Intestinal Spontaneous Intramural Hematoma Secondary to Anticoagulation Therapy: A Case Report.

A common complication of anticoagulation therapy is bleeding, especially in patients receiving long-term vitamin K antagonists. Spontaneous intramural hematoma is a rare etiology among life-threatening major bleeds. An 80-year-old female patient presented with diffuse abdominal pain. Her history included ischemic heart disease and chronic atrial fibrillation treated with 3 mg of acenocoumarol per day. Three days before her admission, she developed diffuse abdominal pain with fecaloid vomiting, bloating, and not passing gas. Palpation of the abdomen revealed asymmetrical distension and pain, with no signs of peritoneal irritation or bleeding. Investigations showed anemia with a hemoglobin level of 9.2 g/dL, a white blood cell count of 14200/mm3, a C-reactive protein of 112.6 mg/L, and a prothrombin time of 75.1 seconds with an international normalized ratio (INR) of 8.5. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed segmental parietal thickening, luminal narrowing, and partial small bowel obstruction secondary to an intramural jejunum hematoma responsible for a gallbladder occlusion with infiltration of the mesenteric fat in front. The patient recovered two days after conservative treatment. In this case, we report an unusual small bowel intramural hematoma of the jejunum secondary to anticoagulant therapy. Physicians should be aware of this unusual cause of abdominal pain. Early diagnosis may avoid unnecessary surgical exploration.

Prevalence and Severity of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in COVID-19 Patients in Casablanca: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is behind the current pandemic. At the start of the pandemic, gastrointestinal symptoms initially described as rare were reported, but their spread to other countries increased rapidly. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of digestive symptoms among COVID-19 patients and to assess the correlation between these symptoms and disease severity. Methods This retrospective observational study was conducted in the Cheikh Khalifa University Hospital of Casablanca, Morocco. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of gastrointestinal symptoms upon initial assessment and hospital admission. Results A total of 154 patients were included in this study from March 21 to April 26, 2020. The mean age of patients was about 48.5 (± 20.0) years, and 85 (55.2%) of them were men. In our population, 8.17% of patients had toxic habits. Digestive symptoms were present at admission in 30% of our patients. The most frequent digestive symptoms were diarrhea (15%), abdominal pain (5.6%), vomiting (5%), and anorexia (3.1%). We found a significant difference in COVID-19 patients with digestive symptoms and toxic habits contrary to all other comorbidities. Neurologic symptoms were significantly associated (p=0,004) with digestive symptoms in 50%. Conclusion In this study, we found that digestive symptoms were present in 22.64% of patients diagnosed with COVID-9. The clinician must know the different digestive symptoms to evoke the diagnosis and take charge of the patient early.

Sex Differences in COVID-19 Outcomes.

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified as the cause of an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Wuhan City, China in December 2019. Since then, it has caused a worldwide pandemic with over six million deaths. Many studies have been published on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but only a few have compared the outcomes of COVID-19 between males and females, especially in African countries and the Middle East. Studies published to date on this topic report that male patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 have worse outcomes than females. This study aimed to compare sex differences in COVID-19 outcomes in a tertiary care hospital in Casablanca (Morocco). Methodology We included all adult patients hospitalized for COVID-19 infection in Cheikh Khalifa Hospital. We categorized patients according to gender and analyzed the characteristics and outcomes of each group. Results In total, 134 patients with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 were admitted during the study period. These included 72 (53.7%) men and 62 (46.4%) women. The median age of the patients was 53 years (interquartile range, IQR = 36-64). Men were significantly older than women (58 vs. 44) but there was no significant difference in comorbidities on comparing men and women. Values of median C-reactive protein (35 vs. 4), ferritin (326 vs. 72), and lactate dehydrogenase (264 vs. 208) were significantly higher in men. Lymphopenia was significantly more important in men (1.2 vs. 1.7), and the ratio of neutrophil/lymphocytes was significantly higher in men (3.37 vs. 1.84). Men had greater disease severity, with significantly higher intensive care unit admission (48.6% vs. 16.1%) and higher hospital mortality (18.1% vs. 1.6%). Conclusions COVID-19 gender disparities may be due to sex differences in the inflammatory response. These can be explained by the role of sex hormones and sex chromosomes on immune cells and their regulatory genes.

Cardiac Myxoma as a Rare Cause of an Ischemic Stroke of the Vertebrobasilar Territory in a Young Adult: A Case Report.

An ischemic stroke is characterized by the brutal installation of a focal functional deficit. Myxomas are the most common primitive cardiac tumors. Neurological manifestations of myxomas are mostly related to cardioembolic events, either caused by a migrating fragment of the tumor or by an attached clot that got detached from the tumor This article describes the case of a 55-year-old male who presented with an ischemic stroke of the vertebrobasilar territory. Cardiac exploration revealed the presence of a cardiac mass. The patient was surgically treated and the anatomopathological study confirmed the diagnosis of cardiac myxoma. This case emphasizes the obligation to research the etiology of ischemic strokes, and more importantly the realization of a complete cardiologic exploration.

