Rare Overlap of Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis in a Patient With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a systemic small/medium-sized vessel vasculitis, which is a member of the family of antineutrophil cytoplasmic auto-antibody-associated vasculitides. This disorder affects multiple organs as it is a systemic disease, but overlapping with rheumatoid arthritis is extremely rare, with few cases reported in the medical literature. We report a case of a 55-year-old female with a history of rheumatoid arthritis who presented with recurrent upper/lower respiratory tract symptoms that responded poorly to antibiotics.

Endobronchial Hamartoma Presenting as Recurrent Pneumonia and Chronic Cough.

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can result from various etiologies, including bronchial obstruction. It is estimated that 5.4% of community-acquired pneumonia occurs as a result of an endobronchial obstruction, classifying them as post-obstructive pneumonia.

Focal Neurological Seizure due to Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Non-Ketotic Syndrome in Undiagnosed Diabetes Mellitus.

Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar non-ketotic syndrome (HHNS) is a life-threatening complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus with a wide range of presenting symptoms. Neurological symptoms, such as coma, can also be part of the manifestation of HHNS; however, focal seizures remain a rare but notable association.  A 85-year-old male patient with no history of diabetes presented to our emergency department complaining of a two-day history of twitching movements of his left wrist.

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome: Laboratory characteristics, complement-amplifying conditions, renal biopsy, and genetic mutations.

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, consumptive thrombocytopenia, and widespread damage to multiple organs including the kidney. The syndrome has a high mortality necessitating the need for an early diagnosis to limit target organ damage. Because thrombotic microangiopathies present with similar clinical picture, accurate diagnosis of aHUS continues to pose a diagnostic challenge.

Prevalence of chronic kidney disease among patients undergoing transradial percutaneous coronary interventions.

Background: While transradial approach to conduct percutaneous coronary interventions offers multiple advantages, the procedure can cause radial artery damage and occlusion. Because radial artery is the preferred site for the creation of an arteriovenous fistula to provide dialysis, patients with chronic kidney disease are particularly dependent on radial artery for their long-term survival.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we investigated the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in patients undergoing coronary interventions via radial artery.

Contrast-induced nephropathy: Pathophysiology, risk factors, and prevention.

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury is a common iatrogenic complication associated with increased health resource utilization and adverse outcomes, including short- and long-term mortality and accelerated progression of preexisting renal insufficiency. The incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) has been reported to range from 0% to 24%. This wide range reported by the studies is due to differences in definition, background risk factors, type and dose of contrast medium used, and the frequency of other coexisting potential causes of acute renal failure.

Analysis of Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome Defined on the Basis of Bronchodilator Response and Degree of Emphysema.

Rationale: Despite the increasing recognition of asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome (ACOS) as a clinical entity, it remains poorly characterized due to a lack of agreement on its definition and diagnostic criteria.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to use spirometry and computed tomography (CT) to help better define ACOS as well as to classify subjects with ACOS based on Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) letter grade.

Methods: We analyzed 10,192 subjects enrolled in the COPDGene Study.

The effects of oxytocin and arginine vasopressin in vitro on epididymal contractility in the rat.

Oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) have been found to be present in the reproductive system of the mammalian male, but their function in this system is unclear. This study examined the effects of these two hormones on contractions of the rat caput epididymis, as well as the hormones' effects on epididymal diameter during contractions. The initial segments of caput epididymides were observed in vitro in a solution of modified Tyrode's solution, with a test solution containing a concentration of either OT or AVP being added after a 5-min period.