Rhabdoid collecting duct carcinoma with lymphangitic carcinomatosis causing acute lethal chylopericardium.

Collecting duct carcinoma is a rare neoplasm of the kidney, accounting for only 1-2% of renal tumors. These tumors arise from the principal cells of the renal collecting ducts of Bellini. The majority of patients have lymph node involvement and metastases to lungs, liver, bone, adrenal glands, and brain. We present a case of a 48 year old woman who came to the hospital with a clinical presentation suspicious for pneumonia. One week later her symptoms aggravated. A CT chest and abdominal imaging showed bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, and left hydroureteronephrosis. She expired after developing acute respiratory failure. An autopsy was performed which revealed chylopericadium of 150 cc; bilateral reticular pattern on the surfaces of the lungs; neck, mediastinal and retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, and a 5.1 cm left kidney mass located in the mid portion medulla. The kidney tumor was a rhabdoid collecting duct carcinoma. The lungs showed diffuse subpleural lymphangitic spread of the carcinoma. We report a rare case of chylopericardium due to lymphangitic carcinomatosis from a 5.1 cm rhabdoid collecting duct carcinoma not suspected clinically or radiologically. This case highlights the importance of performing autopsies in an era when clinicians heavily rely on high-tech imaging diagnostic modalities.

Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma With Cystic Changes in a Patient With Prior History of Toxic Nodule.

Thyroid nodules are palpable on up to 7% of asymptomatic patients. Cancer is present in 8% to 16% of those patients with previously identified thyroid nodules. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer, accounting for approximately 85% of thyroid cancers. Although most appear as solid nodules on ultrasound imaging, a subset of 2.5% to 6% has cystic components. The presence of cystic changes within thyroid nodules decreases the accuracy of fine needle aspiration (FNA) in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer, given the difficulty of obtaining appropriate cellular content. This becomes a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. We present a case of a 31-year-old female with a 1-month history of palpitations, fatigue, and night sweats, who underwent evaluation, and was diagnosed with subclinical hyperthyroidism. She presented 4 years later with compressive symptoms leading to repeat FNA, showing Bethesda III-atypia of undetermined significance and negative molecular testing. Thyroid lobectomy revealed PTC with cystic changes. This case is a reminder that patients with hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule should have closer follow-up. It poses the diagnostic dilemma of how much is good enough in the evaluation and management of a thyroid nodule. Early detection and action should be the standard of care.

Nail Biting as a Cause of Appendicitis.

Ingestion of a foreign body is commonly encountered in clinical practice, but most cause no complications, passing spontaneously through the gastrointestinal tract. However, they can cause obstructive signs and symptoms, and surgical intervention for extraction of the foreign body may be required after identifying its location. We present here the case of a 49-year-old woman who presented to our emergency room with abdominal pain localizing to the right lower quadrant. Evaluation was most consistent with acute appendicitis, and she underwent uncomplicated appendectomy. A keratin nail with Actinomyces was identified in her appendix. Foreign bodies in the appendix can cause simple appendicitis, perforation, periappendiceal abscess, and peritonitis. Regardless of etiology, an appendectomy often ends up the primary treatment, but unusual and rare causes are worth noting if only for the clinician to be aware of when evaluating the next patient with abdominal pain and considering treatment options or future prevention. Our case is an example of a rare scenario in which an Actinomyces-contaminated human nail lodged in the appendix of a woman eventually resulting in acute appendicitis.

Massive Lipomatosis of the Small Intestine Causing Intussusception.

Lipomatosis is a rare condition characterized by diffuse, unencapsulted adipose tissue deposition. Intestinal involvement is rare, and presentation as intussusception is rarer still. We report a 40-year-old man who presented with abdominal pain and fecal urgency. Abdominal CT scan showed a protuberant ileo-cecal valve, with intussusception of the ileum into the cecum. The mucosal surface of the resected bowel was bulbous and protuberant, showing loss of mucosal folds, and there was an 8 × 5 × 5 cm mass prolapsing into the ileo-cecal valve. Microscopically there was abundant adipose tissue in the submucosa with an unremarkable mucosa. The patient recovered uneventfully with only occasional cramping in the left abdomen.