Journal of medical case reports
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We present a case of unsuspected Paget-Schroetter syndrome (also called effort thrombosis), one of the rare causes of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first such case in our hospital. Our patient may have been discharged with an incomplete diagnosis and inappropriate management but for one of the few physicians who knew about effort thrombosis, made the diagnosis, and referred the patient promptly to the appropriate team. ⋯ When considering a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis, the age, hobbies, and occupation, among other things, of individual patients should be put into context at all times to avoid missing rare causes such as Paget-Schroetter syndrome. This report is intended to raise awareness of this rare condition. Knowledge of this condition and its management is essential for all medical practitioners, especially medical doctors who are involved in unselected medical admissions in accident and emergency or medical admission units, where the majority of such patients are seen.
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Review Case Reports
Nail gun injuries to the head with minimal neurological consequences: a case series.
An estimated 3700 individuals are seen annually in US emergency departments for nail gun-related injuries. Approximately 45 cases have been reported in the literature concerning nail gun injuries penetrating the cranium. These cases pose a challenge for the neurosurgeon because of the uniqueness of each case, the dynamics of high pressure nail gun injuries, and the surgical planning to remove the foreign body without further vascular injury or uncontrolled intracranial hemorrhage. ⋯ Nail gun injuries can present with variable clinical status; mortality and morbidity is low for surgically managed isolated nail gun-related injuries to the head. The current case series describes the surgical use of a vice-grip for a good grip of the nail head and controlled extraction, and these patients appear to have a good postoperative prognosis with minimal neurological deficits postoperatively and on follow-up.
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Non-Shiga toxin-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome is known to be caused by dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway. Infections, drugs, pregnancy, bone marrow transplantation, malignancy, and autoimmune disorders have all been reported to trigger episodes of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previous reports of an association between diabetic ketoacidosis and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. ⋯ To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of diabetic ketoacidosis presenting with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with a variant of complement factor B in an adult patient.
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Abdominal pregnancy (pregnancy in the peritoneal cavity) is a very rare and serious type of extrauterine gestation that accounts for approximately 1.4% of all ectopic pregnancies. It also represents one of the few times an ectopic pregnancy can be carried to term. Early strategic diagnosis and management decisions can make a critical difference with regards to severity of morbidity and mortality risk. After an extensive search of the English language medical literature, we are unaware of any case of abdominal pregnancy in which the placenta was receiving its vascular supply from the sacral plexus. ⋯ Ectopic pregnancies should be identified early and evaluated for the etiology of the presentation. Rarely, an ectopic pregnancy implants at an extratubal location. Today, early intervention saves lives and reduces morbidity, but ectopic pregnancy still accounts for 4 to 10% of pregnancy-related deaths and leads to a high incidence of ectopic site gestations in future pregnancies. Medical management has emerged as a safe alternative to surgery and holds promise for preservation of future fertility; however, surgery remains an acceptable modality. We found that careful and strategic choice of management pathway can make all the difference to a favorable outcome. As emergency physicians, we need to be aware of the possibility of abdominal ectopic pregnancy in such presentations and its severe consequences if it remains undiagnosed.
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Paralysis of the external popliteal sciatic nerve is a frequent pathological condition that occurs after trauma. However, etiologies other than trauma, such as tumors, are also possible. The sensory collaterals of the external popliteal sciatic nerve have a small territory of innervation at the knee, and tumors involving these nerves become symptomatic after compression of the motor nerves. We here describe the first reported case of this phenomenon. ⋯ Our patient developed compression of the external popliteal sciatic nerve from a tumor growing on a collateral nerve. Early diagnosis is an absolute necessity in such cases. Trauma and tumors of sensory nerves can distort the diagnosis, as in this case. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging can contribute to an accurate diagnosis in patients with neuropathy in the absence trauma or tomacula.