ABSTRACT
We report the case of a large superior gluteal artery aneurysm treated with covered stent-graft insertion. Exclusion of the aneurysm was achieved, with resolution of symptoms and shrinkage of the sac, without the need for embolization.
Subject(s)
Aneurysm/surgery , Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation/instrumentation , Buttocks/blood supply , Endovascular Procedures/instrumentation , Stents , Aged , Aneurysm/diagnostic imaging , Aneurysm/physiopathology , Computed Tomography Angiography , Humans , Male , Remission Induction , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
We report the case of a 21-year-old man who was noted to have pneumomediastinum during an admission for an acute flare of ulcerative colitis. At that time, he was on maintenance treatment with azathioprine at a dose of 1.25 mg/kg per day, and had not received supplementary steroids for 9 mo. He had never received anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha therapy. Shortly after apparently effective treatment with intravenous steroids and an increased dose of azathioprine, he developed worsening colitic and new respiratory symptoms, and was diagnosed with Pneumocystis jiroveci (carinii) pneumonia (PCP). Pneumomediastinum is rare in immunocompetent hosts, but is a recognized complication of PCP in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients, although our patient's HIV test was negative. Treatment of PCP with co-trimoxazole resulted in resolution of both respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, without the need to increase the steroid dose. There is increasing vigilance for opportunistic infections in patients with inflammatory bowel disease following the advent of anti-TNFalpha therapy. This case emphasizes the importance of considering the possibility of such infections in all patients with inflammatory bowel disease, irrespective of the immunosuppressants they receive, and highlights the potential of steroid-responsive opportunistic infections to mimic worsening colitic symptoms in patients with ulcerative colitis.
