Perforated duodenal ulcer presenting with a subphrenic abscess revealed by plain abdominal X-ray films and confirmed by multi-detector computed tomography: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Peptic ulcer disease is still the major cause of gastrointestinal perforation despite major improvements in both diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. While the diagnosis of a perforated ulcer is straightforward in typical cases, its clinical onset may be subtle because of comorbidities and/or concurrent therapies. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 53-year-old Caucasian man with a history of chronic myeloid leukemia on maintenance therapy (100mg/day) with imatinib who was found to have a subphrenic abscess resulting from a perforated duodenal ulcer that had been clinically overlooked. Our patient was febrile (38.5°C) with abdominal tenderness and hypoactive bowel sounds. On the abdominal plain X-ray films, a right subphrenic abscess could be seen. On contrast-enhanced multi-detector computed tomography, a huge air-fluid collection extending from the subphrenic to the subhepatic anterior space was observed. After oral administration of 500cm3 of 3 percent diluted diatrizoate meglumine, an extraluminal leakage of the water-soluble iodinated contrast media could then be appreciated as a result of a perforated duodenal ulcer. During surgery, the abscess was drained and extensive adhesiolysis had to be performed to expose the duodenal bulb where the ulcer was first identified by methylene blue administration and then sutured. CONCLUSIONS: While subphrenic abscesses are well known complications of perforated gastric or duodenal ulcers, they have nowadays become rare thanks to advances in both diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for peptic ulcer disease. However, when peptic ulcer disease is not clinically suspected, the contribution of imaging may be substantial.

[Small bowel intussusception caused by metastasis from anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: case report and literature review]. / Invaginazione ileo-ileale da metastasi di carcinoma anaplastico tiroideo. Caso clinico e revisione della letteratura.

Symptomatic involvement of the small bowel by metastasis from an extra-abdominal primary malignancy is rare, most commonly resulting from malignant melanoma and lung cancer; very rarely is small bowel involvement as first metastatic site. The Authors report a case of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with lung metastasis, brain metastasis and an isolated metastasis to the small bowel leading intestinal obstruction due to small bowel intussusception. The Authors review the international literature about frequency, etiopathogenesis, clinical and diagnostic features and therapy of small bowel metastasis by extra-abdominal malignancies, especially by primary anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Small bowel metastasis from extra-abdominal malignancies are very unusual, especially from anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, and the etiopathogenesis is still unknown. Clinical findings are typical for abdominal urgency, especially by small bowel obstruction from anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Computed Tomography has an important role in detecting the type of intestinal obstruction despite it is often unable to diagnose an isolated metastasis. Best therapy is surgical resection, that allows the assessment of metastasis and the definitive staging. The prognosis is poor, despite long-term survival has been occasionally reported for isolated small bowel metastasis