A 2-year-old with a hepatic abscess secondary to an ascending retrocecal appendicitis: case report and review of the literature.

Background: Diagnosing appendicitis within the pediatric population can be challenging, whether it be a neonate with irritability or a toddler with flank pain. Symptoms may mimic a viral illness, constipation, urinary tract infection, or intussusception, all of which are more common in this age group when compared with appendicitis. While a ruptured appendicitis can result in an intra-abdominal abscess, peritonitis, and/or shock, the development of a pyogenic hepatic abscess is extremely rare.

Chest pain while gardening: a Stanford type A dissection involving the aortic root extending into the iliac arteries-an uncommon and potentially catastrophic disease process.

Background: An aortic dissection is an uncommon and potentially catastrophic disease process that carries with it a high morbidity and mortality. The inciting event is a tear in the intimal lining of the aorta. This allows passage of blood through the tear and into the aortic media, resulting in the creation of a false lumen.

Breast abscess in a competitive high school swimmer: a case of toxic shock syndrome.

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a severe, acute, toxin-mediated disease process characterized by fever, diffuse erythroderma, hypotension, multisystem organ dysfunction and desquamation of skin. TSS represents the most severe form of disease caused by exotoxin-producing strains of and . Menstrual and non-menstrual TSS become significant causes of morbidity and mortality.

High-output congestive heart failure: a potentially deadly complication of thyroid storm.

Hyperthyroidism, thyrotoxicosis and thyroid storm are a continuum of disease. A life-threatening and potentially fatal manifestation of thyrotoxicosis is thyroid storm. Thyroid storm is considered rare with an occurrence rate of 1-2% of all patients with hyperthyroidism, making a high index of suspicion important in the early recognition of this debilitating complication.

Perianal abscess in a 2-year-old presenting with a febrile seizure and swelling of the perineum.

An anorectal abscess, specifically a perianal abscess, is a relatively uncommon infection in children. It is a purulent fluid collection under the soft tissue outside the anus. Some of these abscesses may spontaneously drain and heal by themselves, while others may result in sepsis and require surgical intervention.

Septic shock secondary to acute bacterial prostatitis in an HIV-positive male: a novel presentation.

Acute bacterial prostatitis, an acute infection of the prostate gland, results in lower abdominal pain, flank pain, urinary symptoms and the potential for systemic symptoms like fever and shock. With a high mortality rate if left untreated, acute bacterial prostatitis becomes a true urological emergency, which if allowed to progress, may result in bacteremia, severe sepsis/septic shock and death. Diagnosis is mainly clinical with a detailed history and physical and laboratory evaluation to include a urinalysis.

Fournier gangrene: a rare case of necrotizing fasciitis of the entire right hemi-pelvis in a diabetic female.

Fournier's gangrene, a rare polymicrobial infection that affects the genitals and perineum, can present as an insidious onset to a rapid and fulminant course. Early recognition, diagnosis, initiation of broad-spectrum antibiotics and prompt surgical treatment remain the foundation of management. If treatment is not initiated aggressively, the patient will likely rapidly deteriorate, leading to organ failure and death.