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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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Cleft Lip and PalateCleft lip and palate is a common congenital facial malformation that occurs once in about every 750 births among Caucasians.
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Cerebellar Hemorrhage in Woman With History of HypertensionA 65-year-old woman with a long history of hypertension treated with metoprolol and felodipine complained of dizziness, headache, nausea, and vomiting of acute onset. Her blood pressure was 220/110 mm Hg. She was drowsy and unable to stand or walk.
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Young Man With a History of Vague Headaches Ascribed to SinusitisA 37-year-old man found unresponsiveat home with erratic respiration andurinary incontinence was brought tothe emergency department (ED). Accordingto his family, the patient hadbeen complaining of headaches, vertigo,and mild neck pain for 2 months.During that time, a CT scan of thesinuses revealed chronic sinusitis; thepatient had completed a course ofprednisone, naproxen, and meclizinewithout symptomatic improvement.The day before he was brought to theED, he had presented to a differenthospital with the same complaints andwas given a prescription for antibioticsfor a presumed sinus infection. He haddiet-controlled hypercholesterolemiaand did not smoke.
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Anorexia NervosaA 30-year-old woman was brought to the hospital with syncope, bradycardia, and hypotension. For the past 6 years, she had vomited after eating meals and after occasional episodes of binge eating.
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Images in HIV/AIDSSalivary gland enlargement, most commonly involving one or both parotid glands, is sometimes seen in association with HIV infection. Enlargement of the parotid gland may be due to diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome; lymphoepithelial cysts; or malignant tumors, such as squamous cell carcinoma, Kaposi sarcoma, and Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas.1,2 Non–HIV-related causes of parotid enlargement include acute and chronic viral infection, granulomatous disease, malnutrition, alcoholism, and diabetes mellitus.3,4 Here we report the case of a 41-year-old HIV-infected man with fat maldistribution syndrome associated with type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidemia. Sialadenosis developed presumably as a result of HIV infection and hypertriglyceridemia.
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Acute Poisoning:We live in a world of toxins and potential toxins, and thus we are often just a misstep away from a toxic exposure and its consequences. Even that which is meant to cure can kill. All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy; exposure to the wrong dose of a medication (whether accidental or not) remains a common form of toxic exposure.
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Vaccination Recommendations for the 2008-2009 Influenza SeasonInfluenza develops in about 20% of the global population each year. In the United States, annual influenza epidemics typically occur between late December and early March. While influenza may affect persons of any age, infection rates are highest among children.
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Cystic fibrosis in adults: An update on diagnosis and treatmentAbstract: Although cystic fibrosis (CF) is typically diagnosed during infancy or childhood, it may escape detection until adulthood. Diagnostic accuracy can be sharpened by maintaining a high index of suspicion for CF in an adult who is pancreatic-sufficient but has unexplained recurrent respiratory infections, bronchiectasis, or nutritional deficiencies. The workup begins with the quantitative pilocarpine iontophoresis sweat test. If necessary, additional tests include mutation analysis, full-gene sequencing of CF transmembrane conductance regulator protein, and measurement of nasal transepithelial potential difference. Multidisciplinary care is essential and includes nutritional support, chest physiotherapy, exercise, appropriate antibiotics, and other pulmonary interventions. Dornase alpha, inhaled tobramycin, and azithromycin have been associated with improved outcomes and are considered to be the standard of care for patients with moderate lung involvement. (J Respir Dis. 2006;27(1):32-41)
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Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisIn its classic form, ALS affects motor neurons at 2 or more levels supplying multiple regions of the body.
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Nasal Perforation From Chronic Cocaine AbuseCocaine abuse is associated with many dermatological manifestations, vasculitides, and infections. Consider this diagnosis in patients with unexplained chronic skin lesions, an ambiguous medical history, previous examinations that found no source of symptoms, labile affect, and delusional behavior.
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Case In Point: A man with renal failure, dyspnea, and an apparent lung massA 54-year-old man with chronic renal insufficiency presented with shortness of breath, nonproductive cough, and chest pain. The patient had hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and a 30-pack-year history of cigarette smoking. He denied alcohol or illicit drug use and prolonged exposure to asbestos, chemicals, or fumes.
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Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease in a 38-Year-Old WomanAutosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is common. Presenting symtpoms include hypertension, hematuria, proteinuria, and renal insufficiency.
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Multiple Myeloma With a Gastric PlasmacytomaTwo weeks after being treated for a fracture of the left humerus and several palpable breast lesions, a 63-year-old African American woman was hospitalized for generalized weakness and confusion. She had a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, and low-grade B-cell lymphoma (which had been in remission for 2 years).
