Retroperitoneal and iliopsoas abscess as Crohn's disease onset mimicking a common lumbosciatic pain.

Crohn's Disease (CD) refers to a chronic transmural bowel inflammation affecting a range between 5 and 15 per 100,000 person-years worldwide 1. In patients with stricturing CD, the transmural pattern of inflammation may trigger the development of sinus tracts able to connect to other tissues, leading to the formation of fistulas or abscesses 2. Intra-psoas abscesses are rare, affecting between 0.4-4.3% of patients with CD 3. We present the case of a 36-year-old male with no past medical history except for a two-week worsening lumbosciatalgia not responding to standard nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, who complained sudden abdominal pain, with right lower abdominal stiffness combined to a severe edema and erythema of the right lower limb, extended from the gluteus down to the knee, involving the anteromedial and posteromedial areas of his thigh. Patient was septic and CT scans revealed a large complex air-fluid collection within the right iliac region, involving terminal ileum, right retroperitoneum and right lateral abdominal wall towards the inner edge of his thigh. Diagnosis of CD was made on histopathology and the patient gained full recovery thanks to a prompt surgical intervention followed by high-dose antibiotic infusion and vacuum-assisted wound closure. Intra-psoas abscesses, albeit rare, are a known manifestation of CD and frequently lead to misdiagnosis because of their rarity and their unusual location easily mimicking other diseases. Therefore, clinician's awareness must be heightened for complicated CD in the setting of intra-psoas abscesses in order to avoid delayed treatment. KEY WORDS: Crohn disease, Psoas abscess, Sciatica, Late onset disorders, Negative pressure Wound therapy.

An extremely rare finding of goblet cell carcinoid of the appendix. A case report.

Goblet cell carcinoid or carcinoma (GCC) refers to an extremely rare appendiceal tumor usually diagnosed on post-operative histology as an incidental finding. Primary cancers of the vermiform appendix are quite rare, representing less than 1% of all gastrointestinal malignancies. GCCs are considered as a distinct entity of appendiceal tumors, consisting of both epithelial (glandular) and neuroendocrine elements containing goblet cells. This entity tends to be more aggressive than typical carcinoid tumors as it often presents with metastatic disease. Therefore, an early recognition and an appropriate grading is essential. The 5-year overall survival is 14-22% in stage III-IV disease. As a matter of fact, GCC warrants more aggressive surgical and medical (chemotherapy) treatments than typical carcinoid tumors. We, hereby, report a case of a 67-year old male presenting with an acute abdominal obstruction and a severe tenderness predominant in his right lower quadrant, together with an endoscopic and radiological suspect of left colonic malignancy and acute appendicitis. Left hemicolectomy and appendicectomy were performed and pathological specimens revealed a lowgrade adenocarcinoma of the descending colon and a high-grade appendiceal goblet cell carcinoid. Subsequent right hemicolectomy was performed according to the current guidelines. GCCs are more aggressive compared with conventional appendiceal tumors but less aggressive compared with adenocarcinomas and they often present with serosal and mesoappendiceal involvement. The lack of a standardized classification system for GCC and the discrepancies in specific reliable markers are responsible for an insufficient prognostic and predictive value at diagnosis. KEY WORDS: Appendiceal neoplasms, Carcinoid tumor, Colectomy, Goblet cells, Immunochemistry.

A rare finding of Actinomyces odontolyticus abdominal actinomycosis presenting as abdominal wall and pericolic pseudotumoral mass.

Abdominal actinomycosis refers to a rare chronic suppurative infectious occurrence, caused by filamentous Gram-positive microaerophilic and anaerobic bacteria Actinomyces, that may appear as an abdominal mass and/or abscess, feasibly mimicking a malignancy 1,2. Due to its rarity and unspecific clinical evidence, the majority of cases are diagnosed after tissue specimen. We hereby report a case of a 69-year-old patient with a one week worsening abdominal pain and swelling. A large tender palpable mass in the epigastric region was noted on physical exam. An ultrasound-guided drainage followed by a surgical excision approach became both a way to confirm the diagnosis and a therapeutic tool. Diagnosis of actinomycosis was made on histopathology and microbiology. Even though the incidence of actinomycosis has decreased, the abdominal presentation has been observed with increasing frequency 3. KEY WORDS: Actinomycosis, Abdominal wall, Abdominal abscess, foreign-body reaction, Colonic neoplasms.