Articles: disease.
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Observational Study
Increased signal intensity of spinal cord on T2W magnetic resonance imaging for cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients: Risk factors and prognosis (a STROBE-compliant article).
To investigate the risk factors for progression of increased signal intensity (ISI) on T2W magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its prognostic value in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). A total of 109 patients with CSM were included in this study. All the patients were treated with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. ⋯ Logistical regression showed that disease duration was the only factor that significantly correlated with the progress of ISI (P < .001). CSM patients with ISI on T2W MR images had poorer surgical outcomes compared to others, while the increased range of HR may deteriorate preoperative neurological function. Moreover, patients with longer disease duration had greater risk of ISI in spinal cord.
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Understanding the association between Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) and malignancy is essential for early diagnosis and treatment of the potential lethal disease. To the best of our knowledge, there has been only one published case of HSP coexisting with oesophageal cancer. Here, we report another patient diagnosed with HSP and oesophageal squamous carcinoma simultaneously. ⋯ We report a rare case of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma initially presented as HSP. This case suggests the importance of evaluating adult patients with HSP for an underlying malignancy.
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Case Reports
Preoperative sonographic diagnosis of McSwain type V appendiceal intussusception: A case report (with video).
Appendiceal intussusception is a rare disease. The definite preoperative diagnosis of appendiceal intussusception is rare and challenging. Here, we present a case of McSwain type V appendiceal intussusception in a 10-year-old boy. To our best knowledge, this is the first case report of a type V appendiceal intussusception that was preoperatively confirmed with sonography. Here, we have described in detail the ultrasound features and differential diagnosis of this rare disease. ⋯ Pre-operatively, on ultrasound a type V appendiceal intussusception is usually misdiagnosed as an ileocolic intussusception. Radiologists must execute caution to avoid over reliance on the sonographic findings of intussusception, especially when there is a mismatch with clinical symptoms. It is especially important to accurately understand the surgical-anatomic configuration of type V appendiceal intussusception that creates a "target-sign" and a "finger-like" layout on ultrasonography.
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Case Reports
Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita as an adverse effect from rituximab therapy: A case report.
Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody directed against B cells and is a first-line agent for the treatment of B cell lymphoma and a second-line agent for the treatment of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). It has also been used for the treatment of several other autoimmune diseases. Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) has never been reported as an adverse effect resulted from rituximab therapy. ⋯ Physicians should consider this diagnosis when a patient develops bullous skin eruptions while undergoing Rituximab therapy.
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JMIR Public Health Surveill · Dec 2020
Evaluating the Need for Routine COVID-19 Testing of Emergency Department Staff: Quantitative Analysis.
As the number of COVID-19 cases in the US continues to increase and hospitals experience shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), health care workers have been disproportionately affected. However, since COVID-19 testing is now easily available, there is a need to evaluate whether routine testing should be performed for asymptomatic health care workers. ⋯ Periodic COVID-19 testing for emergency department staff in regions that are heavily affected by COVID-19 or are facing resource constraints may significantly reduce COVID-19 transmission among health care workers and previously uninfected patients.