Ruptured gastroepiploic artery aneurysm: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Gastroepiploic artery aneurysms are extremely rare, with few reported cases in the literature. The risk of rupture however, is high and thus warrants attention. PRESENTATION OF CASE: Here we present a rare case of a women who presented to the emergency department in shock and was found to have a ruptured gastroepiploic artery aneurysm during surgical exploration. Suture ligation of the aneurysm was completed. DISCUSSION: Although rare, gastroepiploic artery aneurysms have up to a 90% rate of rupture and therefore require intervention. A laparoscopic approach has been described however, in cases where rupture has occurred, urgent laparotomy and control of hemorrhage is needed. CONCLUSION: We describe a rare case of a ruptured gastroepiploic aneurysm that was successfully managed with urgent laparotomy and aneurysmal resection.

Nutritional therapy improves function and complements corticosteroid intervention in mdx mice.

Corticosteroid therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy is effective but associated with long-term side effects. To determine the potential therapeutic benefit from four nutritional compounds (creatine monohydrate, conjugated linoleic acid, alpha-lipoic acid, and beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate) alone, in combination, and with corticosteroids (prednisolone), we evaluated the effects on several variables in exercising mdx mice. Outcome measures included grip strength, rotarod performance, serum creatine kinase levels, muscle metabolites, internalized myonuclei, and retroperitoneal fat pad weight. In isolation, each nutritional treatment showed some benefit, with the combination therapy showing the most consistent benefits. Prednisolone and the combination therapy together provided the most consistent evidence of efficacy; increased peak grip strength (P < 0.05), decreased grip strength fatigue (P < 0.05), decreased number of internalized myonuclei (P < 0.01), and smaller retroperitoneal fat pad stores (P < 0.001). This study provided evidence for therapeutic benefit from a four-compound combination therapy alone, and in conjunction with corticosteroids in the mdx model of DMD.