The American journal of the medical sciences
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Takayasu's arteritis is a systemic vasculitis that involves medium- and large-sized arteries. Renal artery involvement is a potential manifestation of TA that occurs in 60% of the patients in India and the Far East. ⋯ In this review, we present the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of Takayasu's arteritis with particular emphasis on renal artery stenosis. The aim is to increase the awareness of this condition among clinicians because early diagnosis and the timely introduction of treatment can lead to improved outcomes in this poorly understood clinical enigma.
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Gender-specific association between the metabolic syndrome and arterial stiffness in 8,300 subjects.
The objective of this study was to determine the sex-specific association between the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and arterial stiffness. ⋯ The MetS and its components affect arterial stiffness more severely in women than in men. More importance to women with MetS should be given.
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Case Reports
A case of apathetic thyroid storm with resultant hyperthyroidism-induced hypercalcemia.
Thyroid storm is a complication of thyrotoxicosis with a 20% to 30% mortality rate characterized by hyperthermia, tachycardia and altered mental status. Rarely, thyroid storm may have an apathetic presentation. The authors present a 63-year-old woman with apathetic thyrotoxicosis and hypercalcemia. ⋯ This case describes the presence of hypercalcemia in a patient with apathetic thyroid storm with no other factors contributing to the hypercalcemia. In addition, this patient had significant elevation in serum calcium, which possibly contributed to her symptomatology. The calcium remained normal after the thyrotoxicosis resolved, which is typical of the hypercalcemia of thyrotoxicosis.
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Severity of illness scores are helpful in predicting mortality; however, no standardized scoring system has been validated in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). The modified Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (REMS), the CURB-65 (confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure and age 65) and the Charlson weighted index of comorbidity (CWIC) were compared in predicting outcomes at the onset of SAB. ⋯ REMS and CURB-65 scores outperformed CWIC as predictors of mortality in SAB and may be effective in predicting the severity of illness at the onset of bacteremia.