A 47-year-old male, nonsmoker with no significant medical history initially presented with sudden onset right-sided chest pain, fever, and shortness of breath. After a hemorrhagic pleural tap and chest x-ray demonstrating large retro cardiac soft tissue density, gross right pleural effusion, and right lower lobe lung collapse the patient was referred to our center with a working diagnosis of thoracic malignancy and large lung carcinoma with hemorrhagic pleural effusion.\nThe patient was admitted to our center for further workup. Immediately after, the patient experienced severe respiratory distress; oxygen saturation (SpO2) was 74% on two liters of oxygen. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) with pulse: 102 beats per minute and regular, blood pressure: 95/79 mm Hg, respiratory rate: 22/minute, temperature: 97°F, and SpO2: 100% on high-flow oxygen. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was 15/15, and on examination of the chest, there was decreased air entry on the right side. A right-sided chest drain was placed; 1300 ml of hemorrhagic fluid was drained by the end of the day. Total leukocyte count (TLC) then was 21710/mm^3. A blood and sputum culture was obtained. The sputum sample demonstrated Klebsiella pneumonia, which was managed accordingly, normalizing the counts on the days to come. Whole blood was transfused during the ICU stay as required. After three days the patient was shifted to the general ward with the drain holding 50 ml of blood and stable vital signs.\nCECT chest performed on the fifth day of admission demonstrated a large lesion involving the subcarinal region with intensely enhancing focus adjacent to right bronchus intermedius likely pseudoaneurysm with associated hematoma, collapse of basal right-lower lobe, and collection in the right pleural space (Figure ). The plan for the trucut biopsy of the lung was deferred, and a bronchial angiogram with embolization for bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm was planned. The right common femoral artery was accessed with a 5 French gauge (Fr) vascular sheath, a diagnostic angiographic catheter (Shepherd catheter 5 Fr, Cook Medical, USA) aided in cannulating the right bronchial artery. A selective angiogram revealed a pseudoaneurysm with patent distal flow (Figure ). After the introduction of the 2.1 Fr microcatheter (Artec microcatheter, Japan) the distal normal arterial lumen was reached and coiled with a 2 mm x 2 mm pushable coil (Cook Medical, USA). Similarly, a 2 mm x 2 mm pushable coil was used to trap the front door/proximal part of the right bronchial artery. Post coil embolization, angiogram after 15 minutes showed reduced flow to the sac; however, complete thrombosis was not seen (Figure ). Another permanent embolizing agent Glue mixed with lipiodol (1:7 ratio) was used to achieve complete embolization endpoint. The final angiogram revealed complete thrombosis of the pseudoaneurysm sac and the right bronchial artery (Figure ). No immediate complications were noted. Hemostasis was achieved at the groin by manual compression. After a few days, the chest tube was removed due to a minimal drain.\nFollow-up CT angiography showed coils in the subcarinal region without obvious abnormal enhancement suggestive of adequate embolization and a slight decrease in the size of hematoma at the subcarinal region. The patient was hemodynamically stable and symptomatically better, thus was discharged after one week of hospital stay. The patient was re-evaluated after three weeks by a CECT chest, which showed a significant interval decrease in the lesion at the subcarinal region, subsegmental collapse of a basal segment of the right lower lung, and a significant decrease in the pleural collection (Figure ).
A 38-year-old male complaining of recurrent episodes of melena for the past 2 weeks was admitted to the emergency department of our hospital. Two days before the hospital visit, the patient had complained of the presence of blood in vomiting and had a history of recurrent complaints of upper abdominal pain often radiating to the back. His previous medical history revealed that he had suffered from chronic pancreatitis for 3 years before present admission, possibly due to alcohol abuse. He was resuscitated with the blood and intravenous fluid for melena during present admission. Ultrasonography (USG) whole abdomen revealed a moderately enlarged liver (18.5 cm × 12.3 cm) with heterogeneous echotexture, with a prominent portal vein, of size 1.3 cm; hepatic and splenic hilar collaterals were suggestive of portal hypertension. The presence of mild ascites was documented. Transabdominal USG showed echogenic pancreas with multiple, small, hyperechoic, nonshadowing foci in the pancreas suggestive of fibrotic changes. There was evidence of irregular dilated main pancreatic duct with pancreatic and intraductal calculi. These features were consistent with chronic pancreatitis. The findings were suggestive of alcoholic liver disease with portal hypertension and chronic obstructive pancreatitis. After resuscitation, upper GI endoscopy was performed on two different occasions that showed bleeding from the second part of the duodenum with an abnormal tortuous vessel at the ampulla of Vater. This was diagnosed as hemosuccus pancreaticus, which might have caused the bleeding []. Serendipitously during the endoscopy, a worm was also found penetrating the mucosa of the duodenum. The worm was retrieved and referred to the laboratory for identification. It was a single intact live worm (size 12.3 mm × 0.3 mm) reddish pink, with head bent in the same direction of the body curvature with a spine at the posterior end []. The buccal capsule had six teeth (four hook-like on ventral surface and two knob-like on dorsal surface) []. The live worm was seen to lay eggs while examining under the microscope []. Three consecutive stool samples of the patients were examined. The stool sample was dark-colored, semi-solid in consistency without any parasitic elements. Wet mount examination of stool revealed nonbile-stained ova (60– 65 μm in length, 40– 45 μm in width) with transparent hyaline shell membrane containing blastomeres. The above morphological features of the worm and micrometry of the ova were consistent with Ancylostoma duodenale. For further confirmation and to exclude the probability of mixed infection with Strongyloides stercoralis, the modified Harada– Mori nematode larval culture method[] was performed, and larva of hookworm was retrieved after 1 week of incubation at ambient room temperature. However, duodenal biopsy could not be done to rule out this possibility.\nThe patient was a chronic alcoholic and had deranged liver functions. Other laboratory test revealed low hemoglobin (5.6 g/dL), elevated total leukocyte count (12,300/μl) with increased eosinophils (neutrophils - 54%, lymphocytes – 24%, eosinophils – 16%, and monocytes – 6%), hyperbilirubinemia (total serum bilirubin 12.5 mg% and conjugated bilirubin 11.7 mg%), alanine transaminase/aspartate transaminase (87.7/90 IU), serum alkaline phosphatase (827 IU/L), hypoalbuminemia (2.3 g%), and raised serum globulin (3.9 g%) with reversal of albumin:globulin ratio. Blood and urine cultures were bacteriologically sterile. Peripheral blood smear examination showed microcytic, hypochromic anemia, with the absence of any hemoparasites. The patient was planned for contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) abdomen, but the course of illness was rapidly fatal, and he succumbed to the illness within 48 h of admission, hindering further investigative course. The cause of death was unexplained shock secondary to upper GI bleeding precipitated by chronic, alcoholic liver disease with chronic pancreatitis and portal hypertension.