Atypical Case of Minoxidil-Induced Generalized Anasarca and Pleuropericardial Effusion.

Minoxidil is an antihypertensive medication used to control blood pressure that is resistant to three or more antihypertensive medications including diuretics. There have only been a few reported cases of minoxidil-induced pleuropericardial effusion with anasarca. Here, we discuss the case of a 70-year-old male with a history of uncontrolled hypertension who presented to the hospital with swelling of the extremities.

Treatment-Resistant Depression With Catatonia Presenting as a Feature of Creutzfeldt-Jakob's Disease.

A high-functioning middle-aged successful businessman developed a rapid decline in his cognitive, behavioral, and motor abilities within one year. He was initially diagnosed with dementia by a neurologist and was then diagnosed with pseudo-dementia secondary to major depressive disorder with catatonia by a psychiatrist who initiated treatment with Ativan. He was referred to our psychiatric facility for an evaluation to undergo electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a potential treatment for medically refractory depression complicated with catatonia and pseudo-dementia.

Acute appendicitis secondary to acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Background: The gastrointestinal tract is a rare site for extramedullary involvement in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

Case Report: A 43-year-old female with no past medical history presented complaining of mild abdominal pain, fever, and chills for the past day. On examination, she was tachycardic and febrile, with mild tenderness of her right lower quadrant and without signs of peritoneal irritation.

Laparoscopic vs open ventral hernia repair in the era of obesity.

Importance: This study analyzes a role of laparoscopy in obese patients with ventral hernia.

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of laparoscopic compared with open ventral hernia repair (VHR) in obese patients.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Perineurioma of esophagus: a first case report.

Benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors occur uncommonly in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Perineurioma located in the GI tract is an extremely rare entity, and only 14 cases have been reported in colon, 1 in jejunum, and 1 in stomach. However, perineurioma of the esophagus presenting with dysphagia has not been reported before, and we describe, to our knowledge, the first case in the literature.

The impact of cirrhosis on CD4+ T cell counts in HIV-seronegative patients.

Background: Studies of the progression liver fibrosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients suggest that cirrhosis is associated with immunosuppression, as measured by low absolute CD4(+) T cell counts. However, we hypothesized that, in patients with advanced liver disease, low CD4(+) T cell counts may occur secondary to portal hypertension and splenic sequestration, regardless of the presence or absence of HIV infection.

Methods: Sixty HIV-seronegative outpatients with cirrhosis were enrolled during the period 2001-2003 in a prospective, cross-sectional study of the association between liver disease and CD4(+) T cell counts and percentages.

Composite pelvic exenteration: is it worthwhile?

Background: In locally advanced pelvic cancer, tumor fixation to the bony pelvis is regarded as unresectable and often inoperable. Few data exist regarding the futility or utility of pelvic exenteration with en bloc resection of involved portions of the bony pelvis.

Methods: Thirty-four of 625 patients undergoing radical pelvic procedures had an en bloc resection of pelvic organs with portions of the bony pelvis.

Giant presacral myelolipoma.

Myelolipomas are benign tumors composed of hematopoietic tissue and mature fatty tissue and occur primarily in the adrenal glands. Extra-adrenal sites for these tumors are rare. To date 37 cases have been reported in the literature with more than half of these lesions being presacral in location.