Inpatient Rheumatology Consultation Prompted by Positive Autoantibodies in Patients Receiving Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy: A Case Series and Literature Review.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a therapeutic preparation used in the treatment of multiple diseases. Autoimmune testing with antinuclear antibody (ANA) screening is often obtained for some of these conditions, but only after initiation of IVIG treatment. This can present a diagnostic dilemma in hospitalized patients and may trigger a rheumatology consultation.

Secondary encephalocele in an adult leading to subdural empyema.

Brain abscesses are an uncommon but potentially fatal infection. They can spread directly from an adjacent source or hematogenously from a distant source. Encephaloceles represent a rare form of neural tube defects that can potentially be complicated by the development of meningitis or brain abscess.

Purulent Pericarditis Caused by : A Rare Complication of Cholangitis.

Bacterial infection is a rare cause of pericarditis especially in the post-antibiotic era. When compared to viral or idiopathic etiologies, purulent pericarditis carries a higher risk for complications. While most cases are due to , we present a rare case of pericarditis due to originating from a liver abscess and leading to pericardial effusion.

Left Ventricular Noncompaction: A Rare Case of Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a rare form of cardiomyopathy that is characterized by deep intertrabecular recesses and abnormal trabeculations that can be observed on transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) or cardiac MRI (CMR) studies. Our case describes a 41-year-old male who presented with exertional chest pain and was discovered to have significantly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) which was nonischemic in etiology as confirmed by cardiac catheterization. Subsequent evaluation with CMR imaging revealed noncompaction of the left ventricle.

Spontaneous Hemorrhagic Pericardial and Pleural Effusion in a Patient Receiving Apixaban.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are used for many conditions where anticoagulation is needed such as non-valvular atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). These novel agents have become popular since they do not require monitoring of therapeutic levels and there is a lower risk of certain bleeding complications when compared to warfarin. However, the efficacy and side effect profile of these agents have not been widely studied in certain patient cohorts, namely cancer patients and patients on immunomodulators or hormone analogs.

Kidney Proximal Tubule Lipoapoptosis Is Regulated by Fatty Acid Transporter-2 (FATP2).

Albuminuria and tubular atrophy are among the highest risks for CKD progression to ESRD. A parsimonious mechanism involves leakage of albumin-bound nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) across the damaged glomerular filtration barrier and subsequent reabsorption by the downstream proximal tubule, causing lipoapoptosis. We sought to identify the apical proximal tubule transporter that mediates NEFA uptake and cytotoxicity.