scholarly journals Cardiac Fibroelastoma versus Thrombus: Echocardiographic Evidence Can Be Misleading

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
John P. O’Laughlin ◽  
Gautam Verma ◽  
Iosif Gulkarov

We present a case of a young female with stroke symptoms who underwent valve sparing resection of a presumed fibroelastoma based on echocardiographic findings. After confirming embolic stroke, she underwent excision of the lesion, which on pathology revealed a nonbacterial thrombus. Ultimately, this led to a more extensive work-up leading to the discovery of a papillary serous ovarian carcinoma, the underlying cause of her hypercoagulable state. The initial echocardiographic findings painted the clear picture of a papillary tumor on the aortic valve which was likely the source of the emboli resulting in ischemic stroke. This unique case presentation illustrates that imaging, including echocardiography, may not always coincide with the clinical diagnosis. Thus, understanding the differential diagnoses of cardiac masses is of vital clinical significance. The distinction of fibroelastoma versus the much less common finding of aortic thrombus may lead to early diagnosis of malignancy and prevention of life threatening events due to stroke or undiagnosed disease.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
F. A. K. Lodhi ◽  
T. Akcan ◽  
J. N. Mojarrab ◽  
S. Sajjad ◽  
R. Blonsky

Background. Acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis during pregnancy is uncommon. We present a case of a young female diagnosed with antiglomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease during pregnancy. Case Presentation. A 23-year-old woman approximately 15 weeks pregnant experienced weakness, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia for one week and anuria for 48 hours. No known drug allergies and no significant social or family history for kidney or genitourinary disease were reported. Laboratory analysis revealed anemia, life-threatening hyperkalemia, AKI, and elevated antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibodies. Renal biopsy revealed 100% cellular crescents, confirming the diagnosis. The patient was treated using plasmapheresis and methylprednisolone followed by oral steroids, azathioprine, and tacrolimus. At 24 weeks and 4 days of gestation, the patient had hypoxic respiratory failure as well as preterm premature rupture of membranes. Due to the development of infection and lack of renal recovery, immunosuppression was discontinued. At 28 weeks and 0 days of gestation, the patient developed uncontrollable hypertension requiring emergent delivery. Postpartum, her hypertension improved without signs of preeclampsia though still requires dialysis. Discussion. Pregnancy presents a unique challenge for providers treating patients with anti-GBM disease. Fetal safety should be considered and risks thoroughly discussed with the patient when choosing an immunosuppressive regimen for this condition.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Ramy Mando ◽  
Robert Gemayel ◽  
Ashish Chaddha ◽  
Julian J. Barbat ◽  
Elvis Cami

Background. Primary aortic thrombus is an uncommon entity and not frequently reported in the literature. Herein, we discuss the presentation and management of a patient with a primary thoracic mural thrombus. Case Summary. A 46-year-old female with past medical history of tobacco dependence presented for low-grade fever and sudden onset, severe right upper quadrant abdominal pain with associated nausea and vomiting. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an intraluminal polypoid filling defect arising from the isthmus of the aorta projecting into the proximal descending aorta and findings consistent with infarction of the spleen and right kidney. Infectious, autoimmune, hematologic, and oncologic work-up were all unyielding. The patient was started on heparin and later transitioned to apixaban 5 mg twice a day and 81 mg of aspirin daily. She was also counseled regarding smoking cessation. Two months follow-up CT revealed resolution of the thrombus. Patient had no further thromboembolic complications. Discussion. We present a unique case of primary aortic thrombus. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case managed successfully with a NOAC. This diagnosis is one of exclusion and through work-up should be completed. Our aim is to raise awareness of this condition and successful management with apixaban in low-risk patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Marcus Juan Esteban ◽  
Amit Sureen ◽  
Daniel Herlihy ◽  
Sherif Elhanafi ◽  
Marc J. Zuckerman

Background. Duodenal diverticula are a rare cause of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding despite being a common finding in the GI tract. We present a case of a patient who had massive hematochezia due to a complex duodenal diverticulum. Case Presentation. A 74-year-old Hispanic female presented initially with generalized weakness. During admission, the patient had an episode of a large amount of hematochezia and had to be transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). Upper endoscopy was done using a forward-viewing endoscope which revealed a bleeding complex duodenal diverticulum. Successful hemostasis was achieved through epinephrine injection followed by placement of hemostatic clips. Conclusion. Although rare, gastroenterologists need to be aware of duodenal diverticulum as a possible cause of gastrointestinal bleed. It could be life-threatening, and thus, prompt diagnosis and management is necessary.


Introduction: Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) often present with nonspecific constitutional symptoms. However, there has been increasing recognition of a subgroup of young, female AAV patients who are at higher risk for isolated subglottic airway disease. Case Presentation: We report a rare case of a 17-year-old female with undiagnosed ANCA-associated vasculitis who presents with acute, life threatening subglottic stenosis requiring emergent intubation after routine surgery. Conclusion: Much of the research on ANCA-associated vasculitis have been based on adult cases, however many pediatric patients may not follow the same diagnostic and clinical presentations. Clinicians should be vigilant in recognizing a subgroup of vasculitis patients who are often young, female, and have a higher prevalence of subglottic stenosis. Symptoms should be promptly worked up and initiation of immunosuppressive therapy is necessary to prevent life threatening complications and end-organ damage. Keywords: ANCA-associated vasculitis, Subglottic stenosis, Granulomatosis with polyangiitis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asma H. Almaghrebi

