Internal medicine
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A 42-year-old Japanese woman was admitted for the evaluation of proteinuria. She had a history of four habitual abortions and valvular heart disease, including severe mitral regurgitation and moderate tricuspid regurgitation. ⋯ Although the standard test for antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies was negative, the patient was diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)-related disease by testing for phosphatidylserine dependent anti-prothrombin anticardiolipin antibody, a non-criterial aPL antibody. A kidney biopsy may lead to a diagnosis of APS in patients with negative laboratory test findings for APS.
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An 86-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital due to the sudden onset of abdominal pain. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed no signs of ischemic bowel; however, laboratory investigations revealed metabolic lactic acidosis, elevation of inflammatory markers, and a remarkable elevation in the serum phosphate level. A prompt surgical evaluation revealed non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI). Elevated serum phosphate levels may suggest extensive bowel ischemia or infarction, which can lead to a prompt surgical evaluation, even in the absence of specific radiological findings.
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A 56-year-old man with a 2.5-month history of anorexia developed sweating, weakness, and left hemiplegia and hemispatial neglect. Brain magnetic resonance imaging detected no abnormalities, but magnetic resonance angiography revealed narrowing of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA). ⋯ Hemiplegia is a rare but important neurological manifestation of hypoglycemia, although the mechanisms involved remain unknown. Combined hypoglycemia and decreased MCA blood flow associated with vasospasm probably induced regionally severe neuroglycopenia with ischemia, which presented as focal neurological symptoms.
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Case Reports
Metastatic Lung Tumors from Colorectal Cancer with EGFR Mutations That Responded to Osimertinib.
A 50-year-old woman who had previously undergone right hemicolectomy and chemotherapy for colorectal cancer was hospitalized with respiratory failure. Chest computed tomography showed reticulonodular opacities and enlarged lymph nodes. ⋯ We diagnosed her with metastatic lung tumors from colorectal cancer based on additional immunohistochemical staining and the EGFR mutation status (L861Q) of the specimens. Although cases with EGFR mutations have been rarely reported, an EGFR-TKI can be an effective treatment option for colorectal cancer.
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Pulmonary artery agenesis (PAA) is a rare congenital vascular anomaly usually diagnosed during infancy. We herein report a 67-year-old man with PAA manifesting as massive hemoptysis. ⋯ Detailed angiography provided more accurate information on the pulmonary vasculature and collateral circulation, which helped us plan tailored treatment. Although very rare, we must consider the possibility of PAA in adults with unexplained hemoptysis.