffuse abdominal pain upon palpation without signs of peritoneal irrita- tion. CRP, hemoglobin, lactate, liver enzymes, and serum creatinine were within limits of normal. Abdominal radiography showed dilatation of the colon transversum with intramural and intra-abdominal free air (Figure 1). Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT showed extensive intramural air in the right hemicolon (Figure 2).
An indigestion or a viral gastritis, or not?
An 18 mth old boy was sent to the Emergency Room of the Jessa Hospital (Hasselt, Belgium) because of persistent vomiting. The clinical examination was without particularities, except for a runny nose. The diagnosis of indigestion or (viral) gastritis was made. Patient was sent home. He was represented at the ER five days later. He stopped vomiting for 3 consecutive days after his first hospital visit, but started to vomit again the last 2 days, the last night even two times with bilious vomiting. His appetite was decreased since one week. The infant was not comfortable during abdominal palpation. This finding led to the decision for further investigations.
An abdominal ultrasound showed air superposition in the epi- and mesogastrium. There were no signs of intussusception. An abdominal X-ray was performed (fig 1).
Umbilical spider’s web
We report the case of a 38y old woman who consulted for chronic diffuse abdominal pain related to previous irritable bowel syndrome diagnosis. Physical examination showed nonblanching reddish hyperpigmented reticular peri-umbilical skin patch (figure 1). What’s your diagnosis?
Gastroduodenal nodules in a HIV positive patient: don’t forget the skin!
A 35-year-old male with a history of HIV infection presented in our department for endoscopy with the complaints of dyspepsia and epigastric pain. Endoscopy revealed flat, maculopapular, reddish or purplish patchy nodular lesions, with different sizes and shapes, involv- ing both the duodenum and stomach (Figure 1 A-B). There was no sign of complications such as hemorrhage, perforation or obstruction. Physical examination re- vealed that the patient had also purple patchy cutaneous lesions (Figure 2).
