Art in Endoscopy: “Interstellar wormhole”

This magnified image of the terminal ileum shows a typical pattern of nodular lymphoid hyperplasia in a patient with minimal symptoms and without associated diseases; the digital contrast technology in optical enhancement mode depicts bile in bright red. The image resembles 3 D renderings of sci-fi “wormholes,” speculative structures linking disparate points in spacetime, that are theoretically possible according to a special solution of Einstein’s general relativity equations. More pragmatically, nodular lymphoid hyperplasia represents the occurrence of small nodules (less than 10 mm), located preferentially in the terminal ileum and confirmed by pathology exam. Although often asymptomatic, it can be associated with diffuse pain, chronic diarrhea, or bleeding. It is sometimes associated with other immunodeficiency diseases or infections, as well as celiac disease, being considered a risk factor for intestinal or extraintestinal lymphoma.

Fig. 1 Nodular lymphoid hyperplasia, with digital contrast enhancement

Publication History

Article published online:
23 September 2020