Report of a Case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease With an Unusual Quick Evolution.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare, transmissible neurodegenerative disorder, most prevalent between the ages of 50 and 70 years old, that is incurable and fatal. It's caused by a slow, infectious protein agent-designated prion. The most common clinical presentations are sleep disturbances, personality changes, ataxia, aphasia, visual disturbances, weakness, and myoclonus combined with progressive dementia. Here we report the case of a patient with disturbance of consciousness, restlessness, and myoclonia who died two weeks after admission. The analysis of his cerebrospinal fluid reveals that the presence of 14-3-3 protein was positive, which supports the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Our observation underscores the importance of the quick fatality of this case.

Confusion Syndrome During COVID-19: The "Herb" That Hides the Forest?

We report the case of potential Dysphania ambrosioides (Silverweed) intoxication in the context of SARS-COV-2 infection in a patient admitted for delirium with Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 13/15. This herb was used as an antipyretic to treat COVID-19 persistent fever. The clinical presentation of our patient raised several questions related to the viral or herbal intoxication origin of the confusion syndrome. To our knowledge, this is the first description of toxic encephalopathy after D. ambrosioides ingestionin an adult patient.

A Fatal Case of Strangulated Pericecal Hernia.

Pericecal hernia, a subtype of internal hernia, is a rare and unusual cause of small-bowel obstruction (SBO). We report the case of a pericecal hernia in an 80-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with symptoms of SBO. She experienced colicky diffuse abdominal pain associated with vomiting and obstipation for over five days. Abdominal examination showed rebound tenderness in the right iliac fossa without any mass palpation. Computed tomography noted a "sac-like" structure in the right iliac fossa with dilated and ischemic small-bowel loops within. Exploratory laparotomy showed strangulated pericecal hernia and non-viable small bowel loops in the inferior ileocecal recess. Extensive resection and defect repair followed by small-bowel end-to-end primary anastomosis was made. After two days of ICU admission, patient died from septic shock. This case report highlights the need for prompt diagnosis, followed by surgical intervention to lower mortality of SBO of internal hernia origin, especially in cases where no previous surgery is noted.

Hemorrhagic Shock Revealing Rupture of Splenic Artery Pseudoaneurysm Three Years After Post-Traumatic Pancreatitis.

Splenic artery pseudoaneurysm (SAP) is an uncommon entity but extremely serious, given the high mortality rate if untreated. Only a limited literature reports association with post-traumatic pancreatitis. We report the case of a 30-year-old man, who was brought to the emergency department (ED) for acute confusion. His past medical history includes trauma of right hypochondriac and epigastric regions, three years ago. Three days before his admission to the hospital, he experienced abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting, without transit disorders or fever. When examined, the patient was disoriented, pale with profuse sweating, cold extremities, and a temperature of 36.3°C. Blood pressure was 75/51 mmHg, heart rate was 126 beats per minute, and oxygen saturation was 96% on room air. The abdominal exam detected generalized abdominal sensitivity. A CT angiography of the abdomen revealed hemoperitoneum of medium abundance, with extravasation of the contrast product from the splenic artery. The size of the spleen was normal with a lower polar hypodense area. In addition, a pancreas of normal size, steady outlinings, seat of bilobed cystic formation suggested a pancreatic pseudocyst. This led us to suspect a rupture of a pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery. A laparotomy was performed and showed an estimated 2 L hemoperitoneum. Active bleeding was noted from an SAP in the mid-portion of the splenic artery, next to the pancreatic pseudocyst. Ligation of the splenic artery and splenectomy was carried out. The patient was discharged home on the 10th post-operative day. Our case highlights an uncommon cause of hemorrhagic shock, but critical to recognize. Indeed, ruptured SAP needs to be promptly detected and managed, to avoid fatal complications if left untreated.

COVID-19: A Potential Cause of Non-convulsive Status Epilepticus.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been described as being primarily responsible for respiratory symptoms. Although several case reports have shown the importance of neurological manifestations, only a few have reported non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) as the first manifestation of COVID-19 infection. Here, we report the case of a 30-year-old male patient with no past medical history who was admitted with altered consciousness. On examination, the patient had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 13/15. Vital signs were within normal range. Computed tomography scan of the and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain were normal. Biochemical assessments showed a mild hyponatremia (134 mEq/L) and high levels of D-dimer and lactate dehydrogenase. Urine drug screening did not find any abnormality and a lumbar puncture showed an increased cerebrospinal fluid protein. The result of the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test in the nasopharyngeal swab was positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Electroencephalogram (EEG) showed a generalized epileptiform activity. Upon undergoing antiepileptic treatment, patient's GCS improved to 15 gradually. A repeated EEG confirmed complete resolution of epileptic abnormalities four days later. This case report shows that SARS-CoV-2 infection can directly involve the central nervous system and can be manifested with isolated NCSE without any other neurological manifestations.

