Ahmed Dirweesh

Left Atrial to Esophageal Fistula: A Case Report and Literature Review

Patient: Male, 57 Final Diagnosis: Left atrial to esophageal fistula Symptoms: Chest pain • syncope Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Cardiology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Left atrial to esophageal fistula (LAEF) is a rare fatal complication of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for atrial fibrillation and is associated with high mortality. Clinical features can be nonspecific and include fever, dysphagia, upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, sepsis, and embolic stroke a after recent history of RFA for atrial fibrillation. Case Report: A 57-year-old Caucasian male was brought to the emergency department (ED) by his family because of an altered mental status. He had undergone a radiofrequency ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation three weeks earlier. Several hours after admission to the ED, the patient transiently became unresponsive and had a right sided hemiplegia. A brain MRI revealed multiple cerebral infarcts. On the following day, the patient had an episode of melena, and an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) was performed which did not reveal any source of bleeding. While the patient was being monitored in the intensive care unit (ICU), he had an episode of hematemesis and went into cardiac arrest from which he was successfully resuscitated and transferred to another facility. He had another EGD, which uncovered a flap of mucosa covering the lower third of his esophagus and a 1 cm fistulous opening was seen with fresh blood oozing out of it. The patient had another cardiac arrest during the endoscopy and died despite all measures. Conclusions: We present this case to stress the importance of early diagnosis of LAEF. LAEF can be fatal if diagnosis is delayed or missed. Early surgical intervention can reduce LAEF morbidity and mortality. Newer diagnostic modalities such as endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) can be helpful in cases where conventional imaging is unclear.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in a healthy young female: A case report and literature review

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is an uncommon finding in young adults presenting usually without any comorbidities or an underlying pathology. It is most commonly due to alveolar rupture in the setting of an inciting event such an underlying asthma, barotrauma, valsalva maneuver, or esophageal rupture. Individuals can have varying presentations, from chest pain, dyspnea and dysphagia, to anxiety, weakness, or facial and neck swelling. The majority of patients have subcutaneous emphysema on examination and can have abnormal laboratory findings such as an elevated C-reactive proteins and leukocytosis. Diagnostic modalities used include chest x-ray, CT scan, ultrasound and barium swallow or esophagram. Majority of individuals and treated conservatively with rest, analgesia and oxygen administration. The prognosis of SPM is usually good with resolution within several days in most cases and the recurrence rate is very low. We report the case of a 22-year-old female presented with SPM diagnosed by chest x-ray and chest CT scan who was treated conservatively with subsequent spontaneous resolution.

Hydralazine Induced Lupus Syndrome Presenting with Recurrent Pericardial Effusion and a Negative Antinuclear Antibody

Drug induced lupus erythematosus (DIL or DILE) is an autoimmune disorder caused by chronic use of certain drugs. We report a unique case of hydralazine induced lupus syndrome (HILS) with a negative antinuclear antibody in a female patient who was on hydralazine for a period of 1.5–2 years and developed recurrent pericardial effusion as a result of it. Initially her condition was managed with a pericardial window. The recurrence of a massive pericardial effusion necessitated a right hemipericardiectomy. After hydralazine was stopped, she never had any further episodes of pericardial effusion or tamponade.

Impact of Hyoscine Bromide Use on Polyp Detection Rate During Colonoscopy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Polyp detection rate (PDR) and adenoma detection rate (ADR) are key focus in endoscopic research for CRC screening and prevention. Use of anti-spasmodic agents during colonoscopy to help identify adenomas and polyps has remained a controversial topic. Hyoscine butyl bromide (HBB) is the most commonly used anti-spasmodic agent in patients undergoing colonoscopy. Some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have questioned the clinical efficacy and safety of routine use of HBB for polyp and adenoma detection rates. Methods We conducted a systematic search in PubMed and MEDLINE from inception until February 10, 2018, for studies which compared HBB with placebo. We used RevMan version 5.3 for analysis. Procedural end-points were polyps, adenomas, and advanced adenoma detection rates, mean number of polyps detected and cecal intubation time. Results We included seven RCTs with 2,588 patients in our analysis. A total of 1,301 patients were randomized to HBB arm and 1,287 to the placebo arm. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome of polyp detection rate, 654 in HBB group vs. 616 in the placebo group, (odds ratio (OR) = 1.11, confidence interval (CI) = 0.93 - 1.34, P = 0.25). There was no difference in secondary outcomes of adenoma detection rate, 430 in HBB group vs. 396 in the placebo group, (OR = 1.06, CI = 0.89 - 1.26, P = 0.51), advanced adenoma detection rate, 92 in HBB vs. 95 in placebo group (OR = 0.95, CI = 0.70 - 1.30, P = 0.76), mean number of polyps detected (point estimate = 0.12, CI = 0.00 - 0.23, P = 0.05), adenomatous polyps (OR = 0.84, CI = 0.39 - 1.81, P = 0.65) and cecal intubation time (point estimate = 0.73, CI = -1.98 - 0.52, P = 0.25) between the two groups. Conclusions The use of HBB in patients undergoing colonoscopy does not appear to improve polyp or adenoma detection rates. It showed a non-significant trend of increased mean number of polyps detected with HBB.

