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Double Aortic Arch in an Infant With Persistent StridorDouble aortic arch-a vascular ring anomaly in which both embryonic aortic arches persist and encircle the trachea and esophagus-is rare.
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Woman With Vesicles and Crusts on Her ForeheadFor 3 days, a 60-year-old woman hashad a tender rash on her forehead. Thelesions erupted 2 days after she sustainedminor trauma to the left side ofthe forehead (Figure 1); no scratchesor bleeding were associated with theinjury. She noted a burning sensationand mild tenderness at the site shortlybefore the lesions arose.
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A case of pseudo-Meigs syndromeWe present a case of a 52-year oldwoman with exudativepleural effusion. Her workuprevealed an ovarian tumor,and the effusion completely resolvedafter resection of the tumor.Pathology revealed granulosacell tumor, which is anunusual cause of Meigs syndrome.This case shows theimportance of considering abdominopelvicpathology in unsolvedcases of pleural effusion.
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Case In Point: Massive, fatal hemoptysis in a patientwith AIDS and B-cell lymphomaA 49-year-old man presented to theemergency department (ED) andcomplained of fever and cough thatproduced bloody sputum for 1 day.He had AIDS and recently receiveda diagnosis of large B-cell lymphoma.His most recent CD4+ cellcount was 24/µL. He had optedagainst receiving highly active antiretroviraltherapy and prophylaxisfor opportunistic infection.
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Case In Point: Acute eosinophilic pneumonia in a 19-year-old manThe authors describe a case of acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) that occurred in a previously healthy young man. The presentation was similar to that of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and the diagnosis was established by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). The authors note that it is important to recognize the subset of patients with AEP who present with an ARDS-like picture, especially since corticosteroids are very effective in this setting.
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A Comparison of the Clinical Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Treatments for Moderate to Severe PsoriasisThis study investigated the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treatments for moderate to severe psoriasis from a managed health care systems perspective. An analysis was conducted of randomized clinical trials evaluating biologic and oral systemic medications and phototherapy for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.
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OrfA 32-year-old man who had no significant medical history complained of “something growing on the knuckles of my right hand.” He reported that a “bump” was forming on the site of a cut he sustained while slaughtering sheep 3 weeks earlier. There was no blister, discharge, or pain. The patient denied any fever, cough, or malaise. He also did not recall seeing any lesions or “bumps” on the sheep.
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Endophthalmitis Caused by Rhizobium radiobacterPostsurgical endophthalmitis caused by Rhizobium radiobacterdeveloped in a 62-year-old man. The patient was treatedwith empiric intraocular therapy. On identifying the causativeorganism, systemic ciprofloxacin was added to the treatmentregimen. Therapy resulted in complete resolution of visualchanges caused by the infection. [Infect Med. 2008;25:274-276]
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Tuberous XanthomasDuring a routine physical examination, flesh-colored papules were noted on a 36-year-old man’s elbows, knees, and interphalangeal joints. The patient reported that they had been present for a long time, were nonpruritic, and had remained the same color and size. He had not self-treated with any over-the-counter medications. His only other concern was acid reflux for which he regularly took antacids. He had no significant medical or surgical history and no medication allergy. He smoked 1 pack of cigarettes per day, drank alcohol socially, and consumed caffeine-containing drinks daily.
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Colorectal Cancer Screening: Old Obstacles, New TestsColorectal cancer (CRC) is highly preventable; however, it remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Western countries. CRC develops in more than 125,000 Americans each year, and about 50,000 die of it.
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Disseminated Fusariosis Following Cutaneous Injury From Contact With a Palm TreeOpportunistic fungal infections are increasingly common inpatients who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplant(HSCT). Voriconazole is frequently used in allogeneicSCT recipients who receive immunosuppressant therapy forgraft versus host disease to prevent invasive aspergillosis.Indications for voriconazole use include invasive aspergillosis,candidemia, Scedosporium apiospermum infection, and fusariosis.We describe a case in which disseminated Fusarium infectiondeveloped in an HSCT recipient who was receiving voriconazoletherapy. [Infect Med. 2008;25:528-530]
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Nonspecific symptoms are among the obstacles to diagnosis Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: An easy-to-miss diagnosis key words: Alveolar proteinosis, Surfactant, Whole lung lavageabstract: Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is characterized by the accumulation of lipoproteinaceous material in the alveoli. The most common symptoms are dyspnea on exertion and nonproductive cough. Weight loss, fatigue, chest pain, and hemoptysis have also been reported. Chest radiographs typically show bilateral, symmetrical airspace disease with an ill-defined nodular or confluent pattern, which gives a "bat wing" appearance, as is seen in heart failure. Pulmonary function tests usually demonstrate mild restrictive disease. Findings on examination of sputum specimens or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid can suggest the diagnosis; however, open lung biopsy is the diagnostic gold standard. Whole lung lavage remains the standard of care for PAP and is warranted in patients with severe dyspnea and hypoxemia. Subcutaneous human recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor appears to be a promising alternative to whole lung lavage for symptomatic patients. (J Respir Dis. 2007;28(5):177-184)
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Enoxaparin DermatosisThis is a very distinct, rare, and remarkable hemorrhagic rash, first recognized in 2006, with 7 known cases reported in the literature.
