Mesenteric Ischemia: A Case of Extrapulmonary Presentation in COVID-19

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is a predominantly respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It creates a hypercoagulable milieu, manifesting at varied extrapulmonary sites as pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis, stroke, myocardial infarction, and mesenteric ischemia. The pathophysiology behind this hypercoagulability is still not entirely understood, although a heightened systemic inflammatory response to the virus is deemed responsible. We herein report a case of a 36-year-old healthy male who presented with an acute abdomen and was found to have extensive mesenteric and portal venous thrombosis with bowel gangrene. The patient underwent emergency exploration with ileal resection and end-ileostomy. The hypercoagulability panel was negative, but a postoperative chest radiograph revealed suspicious ground-glass opacities. Given the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, we considered testing for SARSCoV-2. A positive test for SARS-CoV-2 led us to attribute the thrombotic event to COVID-19. With anticoagulation and supportive therapy, the patient went on to make a steady recovery. A non-specific clinical manifestation of COVID-19 necessitates considering mesenteric venous thrombosis as a differential diagnosis in patients with acute abdomen.Copyright © 2023 Author.

Recurrent intussusception with ileal perforation as a complication of Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome in a pediatric patient

Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome (BRBNS) is a rare congenital condition, characterized by multiple venous malformations that may involve any organ system, most commonly the skin or the gastrointestinal tract. These lesions are often responsible for chronic blood loss and secondary anemia, and in rare situations may cause severe complications such as intussusception, volvulus, and intestinal infarction. Intussusception as a complication of BRBNS, although a known complication of the disease, has rarely been reported, especially in the Philippines. In the Philippine Society for Orphan Disorders, only 2 cases of BRBNS are currently included in the organization, including the patient presented in the case report. The treatment of BRBNS that involves the gastrointestinal tract depends on the extent of intestinal involvement and severity of the disease. The treatment aims to preserve the GI tract as much as possible due to the high recurrence in the disease. In this case report, we present a 13 year-old male with BRBNS with previous history of intussusception, successfully managed conservatively;however, upon recurrence, underwent exploratory laparotomy wherein a subcentimeter perforation in the antimesenteric border of the proximal ileum was noted, together with a gangrenous intussuscipiens, and multiple mulberry-like formations on the antimesenteric border of the small bowels. Histopathological findings of the resected bowels showed multiple cavernous hemangiomas consistent with BRBNS. The postoperative course of the patient was unremarkable.Copyright © 2023 The Authors

The provision of, and outcomes for, inflammatory bowel disease services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide study

Background: To investigate the outcome (30-day in-hospital mortality, length of stay and readmission within 28 days) of emergency inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care in the Covid-19 pandemic. To quantify the reduction in provision of IBD investigations and procedures during the pandemic. Methods: Nationwide observational study using administrative data (Hospital Episode Statistics) for England (2015-2020). Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) forecast models were run to estimate the counterfactual IBD admissions and procedures for February 2020 onwards had the pandemic not occured. Results: Large decreases in attendances to hospital for emergency treatment were noted for both acute ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) (17.4% and 10.3%). The prevalence of concomitant Sars-CoV- 2 infection during the same episode was low for UC and CD [1.7% (247/14,708) and 1.3% (179/14,126), respectively]. All IBD procedures and investigations showed marked decreases in volume to December 2020 compared to the counterfactual estimates. The largest absolute deficits were in lower gastrointestinal endoscopy (16,223, 35.7% reduction), reversal of ileostomy (2,489, 39.7% reduction) and right sided/ileal resection or strictureplasty for Crohn's disease (879, 12.5% reduction). There were no significant clinical differences in case mix or outcome of emergency admission for IBD in the pandemic compared to a historical cohort. Conclusion: There is likely a significant burden of untreated IBD in the community exacerbated by the pandemic based on reductions in emergency IBD care and IBD procedures undertaken in 2020. Patients with IBD may experience significant clinical harm or a protracted decrease in quality of life if care is not prioritised.