Stricture of the duodenum and jejunum in an abused child

We report a case of abdominal injury secondary to child abuse in which the child had both a duodenal hematoma and contained perforations of the duodenum and proximal jejunum. These injuries were evaluated by both CT scan and upper gastrointestinal (GI) series. The child's nausea and vomiting persisted despite conservative treatment; after 3 weeks a repeat upper GI series demonstrated high-grade duodenal obstruction. An exploratory laparotomy was performed and a calcified, fibrotic mesentery and strictures in the distal duodenum and proximal jejunum were found. To our knowledge, this unusual complication of blunt abdominal trauma has not been described in association with child abuse.

Ulnar artery occlusion in mountain bikers

We report two cases of the hypothenar hammer syndrome, diagnosed with digital angiography, which occurred in mountain bikers. To our knowledge, the association between mountain bike enthusiasts and ulnar artery occlusion has not been reported in the literature.

Spontaneous colonic ischemia in a patient with Riley-Day syndrome

Familial dysautonomia, or Riley-Day syndrome, is a hereditary disturbance in the autonomic and peripheral sensory nervous systems, first described by Riley, Day, and colleagues in 1949 [1, 2]. Previous reports of myocardial infarction and avascular necrosis in bone suggest that these patients are at risk for ischemia at certain organ sites [3, 4]. We report a case of spontaneous colonic ischemia and stricture which resulted in colocutaneous fistula formation and eventual colonic resection in a child with Riley-Day syndrome.