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Herpesvirus InfectionsTen days before presenting for evaluation, a 69-year-old man began to experience neuralgic pain and noticed the eruption of painful erythematous macules and papules on the right side of his chest. Within 24 to 72 hours, vesicles and pustules arose at the site. One week after onset, several of the lesions dried and crusted.
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Apparently Healthy Man With History of Injection Drug Use: The Initial ApproachA 45-year-old man comes to see you for a routine physical.He has no complaints and no significant medical history.However, while questioning him you discover that he usedintravenous heroin until about 10 years ago-and sometimesshared needles. He also drank 6 or more beers a day for about 20 years, a practicehe stopped at the same time that he quit using illicit drugs. He has multiple tattoos,which were done at commercial parlors. He is married but has no children. His wife hasno history of hepatitis. Physical examination is unremarkable.
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The Murderer is a ManThis family physician would never have believed she'd feel compassion for a murderer. But then, she had a patient who was one.
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Decision Making Regarding Prescription Drugs: Out-of-Pocket PressuresDr Schommer is professor, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis. Cindy Chen, Jagannath Muzumdar and Siting Zhou are doctoral candidates at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy.
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Predictors of Response to HAART: Part IIAs treatments for HIV-1 infection have become more effective, better tolerated, and more conveniently administered, treatment success has increased, but many factors influence treatment response. In addition to issues concerning when to initiate HAART and how to optimize therapeutic potency, challenges related to resistance to antiretroviral therapy in treatment-experienced patients as well as patient demographics and adherence affect antiviral response. [Infect Med. 2008;25:294-298]
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MalariaDuring a flight from Houston to New York, a 46-year-old man had fever, chills, rigors, and body aches. After he landed, he sought treatment at a local hospital. The patient was on his way back to Liberia, where he works. He had been at home in Houston for several weeks. In the emergency department, he complained only of subjective fever.
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Erythroderma in a 60-Year-Old Man: What Cause?The patient's medical history was notable for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and seizure disorder. Here, find images and lab results; then select a diagnosis.
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Paget's Disease of BoneA serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level three times higher than normal, found on routine laboratory examination, prompted further evaluation of a 57-year-old man. At admission, his temperature was 36.8°C (98.2°F), blood pressure was 120/85 mm Hg, pulse rate was 90 beats per minute, and respiration rate was 19 breaths per minute. The physical examination was unrevealing, and the patient's personal and family medical histories were unremarkable.
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Pulmonary nocardiosis mimicking empyema necessitatisNocardia asteroides is a rarecause of pulmonary or disseminatedinfection in immunocompetentpersons. Pleuralcompromise is common, butempyema necessitatis is veryrare. The authors describe anapparently immunocompetentpatient with N asteroides infectionwho had chest wallcompromise mimicking empyemanecessitatis.
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Epidermoid Cysts Treated With Phosphatidylcholine InjectionsEpidermoid cysts may be treated with intralesional injections of phosphatidylcholine to avoid potential recurrence, eliminate scarring, and reduce cost.
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Stevens-Johnson SyndromeA 37-year-old man presented to the emergency department with painful, burning, blistering skin lesions. The lesions started 3 days earlier on the face and spread to the trunk and extremities. Ten days before presentation, the patient had received a diagnosis of AIDS.
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Pellagra I a 45-Year-Old Man#onc_figure_border{ width: 175px; float:right; display:block;clear:right; border-left: 1px solid #a5a5a5; padding: 2px 0px 10px 10px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;}
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An update on advances in interventional bronchoscopyAbstract: Because of recent advances, more patients may potentially benefit from a variety of interventional bronchoscopic techniques. Nd:YAG laser phototherapy is the most widely used modality and is the treatment of choice for patients with endobronchial malignancies who have large-central airway obstruction. Cryotherapy may be superior to Nd:YAG phototherapy for more distal airways lesions because of the lower risk of airway perforation, but it may be suboptimal for bulky airways disease that requires quick relief of obstruction. Brachytherapy relieves symptoms, such as cough, dyspnea, and hemoptysis, in many patients who have locally invasive airway malignancies. Endobronchial ultrasonography appears to be a safe and sensitive method for staging lung cancer. In select patients with emphysema, a 1-way endobronchial valve can be used to reduce lung volumes. Bronchial thermoplasty is being studied as a potential treatment for asthma. (J Respir Dis. 2006;27(10):415-428)
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Cutaneous Metastasis of Prostatic AdenocarcinomaThis lesion had appeared in the right groin of a 60-year old man and had slowly enlarged over a month (A). Two years before this evaluation, he had undergone total prostatectomy with lymph node dissection for prostate carcinoma. Metastatic disease was found in a resected lymph node, and he underwent multiagent chemotherapy.
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A Young Woman With Sudden Loss of Vision in One EyeA 17-year-old sexually active young woman presented with sudden loss of vision in the left eye 2 weeks before presentation.
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Woman With Acromegaly Presenting as Unilateral Vision LossA 36-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with loss of vision in the right eye that had initially involved the peripheral field and progressed over 2 months to the central and nasal fields. During this period, she also had headaches, vomiting, and generalized weakness. She had had amenorrhea for 1 year.
