scholarly journals Ictal Syncope or Isolated Syncope? A case report highlighting the overlap

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yehia Fanous ◽  
Miguel A Astrada ◽  
Seyed Mirsattari ◽  
Habib R Khan
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Abrupt Onset ◽  
Seizure Disorder ◽  
Drop Attacks ◽  
Temporal Epilepsy ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Cardiac Syncope ◽  
Case Summary

Abstract Background Ictal bradyarrhythmia is a rare condition defined by temporal lobe epilepsy resulting in bradycardia or asystole and can result in syncope. This needs to be differentiated from isolated syncope in patients with seizure disorder, as treatment strategies differ. Case Summary A 50-year-old female with well-controlled temporal epilepsy and a 20-year seizure-free period presented to her neurologist with abrupt onset of sudden drop attacks, thought to be ictal events with potential underlying ictal bradyarrhythmia and was initially treated with escalation of anti-convulsant therapy. However, her workup was consistent with a diagnosis of cardiac syncope. She subsequently underwent successful insertion of a pacemaker, with no recurrence of her presenting episodes at a 13-month Follow-up. Discussion Ictal syncope and isolated syncope may share a common terminal pathway and may have similar presenting symptoms. In patients with known seizure disorder, loss of consciousness may be attributable to epileptic events, ictal syncope, or isolated syncope—which can be difficult to differentiate. This case highlights the ambiguous nature of such episodes and the importance of simultaneous EEG/ECG monitoring, as this can have implications on treatment.

scholarly journals Tropheryma whipplei Endocarditis: Case Presentation and Review of the Literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael McGee ◽  
Stephen Brienesse ◽  
Brian Chong ◽  
Alexander Levendel ◽  
Katy Lai
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Tropheryma Whipplei ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Case Presentation ◽  
Gastrointestinal Manifestations ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Physician Awareness ◽  
Culture Negative

Abstract Whipple’s disease is a rare infective condition, classically presenting with gastrointestinal manifestations. It is increasingly recognized as an important cause of culture-negative endocarditis. We present a case of Whipple’s endocarditis presenting with heart failure. A literature review identified 44 publications documenting 169 patients with Whipple’s endocarditis. The average age was 57.1 years. There is a clear sex predominance, with 85% of cases being male. Presenting symptoms were primarily articular involvement (52%) and heart failure (41%). In the majority of cases, the diagnosis was made on examination of valvular tissue. Preexisting valvular abnormalities were reported in 21%. The aortic valve was most commonly involved, and multiple valves were involved in 64% and 23% of cases, respectively. Antibiotic therapy was widely varied and included a ceftriaxone, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole combination. The average follow-up was 20 months, and mortality was approximately 24%. Physician awareness is paramount in the diagnosis and management of this rare condition.

scholarly journals Suprapatellar bursitis in a newborn

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-202
Author(s):  
IIya O. Erenkov ◽  
Ivan S. Denisov ◽  
Svetlana A. Zarubina
Keyword(s):  
Knee Joint ◽  
Blood Test ◽  
White Cell Count ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Of Life

Introduction. One of the most frequent pathologies in childhood is bursitis of the knee joint. Such conditions may occur in infectious pathologies, traumatic disorders, overuse syndromes, and other various pathologies. Diagnostic and treatment strategies depend on the cause of bursitis development. Particular attention should be paid to bursitis cases in newborns since the frequency of such pathologies is casuistic and clinical guidelines for treating patients in this age group are absent. Materials and methods. A 26-day-old newborn arrived for consultation with complaints of knee joint pain and movement restrictions for four days. From five to 21 days of life, she has had in-patient treatment at another clinic because of pneumonia and a urinary tract infection. Intravenous and intramuscular injections of antibacterial drugs were prescribed for two weeks. The condition of the newborn was satisfactory upon consultation in our clinic. Her physical examination showed swelling and muscle tightness on the distal part of the thigh. The range of motion of the shinbone was restricted. Her blood test showed that her white cell count was unchanged. According to an X-ray examination of the knee, no pathology was detected. According to the US-examination, exudative suprapatellar bursitis was detected. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Nimesulid, was prescribed for seven days. Results. Daily remote monitoring of the patient's well-being during treatment was performed. Movement restrictions reduced the swelling on day 3 of treatment. A follow-up blood test on day 4 of treatment showed no pathology. According to the follow-up US-examination after six days of drug therapy, no signs of bursitis were detected. Conclusion. Inflammation of the suprapatellar bursa is a rare condition in newborns. In isolated cases of bursitis in children during the first year of life, a bacterial presence was noted, with the predominance of staphylococcal and streptococcal floras. However, in our opinion, there is a possibility of developing aseptic forms of bursitis in infants. In these cases, it may be prudent to refrain from prescribing courses of antibiotic therapy.

