Scleroderma is a group of autoimmune diseases that principally affects the skin, blood vessels, muscles, and viscera. One of the more well-known subgroups of scleroderma is the limited cutaneous form of the multisystem connective tissue disorder known as CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasis) syndrome. In this report, we present a case of a spontaneous colonic bowel perforation in a patient with incomplete features of CREST.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVertebral osteomyelitis is a rare clinical condition accounting for 1%-7% of all bone-related infections. The increase in chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus or those that lead to immunosuppression, the increase in spinal instrumentation including epidural catheters for pain management, and the continual increase in intravenous (IV) drug use are factors that have led to the rise in cases. The condition may present subtly without clinical signs and symptoms making early diagnosis difficult.
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