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Pancreatic uptake of a natural amino acid, L-methionine, was measured in 58 patients using a scintillation camera. This was possible by labelling L-methionine with 11C, a short-lived isotope produced in a cyclotron. Time-activity-curves obtained in areas of interest selected over the pancreas in 25 normal subjects and in 14 alcoholic patients showed a plateau or a slight increase of activity with time. In contrast, in 19 patients with chronic pancreatitis an initial increase in radioactivity was followed by a decrease for 10 to 20 minutes and then by a plateau. The ratio of the height of the plateau at the 50th minute to the height of the peak was 0.74 +/- 0.21 in these patients, whereas it was 0.96 +/- 0.09 in the other subjects (P less than 0.001). This result was compared with direct measurements of 11C radioactivity and of amylase and bicarbonate in duodenal aspirate. The median amount of 11C incorporated into protein at the 70th minute was 53% of total activity in the control group, 28% in alcoholic patients, and only 3% in chronic pancreatitis, the differences between these values were highly significant. The absence of a peak of radioactivity in the duodenal juice, and the existence of a correlation between total 11C output and amylase output suggested that there was no release of protein in the duodenum in chronic pancreatitis. These results also suggested that the peak observed by external detection could be due to amino acid back-diffusion from the pancreas into the blood. External detection with 11C-L-methionine could be used for the assessment of pancreatic dysfunction in man. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Gitelman syndrome is a salt-wasting tubulopathy characterized by profound hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, metabolic alkalosis, and hypocalciuria. Cardiac arrest is a relatively rare manifestation of Gitelman syndrome. Here we present a case of Gitelman syndrome in a patient with recurrent cardiac arrest. A 43-year-old female was admitted for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest secondary to ventricular fibrillation. Initial workup revealed severe hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, metabolic alkalosis, and prolonged QTc. The workup revealed a picture of salt-wasting tubulopathy with hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypocalciuria. Potassium was repleted aggressively, and the patient received potassium-sparing agents resulting in the stabilization of potassium levels. Before discharge, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was placed for secondary prevention of cardiac arrest. The patient remained symptom-free, and electrolytes remained stable. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of Gitelman syndrome and the importance of accurate diagnosis in improving patient outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Geletu et al.)

We describe a 36-year-old patient who was admitted to the emergency ward for acute dyspnea due to a spontaneous pneumothorax. He was successfully drained but shortly after presented a severe hypoxemia due to pulmonary oedema secondary to pulmonary re-expansion. The physiopathology behind this complication is still unknown. We will try to describe this complication and its predictive factors.

Introduction: Ambulatory treatment of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis has been shown to be safe and effective by several recent studies. The aim of our study was to analyze the outcome of general practice management concerning the complications, the treatment modalities and the hospitalization duration during the first episode of acute diverticulitis., Materiel and Methods: A total of 176 medical files of patient presenting between January 2000 and December 2010 at the emergency department with a first episode of acute diverticulitis confirmed by an abdominal CT scan were analyzed. Among the 160 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria, 50 were referred by a general practitioner (GP). Data concerning admission modalities, clinical status, paraclinic investigations, complications, treatment and length of hospital stay were reviewed., Results: The patients referred by the GP were significantly older (p ⟨ 0.001) and were hospitalized significantly longer (p = 0.034) than the patients consulting directly the emergency department. There was a significant correlation between the 2 variables (R = 0.406). Complications and treatment modalities did not differ between the two groups. Complicated diverticulitis was associated with rebound (p = 0.049), tenderness (p = 0.005) and a time interval between initial symptoms onset and admission to the emergency department superior to 4 days (p = 0.027)., Conclusions: Ambulatory management of acute diverticulitis by the GP does not affect the outcome of the patients after their hospital admission in term of complications and treatment modalities. Ambulatory treatment of acute diverticulitis is safe but hospitalization is indicated in case of poor clinical tolerance, presence of rebound, tenderness and duration of symptoms for more than 4 days.

Drug traffic is a major concern worldwide. We report a case of a 27-year old male who presented with a diffuse abdominal plain to the emergency department. Abdominal X-ray demonstrated multiple foreign bodies along the intestinal tract, which were found to be cannabis packets. The patient was treated conservatively with a good result., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

We present the case of a 54-year old male patient who was admitted with severe acute epigastric pain, vomiting, and inability to eat since three days before admission. After having excluded cardiac and pulmonary emergencies, an oesogastroduodenoscopy was planned and showed a gastric volvulus. The patient was treated surgically allowing gastric decompression, gastropexy and Nissen intervention. We discuss the case and describe the classification, the diagnosis, the etiologies and therapeutic options in acute and chronic gastric volvulus., (© Acta Gastro-Enterologica Belgica.)

Foreign body occlusion of appendices lumen is a quite rare cause of appendicitis due to foreign body. We present a case of a 63-year-old male who presented with right lower quadrant pain since 24 hours. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated an acute appendicitis due to a metallic foreign body which was found to be a bullet.

Fulminant or subfulminant liver failure usually leads to liver failure or to recovery. In rare instances, patients who recover exhibit prolonged asymptomatic biochemical cholestasis which coincides with the development into the parenchyma of large postnecrotic collapse with regeneration. This hitherto poorly recognized form of recovery may now be assessed by noninvasive techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging. We report the case of three patients who recovered from fulminant or subfulminant liver failure and in whom investigation of long-term biochemical cholestasis led to that unusual diagnosis.

Background: Inappropriate correction of chronic hyponatremia could lead to major neuropathological sequelae. In man, the risk of brain myelinolysis increases strikingly when correction of the serum sodium exceeds 10-15 mEq/l/24 h. No treatment is actually available for this iatrogenic brain injury. However, recent experimental data showed that rapid reinduction of the hyponatremia greatly reduces the incidence of brain damage and death in case of serum sodium overshooting., Subjects and Methods: We tested this rescue manoeuver in a 71-year-old woman with nausea, confusion and severe (SNa 106 mEq/l) chronic hyponatremia related to thiazides. It was associated with hypokalemia (SK: 3.2 mEq/l)., Results: Treatment with isotonic saline produced inappropriately high SNa correction level of +21 mEq/l after the first 24 h. After initial improvement, the neurological status deteriorated after 72 h. Rapid reinduction of the hyponatremia was then ordered. Administration of hypotonic fluids (by oral and i.v. route) combined with dDAVP induced a prompt decline in the SNa (-16 mEq/l/14 h) with a final gradient of correction of deltaSNa +9 mEq/l. This manoeuver was well tolerated without untoward effects. The natremia then progressively normalized and the patient completely recovered without neurological sequelae., Conclusion: Hypotonic fluids may be safely administered to decrease the natremia after excessive correction of hyponatremia for potential prevention of myelinolysis.