Cardiac complications are one of the most important sources of morbidity and mortality after noncardiac surgery. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology of postoperative cardiac complications and published risk indices and guidelines that allow an estimation of preoperative risk. Recent evidence has challenged the primary role of perioperative beta…
Chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is becoming increasingly prevalent in the US and worldwide, eventually progresses to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), requiring renal replacement therapy. Diabetes and hypertension, the two leading causes of CKD, are themselves reaching near epidemic proportions. Hypertension can cause both the development and progression of CKD,…
Background: To review the presentation of Bacteroides fragilis (B fragilis) spondylodiscitis. Methods: Two investigators independently searched the published English, Spanish and French languages literature through September 2005 using MEDLINE (1966–2005). We included all reported cases of vertebral osteomyelitis or spondylodiscitis caused by B fragilis, not related to sacral decubitus ulcers,…
Although thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are distinct entities, they may appear as overlapping clinical syndromes from multiple perspectives: pathogenesis, patient demographics, clinical features, and management (Table). Our interest in the similarities of these two syndromes began with our experience that patients may be diagnosed with…
Perinephric and prostatic abscesses may present with protean symptoms and often arise from ascending urinary tract infections. Both abscesses are often caused by uropathogens, and only on rare occasions is the etiology due to methacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Perinephric and prostatic abscesses have never been reported to occur together. We…
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, such as infliximab, are highly effective in the management of rheumatoid arthritis; however, these agents are associated with an increased risk of infectious complications. Individuals developing coccidiomycosis pneumonia frequently acquire this while residing in endemic regions. We present a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with…
We report the case of a 64-year-old man who developed a rapid, right-sided pleural effusion. On initial presentation to the emergency room, the patient had fever and flank pain consistent with a ureteral obstruction (due to a bladder tumor) and associated hydronephrosis that had required previous placement of a pericutaneous…
Buerger disease is characterized by progressive distal extremity ischemia in persons with recent tobacco consumption. Typically, affected persons are young men. There have been case reports of Buerger disease in older men. Almost all of the reported cases were characterized with progressive, severe disease requiring amputation. We report a case…
Clear cell squamous cell carcinoma in situ, also referred to as pagetoid or clear cell Bowen disease, is a rare pathologic variant of this neoplasm. It is characterized by neoplastic cells with clear or pale cytoplasm. An octogenarian husband and wife concurrently developed new facial skin lesions which demonstrated squamous…
Cholesterol crystal embolization is a well-established complication of arterial trauma and anticoagulation which may involve multiple organs including the skin and muscle, producing clinical features such as livedo reticularis, cyanosis and gangrene of the toes and intense myalgias. Cholesterol crystal embolization to bone marrow has been described in postmortem studies,…
There have been less than 100 reported cases of carcinoma in a female urethral diverticulum, with only 10 of these cases being squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The course of this disease is frequently aggressive, despite multimodality treatment, and most patients die within 2 to 3 years. To our knowledge, carcinoma…
Shivering is mediated via the predominantly uncrossed reticulospinal tract. We report a case of a patient with left lateral medullary tract infarct involving the reticulospinal tract who displayed ipsilateral absence of shivering during a febrile episode. The physiology and anatomy of shivering and the reticulospinal tract is reviewed. Key Points…
The authors of the article “A Longitudinal Study of Parental Discipline of Young Children” in this issue of the Southern Medical Journal correctly point out that the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly endorses parent education about discipline at all well child visits. Discipline is explained in many parent-education texts, including…
To the Editor: A 70-year-old gentlemen presented with a six week history of abdominal pain associated with generalized weakness and anorexia. The patient reported insidious onset, 5 to 6/10 aching, and mid-abdominal pain which was aggravated in the supine position with no relation to food. Past medical history included a…
Depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses are being increasingly recognized in today’s medicine, with millions of people suffering from them. It is well known that people with mental illness utilize healthcare services more frequently than those without mental illness,1 costing millions of dollars per year in healthcare related expenditures.2…
Despite the general improvement in public health, the use of potent antimicrobial agents, and the strict application of hospital infection-control measures, the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to increase with multidrug resistance as a common phenotype. Analysis of data obtained from The Surveillance Network-USA (TSN), an electronic surveillance…
Background: Though asthma and bronchiectasis are two different diseases, their coexistence has been shown in many patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of asthmatics with bronchiectasis compared with pure asthmatics. Methods: We evaluated 1680 asthmatics followed-up in our clinic. Fifty-one asthmatics had the diagnosis…