Background: The clozapine-derivative quetiapine has been shown in some cases to cause leukopenia and neutropenia. Case Presentation: We reported on a case of a young female diagnosed with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. After failed trials of three antipsychotic medications and despite a history of quetiapineinduced leukopenia, clozapine treatment was introduced due to the severity of the patient’s symptoms, the limited effective treatment options, and a lack of guidelines on this issue. Result: Over a ten-week period of clozapine treatment at 700 mg per day, the patient developed agranulocytosis. Her white blood cell count sharply dropped to 1.6 &#215; 10<sup>9</sup> L, and her neutrophils decreased to 0.1 &#215; 10<sup>9</sup> L. There had been no similar reaction to her previous medications (carbamazepine, risperidone, and haloperidol). Conclusion: The safety of clozapine in a patient who has previously experienced leukopenia and neutropenia with quetiapine requires further investigation. Increased attention should be paid to such cases. Careful monitoring and slow titration are advisable.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Saba ◽  
Joshua Rosenberg ◽  
Gregory Wu ◽  
Gudata Hinika

Abstract Background A sigmoid volvulus occurs when a segment of the colon twists upon its mesentery. This infliction is associated with old age, multiple co-morbidities, and the male sex. We present a rare case of sigmoid volvulus that occurred in a healthy young female. Case presentation A 28-year-old female presented with a one week history of constipation and abdominal pain. Her symptoms suddenly worsened and became associated with vomiting and severe pain. A focused history taking and physical examination showed peritoneal signs that led to timely diagnostic imaging to be implemented. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen was consistent with sigmoid volvulus. Our patient underwent emergent laparotomy with a sigmoidectomy and recovered with no post-operative complications. Conclusion This case report emphasizes the importance of clinicians maintaining a sigmoid volvulus as a rare, yet important differential when approaching abdominal pain in young healthy patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zai-Qiang Zhang ◽  
Jia-Wang Ding

Abstract Background While the perforation of the atrial wall and aortic sinus after closure of an atrial septal defect (ASD) is rare, it’s life-threatening, with rapid progress and high mortality. To the best of our knowledge, 21 similar cases have been reported since 1976. Case presentation We report a 16-year-old male whose atrial septal defect (ASD) was closed using a 12-mm Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO). Atrial wall and aortic sinus perforation occurred 3 months after transcatheter closure, and the patient was discharged after emergency operation. He was discharged on the 12th postoperative day in good overall condition. Conclusions With this case report, we want to illustrate that although percutaneous closure of ASD is regarded as a routine procedure, we should not forget the potentially lethal complications, especially cardiac erosion. Therefore, we should carefully evaluate the risk of erosion before surgery, and careful lifelong follow-up is needed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. e237257
Author(s):  
Monidipa Banerjee ◽  
Eiman Haj Ahmed ◽  
Kathryn Foster ◽  
Arundoss Gangadharan

There are several causes for sudden onset unilateral mydriasis, however impending transtentorial uncal herniation needs to be ruled out. This unique case highlights an uncommon adverse response to a common mode of treatment that leads to a diagnostic dilemma. A 3-year-old boy with a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt for an obstructive hydrocephalus presented with an acute respiratory distress. He developed unilateral mydriasis with absent light reflex during treatment with nebulisers. An urgent CT scan of the brain did not show any new intracranial abnormality. A case of pharmacological anisocoria was diagnosed that resolved completely within 24 hours of discontinuation of ipratropium bromide. Although ipratropium-induced anisocoria has been reported in children, but to our knowledge none in a child with VP shunt for hydrocephalus. This emphasises the urgency in evaluating unilateral mydriasis to rule out life-threatening conditions. Clinicians should remember that ipratropium administered through ill-fitting face masks could cause this completely reversible adverse effect.


Author(s):  
Josia Fauser ◽  
Stefan Köck ◽  
Eberhard Gunsilius ◽  
Andreas Chott ◽  
Andreas Peer ◽  
...  

SummaryHLH is a life-threatening disease, which is characterized by a dysregulated immune response with uncontrolled T cell and macrophage activation. The often fulminant course of the disease needs a fast diagnostic work-up to initiate as soon as possible the appropriate therapy. We present herein the case of a 71-year-old patient with rapidly progressive hyperinflammatory syndrome, which post mortem resulted in the diagnosis of EBV-associated HLH. With this case report, we intend to highlight the relevance of the HScore in the diagnosis of HLH, to create a greater awareness for EBV as a trigger of HLH, and to demonstrate the importance of treating EBV-associated HLH as early as possible.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahana Perveen ◽  
Karmaine A. Millington ◽  
Suchitra Acharya ◽  
Amit Grag ◽  
Vita Boyar

AbstractObjectivesTo describe challenges in diagnosis and treatment of congenital neonatal gangrene lesions associated with history of maternal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.Case presentationA preterm neonate was born with upper extremity necrotic lesions and a history of active maternal COVID-19 infection. The etiology of his injury was challenging to deduce, despite extensive hypercoagulability work-up and biopsy of the lesion. Management, including partial forearm salvage and hand amputation is described.ConclusionsNeonatal gangrene has various etiologies, including compartment syndrome and intrauterine thromboembolic phenomena. Maternal COVID-19 can cause intrauterine thrombotic events and need to be considered in a differential diagnosis.


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