Pheochromocytoma, "the Great Masquerader," Presenting as Severe Acute Decompensated Heart Failure in a Young Patient.

A 22-year-old man presented to the hospital with progressive shortness of breath, chest discomfort, sinus tachycardia, and emesis. The echocardiogram demonstrated global hypokinesis with a left ventricle ejection fraction of 15-20%. The patient was treated for acute systolic heart failure decompensation with diuresis and afterload reduction.

D-Shaped Left Ventricle, Anatomic, and Physiologic Implications.

Right ventricular loading/pressure influences left ventricular function because the two ventricles pump in series and because they are anatomically arranged in parallel, sharing the common ventricular septum. Flattening of the interventricular septum detected during echocardiographic examination is called D-shaped left ventricle. We present a case of an elderly male of African descent, who presented with increased shortness of breath.

A Case of Haemorrhagic Constrictive Pericarditis with Bilateral Pleural Effusions.

Presentation of pericardial disease is diverse, with the viral aetiology being the most common cause; however, when haemorrhagic pericardial effusion is present, these causes are narrowed to few aetiologies. We present a case of a young female of African descent who presented with diffuse abdominal pain and vomiting. Initial work-up showed pericardial effusion with impending echocardiographic findings of cardiac tamponade and bilateral pleural effusions.

Drug-Induced Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus in a Patient Receiving Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C infection and its treatment have been associated with extrahepatic manifestations, including different skin conditions. Over the past decades, a greater number of drugs have been implicated as triggers for drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. We report a case of a 42-year-old Hispanic man who developed a forehead violaceous rash during treatment with pegylated interferon alpha-2a as part of his therapy against hepatitis C infection that subsequently resulted to be subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

Successful medical treatment of infective endocarditis caused by Candida parapsilosis in an immunocompromised patient.

Candida spp is a common pathogen of nosocomial infections that has increased in recent decades, with mortality rates close to 40% in cases of systemic candidiasis. One type of presentation is infective endocarditis, which, by its prolonged need for treatment, represents a constant challenge for clinicians. We describe a 36-year-old woman, recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer, who developed aortic valve infective endocarditis caused by Candida parapsilosis and who was treated with oral antifungal medication, with no surgical intervention required.