The American journal of medicine
-
Pretibial myxedema is typically associated with clinical hyperthyroidism, diffuse goiter, and ophthalmopathy in patients with Graves' disease. A case of biopsy-proved pretibial myxedema was encountered in a clinically euthyroid woman who had neither diffuse goiter nor exophthalmos. ⋯ This case illustrates that pretibial myxedema may present without other more common manifestations of Graves' disease. In patients with suspect pretibial skin lesions, the thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test may be required to establish the presence of subtle underlying thyroid gland autonomy and the diagnosis of euthyroid pretibial myxedema.
-
A sample of 4,920 disease-related deaths from New York City for 1979 (8.7 percent of all relevant data from New York City's files) showed a 60 percent rise in death rate beginning at 2 A. M. and reaching a peak at 8 A. M. ⋯ M. to 8 A. M. rise in death is consistent with a disease-related explanation for the bimodal circadian pattern in mortality. The quality and efficiency of health care could be improved with more precise information on peak periods of risk for specific morbid conditions.
-
The utilization and interpretation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the elderly have been surrounded by controversy and confusion. To improve the understanding of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and its determinants in the aged, a defined population of 111 ambulatory, retirement-home residents underwent thorough clinical and laboratory evaluation. Westergren erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Wintrobe erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and plasma viscosity measurements were all significantly correlated with one another as well as with plasma proteins, particularly fibrinogen and globulins. ⋯ Although the sensitivity of the Westergren sedimentation rate for the presence of an inflammatory condition or monoclonal gammopathy was only 0.55, the specificity was 0.96, and the positive predictive value of an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate being associated with a clinical disorder was 0.93. The enhanced clinical utility of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in this population compared with other elderly populations may be due to a low prevalence of anemia and hypoalbuminemia. In such populations, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate may remain a useful clinical test, regardless of patient age.
-
A patient exhibited brain damage, polyuria, and refractory hypernatremia after myocardial infarction and cardiopulmonary arrest. Serum vasopressin levels were relatively fixed and inappropriately low for the elevated serum osmolality. Hypernatremia persisted despite administration of vasopressin; after vasopressin was discontinued, serum sodium value was corrected with small doses of furosemide and replacement of free water. In her case, impairment of osmotic homeostasis could not be attributed to either simple resetting or complete destruction of osmoreceptors; metabolic normalization required an unusual therapeutic approach.