Advanced Biventricular Heart Failure due to Left Ventricular Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy Leading to the Formation of a Gastric Bezoar: The Implications of Heart Failure on the Gastrointestinal Tract.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic disease process affecting multiple organ systems and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We report a case of a 43-year-old male with a history of unspecified cardiomyopathy who presented to the hospital with abdominal pain, distention, and nausea for 4 months. He was diagnosed with left ventricular noncompaction and gastroparesis.

Guillain-Barré syndrome as first presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus: a rare manifestation complicated by IVIg-induced splenic infarct.

A 44-year-old woman presented with progressively worsening neurological symptoms of 1 week duration. Physical examination revealed absent reflexes of the lower extremities and proximal muscle weakness, bilaterally. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis and electrophysiological studies were consistent with the diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and the patient was started on intravenous immunoglobulin infusion.

Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome Associated with Rapid Weight Loss Attributed to Amphetamine Abuse.

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome arises from a reduction in the angle formed between the SMA and the aorta, thereby compressing the third portion of the duodenum. This phenomenon may be caused by a number of factors, one of which being acute weight loss. We report a case of a female patient presenting with abdominal pain and vomiting who developed superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome as a result of rapid weight loss, thought to be secondary to amphetamine abuse.

Autoimmune hepatitis induced by nitrofurantoin. The importance of the autoantibodies for an early diagnosis of immune disease.

Nitrofurantoin has been in use since 1953 as an effective agent for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection. It is associated with a wide range of adverse drug reactions. Chronic active hepatitis has increasingly been observed and many cases have been reported with case fatalities.

Patients' attitudes and perceptions of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: potential barriers to appropriate primary prophylaxis.

Background: Primary prophylaxis with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) improves mortality in patients at risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, ICDs are highly underutilized. We explored patients' attitudes and perceptions of ICDs to better understand potential patient-related barriers to appropriate utilization.