Mesenchymal cystic hamartoma of the lung.

Mesenchymal cystic hamartoma, although first reported as early as 1980s, remains a very rare lung disease. There have been less than 20 cases reported to date. Mesenchymal cystic hamartoma usually has an indolent course, but it could potentially result in morbidity and mortality.

Venous Thromboembolism and Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams: An Overview.

Venous thromboembolism is a common disease with a wide array of signs and symptoms. It has been cited as the third leading cause of cardiovascular death, and if left untreated, it leads to death in 1 in 4 patients. Sophisticated diagnostic tools have allowed physician to become more accurate in diagnosing pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.

Deep Venous Thrombosis of the Upper and Lower Extremity.

Upper and lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is defined as a blood clot within the deep veins of the affected extremities. These blood clots can either occur spontaneously or be associated with specific risk factors. Regardless of the cause, DVT is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and has the potential for lethal complications.

Pathogenesis and Epidemiology of Venous Thromboembolic Disease.

Venous thromboembolism is the formation of a blood clot in the vein. It mainly consists of 2 life-threatening conditions-deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Deep venous thrombosis is a potentially dangerous condition with grave sequelae, the worst of which is pulmonary embolism.

Multiple Myeloma Associated Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy: The Importance of Continued Surveillance.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is an autoimmune disease presenting with weakness and numbness in a remitting or chronic progressive course. It is known to have several clinical presentations and several associated diseases. CIDP has been associated with multiple myeloma, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), and other paraproteinemias.

Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia in a patient with Sjogren's syndrome.

Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia (AFOP) is a histological pattern characterized by intra-alveolar fibrin deposition and associated organizing pneumonia. AFOP has been associated with many rheumatologic disorders in the literature but has not been described in association with Sjogren's syndrome. This paper shows a rare association of AFOP with Sjogren's syndrome.

Iatrogenic Transient Complete Heart Block in a Preexisting LBBB.

Catheter induced cardiac arrhythmia is a well-known complication encountered during pulmonary artery or cardiac catheterization. Injury to the cardiac conducting system often involves the right bundle branch which in a patient with preexisting left bundle branch block can lead to fatal arrhythmia including asystole. Such a complication during central venous cannulation is rare as it usually does not enter the heart.

Cytomegalovirus Cutaneous Infection in an Immunocompromised Patient.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a member of the Herpesviridae family, is an opportunistic infection with a typically benign course in the healthy host but has a more ominous course in the immunocompromised population. CMV infection commonly affects the visceral organs, particularly the respiratory and the gastrointestinal tract. CMV cutaneous lesions are rare and can be easily missed.

May-Thurner Syndrome With Pulmonary Embolism as the First Presentation Rather Than Deep Vein Thrombosis.

May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) is a rare disease that causes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in young females (age 20 to 50). DVT is caused by mechanical obstruction of the left common iliac vein by the right common iliac artery resulting in stasis rather than a primary hypercoagulable state. Although MTS is found in 22% of cadavers, it causes <5% of lower extremity venous disorder.

Acute Pneumonia.

Acute pneumonia is an active infection of the lungs that results when an individual at risk gets exposed to a particular microbiological pathogen. Acute pneumonia is the leading cause of death in the United States that is attributable to an infection. The risk factors, pathogenesis, and microbiological organisms involved differ if the pneumonia develops in the community versus health care-associated environment.