Fibrinolysis treatment for loculated parapneumonic pleural effusion secondary to right lower lobe pneumonia.

The administration of fibrinolytic agents in the pleural cavity is an alternative treatment for the management of loculated empyemas in patients who are poor candidates for surgery and/or do not respond to more standard treatments (e.g., chest tube placement, pleurodesis).

A rare case of uterine leiomyosarcoma metastasis to the duodenum.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is an uncommon malignant tumor that accounts for less than one-third of uterine sarcomas and approximately 1% of uterine malignancies. Cases of local and distant ULMS metastasis have been widely reported, especially to the lungs. There have been very few cases, however, of ULMS metastasis to the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract published in the peer-reviewed literature.

Delayed-onset heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type-2 during fondiparinux (Arixtra) therapy.

Heparin is the most commonly used anticoagulant drug for prevention and treatment of thromboembolic diseases. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a well-known and potentially fatal side-effect of heparin therapy. HIT type 1 (HIT-1) is transient and relatively common; it usually develops within 1-7 days of initial heparin exposure.

The impact of systemic sclerosis on arterial wall stiffness parameters and endothelial function.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by thickening and fibrosis of skin and internal organs that is associated with vascular damage. SSc may lead to arterial dysfunction and premature aging of the arteries. However, its relationship with parameters of arterial wall dysfunction has not been fully explored.

An atypical course of myasthenia gravis.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic neuromuscular disease which leads to varying degrees of weakness in the skeletal muscles. Some of the symptoms of the disorder include weakness of the eye muscles, difficulty in swallowing and slurred speech. When only the muscles of the eyes are affected, the illness is termed ocular myasthenia, which is often characterized by abrupt onset of diplopia and ptosis of the eyelid.