Acute Pancreatitis Masquerading as Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction: A Review.

A rare presentation of acute pancreatitis is with electrocardiographic (ECG) changes that mimic myocardial ischemia. We present a report of a patient that presented with hemodynamic instability and new ECG changes of ST segment elevations in contiguous leads II, III, and aVF mimicking an inferior wall myocardial infarction. Emergent coronary angiography showed no significant coronary obstruction, but it was followed by a left-sided hemiplegia with radiographic evidence of diffuse embolic stroke.

Intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of severe Clostridium difficile colitis: an observational study and review of the literature.

Background: Clostridium difficile colitis (CDC) is the most common cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea. The increase in the incidence and fatality rate of CDC over the past decade has stimulated a search for new therapies, including intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). We report our experience with IVIG for the treatment of 21 patients with severe CDC.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy as a potential cause of long QT syndrome and torsades de pointes.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is an increasingly reported syndrome characterized by transient apical left ventricular dysfunction in absence of flow limiting coronary artery disease. Prolongation of QT interval associated with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has been previously reported in published case series but none of these series reported occurrence of torsades de pointes. Reported here is a case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy resulting in QT prolongation and torsades de pointes in an emotionally distressed woman.

Cytogenetic characterization and gene expression profiling in the rat reflux-induced esophageal tumor model.

Objectives: The reasons for the increasing incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma are not clear. A causal relation between gastroesophageal reflux disease and esophageal adenocarcinoma has been suggested. Support for this comes from the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma in the rat reflux model.

Epidermal growth factor receptor and hedgehog signaling pathways are active in esophageal cancer cells from rat reflux model.

Background: Advancements in experimental therapeutics for esophageal cancers have been hampered by the lack of a reliable preclinical model that recapitulates the biology of human cancer, including in vivo growth in an animal model.

Methods: Bilious reflux was induced by esophago-jejunostomy in Sprague-Dawley rats. Nine of 12 (75%) Sprague-Dawley rats developed squamous or adenosquamous cancers, and three cell lines were created by in vitro propagation of freshly resected tumors, JA and JB lines from one cancer, and the AMY cell line from another.