CT diagnosis of Fitz-Hugh and Curtis syndrome: value of the arterial phase scan

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome in a Male Patient

We report the case of a 38-year-old Middle Eastern man with intractable right upper quadrant (RUQ) abdominal pain and several emergency department visits during the last seven years, with extensive and repeated radiologic and endoscopic workups proven negative for biliary or upper gastrointestinal disease. He presented to our outpatient surgical clinic in March 2023 complaining of worsening RUQ and epigastric pain and was scheduled for a robotic cholecystectomy for presumed biliary dyskinesia following a repeat cholescintigraphy (hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid) scan. During a cholecystectomy, extensive bilobar perihepatic adhesions were found, indicative of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS). A thorough lysis of adhesions was performed along with a wedge liver biopsy, with subsequent histological examination showing chronic cholecystitis, perihepatic mesothelial fibrosis with mild subcapsular hepatic steatosis, and no evidence of liver fibrosis. The patient was examined in the clinic two weeks after surgery with complete resolution of symptoms. This case highlights the importance of considering FHCS in the differential diagnosis of male patients presenting with refractory RUQ abdominal pain despite a negative workup. Early recognition and prompt treatment can prevent unnecessary extensive, repeat testing and delays in intervention in these patients.

Two Cases of Perihepatitis With the Liver Capsule Irritation Sign: A New Physical Examination Technique

Perihepatitis, including Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome, is an uncommon, chronic manifestation of pelvic inflammatory disease usually affecting premenopausal women. It causes right upper quadrant pain due to inflammation of the liver capsule and adhesion of the peritoneum. Since delayed diagnosis of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome can lead to infertility and other complications, physical examination findings need to be investigated to predict perihepatitis in the early stages of the disease. Here, we hypothesized that perihepatitis is characterized by increased tenderness and spontaneous pain in the right upper abdomen when the patient is placed in the left lateral recumbent position (we termed this indication the "liver capsule irritation sign"). We examined the patients physically for the presence of this liver capsule irritation sign for an early diagnosis of perihepatitis. We report the first two cases of perihepatitis due to Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in which the liver capsule irritation sign observed during the physical examination was used for diagnosis. The liver capsule irritation sign is caused by two mechanisms: first, the liver falls gravitationally into the left lateral recumbent position, which makes the liver easier to palpate; and second, the peritoneum is stretched and thus stimulated. The second mechanism is that the transverse colon running around the right upper abdomen slumps gravitationally when the patient is in the left lateral recumbent position, allowing for direct palpation of the liver. The liver capsule irritation sign can be a useful physical finding, suggestive of perihepatitis due to Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome. It may also be suitable in cases of perihepatitis caused by factors other than Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome.

18F-FDG PET-CT in Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome

Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) has demonstrated its usefulness in evaluating nonspecific abdominal and inflammatory symptoms. We report a case of young woman with chronic right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET-CT showed subhepatic hypermetabolism. Subsequent diagnostic laparoscopy confirmed the uncommon diagnosis of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome.

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome Secondary to Postpartum Endometritis: Case Report and Literature Review

We report a case of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS) 1 week after an urgent cesarean section. Although its onset in the postpartum period is poorly reported in the literature, we suggest that FHCS can complicate puerperal endometritis; therefore, it should be consider in differential diagnosis in puerpera with right upper quadrant pain. Again, it can be useful to perform a contrast computed tomography that allows early diagnosis and conservative treatment.

Pneumococcal perihepatitis due to hematogeneous dissemination

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Perihepatitis can occur via hematogeneous dissemination of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

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A blood culture is useful for clarifying the infection route and pathogens in perihepatitis.

Perihepatitis is mainly caused by a direct extension of pelvic inflammatory disease, in which the causative pathogen is typically Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis. We herein discuss the case of a 61-year-old female patient who presented with a fever and right upper quadrant pain. Perihepatitis was diagnosed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography. She had no previous history of sexual activity, genital symptoms, remarkable physical findings or examination results indicative of pelvic inflammatory disease or other diseases. A blood culture detected Streptococcus pneumoniae, leading to the suspicion of hematogeneous dissemination. The patient was therefore treated with the appropriate antimicrobials. While invasive pneumococcal disease mainly results in bacteremic pneumonia, meningitis or endocarditis, the present case showed that it can also lead to perihepatitis; a blood culture is therefore useful for clarifying the infection route and pathogens in perihepatitis if the patient has no past history of sexual activity, genital symptoms or physical or other findings indicative of pelvic inflammatory disease.

