The Utility of Troponin Dynamics in Influenza Myopericarditis: A Literature Review.

Influenza, typically recognized as a respiratory ailment, can manifest severe cardiac complications, notably, myocarditis and pericarditis, with potential fatal outcomes. Interestingly, influenza B demonstrates a reduced occurrence of troponin I elevation despite the risk of cardiac issues, such as isolated pericarditis. Interpreting the absence of troponin elevation as an indication of no cardiac involvement in cases of influenza B-related pericarditis may be contributing to poorer clinical outcomes.

A Rare Presentation of Lyme Disease in an Immunocompromised Patient.

Lyme disease is a progressive infectious disease caused by the species that affects multiple organ systems, including the brain, heart, skin, and musculoskeletal systems. The cardiac manifestations of Lyme disease typically present with atrioventricular nodal conduction abnormalities and, more rarely, myocarditis. We report a case of an immunocompromised 57-year-old woman who presented with acute onset shortness of breath, hypervolemia, injective conjunctiva, and global vision loss of the left eye in the setting of a recent tick bite.

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries in Military Personnel: Investigating the Dynamic Interplay of the Cerebrospinal Fluid and Brain During Blasts.

Background It is estimated that around 450,000 traumatic brain injury cases have occurred in the 21st century with possible under-reporting. Computational simulations are increasingly used to study the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injuries among US military personnel. This approach allows for investigation without ethical concerns surrounding live subject testing.

Aortic Valve Replacement: A Case of Aortic Valve Insufficiency Secondary to Infective Endocarditis.

Acute aortic valve insufficiency (AAVI) is a pathologic medical condition that has a presentation on a spectrum of severity and is attributable to numerous etiologies. Most often, it is caused by infective endocarditis, which depending on the patient's clinical status may require treatment with either surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This case presents a patient with acute aortic valve insufficiency secondary to infective endocarditis, requiring intervention.

Clinical Importance of Differentiating Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-Positive Plasmacytoma From Plasmablastic Lymphoma: Another Unique Case of EBV-Positive Plasmacytoma in an Immunocompetent Patient.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive plasmacytoma is a rare and unique plasma cell neoplasm that could arise in immunocompetent individuals. Given the molecular and immunohistochemical similarity of EBV-positive plasmacytomas to their significantly more aggressive counterpart, plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL), providers must distinguish between the two neoplasms. This case elucidates a presentation of EBV-positive plasmacytomas in a healthy, immunocompetent individual originating in the C4/C5 cervical neck region.

Cutaneous Necrosis of the Skin Secondary to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Bacteroides With Superimposed Herpes Simplex Virus Type II (HSV-II) in the Setting of Infective Endocarditis.

Herpes simplex virus type II (HSV-II) with superimposed bacterial skin infection is an uncommon presentation of cutaneous necrosis in the setting of infective endocarditis. This case reflects a unique presentation of an immunosuppressed patient with infective endocarditis complicated by septic emboli and cutaneous skin lesions attributable to HSV-II and superimposed bacterial skin infection. The patient presented from an outside hospital with symptoms consistent with acute onset heart failure and skin lesions.

Hemorrhagic Pericardial Effusion as the Presenting Symptom of Newly Diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Hemorrhagic pericardial effusion is a rare presenting sign of undiagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We present a case of a 58-year-old female with a history of mucinous cystadenoma with subsequent omental caking status-post small bowel resection, chronic intermittent bilateral knee pain, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left hand, and drainage of a peritoneal inclusion cyst two days prior to admission. The patient had pleuritic chest pain and acute-onset shortness of breath but was hemodynamically stable on presentation.

Atypical Presentation of Infective Endocarditis With Native Aortic Valve Involvement Secondary to Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in the Setting of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a condition that can involve endocardial tissue and possibly lead to valvular disease. Not only is it important to recognize the clinical presentation difference between acute and subacute IE, but physicians should understand that underlying risk factors, such as immunosuppression secondary to non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), can alter an acute presentation into that of a subacute one. We report an NHL patient, who presented with subacute clinical symptoms of IE, but had a clinical test workup that showed evidence of acute IE rather than subacute.

Potential Role of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in Enoxaparin's Effects on Liver Functions.

Enoxaparin is commonly used for prophylaxis as an anticoagulant in hospital settings. Although enoxaparin has been known to cause many minor adverse reactions, hepatocellular injury is one of the rare side effects which can impact clinical course, marked by an asymptomatic rise in liver function panel tests. In this paper, we not only delineate the relationship between enoxaparin-induced hepatocellular injury but also associate it with fevers that have not been previously documented.

Elevated Beta-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in a Non-pregnant Female With Altered Kidney Function.

Elevated beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) levels in postmenopausal women is a finding known in the literature; however, it still commonly leads to unnecessary and extensive diagnostic workup. We present the case of a 48-year-old African-American postmenopausal female with acute kidney injury on chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 5 and an incidental finding of elevated serum beta-hCG. Abdominal and transvaginal ultrasound showed no evidence of intrauterine or ectopic pregnancy or gestational trophoblastic disease.

Rapid Development of Autoimmune Hepatitis Secondary to Minocycline.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a condition that affects the liver which, potentially, may render it fibrotic and eventually cirrhotic. This condition has many etiologies ranging from genetic predispositions and immunological defects to medication and environmental side effects. Essentially, we will explore the risks, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition as it relates to a medication-induced etiology.

Chilaiditi Syndrome Presenting as Partial Colonic Obstruction.

Chilaiditi sign is a rare incidental radiographic finding where bowel is interposed between the diaphragm and the liver, often seen as air under the right hemidiaphragm. A majority of patients with Chilaiditi sign are asymptomatic and remain so throughout their lifetime. Chilaiditi sign is recategorized as Chilaiditi syndrome if it becomes symptomatic and is a very rare etiology of bowel obstruction.

Atretic Parietal Cephalocele With First Trimester Chiari Malformation and Sinus Pericranii Companion Case.

Encephaloceles are the type of dysraphism in which a skull defect allows for herniation of meninges, with or without the inclusion of neural tissue, and are commonly associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum. Encephaloceles are classified as frontal, occipital, or parietal, with parietal cephaloceles, or vertex cephaloceles (VC), being the least common. Despite this, VCs present as the most common cause of a midline scalp mass, displaying complex venous and neural malformations commonly referred to as the "tip of the iceberg.

Pure Insular Cortex Infarct in Sepsis-Induced Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy.

Each year there are an estimated 1.7 million adults in the United States that develop sepsis and nearly 16% of these adult patients die because of this disease process. Sepsis, however, can impact patients of all ages.