Selective outpatient management of elderly patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding can be done safely and has the potential to lead to reduced health care expenditures. Over-the-counter nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs are the most frequent cause of bleeding peptic ulcer disease in this population.
Background: Visceral artery aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms are uncommon phenomena with a high mortality rate in cases of rupture. These rare vascular pathologies are usually asymptomatic and are therefore generally discovered incidentally on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging examination. Current therapeutic options have trended toward a minimally invasive approach because of evolving endovascular treatment options, with open operations typically reserved for cases of intraabdominal hemorrhage. Case Report: We describe a case of gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm manifesting as obstructive jaundice and pancreatitis because of extrahepatic compression of the common bile duct and pancreatic duct by mass effect. Open repair was ultimately required secondary to arterial anatomy that was not amenable to any endovascular treatment approach. Conclusion: While endovascular options are the preferred treatment modality for visceral artery aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms, some cases require definitive open repair for a variety of reasons, including unsuitable anatomy.
INTRODUCTION:
Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) are a rare form of esophageal malignancy with an incidence ranging from 0.4 and 2% of all malignant esophageal tumors (1). Among esophageal NETs, the vast majority are small cell esophageal carcinomas. A recent literature review found only 35 cases of large cell esophageal carcinoma have been reported since 1952 (2).
CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS:
Patient is a 48-year-old male with past medical history of HTN, diabetes, and HLD who presented with 6 weeks of progressive dysphagia predominantly to solids. The dysphagia was initially infrequent, but eventually occurred every time he ate. ROS was pertinent for a 20 lb weight loss. Social history was pertinent for 1-2 drinks of alcohol per month and daily use of chewing tobacco. Family history revealed a mother with a brain mass and a grandmother with pancreatic CA. PE was normal. He underwent an EGD which showed a large, ulcerative distal esophageal mass extending into gastric cardia. Biopsies revealed a poorly differentiated carcinoma most compatible with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. CT imaging of chest, abdomen, and pelvis showed nonspecific lower esophageal mural thickening with no evidence of esophageal mass. PET scan showed hypermetabolic distal esophageal mass measuring 6 x 5 x 3 cm with peri gastric lymph node involvement. The patient underwent neoadjuvant treatment with radiation, cisplatin and etoposide followed by a distal esophagectomy with gastric pull-through. Surgical path revealed Stage III large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma involving the distal esophagus, proximal stomach, and peri gastric lymph nodes. Patient is currently recovering from the surgery with plans for postoperative chemotherapy.
DISCUSSION:
This case illustrates an rare form of a malignant esophageal neuroendocrine tumor. Esophageal NETs tend to be more aggressive than NETs found in other parts of the GI tract, so early diagnosis and treatment is critical in order to prolong survival. Due to a paucity of cases in the literature, there is a need for more cases to be presented in order to better understand the course of the disease and determine the best modalities for treatment.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.