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome: A cause of right upper quadrant abdominal pain

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS), also known as perihepatitis, is a rare complication of pelvic inflammatory disease. It has a different incidence depending on which diagnostic criteria are used. FHCS consists of inflammation of the hepatic capsule and surrounding peritoneum, without involvement of the hepatic parenchyma, due to intraperitoneal dissemination from a pelvic infection. Clinical manifestations are nonspecific and include a sudden onset of pain and discomfort in the right hypochondrium, commonly confused with other hepatobiliary, gastrointestinal or renal diseases. In recent years, Multidetector Computed Tomography has proven to be a very useful and non-invasive tool, which offers diagnostic confidence within the appropriate clinical setting. Radiological diagnosis of FHCS can avoid unnecessary surgical procedures.

[Acute Pelvic pain in women-gynecological causes]

BACKGROUND

Acute pelvic pain in women may be due to gynecological, gastrointestinal, and urinary tract disorders. Ectopic pregnancy (EP), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and ruptured ovarian cysts are the most common gynecological causes for acute pelvic pain and their diagnosis can be challenging.

METHODS

Patient history, clinical examination, and blood tests as well as patient age and potential pregnancy status help to establish the correct diagnosis. While sonography (US) remains the primary imaging modality of choice, computed tomography (CT) plays an important role in patients with indeterminate US evaluation and for treatment planning.

CONCLUSION

Diagnostic imaging is pivotal to differentiate potentially life- and fertility-threatening conditions from those that can be treated conservatively. Profound knowledge of the most common gynecological pathologies allows prompt and correct radiological diagnosis and assists in proper treatment planning.

A rare case of miliary tuberculosis accompanying perihepatitis

Perihepatic capsulitis is associated with various diseases, such as Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, perforated cholecystitis, perforated hepatic abscess, and tuberculous peritonitis. Miliary tuberculosis is present in about 2% of all reported cases of tuberculosis and is characterized by the widespread millet-like hematogenous dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We describe a 24-year-old virgin patient presenting with right upper quadrant and costovertebral angle pain. Diffuse perihepatic capsular enhancement was observed in abdominal computed tomography scans. Chest radiography showed miliary tuberculosis, and a polymerase chain reaction hybridization assay of sputum revealed the presence of M. tuberculosis. Symptoms improved after administering anti-tuberculosis medications. This report describes a rare case of miliary tuberculosis accompanying perihepatitis.

A Case of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in a male patient

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome has been described as perihepatitis associated with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). It is classically seen in premenopausal young women who have right upper quadrant pain, usually but not always accompanied by symptoms of PID, and is frequently confused with biliary tract disease. However, the syndrome has rarely been reported in males. The predominant symptom is right upper quadrant pain, but PID may not be present in male patients. Here, we report a case of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in a young male patient, which was diagnosed by serological tests and computed tomography. Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome should be considered as a possible cause of pain in the right upper quadrant in male patients, although such a case is very rare.

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in a man positive for Chlamydia trachomatis

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS) is characterized by perihepatic and pelvic inflammation and occurs mostly in women of childbearing age. Here, we report a case of FHCS caused by Chlamydia trachomatis in a 50-year-old man. The patient presented to our hospital with right upper quadrant abdominal pain, and enhanced computed tomography revealed perihepatic and pelvic free fluid and early-phase hepatic capsular enhancement. A urine specimen was positive for Chlamydia trachomatis. The patient was diagnosed with FHCS due to Chlamydia trachomatis infection. In conclusion, FHCS cannot be excluded when men present with right upper quadrant abdominal pain without significant signs of biliary tract disease.

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome Consequent to a Wound Infection Following Removal of a Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS) is a condition characterized by inflammation of the liver capsule (perihepatitis) and adjacent peritoneal surfaces. We report a case of FHCS developing in a peritoneal dialysis (PD) patient in whom catheter removal due to recurrent peritonitis was complicated by post-operative wound infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case description of FHCS in the context of PD.

