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Findings that shed new light on the possible pathogenesis of a disease or an adverse effect BMJ Case Reports: first published as 10.1136/bcr-2018-224689 on 23 September 2018. Downloaded from CASE REPORT Mast cell deposition and activation may be a new explanation for epiploic appendagitis Leonard B. Weinstock,1,2 Zahid Kaleem,1 Dale Selby,3 Lawrence B Afrin4 1Gastroenterology, GI, SUMMARY volume, visceral adipose area and subcutaneous Washington University, Saint Epiploic appendagitis is as an acute painful condition adipose area in the EA group.8 Louis, Missouri, USA A patient with numerous syndromes and obesity 2 of the fat on the outside of the intestine. Thus far, Department of Medicine, there have been no publications to our knowledge led us to consider that a mast cell (MC) disease was Washington University, Saint responsible for EA and acute and chronic abdominal Louis, Missouri, USA that appendagitis can be caused by mast cells or 3Department of Pathology, can be associated with chronic pain. A patient with pain. MC deposition or activation has not hitherto Missouri Baptist Medical Center, multisystemic disorders suffered with both chronic and been reported in EA. MCs are also thought to play Saint Louis, Missouri, USA acute attacks of abdominal pain for a year. The worst an inflammatory role in the development of obesity 9 4Internal Medicine, Armonk attack led to surgical resection of an enlarged sigmoid which ties into EA. Under normal circumstances, Integrative Medicine, Armonk, colon epiploic appendage. Careful review of her complex MCs are produced from haematopoietic precursors New York, USA medical history and mast cell stains of gastrointestinal in the marrow, circulate briefly in the blood and biopsies led to the diagnosis of mast cell activation soon site themselves in peripheral tissues to guide 10 Correspondence to syndrome. Re-examination of the resected appendage normal growth and development of tissues. The Dr Leonard B. Weinstock, function of normal MCs are to sense insults such as lw@ gidoctor. net using an immunohistochemical stain demonstrated a high mast cell density which is a new histopathological trauma and infection and then quickly respond by finding.T reatment of mast cell activation syndrome and degranulation of premanufactured stores of media- Accepted 28 July 2018 11 other related syndromes led to marked improvement tors. Through interactions with specific receptors in her health, including all types of chronic abdominal on other cells locally and distantly, mediators effect adjustments in function to assist the body with pain. copyright. resistance to, and recovery from, the insult. Patho- logical behaviour from MCs occurs when there are genetic mutations in the regulatory KIT protein and BACKGROUND subsequently disease states develop according to Epiploic appendages are rows of adipose structures the location of MC deposition.12 Gastrointestinal found on the surfaces of the small and large intes- (GI) tract MCs have been associated with burning tine and are composed of fat and have a central mouth syndrome, heartburn, chest pain, nausea, vein and artery and a peritoneal covering.1 Epip- abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation and a form http://casereports.bmj.com/ loic appendagitis (EA) can be caused by an idio- of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).13–16 Proximity pathic inflammatory disease and/or disease caused of MCs to GI sensory nerves and local release of 1 by torsion of the appendage. The classic presen- inflammatory mediators from MCs have been tation is sudden onset of dull or sharp abdominal proposed to explain chronic pain which has been pain which is referred directly from the inflamed demonstrated in man and in animal models.14 15 peritoneal surface of the appendage which usually Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is a 2 is located in the right or left lower quadrant. prevalent, recently recognised, highly heteroge- Attacks of EA occurs in both genders between ages neous syndrome of chronic multisystem polymor- 20 and 50 and generally resolves with conservative bidity.17 18 This syndrome produces general themes therapy; however, it can require hospitalisation of inflammation±allergic type phenomena±abnor- on 25 September 2021 by guest. Protected 3 and, rarely, surgery. Originally thought to be rare, malities in growth and development.19 The same EA is actually relatively common and furthermore it spectrum of effects from chronic inappropriate is often misdiagnosed and can be mistaken for both activation of MCs is seen in the rare disease of 4–7 common acute and recurrent diseases. In a large mastocytosis which is distinguished from MCAS by study, the CT was reviewed retrospectively in 660 neoplastic MC proliferation in the bone marrow 20 © BMJ Publishing Group patients with lower abdominal pain (348 suspected and a high tryptase level. Although autoimmune Limited 2018. Re-use diverticulitis and 312 