Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Infections in Orthopedic-Related Devices and Prosthetic Joints.

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae have increasingly become a public health issue in a variety of infections, including urinary tract infections and postoperative infections. The complications that occur due to these organisms in bone, joint, and prosthetic joints have not been well defined. This study reviewed the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of patients with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae infections of prosthetic joints or orthopedic-related hardware.

A comprehensive review of the diagnosis and management of prosthetic joint infections in the absence of positive cultures.

The diagnosis and management of prosthetic joint infections (PJI) with negative cultures remains an enigma without clear definitions and guidelines for its management. In contrast, the literature offers guidelines to the diagnosis and management of culture positive prosthetic joint infections as noted in both the infectious disease literature and the orthopedic literature. This paper outlines the current state of knowledge of PJI with negative cultures and summarizes the recommendations for the work up and management of this condition.

Gastrointestinal Mucormycosis Resulting in a Catastrophic Outcome in an Immunocompetent Patient.

We present a case of a middle-aged female who was admitted to the hospital with a respiratory infection and subsequently developed an acute surgical abdomen secondary to a perforated viscous. She was found to have mucormycosis of the intestinal tract and eventually succumbed to the sequelae of the infection.

Coccidioidomycosis involving the cranium: a case report and review of current literature.

We report a case of Coccidioidomycosis of the cranium that presented as a cystlike structure with adjoining bone destruction in a 40-year-old patient with underlying rheumatoid arthritis that was treated with a combination of lipid amphotericin B and longterm fluconazole. We also discuss the common risk factors and presentations of this unusual extra-pulmonary form of Coccidioidomycosis.

Lin28b is sufficient to drive liver cancer and necessary for its maintenance in murine models.

Lin28a/b are RNA-binding proteins that influence stem cell maintenance, metabolism, and oncogenesis. Poorly differentiated, aggressive cancers often overexpress Lin28, but its role in tumor initiation or maintenance has not been definitively addressed. We report that LIN28B overexpression is sufficient to initiate hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma in murine models.