What well-known adverse reaction results from ingestion of the pictured mushroom?
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66 year-old-male with a history of type 2 diabetes and hypertension presented as a transfer for rapid progression of lower extremity pain, swelling, and blue-purple discoloration of the entire limb with concern for a possible necrotizing infection. His symptoms began earlier in the day and progressed over just a few hours. He had no known thromboembolic risk factors.
MSK: Swollen, tender, and blue/purple-colored right lower extremity
Complete Blood Count (CBC): WBC 8.7; Hb 15; Hct 45; Plt 172
Glucose: 472
Severe venous thromboembolism (VTE), also known as Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens, which means “painful blue inflammation”, is commonly seen with a unilateral exquisitely tender, swollen, and bluish/purple-colored lower extremity.
Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens has a high amputation rate secondary to venous gangrene or compartment syndrome. If no pulse is noted on exam, a high suspicion for compartment syndrome must be maintained.
A 64-year-old Caucasian male with a history of alcohol use disorder and tobacco use disorder presents with painless bilateral hand contractures that have been worsening for the past several months. He denies any recent trauma, fever, chills, or decreased sensation. The patient works as a construction worker.
A 29-year-old female with a past medical history of migraine headaches presented to the emergency department (ED) for several hours of bilateral eye pain, redness, and decreased visual acuity. The patient is a contact lens wearer. The night prior to presentation at 18:00, the patient inserted her contacts that she had washed and soaked in a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) cleaning solution. She removed the contacts five hours later at 23:00, at which time she noted her eyes to feel drier than normal but did not note significant pain with removal, significant trauma, or a partial contact removal. For the eye dryness and mild irritation, she rinsed her eyes with her contact solution. She woke up the following day at 6:00 with severe, bilateral eye pain, blurry vision, and difficulty opening her eyes due to pain. She again washed her eyes with contact solution which resulted in worsening pain while also noting a “fizzing” sensation in her eyes which prompted her presentation to the ED at 10:00. She denied any foreign body sensation, known trauma, or experiencing similar symptoms previously.
A 65-year-old male presented with chest and abdominal pain for three weeks. He endorsed a poor appetite and a weight loss of 16 kilograms in the last month. He denied fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and tarry stools and described having his usual bowel movements.
Vitals: BP 172/71; HR 127; T 35.9°C; O2 Sat 100%
General: In acute distress
Cardiovascular: Regular rate and rhythm; no murmur; bilateral upper extremity and lower extremity pulses palpable
Gastrointestinal: Soft; generalized tenderness, no abdominal masses, palpable subcutaneous emphysema
Complete blood count (CBC): WBC 31 x 10^3/mcl; Hgb 15 g/dl; Hct 49.1%; Plt 477 x 10^3/mcl
Basic metabolic panel (BMP): Na 130 mmol/L; K 5.6 mmol/L; Glucose 538 mg/dL
CRP: 42.6 mg/dL
Ketone body: 5.9 mmol/L
Venous blood gas (VBG): pH 6.967; pCO2 27.9 mmHg; pO2 45.8 mmHg; BE -24.7 mmol/L
Rupture of gas-forming pyogenic liver abscess complicated by necrotizing fasciitis. The most common pathogen is Klebsiella pneumoniae, and diabetes mellitus is the most common risk factor.
Treatment includes drainage, systemic antibiotic therapy, and emergent surgical intervention.
A 44-year-old female presented to the emergency department with the complaint of a “stone under [her] tongue.” She reported that the “stone” had been present and painless for two years. The day prior, she began experiencing pain at this site while brushing her teeth. She squeezed the area in an attempt to expel it, but this action only increased her pain.
Vitals: BP 156/92; Pulse 80; Temp 98.4°F; Resp 14; SpO2 100%
General: Sitting on chair, no acute distress
HEENT: Localized swelling to the inferior lingual frenulum at Wharton’s duct with associated erythema. Partially visualized white calculus, palpable through the mucosal membrane.
None
Sialolith in Wharton’s Duct. There was visual and tactile evidence of a calculus under the patient’s tongue. It had slowly grown and was associated with increased pain and swelling while brushing her teeth.
The majority of sialoliths can be managed conservatively with hydration, moist heat application, massaging of the gland, milking the duct, and advising the patient to suck on tart candies to promote salivation. Larger, more superficial sialoliths may benefit from excision in the emergency department. In the case above, local anesthetic was injected, and manual expulsion was attempted but was unsuccessful. The emergency physician made a single 1 cm incision over the calculus and a 0.5 cm x 0.75 cm sialolith was removed with minimal bleeding. The patient was discharged on a course of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid.
A 50-year-old male with a history of polysubstance use disorder and poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus presents with left hand pain. One week ago, the patient sustained a macerating injury of the left distal middle digit. Since that time he has experienced worsening pain throughout the digit, now associated with diffuse swelling and discoloration. The patient also reports reduction in range of motion.
Vitals: Temp 97.6°F (36.4°C); BP 134/89; HR 87; Resp 16
General: Uncomfortable appearing male.
Musculoskeletal: Left hand third digit with fusiform edema, diffuse erythema, and warmth. Held in passive flexion at rest. Skin breakdown noted at distal fingertip with scant serous drainage. Tender to palpation, most markedly over the volar surface of the PIP joint. Patient reports severe pain with passive extension at the MCP, PIP, and DIP joints.
Glucose: 296
White Blood Cell (WBC) Count: 8,000/μl
ESR: 54 mm/hr
Infectious flexor tenosynovitis is an infection of the flexor tendon and synovial sheath with a significant risk of complications (e.g., tendon rupture, loss of function, amputation) if not promptly treated. Patients classically present 2-4 days after penetrating trauma to the hand (e.g., bite/scratch, puncture wound, laceration, injection).
This diagnosis is suggested clinically by four cardinal findings, the Kanavel signs:
1) diffuse “fusiform” swelling of the digit (most common)
2) digit held in passive flexion
3) tenderness to percussion over the flexor sheath
4) pain with passive extension
Although fundamentally a clinical diagnosis, the initial evaluation for infectious flexor tenosynovitis should include laboratory studies including complete blood count (CBC) and inflammatory markers (ESR/CRP). Radiographs may be performed to evaluate for occult traumatic injury or foreign body. Treatment includes emergent consultation of orthopedics or hand surgery, initiation of intravenous (IV) antibiotics, and hospital admission. Antibiotics should target gram-positive organisms (Staphylococcus, including MRSA, and Streptococcus). In immunocompromised patients, additional coverage against gram-negative organisms and anaerobes may be needed. Risk factors for poor outcomes include immunocompromise (HIV, diabetes, immunosuppression), intravenous drug use, peripheral vascular disease, and polymicrobial infection.
