A 55 year old male with a past medical history of colon cancer on chemotherapy presents with a chief complaint of right lower extremity pain/discoloration to his calf and thigh as well shortness of breath that has developed over the past 48 hours. A physical exam reveals dopplerable DP and PT pulses. The right calf and thigh is visualized as in the image below. What’s the diagnosis?

Answer: Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens (PCD) – a near-total occlusion of the major deep venous system of an extremity as well as the majority of microvascular collateral veins of the extremity. 

PCD occurs on a spectrum with phlegmasia albans dolens (PAD): thrombosis of the deep venous system with patency of the collateral veins and venous gangrene: when there is complete obstruction of venous outflow with irreversible capillary involvement and muscle infarction. It is differentiated from PAD by a pale/white limb versus a dusky/cyanotic limb in PCD. 

Clinical Features: Triad of swelling, pain, cyanosis. Limb can develop firmness and there is a risk for arterial compromise and compartment syndrome. Thrombosis can extend into the IVC and it is often accompanied by pulmonary embolism with the incidence reported to vary from 12-40%.  

Diagnosis: Clinical history/exam in conjunction with imaging. Gold standard diagnosis is contrast venography, however often due to difficulty and length of time to attain this ultrasound venography is often preferred. CT-venogram is useful for visualization of extension of thrombus in the IVC. 

Management: Immediate elevation of affected extremity above the level of the heart to encourage return of circulation. Anticoagulation with unfractionated IV heparin bolus at 10-15 units/kg followed by an infusion titrated to an aPTT of 1.5-2 times the lab control value. Immediate vascular/interventional radiology consultation for possibly thrombectomy versus catheter-directed thrombolysis. If no service is available and transfer is unable to be arranged within 6 hours then consider systemic fibrinolytics if no contraindications are present. 

Case Continued: Duplex ultrasound, CT-venogram, and CTA Chest on our patient revealed DVT of the major deep veins of the right lower extremity that extended into the IVC as well as bilateral pulmonary embolisms. He was started on heparin and had a mechanical thrombectomy of the right iliofemoral/IVC DVT. He was able to be discharged on apixaban several days later. 

Resources:

Cline, D., Ma, O. J., Meckler, G. D., Stapczynski, J. S., Thomas, S. H., Tintinalli, J. E., Yealy, D. M., & Kline, J. A. (2020). Venous Thromboembolism Including Pulmonary Embolism. In Tintinalli’s emergency medicine: A comprehensive study guide (pp. 389–398). essay, McGraw-Hill Education. 

Gardnella, L., & Falk, J. (n.d.). Phlegmasia Alba and cerulea Dolens – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. Phlegmasia Alba and Cerulea Dolens. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563137/ 

Perkins, J. M., Magee, T. R., & Galland, R. B. (1996). Phlegmasia caerulea dolens and venous gangrene. British Journal of Surgery, 83(1), 19–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.1800830106 

A 44 year old male presents for left foot and ankle pain. He was running and stepped into a hole, stating he heard a “crack”. He has been unable to bear weight since the injury. On exam, his left lower extremity is neurovascularly intact. He has swelling and marked bony tenderness of both the lateral and medial malleoli and heel. X-rays of the left foot is obtained and shown below. What’s the diagnosis?

Answer: Comminuted Calcaneal Fracture

Etiology

• Most commonly due to high axial load injuries such as fall from height or MVC
• Most common tarsal fracture

Presentation

• Diffuse pain, swelling, and ecchymosis after trauma
• Often unable to bear weight
• Deformity of heel or plantar arch on exam
• Mondor’s sign – ecchymosis/hematoma that tracks along sole of foot
  • Pathognomonic for calcaneal fracture

Diagnosis

• Plain radiographs of ankle/foot
• Harris view: calcaneus in axial view
• Non-contrast CT of foot/ankle is gold standard and assists with surgical planning
• Sander’s Classification (based on CT)
  • Type I: All intra-articular fractures that have < 2 mm displacement, regardless of number of fracture lines or fragments
  • Type II: Two bony fragments involving posterior facet
  • Type III: Three bony fragments including depressed middle fragment
  • Type IV: Four comminuted bony fragments