Hematological and biochemical abnormalities associated with severe forms of COVID-19: A retrospective single-center study from Morocco.

Since December 2019, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has catapulted the world into a marked health crisis, with over 29 million cases and >930,000 deaths. To better detect affected individuals at an early stage and stop disease progression to an advanced stage, several studies have been conducted to identify the clinical, biological, and radiological characteristics of COVID-19. This study aimed to enrich the literature by critically analyzing the clinical and biological characteristics of 134 patients from the North African Mediterranean region, including numerous genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors that may influence disease evolution. This single-center retrospective study included all patients older than 18 years confirmed to have COVID-19 and hospitalized at the Cheikh Khalifa University Hospital affiliated with Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco. Clinical, demographic, and biological data were analyzed in a cohort of severe and non-severe patients. Univariate analysis was performed to identify factors predictive of severity. There were 134 patients: the median age was 53 years, and 54.5% were male. Of these, 89 had mild to moderate disease; 45 had severe to critical disease, of which 14 died and 31 survived. Advanced age, presence of comorbidities, male sex, and infection in ethnic or family groups were risk factors for progression to severe disease. The presence of abnormalities in the following parameters were strongly associated with progression to severe disease: white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, lymphocytes, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, D-dimers, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), and alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) during both admission and hospitalization. Based on these results and an extensive literature review, we recommend that clinicians closely monitor the biological parameters identified herein and perform immunological and genetic studies.

Predictors of Severity in Covid-19 Patients in Casablanca, Morocco.

Background Morocco was affected, as were other countries, by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Many risk factors of COVID-19 severity have been described, but data on infected patients in North Africa are limited. We aimed to explore the predictive factors of disease severity in COVID-19 patients in a tertiary hospital in Casablanca. Methods In this single-center, retrospective, observational study, we included all adult patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, admitted to Sheikh Khalifa International University Hospital in Casablanca between March 18 and May 20, 2020. Patients were separated into two groups: Non-severe patients were those with mild or moderate forms of COVID-19, and severe patients were those admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) who had one of the following signs-respiratory rate > 30 breaths/min; oxygen saturation < 93% on room air; acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); or required mechanical ventilation. Demographic, clinical, laboratory data, and outcomes were reviewed. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression to explore predictive factors of severity. Results We reported 134 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The median age was 53 years (interquartile range [IQR], 36-64), and 73 (54.5%) were men. Eighty-nine non-severe patients (66.4%) were admitted to single bedrooms, and 45 (33.6%) were placed in the ICU. The median time from illness onset to hospital admission was seven days (IQR, 3.0-7.2). Ninety-nine patients (74%) were admitted directly to the hospital, and 35 (26%) were transferred from other structures. Also, 68 patients (65.4%) were infected in clusters. Of the 134 patients, 61 (45.5%) had comorbidities, such as hypertension (n = 36; 26.9%), diabetes (n = 19; 14.2%), and coronary heart disease (n = 16; 11.9%). The most frequent symptoms were fever (n = 61; 45.5%), dry cough (n = 59; 44%), and dyspnea (n = 39; 29%). A total of 127 patients received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin (95%). Eleven critical cases received lopinavir/ritonavir (8.2%). Five patients received tocilizumab (3.7%). We reported 13 ARDS cases in ICU patients (29%), eight with acute kidney injury (17.8%), and four thromboembolic events (8.8%). Fourteen ICU patients (31.1%) died at 28 days. In univariable analysis, older men with one or more comorbidities, infection in a cluster, chest scan with the COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS) 5, lymphopenia, high rates of ferritin, C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and lactate dehydrogenase were associated with severe forms of COVID-19. Multivariable logistic regression model founded increasing odds of severity associated with older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.09, P = .0039), men (OR 3.19, CI 1.06-9.60, P = .016), one or more comorbidities (OR 4.36, CI 1.32-14.45, P = .016), CRP > 10 mg/L (OR 5.47, CI 1.57-19.10, P = .008), and lymphopenia lower than 0.8 x109/L (OR 6.65, CI 1.43-30.92, P = .016). Conclusions Clinicians should consider older male patients with comorbidities, lymphopenia, and a high CRP rate as factors to predict severe forms of COVID-19 earlier. The higher severity of infected patients in clusters must be confirmed by epidemiological and genetic studies.