Free-Floating Thrombus in the Distal Internal Carotid Artery Causing a Stroke

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spyros Papadoulas ◽  
Konstantinos Moulakakis ◽  
Natasa Kouri ◽  
Petros Zampakis ◽  
Stavros K. Kakkos
Keyword(s):  
Carotid Artery ◽  
Internal Carotid Artery ◽  
Medical Management ◽  
Internal Carotid ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Residual Stenosis ◽  
Floating Thrombus ◽  
Distal Internal Carotid Artery ◽  
Carotid Bulb

AbstractWe present a patient suffering from a stroke with a free-floating thrombus extending up to the distal internal carotid artery. The thrombus was totally resolved after a 2-week anticoagulation regimen without leaving behind any severe residual stenosis in the carotid bulb. The optimal treatment of this rare condition remains uncertain. We report some important treatment strategies that have been used in the literature, emphasizing the anticoagulation as the mainstay of therapy. Immediate surgical and interventional manipulations carry the risk of thrombus dislodgement and embolization and should be considered if there are recurrent symptoms despite medical management.

Autoimmune Pancreatitis – Diagnosis, Management and Longterm Follow-up

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suvadip Chatterjee ◽  
Kofi W. Oppong ◽  
John S. Scott ◽  
Dave E. Jones ◽  
Richard M. Charnley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autoimmune Pancreatitis ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
Diagnostic Challenge ◽  
Multisystem Disorder ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Work Up ◽  
Igg4 Level

Background & Aims: Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a fibroinflammatory condition affecting the pancreas and could present as a multisystem disorder. Diagnosis and management can pose a diagnostic challenge in certain groups of patients. We report our experience of managing this condition in a tertiary pancreaticobiliary centre in the North East of England.Methods: Patients were identified from a prospectively maintained database of patients diagnosed with AIP between 2005 and 2013. Diagnosis of definite/probable AIP was based on the revised HISORt criteria. When indicated, patients were treated with steroids and relapses were treated with azathioprine. All patients have been followed up to date.Results: Twenty-two patients were diagnosed with AIP during this period. All patients had pancreatic protocol CT performed while some patients had either MR or EUS as part of the work up. Fourteen out of 22 (64%) had an elevated IgG4 level (mean: 10.9 g/L; range 3.4 - 31 g/L). Four (18%) patients underwent surgery. Extrapancreatic involvement was seen in 15 (68%) patients, with biliary involvement being the commonest. Nineteen (86%) were treated with steroids and five (23%) required further immunosuppression for treatment of relapses. The mean follow up period was 36.94 months (range 7 - 94).Conclusion: Autoimmune pancreatitis is being increasingly recognized in the British population. Extrapancreatic involvement, particularly extrahepatic biliary involvement seems to be a frequent feature.Diagnosis should be based on accepted criteria as this significantly reduces the chances of overlooking malignancy. Awareness of this relatively rare condition and a multi-disciplinary team approach will help us to diagnose and treat this condition more efiectively thereby reducing unnecessary interventions.

scholarly journals Surgical Treatment of Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH) Involving the Cervical Spine: Technical Nuances and Outcome of a Multicenter Experience

2021 ◽  
pp. 219256822098827
Author(s):  
Giorgio Lofrese ◽  
Alba Scerrati ◽  
Massimo Balsano ◽  
Roberto Bassani ◽  
Michele Cappuccio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Spine ◽  
Clinical Outcome ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis ◽  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Surgical Strategies ◽  
Bone Removal ◽  
Mild Dysphagia

