Case Report: A Child With Omental Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Omental infarction (OI) is a rare cause of acute abdominal pain, which is benign and self-limited. It is diagnosed by imaging. The etiology of OI is either idiopathic or secondary and due to torsion, trauma, hypercoagulability, vasculitis, or pancreatitis. CASE REPORT: Here, we present a case of OI in a child with acute severe right upper quadrant pain. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Correct diagnosis of OI via imaging can prevent unnecessary surgery.

[A Case of Epiploic Appendagitis after COVID-19].

Acute epiploic appendagitis is an uncommon cause of abdominal pain resulting from appendageal ischemia caused by torsion or thrombosis of the draining vein. It is frequently misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis or diverticulitis. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed how this rare disease is diagnosed. There was a report of a young men diagnosed with COVID-19 and epiploic appendagitis as a rare cause of abdominal pain. In addition, a 50-year-old men was diagnosed with epiploic appendagitis during the treatment of COVID-19. This paper reports the case of a 53-year-old men who presented with right lower quadrant abdominal pain after COVID-19 and was diagnosed with acute epiploic appendagitis by computed tomography image findings. The thrombotic condition of COVID-19 may contribute to acute appendagitis, but more studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Abdominal pain in children with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of pediatric patients referred to our pediatric surgery center with abdominal pain as a main manifestation of COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 56 patients with abdominal pain associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection at the Basrah Children Specialty Hospital between June 2020 and December 2021. We collected data including demographic data, symptoms, imaging data, laboratory findings, treatments, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients (48 male and 8 female) with a median age of 9 years were analyzed. All patients had abdominal pain. Fifty-two patients complained of vomiting, 48 patients with fever, 36 patients with cough, and 20 patients with shortness of breath. Twenty patients were diagnosed with acute appendicitis, two of them had appendicular abscess. Mesenteric lymphadenitis was found in 12 patients, obstructed inguinal hernia in 4 patients, and epididymo-orchitis in two patients. Ten patients required surgical intervention. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 should be suspected in any child presenting with acute abdominal pain. In the era of COVID-19, all cases of abdominal pain in children including those with acute appendicitis are better to be treated conservatively.

Acute pancreatitis in pregnancy following COVID-19 vaccine: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Since the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 infection, a few adverse effects have been reported. Acute pancreatitis has been reported in a few patients. However, there is currently no research showing a direct relationship between the vaccine and acute pancreatitis. Here, we report a case of acute pancreatitis following Pfizer vaccination in a young healthy pregnant woman without any known risk factors. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of possible vaccine-induced pancreatitis in a pregnant woman. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient, a 24-year-old South-Asian female, at 31 weeks of gestation, presented with severe epigastric pain radiating to the back and worsening on lying supine, associated with nausea and vomiting. She was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis with a serum lipase level of 4376 U/L and an ultrasound showing features of pancreatitis. The patient received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine 1 week prior to these symptoms. Detailed evaluation did not show any etiological cause of pancreatitis. The patient had a spontaneous vaginal delivery and the baby was shifted to the neonatal intensive care unit in a stable condition. A computed tomography scan postpartum (day 2) demonstrated acute interstitial edematous pancreatitis. The patient was managed conservatively in the intensive care unit and discharged home in a stable condition. CONCLUSION: This report highlights the importance of a detailed history and evaluation, and the close monitoring of any patient presenting with abdominal pain after vaccination. Acute pancreatitis can be fatal if not picked up early.

Gastrointestinal sequalae months after severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 infection: a prospective, observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Post-coronavirus disease (post-COVID) symptoms arise mostly from impaired function of respiratory tract although in many patients, the dysfunction of gastrointestinal tract and liver among other organ systems may persist. METHODS: Primary data collection was based on a short gastrointestinal symptom questionnaire at the initial screening. A brief telephone survey within the patient and control group was performed 5-8 months after the initial screening. R ver. 4.0.5 and imbalanced RandomForest (RF) machine-learning algorithm were used for data explorations and analyses. RESULTS: A total of 590 patients were included in the study. The general presence of gastrointestinal symptoms 208.2 days (153-230 days) after the initial acute severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was 19% in patients with moderate-to-serious course of the disease and 7.3% in patients with mild course compared with 3.0% in SARS-CoV-2 negative controls (P < 0.001). Diarrhea and abdominal pain are the most prevalent post-COVID gastrointestinal symptoms. RF machine-learning algorithm identified acute diarrhea and antibiotics administration as the strongest predictors for gastrointestinal sequelae with area under curve of 0.68. Variable importance for acute diarrhea is 0.066 and 0.058 for antibiotics administration. CONCLUSION: The presence of gastrointestinal sequelae 7 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection is significantly higher in patients with moderate-to-severe course of the acute COVID-19 compared with asymptomatic patients or those with mild course of the disease. The most prevalent post-COVID gastrointestinal symptoms are diarrhea and abdominal pain. The strongest predictors for persistence of these symptoms are antibiotics administration and acute diarrhea during the initial infection.

