Medical Must-See: A 130-year-old film star explains a strange clinical picture
Just 22 examples of the syndrome were previously reported in the literature.
If you are assessing a patient with severe abdominal pain, there is a reason to start thinking about silent film star Rudolph Valentino — nicknamed ‘The Latin Lover’.
Back in 1926, Mr Valentino was preparing for the release of his movie Son of the Sheik when he collapsed and was rushed to hospital in New York.
He underwent surgery for acute appendicitis, but developed peritonitis and died several days later, aged just 31.
An autopsy revealed he had a perforated gastric ulcer and the gastric contents had travelled to the paracolic gutter, resulting in peritoneal irritation.
