A rare case of fatal gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis.

Basidiobolomycosis is an uncommon fungal infection caused by the environmental saprophyte Basidiobolus ranarum. Basidiobolomycosis typically manifests as a subcutaneous infection, and rarely affects the gastrointestinal tract. It lacks a distinct clinical manifestation, and most initial cases are incorrectly identified. We report a 69-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency department with history of abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss for 1 year that turned to be gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis.

Retroperitoneal Ganglioneuroma (GN): Case report in 14 years old boy.

INTRODUCTION: The ganglioneuroma is a rare tumor arising from sympathetic nervous system, which is composed of gangliocytes and mature stroma. PRESENTATION OF THE CASE: A retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma was found in a 14 years old Saudi boy, presented with recurrent vomiting. CT image showing a retroperitoneal cyst near the inferior vena cava and right iliac vessels. Treated by laparoscopic cystic excision, histopathology of the cyst showing ganglioneuroma, completely excised. DISCUSSION: Ganglioneuromas arise from the sympathetic chain, The most common sites of presentation are the posterior mediastinum, retroperitoneum, head and neck region. GN are usually asymptomatic found incidentally on abdominal imaging. The treatment of retroperitoneal mass is complete surgical excision. CONCLUSION: Ganglioneuroma (GN) is a rare benign tumor, usually asymptomatic. One of the most common site of presentation is retroperitoneum, the main treatment for that is complete surgical excision.

A case series of actinomycosis from a single tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.

Actinomycosis is an uncommon but curable chronic infection caused by Actinomyces spp. The cervicofacial region is the most susceptible to infection; however, other sites may also become infected. Data on the current prevalence of this rare disease in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is lacking. We herein report a case series of four patients with actinomycosis from a single tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Three patients presented to us with slowly progressing actinomycosis and one patient developed an acute abdomen, secondary to viscus perforation. Two of the patients had cervicofacial disease, including hard palate actinomycosis. Tissue cultures were sent for three patients; however, tests for actinomycosis were negative. Subsequently, the diagnosis was made through histopathological examination. Therapy involved a combination of surgical resection and debridement and prolonged antimicrobial treatment tailored to each patient. The cases reported in this series highlight the difficulty in diagnosing actinomycosis. For most patients, the diagnosis was delayed or accidentally discovered on histopathological examination. We conclude that increased awareness among physicians is needed for early diagnosis and treatment of actinomycosis.

Snapshot in surgery: intraperitoneal encapsulated fat necrosis.

A 66-year-old man with rectal cancer was found to have an incidental ring-like lesion in the left rectovesical pouch. Histology revealed an encapsulated fat necrosis. Intraperitoneal encapsulated fat necroses are postulated to be a result of infarcted epiploic appendages resulting in a free-floating lesion.