The Biting Colon: An Unfortunate Nightmare for a Healthy but Anxious Patient.

A 48-year-old female with no significant past medical history presented to the emergency department with an uncommon scenario after accidentally ingesting a three-unit dental bridge, leading to its impaction within the lower gastrointestinal tract. Despite initial conservative management with laxatives aimed at facilitating spontaneous passage, the foreign body remained lodged in the colon. Subsequently, the patient underwent endoscopic intervention via colonoscopy, during which the dental bridge was successfully extracted. This case highlights the complexity of managing foreign body ingestions, particularly when impaction occurs in uncommon locations, such as the colon. We emphasize the importance of individualized care strategies and recognize the potential of endoscopic procedures in resolving clinical scenarios involving foreign body ingestions.

Congestive Hepatopathy: A Review of the Literature.

Congestive hepatopathy (CH), stemming from compromised hepatic venous flow or heightened intrahepatic pressure, represents a significant consequence of cardiovascular conditions like congestive heart failure (CHF). This review of literature encapsulates the core aspects of this condition, characterized by hepatic congestion, cellular injury, and impaired liver function. Diagnostic challenges arise due to symptoms mirroring primary liver diseases. Management revolves around addressing the underlying cause and mitigating fluid retention. This review of literature provides a snapshot of CH's complexity, emphasizing its clinical implications and the need for comprehensive understanding in clinical practice.

Benign Peptic Ulcer as a Cause of Gastrocolic Fistula.

Gastrocolic fistula is a rare complication and can occur in various conditions, most commonly gastric or colonic adenocarcinoma, followed by benign gastric ulcers secondary to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. We report a case of an 82-year-old man with a benign peptic ulcer that led to a gastrocolic fistula, which was not associated with a history of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use or malignancy. The exact cause of this patient's gastrocolic fistula is unclear, but the patient's medical history of microscopic lymphocytic colitis may have increased his risk of fistula formation.

Encephalopathy in a Young Female With COVID-19: A Case Report.

Cases of severe central nervous system (CNS) complications have been reported in relation to coronavirus-19 (COVID-19). Cases of encephalitis have been reported primarily in older patients with multiple comorbidities. We present a case of encephalitis in a young female patient with a history of chronic marijuana use that presented with nausea, vomiting, and acute altered mental status. Extensive testing for infectious and autoimmune causes of encephalitis were negative, except for a positive COVID-19 test. She was treated with steroids and intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) and improved with residual mutism.

Gallstone Ileus Caused by Migration of Gallstone Through Cholecystoduodenal Fistula Resulting in Small Bowel Obstruction.

Gallstone ileus is a rare condition characterized by mechanical obstruction of the intestine due to gallstone impaction. Diagnosis is based on clinical history, symptoms, and characteristic Computed Tomography (CT) scan findings. Treatment typically involves surgical extraction of gallstones, with laparoscopy as an effective and potentially safer approach. Here, we describe a case of an 84-year-old woman with gallstone ileus presenting with small bowel obstruction.

A Case of Bilateral Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis: More Than Meets the Eye.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare etiology of stroke that results from inherited and/or acquired conditions, which can present in a variety of symptoms. CVST in the setting of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rarely been observed. Herein, we present the case of a 32-year-old female with a recent history of COVID-19 subsequently found to have CVST involving bilateral transverse sinuses. Further workup demonstrated several hypercoagulable conditions, which were likely exacerbated by the viral infection. This case demonstrates an atypical outcome for young, COVID-19-positive patients, which emphasizes the importance of diligence when examining symptomatic patients with a history of COVID-19 infection. The patient was treated with apixaban therapy with radiographic resolution of bilateral CVST and improved vision.

Nonsurgical Approach to Isolated Pancreatic Metastatic Malignant Melanoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Isolated pancreatic metastases from melanoma are rare with high mortality rate and account for less than 1% of metastatic melanomas. Treatment options are limited with highest overall survival reported in those with complete surgical resection. Of cases reported in the literature with nonsurgical management, highest length of survival was reported to be 10 months. We report a case of malignant melanoma with isolated pancreatic metastasis treated with interferon therapy and immunotherapy, with evidence of progressive tumor shrinkage and survival at 38 months.

Acute Esophageal Necrosis Syndrome (Black Esophagus): A Case Report of Rare Presentation.

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) is a rare clinical finding due to multifocal factors consisting of an ischemic insult to the esophagus, corrosive injury from gastric content, and diminished mucosal defense. It is also referred to as "black esophagus" or acute necrotizing esophagitis. The clinical presentation mainly consists of upper gastrointestinal bleed and abdominal pain. Associated symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and dysphagia. AEN can be diagnosed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with findings of diffuse circumferential black pigmentation in the distal esophagus that classically extends to the gastroesophageal junction. A diagnostic biopsy is not required but recommended. Treatment of AEN is conservative management to maintain hemodynamic stability and treat coexisting medical conditions. Herein, we present the case of a 78-year-old male who initially presented with hematemesis and abdominal discomfort of five-day duration and was subsequently found to have AEN.