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome lacking typical characteristics of pelvic inflammatory disease

A 23-year-old Japanese woman, previously a commercial sex worker, presented with a 2-day history of right upper quadrant (RUQ) abdominal pain, worse on deep inspiration. She had noticed increased vaginal discharge 2 months earlier and had developed dull, lower abdominal pain 3 weeks prior to presentation. Although pelvic examination and transvaginal ultrasonography revealed neither a tubal nor ovarian pathology, abdominal CT scan with contrast demonstrated early enhancement of the hepatic capsule, a finding pathognomonic for Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS). Cervical discharge PCR assay confirmed Chlamydia trachomatis infection. This case highlights that normal gynaecological evaluation may be insufficient to rule out FHCS, for which physicians should have a high index of suspicion when seeing any woman of reproductive age with RUQ pain.

Does the Degree of Perihepatitis Have Any Relevance to the Severity of the Manifestations of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease on Multidetector Computed Tomography?

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the degree of perihepatitis and the severity of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT).

METHODS

A total of 177 women with PID who underwent biphasic abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans were enrolled. Two reviewers retrospectively reviewed the CT scans with consensus and subjectively categorized the severity of PID into 4 grades (normal, mild, moderate, and severe). Another reviewer independently assigned the extent (grades 0 to 4) and the depth (grades 0 to 4) of hepatic surface enhancement in terms of the degree of perihepatitis. Relationships between the degree of perihepatitis and the CT severity as well as each CT manifestation of PID were evaluated using the χ test or a cumulative logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 177 patients, 99 (55.9%) showed hepatic surface enhancement. The severity of PID on MDCT was significantly related with the degree of perihepatitis (all P < 0.001). Salpingitis, oophoritis, pelvic fat haziness, complicated ascites, and omental/mesenteric fat infiltration were significantly related with the degree of perihepatitis (all P < 0.05). Among these variables, omental/mesenteric fat infiltration (odds ratio = 10.9) and salpingitis (odds ratio = 6.0) were the CT manifestations that were most associated with the presence of perihepatitis in PID.

CONCLUSIONS

The degree of perihepatitis seems to show a relationship with the severity of PID on MDCT. Omental/mesenteric fat infiltration and salpingitis can be strongly related with perihepatitis in PID.

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome: clinical diagnostic value of dynamic enhanced MSCT

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate the clinical diagnostic value of dynamic enhanced multislice computed tomography (MSCT) for Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS). [Subjects and Methods] This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical features and manifestations of scanning and dynamic enhanced MSCT in 19 patients with FHCS. [Results] MSCT scans showed different degrees of liver capsule thickness in the lesion area: seven cases of sub-capsular effusion and three cases with a small amount of pleural effusion; thickness of the liver capsular arterial phase showing significant enhancement in 17 cases, and slight enhancement in two; portal venous and delayed phase enhancement decreased with no clear boundary of the liver parenchyma; and adjacent hepatic parenchymal involvement in five cases, in which the arterial phase appeared to have patchy or triangular enhancement, and unclear portal vein and delayed phase imaging findings. MSCT revealed pelvic inflammatory disease in 14 cases, peritonitis in two, endometritis combined with bilateral ovarian abscesses in two, and a tube-ovarian abscess in one. [Conclusion] Dynamic enhanced MSCT can accurately display liver capsule lesions and possible pelvic inflammatory diseases related to FHCS, suggest the infection source, and have high application value for making early, accurate diagnoses and improved prognosis.

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in a male patient due to urinary tract infection

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS) is inflammation of the liver capsule usually associated with pelvic inflammatory disease. FHCS has been rarely reported in male patients, and hematogenous and lymphatic spread to the liver is thought to be the underlying mechanism. Although a confirmatory diagnosis was made by laparoscopy, contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan is considered the first-line imaging tool in clinical diagnosis of FHCS. We report a case of FHCS that developed in a young male patient with a urinary tract infection.

Comparison of diagnostic performance between single- and multiphasic contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic computed tomography in patients admitted to the emergency department with abdominal pain: potential radiation dose reduction

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate feasibility of radiation dose reduction by optimal phase selection of computed tomography (CT) in patients who visited the emergency department (ED) for abdominal pain.

METHODS

We included 253 patients who visited the ED for abdominal pain. They underwent multiphasic CT including precontrast, late arterial phase (LAP), and hepatic venous phase (HVP). Three image sets (HVP, precontrast + HVP, and precontrast + LAP + HVP) were reviewed. Two reviewers determined the most appropriate diagnosis with five-point confidence scale. Diagnostic performances were compared among image sets by weighted-least-squares method or DeLong's method. Linear mixed model was used to assess changes of diagnostic confidence and radiation dose.