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Case In Point: Middle-Aged Man With Worsening Cough and DyspneaA 52-year-old man with hypertension and hyperlipidemia presents to the emergency department with a 5-month history of cough and dyspnea.
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Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease in a 38-Year-Old WomanAutosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is common. Presenting symtpoms include hypertension, hematuria, proteinuria, and renal insufficiency.
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Pulmonary involvement in a patient with lymphocytic colitisMicroscopic colitis is a noninfectiouscolitis that is characterizedby chronic nonbloodydiarrhea and macroscopicallynormal colonic mucosa. Extraintestinalmanifestationsare rarely seen. In this report,we describe a nonspecific interstitialpneumonitis in a patientwith lymphocytic colitis.
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Greenfield Filter MigrationAn 82-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with severe dilated cardiomyopathy. The condition was alcohol-induced and had been diagnosed about 12 years earlier. The patient was taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and diuretics.
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Immunosuppression and Infection Risk in SOT RecipientsWith the introduction of immunosuppressive drugs, solid organ transplant (SOT) has progressed such that potential recipients significantly outnumber available organs. In 2007, there were 14,394 donors of 28,353 organs, but 98,645 persons were on a waiting list as of March 2008.1
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More Doubt Cast on CPAP for Reducing CVD Risk in Sleep Apnea PatientsSome find new meta-analysis results disturbing; others say they underscore the need for more focused research.
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A case of progressive shortness of breath in a patient with emphysemaA 71-year-old man who had received a diagnosis of emphysema 12 years ago was referred by his primary care physician to the pulmonary clinic. His symptoms were well controlled until a few months ago, when he complained of mild shortness of breath on physical activity. However, the shortness of breath worsened and became a significant limiting factor. He also had a persistent dry cough.
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Mucous Membrane Necrosis Secondary to OTC Bronchodilator OveruseA 35-year-old man was hospitalized with severe dehydration secondary to necrosis of the throat. He found oral intake impossible because of severe discomfort when swallowing. The patient took no prescription medications; he had not been hospitalized or seen by a medical practitioner recently.
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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Update on When to SuspectPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy among reproductive-aged women; the prevalence is 5% to 10%.1 Like women with PCOS, affected adolescents often present with irregular menses, hirsutism, and acne. However, despite widespread agreement that the metabolic derangements of PCOS arise during puberty, the condition is diagnosed more often in adults than in adolescents.
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How to Have All Day EnergyIt is late afternoon, your eyes start to droop, head starts to nod, and you feel like someone slipped you a mickey. You rifle through drawers, pockets, or cupboards desperately foraging for chocolate to get you through the afternoon.
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Multidisciplinary Asthma Care: It Takes a VillageEffective asthma care requires attention to comorbidities, complications, and human characteristics of each patient. Speakers at CHEST 2015 described "the village."
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Spinal Epidural LipomatosisA 62-year-old man who was receiving long-term corticosteroid therapy for Wegener granulomatosis presented with progressive leg weakness over 1 week. He had the stigmata of Cushing syndrome: moon facies, truncal obesity, and a dorsocervical fat pad.
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Pneumococcal Pneumonia Presenting as New-Onset SeizureA febrile 65-year-old woman who had suffered a new-onset seizure was brought to the emergency department. The patient-a cigarette smoker-was not coughing and had neither chest pain nor a significant medical history. Her temperature was 39.4°C (103°F). She had nuchal rigidity and Kernig's and Brudzinski's signs of meningeal irritation. Lung auscultation revealed signs of right middle lung consolidation. Her white blood cell count was 1,200/µL. A chest film, seen here, showed a masslike density in the right midlung.
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Spontaneous Embolization of a Thrombus-in-TransitChest pain and dyspnea of acute onset prompted a 49-year-old man to seek urgent medical attention. Two months earlier, he had sustained fractures to the right arm and both ankles after a 25-ft fall. Ten days before presentation, the patient’s rehabilitation physician had discontinued daily enoxaparin because of improved mobility and a presumed decreased risk of thromboembolism.
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Renal Infarction: An Unusual Complication of Cocaine AbuseA 63-year-old African American man presented with severe epigastric pain of 1 day's duration. The pain was sharp and continuous and radiated toward the left flank. There were no aggravating or relieving factors or previous similar episodes.
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Benzocaine-induced methemoglobinemia in bronchoscopyBenzocaine-induced methemoglobinemia has been a well-documented illness that is usually simple to cure but can be life-threatening if not recognized. As the use of "scope" procedures becomes more commonplace, the early recognition of hypoxemia resulting from methemoglobinemia is essential. The authors report a case of benzocaine-related methemoglobinemia following bronchoscopy.