Abdominal pain in covid times: time to think twice.

We report a case of abdominal pain followed by acute systolic heart failure due to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This multisystem disease typically appears several weeks after infection with COVID-19 in children and young adults. There is a wide spectrum of presentation with MIS-C: some present with features of shock, others with a condition that has overlapping characteristics with Kawasaki disease (KD), and others with more non-specific features. Very often the symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms. Our 17-year-old patient presented with fever, abdominal pain and inflammatory laboratory results. Rapidly after admission he developed acute heart failure with biopsy-confirmed myocarditis. The diagnostic criteria of MIS-C were met. This case emphasizes the changing diagnostic landscape. However rare, we want to raise awareness for MIS-C in children and young adults presenting with abdominal pain. Because of the risk of rapid clinical deterioration, early recognition and a multidisciplinary approach can be life-saving.

Diagnostics and treatment of complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the pediatric surgery department. An analysis based on seven clinical cases and literature review.

<b> Introduction:</b> Pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome - temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) is a new disease, the first cases of which were observed in the spring of 2020. It affects children who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and children who have been in direct contact with patients suffering from COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). The disease is characterized by a wide spectrum of symptoms and the development of generalized inflammation of different organs and systems. One of the numerous symptoms may be severe abdominal pain. </br></br> <b>Aim:</b> The aim of this study was to review the available literature and analyze the results of patients treated at the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Traumatology and Urology in Poznan in whom PIMS-TS imitated acute surgical abdominal disease. </br></br> <b>Materials and methods:</b> material for the study was collected on the basis of medical records of patients treated at the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Traumatology and Urology of the Poznan University of Medical Sciences in the period between March 2020 and February 2021. </br></br> <b>Results:</b> TDuring this period, seven patients met the PIMS-TS criteria and three children were qualified for surgical treatment. Only one patient had an acute surgical cause of abdominal pain. </br></br> <b>Discussions:</b> The guidelines of the expert group at the Polish Pediatric Society and the National Consultant in the field of Pediatrics indicate the need to exclude acute surgical abdominal disease as a criterion for the diagnosis of PIMS-TS syndrome. In patients with acute abdominal pain, imaging and laboratory tests are sometimes diagnostically inconclusive, therefore exploratory laparoscopy is worth considering in order to differentiate PIMS-TS from acute surgical abdominal disease.

COVID-19 and abdominal pain: a pediatric case report and a point of view in pediatric emergency medicine.

COVID-19 is to date a global pandemic that can affect all age groups; gastrointestinal symptoms are quite common in patients with COVID-19 and a new clinical entity defined as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) has been described in children and adolescents previously affected by COVID-19. Presenting symptoms of this new disease include high fever and severe abdominal pain that can mimic more common causes of abdominal pain; patients can rapidly deteriorate presenting severe cardiac dysfunction and multiorgan failure. Some fatalities due to this serious illness have been reported. We describe the case of a ten-year-old patient presenting with persistent high fever associated with continuous and worsening abdominal pain. Various hypotheses were performed during his diagnostic workup and an initial appendectomy was performed in the suspect of acute appendicitis. As his clinical picture deteriorated, the child was subsequently diagnosed and successfully treated as a case of MIS-C. The objective of this case report and brief review of abdominal pain in children throughout the age groups is to provide the emergency pediatrician with updated suggestions in diagnosing abdominal pain in children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Determination of Factors to Distinguish MIS-C from Acute Appendicitis in Children with Acute Abdominal Pain.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to make the differential diagnosis between acute appendicitis and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) for patients presenting with the complaint of acute abdominal pain (AAP) and to identify the determining factors for the diagnosis of MIS-C. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-one children presenting with AAP/suspected AAP were evaluated. Of these, 24 (29.6%) were included in the MIS-C group (MIS-C/g) and 57 were included in the suspected appendicitis group (S-A/g), which consisted of two subgroups: appendicitis group (A/g) and control observation group (CO/g). RESULTS: Comparing MIS-C/g, A/g, and CO/g, duration of abdominal pain (2.4, 1.5, 1.8 days), high-grade fever (38.8, 36.7, 37°C), severe vomiting, and severe diarrhea were higher in MIS-C/g. Lymphocytes count (LC) was lower, while values of C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, and coagulopathy were higher in MIS-C/g (p < 0.05). The optimal cutoffs for the duration of abdominal pain was 2.5 days; the duration of fever, 1.5 days; peak value of fever, 39°C; neutrophil count, 13,225 × 1,000 cell/µMoL; LC, 600 × 1,000 cell/µMoL; ferritin, 233 µg/L; and D-dimer, 16.4 mg/L (p < 0.05). The optimal cutoff for CRP was 130 mg/L (sensitivity 88.9, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100%, NPV, negative predictive value 92.5%, p < 0.001). All patients in MIS-C/g tested positive by serology by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). CONCLUSION: The duration of abdominal pain, presence of high-grade and prolonged fever, and evaluation of hemogram in terms of high neutrophil count and low LC exhibit high sensitivity and negative predictive value for MIS-C presenting with AAP. In case of doubt, inflammatory markers such as CRP, ferritin, D-dimer, and serology for SARS-CoV-2 should be studied to confirm the diagnosis.