Objective: To determine how discipline practices changed over time for young children. Methods: A cohort of parents with young children were interviewed in clinic about a broad array of disciplinary practices at two points in time. Results: A total of 182 parents were interviewed at Time 1, and 94 were…
Objective: To determine the prevalence of chlamydia among young, male soldiers receiving routine healthcare and to measure risk factors associated with sexually transmitted infections (STI). Materials and Methods: Male soldiers between the ages of 18 to 25 years seeking routine healthcare were screened for chlamydia. Educational information regarding Chlamydia trachomatis…
Background: With declining U.S. medical student interest in family medicine, it is important to study factors that may predict for individual residency program fill rates. Predictors of family medicine residency program match rates are few, with location by region of the country being the best predictor. Using a limited database,…
Lactobacillus is a Gram positive bacteria found in the mouth, gastrointestinal and female genital tract. Serious infections due to Lactobacillus are becoming increasingly common. We present a 49-year-old diabetic patient with Lactobacillus septic arthritis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case. Usually, Lactobacillus is implicated with bacteremia, endocarditis…
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Computed tomography has had a dramatic impact on the diagnosis and management of respiratory disease.1 Traditionally used to characterize diffuse parenchymal lung disease, CT scaning also provides insights into airway diseases.1–5 In particular, the diagnostic sensitivity of high resolution CT scanning for bronchiectasis has established it as the gold standard…
Does graduating from medical school at Tulane University on V-J Day, August 14, 1945 qualify one to look back over more than 60 years of American medical practice? Having practiced as an intern and resident in hospitals, done solo and group practice, served at a university, civilian and military hospitals…
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for severe and persistent depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Though ECT is now over 60 years old, it remains an underutilized treatment today. History, patient selection, safety, and characteristics of the treatment stimulus, technique, and medications used in ECT are reviewed….
Otolaryngology Houston http://www.ghorayeb.com/Pictures.html is authored by Bechara Y. Ghorayeb, MD and is a large A to Z photographic database of otolaryngology conditions. The galleries may also be perused by anatomical category. Most of the illustrations, including intraoperative photographs, are accompanied by explanatory text. The summaries are supported by outsourced references…
Quick Quiz: What do the following movies have in common? As Good as it Gets (1997), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Dr. T and the Women (2000), The Fisher King (1991), Girl, Interrupted (1999), Hamlet (2000), Secret Window (2004), Sybil (1976), When a Man Loves a Woman (1994),…
To the Editor: Vitamin D deficiency is a common disorder that can have adverse effects on bone metabolism. There is no universal agreement on the levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] that define vitamin D deficiency. Several cut-off points were suggested, including levels less than 12.5 ng/mL (30 nmol/L), 20…
To the Editor: The cause of thrombocytopenia is often not found. Owing to my interest in reactions to aspartame products,1 I have encountered four cases of thrombocytopenia which may be attributed to products containing aspartame, especially based on its recurrence on two or more occasions after rechallenge, and the absence…
To the Editor: The incidence of primary classical nodular sclerosis (CNS) lymphoma has increased significantly over the last 2 decades. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) of B-cell origin account for the majority of these neoplasms. In contrast to NHL, CNS involvement by Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is exceedingly rare. In a large clinical…
To the Editor: Phytophotodermatitis is a cutaneous phototoxic inflammatory eruption due to exposure to light-sensitizing botanical substances and long-wave ultraviolet radiation that usually begins approximately 24 hours after exposure and peaks at 48 to 72 hours.1 The primary skin lesions of phytophotodermatitis may range from delayed erythema (24–48 h) to…
To the Editor: Rhabdomyolysis, a syndrome of muscle breakdown, is caused by a variety of infectious and noninfectious etiologies. To my knowledge, this is the first reported case of rhabdomyolysis caused by active pulmonary tuberculosis.
To the Editor: As more patients obtain automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICDs), EMS personnel and emergency medical centers will be required to treat the unique situations that such patients present to emergency center personnel. One unique presentation is electrical storm (multiple temporally related episodes of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation)1,2…
To the Editor: We report the case of a patient with precursor B-cell acute lymphoid leukemia and poor cytogenetics who presented with acute pancreatitis related to leukemia.
To the Editor: A recent article1 and editorial2 describing ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block (IHNB) for inguinal hernia repair, while thought provoking, is also troubling. The authors have performed a prospective randomized clinical trial (PRCT) and then presented the data as a retrospective study. Patients must grant informed consent to be randomized….
To the Editor: In response to Dr. Richard K. Baumgarten’s letter, we would like to emphasize the following:First, our study is a retrospective one on 126 patients who had undergone inguinal hernia repair.
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