Portal Vein Thrombosis and Pyogenic Liver Abscess With Concomitant Bacteroides Bacteremia in a Patient With COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report and Brief Review.

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can present with a wide variety of clinical manifestations, including a hypercoagulable state leading to both arterial and venous thrombosis. Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in the setting of COVID-19 has rarely been reported in the medical literature. Pylephlebitis with concomitant liver abscess is a rare complication of intra-abdominal infection. Here, we present the case of a 49-year-old man who initially presented with intermittent fevers and generalized weakness of 1-month duration and was subsequently found to have COVID-19 infection, PVT, and Bacteroides fragilis bacteremia with associated pyogenic liver abscess. The patient was treated with intravenous antibiotics and oral anticoagulation with plan to follow up outpatient with gastroenterology in 3 months to ensure resolution of PVT and liver abscess.

Metastasis-Induced Acute Pancreatitis Secondary to Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Description Metastasis-induced acute pancreatitis (MIAP) is a condition that occurs when patients develop acute pancreatitis secondary to metastatic malignancy. Most pancreatic cancers are adenocarcinomas that are primary malignancies. On the other hand, metastatic pancreatic lesions are rare, especially from primary pulmonary malignancies. Acute pancreatitis caused by metastatic carcinoma of the pancreas is a very rare presentation. Herein, we present the case of a 63-year-old male with a history of small-cell lung carcinoma presenting to the hospital due to recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis who was found to have metastatic pancreatic carcinoma. The patient was treated conservatively for his recurrent acute pancreatitis, had a stent placed in the common bile duct to relieve an obstruction and planned for outpatient palliative chemotherapy.

Aged garlic extract reduces left ventricular myocardial mass in patients with diabetes: A prospective randomized controlled double-blind study.

Increased left ventricular myocardial mass (LVM) is a well known prognostic marker of poor cardiac outcomes. Decreases in LVM have been shown to decrease the cardiovascular risk. Aged garlic extract (AGE) has been shown to have an overall favorable effect on cardiac health; however, to the best of our knowledge, no study to date has specifically examined its effects on left ventricular mass. This study investigated whether AGE can affect LVM measured by cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). This is a double-blind, placebo controlled randomized trial. In total, 65 participants with DM with a mean age of 58 years were prospectively assigned to consume 2,400 mg AGE/day or the placebo orally. Both groups underwent CCTA at baseline and follow-up at 1 year apart. LVM was measured using automated software. The baseline characteristics did not differ between the AGE and placebo groups. There was a trend towards a significant reduction in LVM at follow-up as compared to baseline in the AGE group (119.30±34.77 vs. 121.0±34.70, P=0.059). No change was observed in LVM in the placebo group at 1-year follow-up as compared to baseline (124.6±37.33 vs. 124.6±35.13, P=0.9). On the whole, this study indicated that AGE may decrease or stabilize LVM. Further studies however, with a larger sample size and longer follow-up times are required to evaluate the effects of AGE on hypertension and LVM.

Biomarkers and Noncalcified Coronary Artery Plaque Progression in Older Men Treated With Testosterone.

OBJECTIVE: Recent results from the Cardiovascular Trial of the Testosterone Trials showed that testosterone treatment of older men with low testosterone was associated with greater progression of noncalcified plaque (NCP). We evaluated the effect of anthropometric measures and cardiovascular biomarkers on plaque progression in individuals in the Testosterone Trial. METHODS: The Cardiovascular part of the trial included 170 men aged 65 years or older with low testosterone. Participants received testosterone gel or placebo gel for 12 months. The primary outcome was change in NCP volume from baseline to 12 months, as determined by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). We assayed several markers of cardiovascular risk and analyzed each marker individually in a model as predictive variables and change in NCP as the dependent variable. RESULTS: Of 170 enrollees, 138 (73 testosterone, 65 placebo) completed the study and were available for the primary analysis. Of 10 markers evaluated, none showed a significant association with the change in NCP volume, but a significant interaction between treatment assignment and waist-hip ratio (WHR) (P = 0.0014) indicated that this variable impacted the testosterone effect on NCP volume. The statistical model indicated that for every 0.1 change in the WHR, the testosterone-induced 12-month change in NCP volume increased by 26.96 mm3 (95% confidence interval, 7.72-46.20). CONCLUSION: Among older men with low testosterone treated for 1 year, greater WHR was associated with greater NCP progression, as measured by CCTA. Other biomarkers and anthropometric measures did not show statistically significant association with plaque progression.