Sign of the unilateral “Coca-Cola Bottle”: in addition to thyroid disease

Background: The “Coca-Cola Bottle Sign” is a classic sign of thyroid diseases, especially Graves’ disease, with the appearance of eye orbit muscles edema seen by Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The belly of the muscle increases in thickness, giving the characteristic appearance. Despite being classically associated with this etiology, the finding may be present in other diseases, especially infiltrative ones. Objectives: To demonstrate how this radiological signal can suggest other etiologies, when atypical. Methods: Case report of a patient with an image finding suggestive of “CocaCola Bottle Sign”. Results: Patient, 71 years old, with Breast Cancer and Hepatic Metastasis, using Anastrazole. Osmophobia started and after 3 months, reduced visual acuity in the right eye, evolving in 20 days to amaurosis in the right eye, dizzying, and loss of visual acuity in the left eye. Upon examination, he had a missing direct pupillary reflex in the right eye and only light perception, and counting fingers in the left eye; paresis of the Superior Rectus, Medial, and Lower Oblique muscles of the Left Eye, with paresis maintained in the forced duction test. On ophthalmoscopy, he had atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium in the bilateral periphery, without Papilledema. Metabolic screening did not show any relevant changes. In the Magnetic Resonance of Orbits, an intraconal nodular image was seen in the right orbital cavity, with perineuritis and extension to the belly of the lateral rectus muscle on this side, as the “Coca-Cola Bottle Sign”. Due to unilateral muscle involvement and signs of meningeal involvement, lumbar puncture with cytopathological examination was requested, being positive for Carcinoma Metastasis. Conclusions: The “Coca-Cola Bottle sign” is a classic sign of Graves’ disease, however, some signs, such as, unilateral and single orbital musculature involvement, may be suggestive of involvement by other etiologies, suggesting the benefit of an early expanded investigation.

Gaucher Disease Involving Virchow’s Lymph Node: a Case Report

Gaucher disease is a metabolic storage disorder caused by a mutation in the lysosomal enzyme B-glucocerebrosidase. This disease is usually manifested in new born infants, however, an exceptional case of this disease in adult has been recently reported. A 21-year-old Caucasian patient was diagnosed with Gaucher disease, demonstrating Virchow’s lymphatic node enlargement and mild splenomegaly. A familial link to this disease was also found. Macrophage infiltration was observed in the aff ected Virchow’s lymph node which is not a classic sign of Gaucher disease. DNA analysis and a whole blood count also suggested a manifestation of this disease. In summary, this is the first study to report such case of Gaucher disease in an adult female patient, which may suggest an asymptomatic characteristic of this condition and an importance of the presence of Gaucher cells in the enlarged Virchow’s lymph node

FLUCTUATING JAUNDICE IN THE ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE AMPULLA OF VATER: a classic sign or an exception?

Background Some authors consider the fluctuating jaundice as a classic sign of the adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. Objetive Assessing the frequency of fluctuating jaundice in their forms of its depiction in the patients with adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. Methods Observational and retrospective study, conducted through analyses of medical records from patients subjected to pancreatic cephalic resections between February 2008 and July 2013. The pathological examination of the surgical specimen was positive to adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. Concepts and differences on clinical and laboratory fluctuating jaundice were standardized. It was subdivided into type A and type B laboratory fluctuating jaundice. Results Twenty patients were selected. One of them always remained anicteric, 11 patients developed progressive jaundice, 2 of them developed clinical and laboratory fluctuating jaundice, 5 presented only laboratory fluctuating jaundice and one did not present significant variations on total serum bilirubin levels. Among the seven patients with fluctuating jaundice, two were classified as type A, one as type B and four were not classified due to lack information. Finally, progressive jaundice was the prevailing presentation form in these patients (11 cases). Conclusion This series of cases suggested that clinical fluctuating jaundice is a uncommon signal in adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater.

Pseudoaneurysm of the Internal Maxillary Artery: A Rare Complication of Condylar Fracture

Pseudoaneurysms are among very rare complications of maxillofacial trauma. When encountered, they have the potential to cause life-threatening hemorrhage. A wise surgeon should consider the possibility of underlying aneurysm even if the classic sign of pulsatile mass is not present. The role of interventional radiology is immaculate in the management of these aneurysms.

How should proteinuria be detected and measured?

Proteinuria is a classic sign of kidney disease and its presence carries powerful prognostic information. Although proteinuria testing is enshrined in clinical practice guidelines, there is surprising variation among such guidelines as to the definition of clinically significant proteinuria. There is also poor agreement as to whether proteinuria should be defined in terms of albumin or total protein loss, with a different approach being used to stratify diabetic and non-diabetic nephropathy. Further, the role of reagent strip devices in the detection and assessment of proteinuria is unclear. This review explores these issues in relation to recent national and international guidelines on chronic kidney disease (CKD) and epidemiological evidence linking proteinuria and clinical outcome. The authors argue that use of urinary albumin measurement as the front-line test for proteinuria detection offers the best chance of improving the sensitivity, quality and consistency of approach to the early detection and management of CKD.