Candy cane aorta

The largest and main artery in the human body, the aorta, emerges from the heart. The aorta distributes oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. The aorta gives off various branches as it travels through the thorax and abdomen. The aorta's arch, which is curved and located in the thorax, joins the ascending and descending aortas. When examined from a side angle using X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging, the configuration of the ascending aorta, aortic arch and descending aorta resembles a candy cane or hockey stick in appearance – candy cane aorta.

In the abdomen, the aorta ends by splitting into the median sacral artery, a small midline vessel and the common iliac arteries, two major blood vessels. 

Reference:

Eikendal AL, Bots ML, Haaring C, Saam T, van der Geest RJ, Westenberg JJ, den Ruijter HM, Hoefer IE, Leiner T. Reference values for cardiac and aortic magnetic resonance imaging in healthy, young caucasian adults. PLoS One. 2016;11(10):e0164480. Go to reference.

Candy cane aorta, candy cane

Image from Eikendal AL et al. PLoS One. 2016.

   

Pear-shaped appearance of Babesia

Babesiosis is a rare disease caused by single-celled parasites which infect red blood cells. Babesia mainly infect animals with humans only being occasionally infected. These parasites are transmitted to humans primarily by tick bites. Their name originates from Victor Babeș (1854-1926), a Romanian physician who first described them.
Some infected people are asymptomatic. Certain groups of people are vulnerable to severe infection like those without a spleen and those with an impaired immune system. Under the microscope, these parasites are oval shaped within the red blood cells, a pear-shaped appearance.
Reference:

Zimmer AJ, Simonsen KA. Babesiosis. [Updated 2020 Aug 15]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Go to reference. 

Pear-shaped forms, pears

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Candy cane esophagus

Consuming very hot food and drink can injure the inside of the food pipe, the esophagus, which extends from the throat to the stomach. Normally the inside of the esophagus is pink. But when burnt by hot liquids or solids, alternating bands of red and white regions emerge, when examined by optical devices. These regions resemble candy cane in appearance – candy cane esophagus. Candy cane is a type of boiled sweet often found in alternating red and white stripes.

The outcome depends on the extent of esophageal thermal injury, with most reported cases having favorable outcomes.

Reference:

Lim CH, Yen H-H, Su W-W, Lim C-J, Tsai H-C, Chen S-T. Extensive Causative Esophagitis Caused by Thermal Injury: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Case Reports in Gastrointestinal Medicine. 2017;2017:8243567. Go to reference

Candy cane esophagus, candy cane

Image from Lim. Case Reports in Gastrointestinal Medicine, 2017

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Caviar appendix

In a rare usually non life-threatening condition myxoglobulosis of the appendix, multiple small spherical mucin globules develop in the appendix's lumen. These pearl colored globules resemble caviar in look - caviar appendix. Most people with appendiceal myxoglobulosis have no symptoms. Discovery of the condition is often incidental during surgery or at postmortem. The cause of this condition is currently unknown.

The appendix is a blind ending tubular protrusion from the main alimentary tract. It can act as a store of healthy bacteria which re-populates the gut when diarrhea, for instance, distorts the balance of healthy micro-organisms within the main gut. It is also packed with many immune cells which assists with immune responses.

Reference:

Gosavi MS. Myxoglobulosis Of The Appendix: A Rare Cause Of Pelvic Pain. Current Educational Research. 2018 1(03). Go to reference

Caviar appendix, caviar

Image from Gosavi. Current Educational Research, 2018

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Strawberry scrotum

The scrotum ‘houses’ the testes and helps to keep them at a lower temperature than that of the rest of the body because sperm production takes place best at cooler temperatures.

In a rare disease affecting the scrotum’s skin, nodules of calcium accumulate within it - scrotal calcinosis - and because of their raised mottled look the nodules give the scrotum an appearance not unlike a strawberry in some cases – strawberry scrotum.

Scrotal calcinosis is not life threatening, its underlying cause is unknown. Affected men usually between 20 and 40 years have normal measurements of calcium in their blood. Treatment for scrotal calcinosis often for cosmetic reasons is by surgical removal of the affected scrotal region.

Reference:

Singh I, Singh N, Sharma N, Agarwal S, Tandon R. Strawberry scrotum (Idiopathic nodular scrotal calcinosis): Image in surgery. Indian J Surg, 2005;67:159. Go to reference
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Normal scrotum, Strawberry scrotum, Strawberry

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Image from Alone A, Wanjari MB. Pan Afr Med J. 2022.

Image from Wikimedia Commons