A stereological comparison has been made of the structure of the lungs of the adult female domestic fowl and its wild progenitor the Red Jungle Fowl. The volume of the lung per unit body weight of the domestic bird is between 20 and 33% smaller than that of the wild bird. The domestic fowl has partly compensated for this by increasing the surface area for gas exchange per unit volume of exchange tissue. However, the blood-gas tissue barrier is about 28% thicker in the domestic fowl than in the Red Jungle Fowl, and this has led to a 25% lower anatomical diffusing capacity for oxygen of the blood-gas tissue barrier per unit body weight in the domestic fowl. These structural characteristics may make the modern domestic fowl vulnerable to stress factors such as altitude, cold, heat or air pollution by predisposing to hypoxaemia and perhaps thence to ascites.
A 41-year-old Malay housewife presented with recurrent chylous ascites and progressive cachexia over 17 years. A diagnosis of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) was established by laparotomy where biopsy of the liver, peritoneum and adhesions from previous surgery showed smooth muscle proliferation in the blood vessels and lymphatics. Clinically and radiologically, there was no evidence of pulmonary involvement. She was treated with dietary fat restriction and medium-chain triglycerides. This is the first case of LAM reported in Malaysia.
Primary lymphangiomyomatosis is a benign tumour of lymphatic channels and lymph nodes, clinically manifested by chylous ascites. This disease is usually progressive and unresponsive to surgery, chemotherapy or irradiation. A case of a 36-year-old lady with chylous ascites due to underlying primary lymphangiomyomatosis is reported.
Three cases of neonatal chylous ascites (CCA) were managed in the neonatal unit, University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, over the past 9 years. Fetal ascites and polyhydramnios were the sole abnormalities detected in all three babies by antenatal ultrasonography. They were born at 36 weeks' gestation and their birth weights ranged from 3.0 kg to 3.8 kg. All three infants had abdominal distension at birth. Milky ascitic fluid was obtained after starting enteral feedings. Analysis of the ascitic fluid revealed a raised white blood cell count (predominantly lymphocytic) and triglycerides (1.4 - 3.8 mmol/l), cholesterol (1.6 - 2.8 mmol/l), and protein levels (25 - 41 g/l). Conservative management with skimmed milk and medium-chain triglycerides in one infant and Pregestimil in another was instituted. these two infants with CCA were clinically normal when reviewed at 19 months and 3.5 years of age. The third infant had a gut malrotation and associated pyloric septum; he died from complications of a laparotomy. The literature on this rare condition is reviewed.
Abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is common. But the diagnosis of abdominal TB is fraught with difficulties as it is often not possible to get a microbiological confirmation of the infection. We therefore undertook this study to highlight those pertinent clinical and laboratory features which would enable one to make a provisional diagnosis of abdominal TB early, to pave way for a trial of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy.
This is a report of 3 Chinese children with intestinal lymphangiectasia in Malaysia. Two children responded to a low fat diet and medium-chain triglyceride supplement. The third child has recurrent chylous ascites. None of the children has recurrent infections despite low CD4+ cells and low levels of IgG and IgA. Intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare congenital disorder of the mesenteric lymphatic that leads to the obstruction of the lymphatics of the intestine and protein losing enteropathy. Restriction of dietary fat intake will usually result in remission. Recurrent chylous ascites is a problem and management can be difficult.
Hepatoblastoma is the most common primary liver tumour of childhood. This is a case report of a one-year-old boy who presented with a one-month history of progressive abdominal distension and weight loss. He was cachexic, anaemic, had gross hepatomegaly and ascites. He had been born prematurely with a birth weight of 1.23 kg, and his developmental milestones were delayed. Ultrasound and CT scan demonstrated a large solid tumour in the left lobe of the liver with a smaller superficial nodule in the right lobe. Serum alpha fetoprotein was significantly raised. A left lobe hepatectomy and complete excision of the right sided nodule was performed. There was no evidence of metastatic disease. Histopathological examination confirmed hepatoblastoma of the fetal type. The patient developed features of intestinal obstruction a few days after surgery and he succumbed ten days after re-laparotomy. The clinical presentation and investigation results in this case are characteristic. Recent reports have suggested a strong relationship between very low birth weight (< 1500gm)/prematurity and hepatoblastoma as is present in this case. Surgery is the mainstay of therapy in hepatoblastoma. A brief review of the literature on this tumour is presented.
In this review, tuberculosis of the genital tract was diagnosed retrospectively in 11 females over 15 years. The presentations of nine cases are described. Seven of the nine cases presented with ascites, vague abdominal distension, weight loss and were misdiagnosed as ovarian carcinoma. Eight women had no relevant past history. A review on clinical presentations and diagnosis of pelvic tuberculosis is presented. We conclude that although the incidence of tuberculosis is uncommon in developed countries, its prevalence appears to be increasing worldwide. Therefore, clinicians should consider tuberculosis as a differential diagnosis when encountering clinical presentations of pelvic mass and ascites.