Study Design: Retrospective multicenter. Objectives: diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) involving the cervical spine is a rare condition determining disabling aero-digestive symptoms. We analyzed impact of preoperative settings and intraoperative techniques on outcome of patients undergoing surgery for DISH. Methods: Patients with DISH needing for anterior cervical osteophytectomy were collected. Swallow studies and endoscopy supported imaging in targeting bone decompression. Patients characteristics, clinico-radiological presentation, outcome and surgical strategies were recorded. Impact on clinical outcome of duration and time to surgery and different surgical techniques was evaluated through ANOVA. Results: 24 patients underwent surgery. No correlation was noted between specific spinal levels affected by DISH and severity of pre-operative dysphagia. A trend toward a full clinical improvement was noted preferring the chisel ( P = 0.12) to the burr ( P = 0.65), and whenever C2-C3 was decompressed, whether hyperostosis included that level ( P = 0.15). Use of curved chisel reduced the surgical times ( P = 0.02) and, together with the nasogastric tube, the risk of complications, while bone removal involving 3 levels or more ( P = 0.04) and shorter waiting times for surgery ( P < 0.001) positively influenced a complete swallowing recovery. Early decompressions were preferred, resulting in 66.6% of patients reporting disappearance of symptoms within 7 days. One and two recurrences respectively at clinical and radiological follow-up were registered 18-30 months after surgery. Conclusion: The “age of DISH” counts more than patients’ age with timeliness of decompression being crucial in determining clinical outcome even with a preoperative mild dysphagia. Targeted bone resections could be reasonable in elderly patients, while in younger ones more extended decompressions should be preferred.

scholarly journals Rare Etiology of Odynophagia in a Female Adolescent

2021 ◽  
pp. 352-358
Author(s):  
Anastasios Koutsoumourakis ◽  
Asterios Gagalis ◽  
Maria Fotoulaki ◽  
Maria Stafylidou
Keyword(s):  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Healing Process ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Female Adolescent ◽  
Mucosal Barrier ◽  
Esophageal Mucosa ◽  
Intact Immune System ◽  
History Of ◽  
Orolabial Herpes

Herpes esophagitis (HE) is a rare condition in immunocompetent adolescents. However, it commonly occurs as a primary infection in younger individuals. Herein, we report a 16-year-old female patient who had a history of fever for 5 days, odynophagia, and orolabial herpes infection for 7 days. Clusters of painful vesicles on an erythematous base on the lips, gingiva, and palate were observed on physical examination. Further, esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed diffuse linear ulcerations in the distal esophagus. The patient then received the following treatment: intravenous (I.V.) acyclovir 5 mg/kg three times a day, I.V. omeprazole 40 mg two times a day, and acyclovir 5% cream four times a day. After 8 days of admission, the patient was discharged. A follow-up esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed 7 weeks after discharge, and the results revealed that the esophageal mucosa had a normal appearance. The effect of antiviral treatment against HE remains unknown in these patients. Nevertheless, it is believed to accelerate the healing process in individuals with esophageal mucosal barrier damage. To the best of our knowledge, this case of a female adolescent with an intact immune system is the sixth case of herpes simplex esophagitis to be reported in the literature.

scholarly journals Treatment and therapeutic strategies for pituitary apoplexy in pregnancy: a case series

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuya Kato ◽  
Yoshikazu Ogawa ◽  
Teiji Tominaga
Keyword(s):  
Pituitary Apoplexy ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Optimal Timing ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Pathological Evaluation ◽  
Mother And Child ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
In Pregnancy