Imaging as an alternate diagnostic modality in a presumptive case of abdominopelvic TB in a COVID-19 patient.

A 30-year-old, multiparous widow, with postpolio residual paralysis, presented with complaints of dull aching abdominal pain for 15 days. Ultrasound showed a mixed echogenic right adnexal mass with free fluid in the pelvis and abdomen. CT abdomen and pelvis revealed partially defined peripherally enhancing collection in lower abdomen and right adnexa suggestive of tubo-ovarian abscess. There was mild ileal wall thickening and few enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Ascitic fluid did not show acid fast bacilli and cultures were sterile. Extensive diagnostic laboratory work was done which was inconclusive. Diagnostic laparoscopy could not be performed due to non-availability of elective operation theatre in the COVID-19 pandemic. Presumptive extrapulmonary tuberculosis was clinically and radiologically diagnosed. She was started on daily anti tuberculosis treatment. This case shows us the importance of imaging as a diagnostic tool and as an alternative for laparoscopy in COVID-19 pandemic to diagnose abdomino-pelvic tuberculosis.

The gut microbiome: a missing link in understanding the gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2, presents with a broad constellation of both respiratory and nonrespiratory symptoms, although it is primarily considered a respiratory disease. Gastrointestinal symptoms-including nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea-rank chief among these. When coupled with the presence of viral RNA in fecal samples, the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms raises relevant questions regarding whether SARS-CoV-2 can productively infect the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. Despite the well-documented prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and the high rate of SARS-CoV-2 fecal RNA shedding, the biological, clinical, and epidemiological relevance of these findings is unclear. Furthermore, the isolation of replication-competent virus from fecal samples has not been reproducibly and rigorously demonstrated. Although SARS-CoV-2 shedding likely occurs in a high proportion of patients, gastrointestinal symptoms affect only a subset of individuals. Herein, we summarize what is known about gastrointestinal symptoms and fecal viral shedding in COVID-19, explore the role of the gut microbiome in other respiratory diseases, speculate on the role of the gut microbiota in COVID-19, and discuss potential future directions. Taking these concepts together, we propose that studying gut microbiota perturbations in COVID-19 will enhance our understanding of the symptomology and pathophysiology of this novel devastating disease.

Atypical and novel presentations of Coronavirus Disease 2019: a case series of three children.

Typical presentations of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) including respiratory symptoms (cough, respiratory distress and hypoxia), fever and dyspnoea are considered main symptoms in adults, but atypical presentation in children could be a diagnostic challenge. We report three children whose initial presentation was gastrointestinal, and in whom Covid-19 infection was found, concluding that cases of acute appendicitis, mesenteric adenitis and flank tenderness may mask an infection with this virus, and should therefore be investigated.

Spontaneous portomesenteric thrombosis in a non-cirrhotic patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Intra-abdominal thromboses are a poorly characterised thrombotic complication of COVID-19 and are illustrated in this case. A 42-year-old man with chronic hepatitis B (undetectable viral load, FibroScan 7.4 kPa) developed fever and cough in March 2020. 14 days later, he developed right upper quadrant pain. After being discharged with reassurance, he re-presented with worsening pain on symptom day 25. Subsequent abdominal ultrasound suggested portal vein thrombosis. CT of the abdomen confirmed portal and mid-superior mesenteric vein thromboses. Concurrent CT of the chest suggested COVID-19 infection. While reverse transcription PCR was negative, subsequent antibody serology was positive. Thrombophilia screen excluded inherited and acquired thrombophilia. Having been commenced on apixaban 5 mg two times per day, he is currently asymptomatic. This is the first case of COVID-19-related portomesenteric thrombosis described in the UK. A recent meta-analysis suggests 9.2% of COVID-19 cases develop abdominal pain. Threshold for performing abdominal imaging must be lower to avoid this reversible complication.