Chylous ascites specifically after anterior resection for rectal cancer has not been documented in the literature thus far. All previously reported postoperative chylous ascites developed in other types of malignancies and were diagnosed within a few days of surgery. However, the patient we report had symptoms 2 years after surgery. Intraoperatively, chylous ascites was found with multiple lymph node metastasis in the small bowel mesentery and retroperitoneal region. The rarity of chylous ascites after anterior resection in rectal carcinoma is documented and discussed.
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a common cause of morbidity and accounts for 1 in 60 GP consultations by women under the age of 45 in the UK. Pelvic inflammatory disease encompases a broad category of disease including endometritis, salphingitis, salphingo-oopheritis, tuboovarian abscess and pelvic peritonitis. It most commonly occurs as a result of Chlamydia trachomatis or Nesseria gonorrhea 1,2 infection of the endocervix that eventually spread into the upper genital tract. Direct spread from a nearby infection such as appendicitis and diverticulitis is not that common. Hematogenous spread is rare except in cases of tuberculous pelvic inflammatory disease. This case illustrates atypical presentation of pelvic inflammatory disease in a previously healthy single unmarried lady. The presence of ascites, bilateral ovarian mass and constitutional symptoms closely mimics that of malignant ovarian tumour. This was preceded by empyema which grew E coli.
A preterm male infant who had an umbilical venous catheter (UVC) in situ for infusion of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) subsequently developed abdominal distension. He was initially diagnosed to have necrotising enterocolitis. However, a diagnostic abdominal paracentesis yielded fluid which biochemical analysis found to be consistent with TPN. TPN is often infused through a UVC, in the first few days of life, for the nutritional support of a premature infant. Various complications have been reported to be associated with this path of delivery, one of which will be illustrated in this case report.
Lupus associated protein loosing enteropathy (LUPLE) is a rare gastrointestinal manifestation of SLE. We presented a case of painless ascites from serve hypoalbuminaemia secondary to LUPLE. The patient responded to a course of intravenous cyclophosphamide. The remission was maintained by azathioprine and low dose prednisolone.
Platinum based adjuvant chemotherapy is generally recommended for ovarian cancer to improve the survival rate. Intravenous route is commonly used, easily administered and less associated complications. However, intraperitoneal route is gaining its popularity as a single procedure or adjunctive to the intravenous route. Numerous questions on its eligibility and safety are still perplexed. A case review on a patient with non optimal debulking surgery of advanced ovarian cancer was studied. Intravenous platinum based chemotherapy combined with paclitaxel failed to bring her to clinical remission. Second line chemotherapy, gemcitabin rendered her to poor response with unresolved debilitating ascites needing recurrent drainage. Surprisingly, a trial of intraperitoneal chemotherapy with cisplatin revealed a great response with a complete clinical remission.
Eosinophilic gastroenteritis, an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, commonly involves the stomach and small intestine with eosinophilic infiltration. Here, we report an unusual case of eosinophilic gastroenteritis involving the entire digestive tract as a manifestation of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). A 22-year-old woman presented to us with diarrhoea, pleural effusion, ascites and marked peripheral oeosinophilia. Stool specimens were negative for parasites, ova, bacteria, and fungi. Endoscopic studies showed pangastritis and duodenitis. Biopsy specimens of the oesophagus, stomach, duodenum, ileum, and colon demonstrated oeosinophilic infiltration. A diagnosis of hypereosinophilic syndrome with eosinophilic gastroenteritis involving the entire digestive tract was made. Hence, she was treated with prednisolone. Symptoms and peripheral oeosinophilia rapidly resolved with treatment, and radiological investigations revealed resolution of effusion. This case illustrates the wide spectrum of clinical manifestation of the disease, whereby it involves the entire digestive tract and it also emphasizes the diagnostic yields of endoscopic biopsies.
A 4-year-old, male local dog was referred to University Veterinary Hospital-Universiti Putra Malaysia (UVH-UPM) due to
dyspnoea and ascites. Full diagnostic investigations inclusive of blood haematology, serum biochemistry, blood smear examinations
for haemopathogens, heartworm antigen test, thoracic and abdominal radiography and echocardiography were conducted. A
diagnosis of severe heartworm disease was made from the positive heartworm antigen test, the presence of heartworms on
echocardiography and the accompanying advanced clinical findings. This was the first case of right-sided heart failure due to severe
heartworm disease with concurrent pulmonary hypertension diagnosed in UVH-UPM from which the moribund dog was
successfully stabilised during hospitalisation.