A 59-year-old man with abdominal pain, microscopic hematuria, and a jejunal abnormality shown on a CT scan

Article Abstract:

An obese 59-year-old man was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital for abdominal pain, constipation, and microscopic traces of blood in the urine (hematuria). Several days earlier had developed these symptoms, along with a loss of appetite. A laxative relieved his constipation, but upper abdominal pain intensified. Two days before admission he was seen at the hospital, and after several tests, was sent home with a prescription for antimicrobial drugs and instructions for a liquid diet. He was admitted two days later, and extensive testing was begun. An initial diagnosis of diverticulitis (inflammation of the bowel) was made, and antibiotics were administered. When the illness progressed rapidly and abruptly, more extensive testing was undertaken. The process of testing and differential diagnosis is described; lymphoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, Crohn's disease, and a variety of infectious disorders were considered and rejected. Ultimately, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, which usually occurs in children, was diagnosed. Symptoms include bleeding into the tissues (purpura), joint pain, abdominal pain, and blood in the urine. The symptoms, treatment, and pathological aspects of Henoch-Schonlein purpura are described. The outlook is usually good, and at follow-up four months later the patient was well, although treatment with steroids for skin lesions continued. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Schonlein-Henoch purpura, Allergic purpura

---

A 59-year-old woman with abdominal pain and an abnormal CT scan

Article Abstract:

A woman with intermittent left-sided abdominal pain was diagnosed with eosinophilic gastroenteritis of the serous membrane. Gastroenteritis refers to an inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell. Serous membranes are thin tissues that line different bodily cavities, in this case part of the small intestine. The patient had suffered from crampy abdominal pain lasting one or two days over a course of two years. On admission to the hospital, her pain was more severe on the upper left side of her abdomen. X-rays and CT scans revealed thickened loops in the small bowel. The mesentery, another part of the intestine, was also inflamed. The diagnosis of eosinophilic gastroenteritis, serosal form, was made after surgical removal of part of the colon. Eosinophils were present in large numbers in the serosal tissue. There was no evidence of parasitic infection. The presence of eosinophils, the non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms and the lack of parasitic infection or other disease were the criteria used to confirm the diagnosis.

Gastroenteritis, Eosinophil disorders

---

Case 37-2003: a 79-year-old man with coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, end-stage renal disease, and abdominal pain and distention

Article Abstract:

The case of a 79-year-old man is presented who developed a perforated intestine after receiving a drug called Kayexalate. He had multiple medical problems, including extensive atherosclerosis and kidney failure for which he was on dialysis. He recovered but died about two years later.

Injuries, Causes of, Complications and side effects, Intestines, Kayexalate (Medication), Intestinal perforation

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: A 35-year-old man with changed mental status and multiple intracerebral lesions. A 60-year-old man with multiple cerebral infarcts and cutaneous hemorrhagic lesions
• Abstracts: Blunt splenic injuries: nonsurgical treatment with CT, arteriography, and transcatheter arterial embolization of the splenic artery
• Abstracts: Comparison of an aggressive (U.S.) and a less aggressive (Canadian) policy for cholesterol screening and treatment
• Abstracts: Successful foscarnet therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis in an AIDS patient undergoing hemodialysis: rationale for empirical dosing and plasma level monitoring
• Abstracts: Postnatal transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type I from mother to infant: a prospective cohort study in Kigali, Rwanda

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.