ED Treatment

• Analgesia, ice, elevation
• Splinting, often with bulky Jones dressing
• Orthopedics consultation
  • Most intra-articular fractures require surgical repair
  • Most extra-articular fractures can be managed conservatively with 10-12 weeks of casting and non-weight bearing

References:

Jiménez-Almonte JH, King JD, Luo TD, Aneja A, Moghadamian E. Classifications in Brief: Sanders Classification of Intraarticular Fractures of the Calcaneus. Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. 2019 Feb;477(2):467-471

A 78 year old female presents to the ED from a cardiac rehabilitation facility with increasing shortness of breath and a productive cough. She was discharged from the hospital two weeks ago after having a coronary stent placed which was complicated by pneumonia and developing heart failure. She was discharged on PO amoxicillin-clavulanate. Vitals are notable for a heart rate of 101 and are otherwise within normal limits. 

Labs are remarkable for an elevated WBC of 18.55 and elevated NT-ProBNP of 2155. Point-of-care cardiac ultrasound shows a normal ejection fraction. Right sided point-of-care lung ultrasound findings are shown below. What’s the most likely diagnosis, and what pathognomonic ultrasound “sign” is seen?

Answer: Pneumonia; Hepatization of the lung

• Normally, lung is not well visualized on ultrasound because the alveoli are filled with air which does not transmit ultrasound beams well to produce an image.
  • Aerated lung will produce horizontal “A lines”, a reverberation artifact from the result of sound waves bouncing between the skin and pleural line.
• With consolidation of the lung or pneumonia, ultrasound beams are able to travel through the purulent or fluid filled alveoli.
  • The lung will appear hypoechoic and heterogeneous, resembling the liver, hence the term “hepatization of the lung.”

References:

Dawson M, Mallin M. Introduction to Bedside Ultrasound: Volume 1. Emergency Ultrasound Solutions; 2013. 

Durant A, Nagdev A. Ultrasound detection of lung hepatization. West J Emerg Med. 2010;11(4):322-323

https://litfl.com/lung-ultrasound-pneumonia/

A 44 year old woman with a past medical history of kidney stones and diabetes presents to the ED with 3 days of intermittent flank pain for which Tylenol is not helping. On exam, she is crying and in pain with some tenderness in RLQ and suprapubic area. No CVA tenderness noted. She denies fever and dysuria. A CT abdomen and pelvis with IV contrast was obtained and shown below. What’s the diagnosis?

Answer: bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis (Findings: bilateral xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. Right perinephric stranding. Gas within both renal collecting systems and urinary bladder.)

This is a severe necrotizing infection of the kidney parenchyma. Primarily, cases occur in those with uncontrolled diabetes (95%) and a secondary factor is kidney obstruction (25-40%). The usual bacteria involved is E. Coli (69%) or K. Pneumoniae (29%). If caught early medical management of kidney function and antibiotics is the primary mode of treatment. Failure of initial treatment can lead to a nephrectomy.

• Class 1: gas in the collecting system only
• Class 2: gas in the renal parenchyma without extension to extrarenal space
• Class 3A: extension of gas or abscess to perinephric space
• Class 3B: extension of gas or abscess to pararenal space
• Class 4: bilateral EPN or solitary kidney with EPN

Management: admit for IV antibiotics and urological consult

This particular case has Proteus as the infective species as evident by staghorn calculi and urine culture. Because of preserved kidney function (Cr 0.87) and WBC (4.45), Urology elected to monitor and treat infection first and schedule outpatient procedure for stone removal to prevent urosepsis.

References:

Huang JJ, Tseng CC. Emphysematous pyelonephritis: clinicoradiological classification, management, prognosis, and pathogenesis. Arch Intern Med. 2000 Mar 27;160(6):797-805. doi: 10.1001/archinte.160.6.797. PMID: 10737279.

Ubee SS, McGlynn L, Fordham M. Emphysematous pyelonephritis. BJU Int. 2011 May;107(9):1474-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2010.09660.x. Epub 2010 Sep 14. PMID: 20840327.