Effects of Yoga in the Care of Patients With Heart Failure: A Systematic Literature Review.

This review delves into the potential benefits of integrating yoga into the care of patients with heart failure. A systematic literature review was undertaken through electronic searches of indexed databases. Quality assessment utilized the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and data on population characteristics, interventions, and clinical, biochemical, and functional outcomes were meticulously extracted.

Genetics of strabismus.

Strabismus, or misalignment of the eyes, is the most common ocular disorder in the pediatric population, affecting approximately 2%-4% of children. Strabismus leads to the disruption of binocular vision, amblyopia, social and occupational discrimination, and decreased quality of life. Although it has been recognized since ancient times that strabismus runs in families, its inheritance patterns are complex, and its precise genetic mechanisms have not yet been defined.

Effectiveness of esophagogastroduodenoscopy in changing treatment outcome in refractory gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

Background/aims: The effectiveness of screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms alone has not been validated.

Methods: We performed an observational study of patients with refractory GERD who underwent EGD from 2013 to 2016 at a tertiary hospital. Among 928 patients with GERD, we excluded patients with other alarm features, other indications for EGD, history of gastroesophageal surgery, or EGD done for other diagnostic procedures, and identified 301 patients who underwent EGD solely for persistent reflux symptoms such as heartburn or regurgitation.

Chronic opioid use is associated with obstructive and spastic disorders in the esophagus.

Background And Aims: Chronic opioid effects on the esophagus are poorly understood. We investigated whether opioids were associated with increased prevalence of esophageal motility disorders.

Methods: A retrospective study of all patients undergoing high-resolution manometry (HREM) at the Yale Gastrointestinal Motility Lab between January 2014 and August 2019.

"Becoming Proximal" in Preclinical Medical Education: Community Engaged Learning Addressing Disparities in Care.

As the COVID-19 pandemic and national reckoning with racism reveal social disparities and their connection to health outcomes, we consider medical education's role in addressing pervasive health inequities and the labor of students, faculty, and community members who have come together to engage with these issues. We encourage institutions to consider a more socially-grounded model where all medical students-regardless of background, specialty, and career trajectory-participate in community-engaged and health equity-focused learning opportunities and curricula. As non-physician newcomers to medical education who are experienced in community-engaged work, in this commentary we consider how institutions might develop preclinical proximity-focused learning experiences.

Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Pancreatic Transplantation.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation but can rarely occur after solid organ transplants. Small bowel and liver transplants are typically implicated, but solid organ transplant-associated GVHD has also been associated with other organs. We present a 40-year-old diabetic woman who underwent renal followed by pancreatic transplantation over a span of 21 months and ultimately developed acute classic GVHD.

Annular pancreas in a 24-year-old woman with persistent abdominal pain.

Annular pancreas (AP) is a rare diagnosis in the adult population but can cause significant morbidity if not correctly identified. In adults, the most common symptoms are abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. While these are not specific to AP, they are important clues to this diagnosis in the right clinical context.

The utility of esophagogastroduodenoscopy before endoscopic ultrasonography in patients undergoing endoscopic ultrasonography for pancreatico-biliary and mediastinal indications.

Background: Oblique-viewing echoendoscopes may miss luminal lesions. There is no consensus on whether to routinely perform esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) before endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). Currently, practice patterns are variable and prospective data are needed.

Endoscopic ultrasound identifies synchronous pancreas cystic lesions not seen on initial cross-sectional imaging.

Objectives: A retrospective review conducted to determine the utility of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) examination of the pancreas after initial pancreatic cyst detection with cross-sectional imaging.

Methods: A retrospective review of 145 patients referred for EUS for evaluation of pancreas cystic lesions. Initial cross-sectional imaging reports were reviewed and compared to subsequent EUS findings.

Drug-induced cholestasis.

Recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of bile formation and cholestasis have led to new insights into the pathogenesis of drug-induced cholestasis. This review summarizes their variable clinical presentations, examines the role of transport proteins in hepatic drug clearance and toxicity, and addresses the increasing importance of genetic determinants, as well as practical aspects of diagnosis and management.

Successful use of entecavir for a severe case of reactivation of hepatitis B virus following polychemotherapy containing rituximab.

Backgrounds/aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation following treatment with rituximab has been reported in patients with either HBsAg-positive, or HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc positive infection. Patients with severe reactivation often have a fatal outcome despite treatment with lamivudine. The use of entecavir has not been reported in patients with severe HBV reactivation.

Hepatitis C associated cardiomyopathy: potential pathogenic mechanisms and clinical implications.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has tropism for other tissues besides the liver (e.g. lymphocytic tissues).

Elevated CA 19-9 levels in a patient with Mirizzi syndrome: case report.

CA 19-9 is a marker of malignancy of the pancreas and biliary tract. We report the case of a patient who had significantly elevated serum CA 19-9 levels and imaging studies suggestive of malignancy. On laparotomy, the patient was found to have Mirizzi syndrome, an uncommon cause of biliary obstruction from an impacted gallstone.