Online Exclusives
Percutaneous treatment of portal vein thrombosis in a child who has undergone splenectomy
Thrombosis of the portal venous system is a well-recognized and potentially lethal complication after open or laparoscopic splenectomy. A 7-year-old girl with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura developed a portal vein thrombosis after open splenectomy. The portal vein thrombosis was diagnosed by color Doppler sonography. A percutaneous transhepatic thromboaspiration of the acute thrombus was done on the third postoperative day. Anticoagulation was continued for 6 months. The presented patient is the youngest patient to undergo percutaneous thromboaspiration of an acute thrombus via the transhepatic route.Hepatic laceration because of malpositioning of the umbilical vein catheter: case report and literature review
Umbilical vein catheterization that is a common bedside procedure in the neonatal intensive care units is not without complication. The most common complications are thrombus formation, embolism, vessel perforation, hemorrhage, and infection. Complications related to the liver carry a high risk for mortality. Laceration is an ominous complication of umbilical vein catheter that is generally a result of direct injury through the liver parenchyma. Abdominal distension that develops gradually should alert the physician for a likely development of intrahepatic bleeding.An unusual cause of paraphimosis: hemangioma of the glans penis
Paraphimosis is a urologic emergency that occurs in uncircumcised boys. In untreated paraphimosis, increasing edema caused by vascular and lymphatic obstruction results in ominous sequelae such as penile gangrene, which leads to autoamputation in days or weeks. Most cases of paraphimosis are iatrogenic, but that condition has unusual causes as well. We present a very rare case of paraphimosis that occurred in a patient with a hemangioma of the glans penis. We suggest that the swelling of the hemangioma pushed the penile skin backward and caused paraphimosis.Renal parenchymal malacoplakia: a different stage of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis?
Malacoplakia is a rare inflammatory condition characterized by demonstrative Michaelis-Gutmann bodies, which are foamy histiocytes with distinctive basophilic inclusions. Malacoplakia is caused by the inadequate elimination of bacteria by macrophages or monocytes as a result of defective phagocytic activity. Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is characterized by the destruction of renal parenchyma and its replacement by solid sheets of foamy lipid-laden macrophages. Prolonged infection of the kidney, which is frequently caused by an obstruction of the urinary tract, is the pathologic mechanism of that condition.Actinomycosis: a differential diagnosis for appendicitis: A case report and review of the literature
Actinomyces is a genus of gram-positive anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria that colonize the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts and the female genital tract. These organisms cause disseminated disease in the mouth, the respiratory system, and rarely in the gastrointestinal tract. The diseases produced by Actinomyces species result from the disruption of the barriers that allow the dissemination of the bacteria through the surrounding tissues. The appendix is often a nidus of Actinomyces infection, but a prompt diagnosis cannot be made without the results of histologic examination of the appendix.Congenital teratoma of the tongue: a case report and review of the literature
Teratomas of the head and neck are rare. They develop in neonates and are associated with feeding difficulty, airway obstruction, and difficulty in swallowing (which may cause polyhydramnios). Although some tumors consist of immature elements, teratomas of the head and neck are mature in nature, and excision is the most effective treatment. We present a case report of a neonate with a polypoid mass protruding from his mouth. He exhibited respiratory arrest immediately after birth and underwent intubation.Renal cell carcinoma: case report and literature review
Renal cell carcinoma arising from epithelial cells of the renal tubule is a highly aggressive and malignant tumor in all ages. Less than 2% of cases occur in childhood, relatively in older age group. Only a few pediatric series have been presented in the English literature. Tumor is presented with characteristic findings of flank pain, gross hematuria, and palpable mass. Although one half of the patients have metastasis at the time of diagnosis, most cases are currently being incidentally detected using improved imaging techniques.Esophageal stenosis after coil embolization of an aortopulmonary collateral artery: report of a very unusual cause
A 10-year-old boy who had previously undergone surgery for tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia, and ventricular septal defect was admitted with difficulty in swallowing and significant failure to thrive. His history included that he had 2 angiographically detected aberrant pulmonary arteries extending from the descending aorta to the right and left lungs, respectively. Both collaterals had been ligated during the corrective surgery; however, early postoperative evaluation revealed that the vessel that crossed behind the esophagus to the left lung had become recanalized.
