Ileocecal Valve Atresia - A Take on the Aberrant Phenomenon

Ileocecal valve atresia is the most uncommon yet remarkable form of the atresia found within the gastrointestinal system. We report a case on this rare entity with few cases documented in the literature to date. In our case, a one-day-old full-term male infant who developed the signs of intestinal obstruction was eventually taken for emergency laparotomy. The atretic area found intraoperatively was removed followed by the creation of an anastomosis. The patient recovered well postoperatively and continues regular pediatric follow-ups.

Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion-Induced Encephalopathy in a Patient With COVID-19

Various electrolyte imbalances have been documented in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who progress to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection. Patients with co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, ischemic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are more vulnerable to developing complications in the form of electrolyte disturbance.

We report a case of acute severe hyponatremia in a middle-aged man who was admitted to the hospital with viral pneumonia due to a coronavirus-2 infection. A dramatic drop of plasma sodium was preceded by gastrointestinal symptoms and followed by encephalopathy. On clinical assessment his plasma sodium was found to be critically low, i.e. 105 mmol/L. His chest x-ray showed minimal pleural effusion.

The patient was managed in the ICU and his serum sodium was normalized gradually with partial but rapid correction of this severe hyponatremia with hypertonic sodium chloride and followed by fluid restriction.