suspected appendicitis) and mechanisms of primary MCAS likely exist (eg, 4 permitted under CC BY-NC. No 11 (2%) met CT criteria for EA. In a study of 45 via anti-IgE or anti-IgE-receptor autoantibodies), commercial re-use. See rights patients with EA, a presumptive clinical diagnosis and permissions. Published preliminary genetic investigations have demon- by BMJ. was acute appendicitis (n=13), acute cholecys- strated a large menagerie of mutations to be present titis (n=2), acute diverticulitis (n=19), renal colic in the MCs of patients with MCAS in KIT, a trans- To cite: Weinstock LB., (n=7) and ovarian pathology (n=4).7 Obesity is the membrane tyrosine kinase receptor and the domi- Kaleem Z, Selby D, et al. BMJ 1 2 8 12 Case Rep Published Online only identifiable risk factor associated with EA. nant MC regulatory element. Biopsy recognition First: [please include Day A retrospective CT study of 100 patients with EA of MCs is generally not seen by via routine H&E Month Year]. doi:10.1136/ versus 100 patients with acute abdomen demon- staining. It requires special histochemical stains bcr-2018-224689 strated significantly greater abdominal adipose (eg, tryptase, giemsa, toluidine blue, alcian blue) Weinstock LB., et al. BMJ Case Rep 2018. doi:10.1136/bcr-2018-224689 1 Findings that shed new light on the possible pathogenesis of a disease or an adverse effect BMJ Case Reports: first published as 10.1136/bcr-2018-224689 on 23 September 2018. Downloaded from Figure 1 Classic CT scan finding of epiploic appendagitis with a rim- enhancing, oval structure on the exterior of the sigmoid colon located in the right lower abdomen. or, immunohistochemical staining for CD117, the extracellular domain of KIT. One theoretical question raised in this report is whether or not appendages can cause chronic abdominal pain owing to activation of MCs on the peritoneal surface of the intestinal appendage. Our theory is that the MCs cause chronic pain in appendages due to local MC secretion of mediators of copyright. nociception such as histamine, tryptase, cytokines and/or other chemicals. CASE PRESENTATION A 40-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of migraines, gastro-oesophageal reflux, nausea, IBS–diarrhoea and many other idiopathic syndromes suffered with constant abdominal pain with episodic attacks of severe abdominal pain over the http://casereports.bmj.com/ past year. The pain had peaks of labour-like contractions lasting 5 min. This pain was sharp and migratory but most often was located in the right lower quadrant. It was worse with pressure, palpation and movement. Over the same time period, she had worsening headaches, fatigue and cognitive dysfunction. This pain was clearly differentiated by the patient from her 8-year history of IBS which was characterised by postprandial crampy pain, bloating, foul gas and diarrhoea which responded to peri- odic 2-week courses of the antibiotic rifaximin. Over the course of the year, rifaximin was prescribed but did not help this pain. on 25 September 2021 by guest. Protected The patient presented for evaluation in the GI clinic after 4 days of extremely severe, sharp right lower abdominal pain that awoke her from sleep and was associated with a 100oF Figure 2 Immunohistochemical stain showing increased CD117 temperature. The right lower quadrant was markedly tender positive mast cells (MCs) in: (A) terminal ileum with >80 MCs/high- with guarding. The white blood count was normal. The CT was power field (×40/0.65 objective magnification; part of field shown); abnormal (figure 1). Despite administration of acetaminophen (B) epiploic appendage peritoneal surface with 60 MCs/high-power and ibuprofen, the pain worsened and after 7 days of unremit- field (×40/0.65 objective magnification); and (C) control case epiploic ting pain, laparoscopic surgery was performed. Gross findings appendage peritoneal surface with 2 MCs/high-power field (×20/0.65 included an enlarged area of fat near the normal appendix that objective magnification). had a small amount of superficial focal fat necrosis. After surgical resection of the appendage, the right lower pain immediately abated and she was discharged. Standard H&E stain showed prior to this procedure, she endorsed 44 of the 48 symptoms adipose tissue with patchy areas of fat necrosis with repair. The reported most commonly seen in MCAS.19 The colon and ileum appendectomy specimen was normal. were grossly normal. Internal haemorrhoids were present. The Colonoscopy was performed 2 weeks after surgery owing to CD117 stain was used to determine MC density (as described haematochezia. On review of systems obtained immediately in the Investigation section). The ileum had 40–50 diffuse and 2 Weinstock LB., et al. BMJ Case Rep 2018. doi:10.1136/bcr-2018-224689 Findings that shed new light on the possible pathogenesis of a disease or an adverse effect BMJ Case Reports: first published as 10.1136/bcr-2018-224689 on 23 September 2018. Downloaded from 70–80 focal MC/high-power fields (HPF) (figure 2A).