Abstract Background Pregnancy is a known risk factor for pituitary apoplexy, which is life threatening for both mother and child. However, very few clinical interventions have been proposed for managing pituitary apoplexy in pregnancy. Case presentation We describe the management of three cases of pituitary apoplexy during pregnancy and review available literature. Presenting symptoms in our case series were headache and/or visual disturbances, and the etiology in all cases was hemorrhage. Conservative therapy was followed until 34 weeks of gestation, after which babies were delivered by cesarean section with prophylactic bolus hydrocortisone supplementation. Tumor removal was only electively performed after delivery using the transsphenoidal approach. All three patients and their babies had a good clinical course, and postoperative pathological evaluation revealed that all tumors were functional and that they secreted prolactin. Conclusions Although the mechanism of pituitary apoplexy occurrence remains unknown, the most important treatment strategy for pituitary apoplexy in pregnancy remains adequate hydrocortisone supplementation and frequent hormonal investigation. Radiological follow-up should be performed only if clinical symptoms deteriorate, and optimal timing for surgical resection should be discussed by a multidisciplinary team that includes obstetricians and neonatologists.

scholarly journals Acute otitis media in an infant complicated with osteoarthritis of temporomandibular joint and sub-periosteal abscess of the clavicle

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaoutar Cherrabi ◽  
Hind Cherrabi
Keyword(s):  
Septic Arthritis ◽  
Temporomandibular Joint ◽  
Nutritional Assessment ◽  
Acute Otitis Media ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Ear Infections ◽  
The Right

Abstract Background Otomastoiditis is a very frequent affection and a current complication of mal-treated benign ear infections in children. However, this a very rare case of the association of two rare complications of otomastoiditis in a newborn. On the one hand, septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint which is a very rare condition that is difficult to diagnose, and when unrecognized or not treated accordingly, it can resolve in serious infectious complication and or definitive injury to the temporomandibular joint. On the other hand, osteomyelitis of the clavicle is also very rare, and only a few cases have been cited in the literature concerning infants. Case presentation This 46-day-old infant was brought to pediatric emergency consultation for 2 swelling inflammatory bulges, one in the right mastoid and pre-auricular regions, and another in the right basi-cervical area. The infant was hypertrophic febrile, hypotonic, and pale. He had preserved archaic reflexes. Besides, blood test showed an inflammatory syndrome, inflammatory anemia, and no other abnormalities. Upon supplementary computed tomodensitometry exam, the diagnosis of a combination of septic arthritis of the right temporomandibular joint and sub-periosteal abscess of the ipsilateral clavicle in a context of hypotrophy and malnutrition was suspected. A pus sample was obtained for bacteriological evaluation, after which the infant had a course of intravenous associated antibiotics, along with nutritional assessment and management. Surgical drainage of both collections was performed. The 6-month follow-up was satisfactory, without clinical signs of functional impact on temporomandibular joint, or acromioclavicular joint. Conclusion This work stresses the necessity of thorough clinical examination of infants even in cases of benign ear infections, as well as the importance of adapted treatment and follow-up, which could allow early diagnosis, appropriate treatment, or even prevention of severe complications that can be associated with such benign conditions.

Persistent Multispecies Actinomyces Mastitis Treated With Repeated Aspiration and Long-Term Oral Antibiotics

2021 ◽  
pp. 000313482110257
Author(s):  
Colin Jenkins ◽  
Anand Ganapathy ◽  
Crystal Fancher ◽  
Kazuhide Matsushima
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Therapy ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Breast Abscess ◽  
Amoxicillin Clavulanic Acid ◽  
Recurrent Breast ◽  
Causative Bacterium ◽  
Repeated Aspiration ◽  
Prolonged Antibiotic Therapy

Actinomycosis is an infection characterized by abscess formation, draining sinuses, and tissue fibrosis. The causative bacterium is a Gram-positive facultative anaerobe from the genus Actinomyces. Infections classically affect the cervicofacial, thoracic, or pelvic region and often require prolonged antibiotic therapy. Actinomycosis of the breast is a rare condition that may present as a recurrent breast abscess. We present a 33-year-old female with a recurrent breast abscess which grew A. radingae and A. israeli on aspirated fluid cultures. Treatment with surgical aspiration and a 6-week course of oral amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 875 mg twice daily resulted in clinical improvement. Our case demonstrates how recurrent breast abscesses caused by Actinomyces can be difficult to manage. Long-term antibiotic therapy with surgical aspiration and regular follow-up offer the best chance of clinical resolution.

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