RESULTS

There was no difference in diagnostic performance among three image sets, although diagnostic confidence level was significantly improved after review of triphasic images compared with both HVP images only or HVP with precontrast images (confidence scale, 4.64 ± 0.05, 4.66 ± 0.05, and 4.76 ± 0.04 in the order of the sets; overall P = 0.0008). Similar trends were observed in the subgroup analysis for diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease and cholecystitis.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no difference between HVP-CT alone and multiphasic CT for the diagnosis of causes of abdominal pain in patients admitted to the ED without prior chronic disease or neoplasia.

KEY POINTS

• There was no difference in diagnostic performance of HVP CT and multiphasic CT. • The diagnostic confidence level was improved after review of the LAP images. • HVP CT can achieve diagnostic performance similar to that of multiphasic CT, while minimizing radiation.

Computed Tomography Imaging of the Acute Pelvis in Females

Sonography is the primary imaging modality for the evaluation of pelvic pain in female patients, especially if gynaecological pathology is suspected. However, computed tomography (CT) is frequently used in patients who present to emergency departments (and elsewhere) with otherwise nonspecific abdominal and pelvic pain and may be the first imaging modality to demonstrate an acute gynaecological abnormality. Computed tomography can also be used prospectively in selected patients to further evaluate findings initially identified on sonography, although to reduce radiation exposure, magnetic resonance imaging is being used more frequently in this situation. The purpose of this article is to discuss the spectrum of gynaecological findings of the acute female pelvis that may be identified on CT by the emergency radiologist and by the general radiologist, with a brief review of the imaging literature of each specific diagnosis.

Clinical features of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome in the emergency department

PURPOSE

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome (FHCS) is a clinical entity characterized by inflammation of the liver capsule associated with genital tract infection. The aim of this study is to provide physicians with clinical suggestions for diagnostic approaches based on a series of patients who were diagnosed with FHCS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of patients who were diagnosed with FHCS after presenting to the emergency department (ED). The symptoms, physical examinations, laboratory findings, radiological findings, and progress of the patients were reviewed.

RESULTS

During the four-year study period, a total of 82 female patients received a final diagnosis of FHCS in the ED. Chlamydia trachomatis was identified as a pathogen in 89% of the patients. Their clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were described. Fifty-two patients (63.4%) were admitted to the hospital. All of the admitted patients improved after treatment combining antibiotic therapy with conservative care.

CONCLUSION

FHCS should be considered as a differential diagnosis for female patients of childbearing age with right upper abdominal pain. Timely diagnosis using biphasic computed tomography (CT) with arterial and portal phases may help ensure adequate medical treatment as well as avoid invasive procedures.

[A case of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in a male]

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome has been described as focal perihepatitis accompanying pelvic inflammatory disease caused by Neisseria gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis. The highest incidence occurs in young, sexually active females. However, the syndrome has been reported to occur infrequently in males, according to the foreign literature. The predominant symptoms are right upper quadrant pain and tenderness, and pleuritic right sided chest pain. The clinical presentation is similar in men and women. In women, the spread of infection to liver capsule is thought to occur directly from infected fallopian tube via the right paracolic gutter. In men, hematogenous and lymphatic spread is thought to be postulated. Recently, we experienced a case of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome occurred in a man. As far as we know, it is the first report in Korea, and we report a case with a review of the literature.

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome: CT findings of three cases

Clinical manifestations and computed tomography (CT) findings of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS) are relatively well stabilized as right upper quadrant abdominal pain and hepatic capsular enhancement because of perihepatitis associated with pelvic inflammatory disease caused by N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis. We encountered three patients with serial FHCS associated with pelvic inflammatory disease, who visited the emergency room with right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Abdominal CT revealed hepatic capsular or pericapsular enhancement along the anterior surface of the liver on the arterial phase. Recently, multi-detector CT has evolved as the first-line imaging modality of acute abdomen at the emergency room; we reemphasized the importance of the CT findings of this syndrome for differential diagnosis of right upper quadrant abdominal pain in sexually active young women. Physicians at the emergency room acknowledge the syndrome and should perform dynamic abdominopelvic CT including the arterial phase.