Case Report: Kryptonite-A Rare Case of Left-Sided Bilothorax in a Sickle Cell Patient.

Bilothorax is a rare cause of an exudative pleural effusion. The diagnosis is confirmed by a pleural fluid to serum bilirubin ratio of greater than 1. Typically, bilothorax presents as a right-sided effusion due to its proximity to the liver and biliary system.

Multiple gastrointestinal complications of crack cocaine abuse.

Cocaine and its alkaloid free base "crack-cocaine" have long since been substances of abuse. Drug abuse of cocaine via oral, inhalation, intravenous, and intranasal intake has famously been associated with a number of medical complications. Intestinal ischemia and perforation remain the most common manifestations of cocaine associated gastrointestinal disease and have historically been associated with oral intake of cocaine.

Radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of radiation proctitis: a case report and review of literature.

Radiation proctitis is a frequent complication of pelvic radiation for cancer. This condition can present acutely within several weeks of radiation, or chronically many months or years after radiation, leading to rectal bleeding and transfusion-dependent anemia. Various medical and endoscopic therapies have been described to treat this condition; however, some patients fail to respond to the current standard therapies.

Pleural Empyema due to Group D Salmonella.

Non-typhi Salmonella normally presents as a bacteremia, enterocolitis, and endovascular infection but rarely manifests as pleuropulmonary disease. We present a case of a 66-year-old female with underlying pulmonary pathology, secondary to an extensive smoking history, who presented with a left-sided pleural effusion. The causative agent was identified as being group D Salmonella.

Replacement gastrostomy tube causing acute pancreatitis: case series with review of literature.

Context: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feedings are generally considered safe with few serious complications. Acute pancreatitis is a rare complication associated with replacement percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes.

Case Report: We report two cases of acute pancreatitis induced by migrated replacement percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes.

Association of type 2 diabetes and colon adenomas.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with hyperinsulinemia, which may lead to increased risk of carcinogenesis by increasing insulin-like growth factor-1 level. In this study, we sought to determine the association between type 2 DM and colon adenomas.

Methods: In this retrospective case-control study, all the colonoscopies performed in an urban medical center during a 3-year period were reviewed.

Does the handling time of unrefrigerated human fecal specimens impact the detection of Clostridium difficile toxins in a hospital setting?

Background: The stability of Clostridium difficile toxins is an important factor in determining the accuracy of the enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The Centers for Disease Control has stated that C. difficile toxins may become undetectable in unrefrigerated stool specimens within 2 h after collection.

Impact of patient education on quality of bowel preparation in outpatient colonoscopies.

Background: High-quality bowel preparation is essential for successful outpatient colonoscopy. Currently, the rate of adequate bowel preparation for outpatient colonoscopy in the USA is low. Patients often fail to adhere to recommended preparation instructions.

Autoimmune pancreatitis: case series and review of the literature.

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AuP) is a chronic pancreatic inflammation secondary to an underlying autoimmune mechanism. After early reports of a particular type of pancreatitis associated with hypergammaglobulinemia, others asserted that there is an autoimmune mechanism involved in some patients with chronic pancreatitis. In 1995 AuP was first described as a distinct clinical entity.