A 44-year-old female presented with a 3-month history of headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Her past medical history was significant for long-standing intravenous drug abuse. Shortly after admission, the patient became hypertensive and febrile, with fever as high as 38.8°C. The lumbar puncture profile supported an infectious process; however multiple cultures of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) did not initially show growth of organisms. Finally after 9 days of incubation, a CSF culture showed evidence of a few colonies of Candida albicans. To confirm the diagnosis, preserved CSF from that sample was tested for (1→3)-β-d-glucan, showing levels >500pg/ml. This report illustrates a rare complication of intravenous drug use in an immunocompetent patient and demonstrates the utility of (1→3)-β-d-glucan testing in possible Candida meningitis.
External compression of the celiac artery by the median arcuate ligament is referred to as Dunbar syndrome, which is an eponym for celiac axis syndrome or median arcuate ligament syndrome. It is correlated with the archetypal triad of postprandial abdominal pain, weight loss of greater than 20 pounds, and an abdominal bruit on auscultation. This is often accompanied by epigastric tenderness, vomiting, and nausea. Given its lack of symptomatic specificity, Dunbar syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion for unexplained episodic abdominal discomfort. Here, we present a unique case of a 24-year-old woman who experienced several months of chronic abdominal distress and an extensive workup prior to being diagnosed with Dunbar syndrome. The diagnosis was made via cross-sectional abdominal imaging and duplex ultrasound with respiratory maneuvers, which showed downward displacement of the celiac trunk, post-stenotic dilatation, and increased flow velocity on expiration. She underwent successful laparoscopic division of the median arcuate ligament which greatly alleviated her pain.
Introduction: Eosinophilic Gastritis (EG), one of the less common amongst Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (EGID),with a prevalence of 6.3 cases/100.000, is an uncommon cause of unspecific abdominal symptoms, including epigastric pain.Case: A 23-year-old female, was admitted with recurrent episodes of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and weight loss. She was discharged one week previously after being treated for similar symptoms. The patient had failed an outpatient treatment with a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI). During her re-admission, Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) was performed, and results were significant for gastritis without ulcers or esophagitis. While awaiting biopsy results, the patient experienced a minimal improvement in her symptoms with intravenous fluids and PPI. Extensive workup remained negative except of eosinophilia in peripheral blood. Gastric mucosal biopsy revealed eosinophilic infiltrates in Lamina Propria, confirming the diagnosis of Eosinophilic Gastritis. Helicobacter pylori on immunohistochemistry was negative. The patient was counseled regarding the Six Food Elimination Diet for the management of this condition. Her symptoms began to improve under dietary restrictions. Repeated EGD with biopsy at 12 weeks showed resolved eosinophilic infiltrates.Discussion: EG remains a rare diagnosis, and it should be included as a differential diagnosis in every patient with refractory symptoms of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and failure to thrive. Diagnosis of EGID is established after the exclusion of other causes of eosinophilia in the gastrointestinal tract.
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