Publications by authors named "Matthew A Crain"

Artificial intelligence (AI) uses computer algorithms to process and interpret data as well as perform tasks, while continuously redefining itself. Machine learning, a subset of AI, is based on reverse training in which evaluation and extraction of data occur from exposure to labeled examples. AI is capable of using neural networks to extract more complex, high-level data, even from unlabeled data sets, and better emulate, or even exceed, the human brain.

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Primary nodular chest wall amyloidoma, in which a solitary mass of amyloid is deposited in and around the lungs with no evidence of systemic amyloidosis, is extremely rare, most often asymptomatic, and may resemble primary bronchogenic carcinoma. As a result, there are fewer than 100 cases published in the literature and no controlled clinical trials. Primary nodular chest wall amyloidoma is typically diagnosed either as an incidental radiological finding or after very serious and destructive mass growth at which point late-stage respiratory and pain symptoms finally develop, most often in elderly patients.

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Giant cell arteritis, the most common form of vasculitis in the elderly, is characterized by granulomatous inflammation of arteries, which can lead to serious, life-threatening conditions including aortic aneurysms, ruptures, and dissections as well as blindness. Since GCA can be treated by immunosuppressant therapy, such as corticosteroids, early diagnosis and treatment may reduce the risk of serious disability and morbidity. While temporal artery biopsy is considered the gold standard to diagnosis giant cell arteritis, it is intrusive with inherent risks as well as unreliable due to tissue sampling.

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The differential diagnosis for an acute Crohn's flare should include enteric infection, a challenging yet critical distinction to make when determining appropriate therapy. Since both present similarly, identification of an enteric infection should be performed with comprehensive stool microbial testing. In the setting of moderate-to-severe disease, patients on biologic therapy may be more prone to infectious complications.

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Purpose: In pandemics, centralized healthcare leadership is a critical requirement. The objective of this study was to analyze the early development, operation, and effectiveness of a COVID-19 organizational leadership team and transformation of healthcare services at West Virginia University Hospitals and Health System (WVUHS). The analysis focused on how Kotter's Leading Change eight-stage paradigm could contribute to an understanding of the determinants of successful organizational change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Tracheobronchial amyloidosis, manifested by amyloid deposits limited specifically to tracheal and bronchial tissue, is a rare manifestation with only a few hundred published cases. Patients classically present with symptoms related to fixed upper airway obstruction caused by tracheal stenosis. Clinical symptoms are non-specific and include hoarseness, dyspnea, cough, stridor, hemoptysis, and dysphagia, which are similar to those caused by more common airway disorders, often leading to incorrect, missed, and delayed diagnosis.

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While germ cell testicular cancer is rare and only accounts for 1% of cancers in males, it is the most common solid malignancy among men between 14 and 44 years of age. Testicular cancer can be surgically excised by orchiectomy and is highly responsive to both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Therefore, testicular tumors generally have the best cancer prognoses, especially since the majority are localized in the initial stage.

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While ingestion of a foreign body by children is common, diagnosis is often challenging, especially when the consumption by a young child is unwitnessed and presenting symptoms mimic other medical conditions. If the foreign body does not pass spontaneously, radiological imaging studies are typically performed, but visualization and identification of the ingested foreign object can be inconclusive, especially when an unidentified mass is radio translucent. Under this circumstance, physicians often have to go on a "fishing expedition", using exploratory endoscopy and/or surgery to identify and extract the object that became lodged.

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