Internal medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Availability Bias Causes Misdiagnoses by Physicians: Direct Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Objective Empirical evidence on the availability bias associated with diagnostic errors is still insufficient. We investigated whether or not recent experience with clinical problems can lead physicians to make diagnostic errors due to availability bias and whether or not reflection counteracts this bias. Methods Forty-six internal medicine residents were randomly divided into a control group (CG) and experimental group (EG). ⋯ There were no significant differences between the mean diagnostic accuracy scores obtained by nonanalytic reasoning and those obtained by the reflective reasoning in any cases. Conclusion Availability bias led to diagnostic errors. Misdiagnoses cannot always be repaired solely by adopting a reflective approach.
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A 68-year-old man visited our hospital due to anorexia, weight loss and a fever. We diagnosed the patient with disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and confirmed the presence of interferon (IFN)-γ neutralizing autoantibodies (IFN-γAb). ⋯ IFN-γAb is recognized as having a critical role in the pathogenesis of disseminated MAC disease, but its clinical features are not fully understood. CA may be a complication that develops during the treatment of disseminated MAC infection.
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Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-negative gastric cancer (HPNGC) usually shows a gastric mucin phenotype, but there are a few case reports of HPNGC with an intestinal mucin phenotype. We herein report a case of multiple HPNGC with an intestinal mucin phenotype showing a gastritis-like appearance. ⋯ The neoplastic surfaces were covered by a non-neoplastic epithelium, which caused a gastritis-like appearance. This report suggested the possibility of overlooking this neoplasm.
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Although cardiovascular involvement is a well-known complication correlated with a poor prognosis in patients with systemic sclerosis, there are few reports on valvular heart disease. Forty patients with systemic sclerosis were retrospectively analyzed. Valvular heart disease was found in six patients, five of whom had severe tri-leaflet aortic stenosis. ⋯ Two frail elderly patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement died within two years. Premature-onset aortic stenosis is not uncommon in patients with systemic sclerosis. When considering mechanical intervention, the evaluation of frailty is important.