A unilateral hyperlucent lung - Swyer-James syndrome: A case report and literature review

Swyer-James-Macleod syndrome (SJMS) is a rare etiology of a unilateral hyperlucent hemithorax but an important one, which should be considered in any individual with such findings. Presentation usually occurs in adulthood with an asymptomatic history in many cases or with a history of childhood infections. Clinically, symptomatic patients may present with productive cough, dyspnea on exertion, hemoptysis, decreased exercise tolerance and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many individuals are asymptomatic only requiring conservative management. However, some patients may require surgical intervention. SJMS can be easily misdiagnosed and must be suspected for example, in any patient diagnosed with asthma who does not respond to therapy. We report a case of a 51-year-old African American male diagnosed with SJMS on the basis of his medical history, clinical presentation and x-rays and computed tomography chest scans findings.

Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of anti-diuretic hormone (SIADH) as an initial presenting sign of non small cell lung cancer-case report and literature review

Association of SIADH with malignancy was first reported in 1957, when it was described in two patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. While the association with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is well known, that with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been rarely reported. We report a case of 70 year old male who was found to have hyponatremia secondary to SIADH. Radiological tests revealed right hilar lung mass with mediastinal adenopathy. Bronchoscopic biopsy revealed non-small cell lung cancer of type squamous cell. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain showed metastatic lesions, thereby confirming diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer. Paraneoplastic syndromes occur in 10% of lung cancer cases and they represent a group of disorders related to secretion of functional polypeptides or hormones from tumor cells. SIADH is more commonly described in conjunction with small cell lung cancer but there are a few case reports describing its occurrence after initiation of therapy for NSCLC such as radiation and chemotherapy. The mechanism for this phenomenon is not known. Unlike infectious causes, hyponatremia as initial presentation is an uncommon feature of malignancy-associated SIADH. In the lung cancer population, hyponatremia has been identified as a negative prognostic factor in hospitalized patients and those with advanced-stage disease. Malignancy should be a consideration in the diagnostic evaluation of SIADH, irrespective of the time of presentation.

Adenocarcinoma of the lung presenting as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) usually presents as severe microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) and thrombocytopenia in a previously healthy individual. It occurs in approximately three in one million adults and 1 in 10 million children annually. The incidence is increased in females and blacks. Diagnosing TTP and initiating therapy with plasma exchange is a must to avoid preventable complications. Acquired thromotic microangiopathy has been linked to collagen vascular diseases, use of certain medications, organ transplants, infections, pregnancy and cancer. We report a rare case of a 56-year-old African American male diagnosed with TTP who found to have an asymptomatic adenocarcinoma of the lung. Prompt cancer management resulted in completed remission of the thrombotic microangiopathy.

Lance–Adams syndrome associated with cerebellar pathology

ABSTRACT Lance–Adams syndrome (LAS) is an uncommon neurological disorder characterized by the development of chronic post-hypoxic myoclonus. There are relatively few cases described following successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We report a patient who developed LAS 3 months after successful resuscitation. Cerebral imaging studies indicate that brain pathology in LAS patients is not uniform, suggesting that the pathophysiology of myoclonus may vary from patient to patient. Our patient adds to this etiological heterogeneity by demonstrating the unusual feature of cerebellar pathology by both cerebral magnetic resonance imaging and single-photon emission computed tomography scans. There is also heterogeneity of these patients in their response to therapy. Unlike some patients described in the literature, our patient has not responded to drug treatment. Studies of these rare patients with LAS are important as they provide insight into the pathophysiology of this condition which, it is hopefully, will facilitate the development of more effective therapy.

Concurrent Primary Gastric and Pulmonary Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

The primary pulmonary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PPDLBCL), a kind of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, itself is a rare entity. Its association with primary B-cell gastric lymphoma has not been established yet. Herein we present a case of PPDLBCL along with a literature review. This case is special and extremely rare as it has concurrent primary gastric B-cell lymphoma.

Post-Colonoscopy Colonic Perforation Presenting With Subcutaneous Emphysema: A Case Report.

Colonoscopy is performed for both diagnostic and therapeutic indications. Although rare, associated complications can be quite serious. The frequency of these complications depends mainly on the skills of the physicians doing the procedure, and the diagnostic or therapeutic indications. Major complications include adverse anesthetic related events, aspiration pneumonia, bleeding, and colonic perforation. We present a rare case of a post-colonoscopy perforation presenting with subcutaneous emphysema and free mediastinal, and intra-peritoneal air. The patient was successfully managed conservatively with complete resolution of symptoms.