A unique approach to neurosurgical wound closure with porcine urinary bladder matrix: an illustrative case series.

Introduction: PUBM is a non-synthetic, completely resorbable xenograft product with a myriad of uses, including management of burns, acute and chronic wounds, soft tissue reinforcement, and hernia repair. The material is available in both powder and sheet forms which allows for excellent coverage of irregularly shaped wounds.

Case Report: The authors present 2 challenging neurosurgical wound cases.

Split-thickness skin grafting in the management of cutaneous sequelae of intramuscular pentazocine injections: a novel approach.

Introduction: Pentazocine, a synthetic opioid with partial agonist and antagonist activity administered by parenteral injection, was used clinically in the 1970s. Dermatologic complications at injection sites were reported soon after its introduction. These complications are thought to be underreported.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency mimicking congenital cytomegalovirus infection on imaging.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency is a rare and underdiagnosed disease. It can present with clinical manifestations as early as in utero. Both genetic and metabolic testing are available to determine the presence of the disease.

Stage IV colorectal cancer presenting after necrotizing soft tissue infection.

Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are highly aggressive and may be lethal if untreated. Polymicrobial infections of the groin and lower limb have been documented secondary to invasive colorectal cancer (CRC). We present a case of CRC diagnosed more than 4 years after the development of NSTI.

Atraumatic spontaneous hemorrhagic cholecystitis.

Hemorrhagic cholecystitis is a rare subtype of acute cholecystitis. It is considered a medical emergency, with a morbidity rate of 32% to 58% and a mortality rate of 15% to 20%. It presents with an acute onset of intense abdominal or back pain that can be mistaken for other conditions such as thoracic aortic dissection.

Gangrenous appendicitis contained within a Spigelian hernia.

A 66-year-old man with abdominal pain had a 5-year-old mass subsequently identified as a Spigelian hernia. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a strangulated and gangrenous appendix contained within the hernia, necessitating an appendectomy. This case highlights the importance of early identification and exploration of this rare hernia, so that early management can prevent the development of more serious and dangerous symptoms.

Hypervitaminosis D without toxicity.

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent and there are an increasing number of reports of vitamin D toxicity, mostly related to the misuse of over-the-counter supplements. We report a case with marked hypervitaminosis D (25(OH)D 196 ng/mL) without clinical or biochemical toxicity and normal serum calcium, phosphorus, and 1,25(OH)2D levels. The decline and normalization of the patient's 25(OH)D and urine calcium after cessation of supplements indicated that these supplements were the likely etiology of her hypervitaminosis D.