Infective Endocarditis Due to Streptococcus agalactiae Complicated by a Complete Atrioventricular Block.

Infective endocarditis due to is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening condition. We report a case of infective endocarditis due to in a 79-year-old woman who presented with fatigue and appetite loss. The results of blood cultures and the vegetation detected by transesophageal echocardiography led us to the diagnosis.

Paraneoplastic Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder: A Rare Case of Advanced Breast Cancer with Intractable Nausea and Vomiting.

BACKGROUND Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that includes the triad of transverse myelitis, optic neuritis, and area postrema syndrome (APS), characterized by intractable nausea and vomiting. NMOSD can be part of a paraneoplastic syndrome and is associated with seropositivity to aquaporin-4 (AQP-4). We present a patient with uncontrollable nausea and vomiting who developed herpes zoster and acute myelitis and was finally diagnosed with paraneoplastic NMOSD due to breast cancer.

Phlegmonous duodenitis in an immunocompromised patient.

Phlegmonous duodenitis is an extremely rare condition, and only a few cases have been previously reported. Here, we report a case of phlegmonous duodenitis caused by and in a 78-year-old immunocompromised patient with diabetes mellitus and immunosuppressive drugs. Abdominal computed tomography showed diffuse thickening of the duodenum and gastric antrum, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed some erosions with purulent discharge and reddish and edematous mucosa in the duodenal bulb.

Hiatal Hernia with Prolapse of the Pancreas Causing Bile Duct Stricture and Liver Function Disorders: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Hiatal hernia is a common condition in elderly patients, but the additional presence of prolapse of the pancreas is extremely rare. We herein report an 89-year-old woman who presented with liver function disorders and abdominal pain. Her laboratory tests revealed cholestasis, and imaging examinations showed stenosis of the common bile duct pulled toward the hernia sac.

Bowel Obstruction due to Shiitake Mushrooms: Diagnostic Features on Computed Tomography.

Shiitake mushrooms are edible mushrooms popular in East Asian cuisine. We herein report a 69-year-old man with abdominal distension and vomiting after ingesting several pieces of sautéed Shiitake mushrooms. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed ring-shaped and crescent-shaped low-density objects (-100 to -300 Hounsfield units) in the ileum.

Atypical Clinical Presentation of Crohn's Disease with Superior Mesenteric Vein Obstruction and Protein-losing Enteropathy.

We herein report a 44-year-old man suffering from systemic edema due to protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) with superior mesenteric vein (SMV) obstruction and development of collateral veins, which subsequently proved to be a chronic result of thrombosis and a complication of Crohn's disease (CD). PLE was supposedly induced by both intestinal erosion and thrombosis-related lymphangiectasia, which was histologically proven in his surgically-resected ileal stenosis. Elemental diet and anti-TNFα agent improved his hypoalbuminemia after surgery.

Laparoscopic resection of a retroperitoneal schwannoma located in the hepatic hilus.

Schwannomas are tumors and commonly occur in the head and neck region; however, they rarely present in the retroperitoneum. A 79-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for a follow-up of a tumor in the hepatic hilus. A 2.

Release of exotoxin A, peptidoglycan and endotoxin after exposure of clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates to carbapenems in vitro.

Background: Production of several cell-associated components and extracellular enzymes can play important roles in the pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.

Methods: We characterized the time course of morphological changes, production of exotoxin A (ETA) and release of peptidoglycan (PG) and endotoxin (ET) in clinical P. aeruginosa isolates after exposure to carbapenems including imipenem, panipenem, meropenem and biapenem at 0.