Adaptive approach to diagnosis of amebic liver abscess in non-endemic areas.

Entamoeba histolytica infections range from asymptomatic intestinal amebiasis to more severe syndromes like invasive colitis or hepatic abscess. While diagnostic tests available for assessing these infections have evolved, the optimal use of newer diagnostics like enteric multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) panels has not been fully established. Here we describe the case of a 34-year-old male with an amebic liver abscess (ALA) that was diagnosed via multiplex Gastrointestinal (GI) PCR panel on formed stool and subsequently confirmed by testing liver abscess fluid (off-label) on the same multiplex GI PCR panel leading to rapid diagnosis and targeted treatment modification with excellent outcome.

Mucus Plug Score predicts clinical and pulmonary function response to biologic therapy in patients with severe Asthma.

Background: Mucus plugging has been identified as an important feature of severe asthma contributing to airway obstruction and disease severity. Recently, improvement of mucus plugging has been found upon treatment with several biologic therapies.

Objective: We aimed to analyze associations of baseline characteristic with mucus plugging score (MPS) and asked whether MPS at baseline predicts the clinical and functional response to biologic treatment in patients with severe asthma.

Optimized monitoring for immune checkpoint inhibitor induced myocarditis using high-sensitivity troponin-T.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced Myocarditis (irMyocarditis) is a rare adverse event with a high mortality rate of 40-50 % and which is mostly not diagnosed until clinical symptoms emerge.

Objectives: This study aims to screen patients for irMyocarditis using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-TnT) before and regularly during therapy with ICI.

Methods: A cohort of 280 cancer patients were prospectively screened for levels of hs-TnT at baseline and prior to every ICI infusion.

Influence of cochlear coverage on speech perception in single sided deafness, bimodal, and bilateral implanted cochlear implant patients.

Purpose: Individualized cochlear implantation (CI) is essential to facilitate optimal hearing results for patients. Influence of cochlear coverage (CC) has been studied, however without consideration of different CI-categories, like single sided deafness (SSD), bimodal, and bilateral separately.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of preoperative CT scans was performed at a tertiary center.

Williams-Campbell syndrome case series and discordant twins.

https://bit.ly/3Xqze8x.

Software-assisted structured reporting and semi-automated TNM classification for NSCLC staging in a multicenter proof of concept study.

Objectives: In this multi-center study, we proposed a structured reporting (SR) framework for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and developed a software-assisted tool to automatically translate image-based findings and annotations into TNM classifications. The aim of this study was to validate the software-assisted SR tool for NSCLC, assess its potential clinical impact in a proof-of-concept study, and evaluate current reporting standards in participating institutions.

Methods: A framework for SR and staging of NSCLC was developed in a multi-center collaboration.

Protocol Variation in Functional Coronary Angiography Among Patients With Suspected Angina With Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries: A Nationwide Snapshot of Current Practice Within Australia and New Zealand.

Background: Functional coronary angiography (FCA) for endotype characterisation (vasospastic angina [VSA], coronary microvascular disease [CMD], or mixed) is recommended among patients with angina with non-obstructive coronary arteries. Whilst clear diagnostic criteria for VSA and CMD exist, there is no standardised FCA protocol. Variations in testing protocol may limit the widespread uptake of testing, generalisability of results, and expansion of collaborative research.

: An under-recognized and emerging cause of antibiotic-resistant infection.

, a bacterium generally isolated from fish and domestic animals, is a rarely reported human pathogen whose clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility remain uncertain. In this case report we describe a 19-year-old active-duty military sailor who suffered a blast injury to the left foot from a firework explosion. The injury was complicated by a polymicrobial wound infection that included .

CT-like images based on T1-weighted gradient echo MRI sequences for the assessment of fractures of the hand and wrist compared to CT.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of a 3D T1-weighted gradient-echo (3D T1GRE) computed tomography (CT)-like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence for detecting and assessing wrist and hand fractures compared to conventional CT.

Methods: Subjects with acute wrist or hand fracture in CT underwent additional 3 T MRI including a CT-like 3D T1GRE sequence and were compared to patients without fractures. Two radiologists assessed fracture morphology on both modalities according to the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Osteosynthese (AO) and graded image quality and diagnostic confidence on a 5-point Likert scale.

A Case of Aborted Sudden Cardiac Death Due to Coronary Artery Spasm.

Coronary artery spasm remains an important yet rarely recognized cause of myocardial ischemia, which may manifest as vasospastic angina, ventricular arrhythmia, or sudden cardiac death. Here we present a case of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction complicated by cardiac arrest secondary to coronary artery spasm, diagnosed with invasive coronary function testing.

Refractory Osteomyelitis in a Military Service Member Resolved With Adjunctive Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

Refractory osteomyelitis is typically defined as a chronic infection that persists or recurs despite definitive surgical management and antibiotic therapy. Cases often involve complex wounds or fractures and can be challenging to treat, resulting in multiple courses of broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy and numerous surgeries over periods of months to years. Adjuncts to improve resolution of these complicated infections are sorely needed.

Comparison of speech perception in bimodal cochlear implant patients with respect to the cochlear coverage.

Background: The hearing success of patients with bimodal fitting, utilizing both a cochlear implant (CI) and a hearing aid (HA), varies considerably: While some patients benefit from bimodal CI and HA, others do not.

Objectives: This retrospective study aimed to investigate speech perception in bimodally fitted patients and compare it with the cochlear coverage (CC).

Methods: The CC was calculated with the OTOPLAN software, measuring the cochlear duct length on temporal bone CT scans of 39 patients retrospectively.

[Speech perception as a function of cochlear coverage-comparison in bimodally hearing cochlear implant patients. German version].

Background: Hearing success in bimodally hearing patients with a cochlear implant (CI) and a hearing aid (HA) exhibits different results: while some benefit from bimodal CI and HA, others do not.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate hearing success in terms of speech perception in bimodally fitted patients in relation to the cochlear coverage (CC) of the CI electrodes.

Materials And Methods: Using the OTOPLAN software (CAScination AG, Bern, Switzerland), CC was retrospectively measured from CT scans of the temporal bone of 39 patients, who were then categorized into two groups: CC ≤ 65% (CC) and CC > 65% (CC).

Clinical Characteristics of Seizures and Epilepsy in Individuals With Recurrent Deletions and Duplications in the 16p11.2 Region.

Background And Objectives: Deletions and duplications at 16p11.2 (BP4 to BP5; 29.5-30.

Information Asymmetry in Hospitals: Evidence of the Lack of Cost Awareness in Clinicians.

Background: Information asymmetries and the agency relationship are two defining features of the healthcare system. These market failures are often used as a rationale for government intervention. Many countries have government financing and provision of healthcare in order to correct for this, while health technology agencies also exist to improve efficiency.

Reproducibility of dynamic contrast enhanced MRI derived transfer coefficient Ktrans in lung cancer.

Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) is a useful method to monitor therapy assessment in malignancies but must be reliable and comparable for successful clinical use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter- and intrarater reproducibility of DCE-MRI in lung cancer. At this IRB approved single centre study 40 patients with lung cancer underwent up to 5 sequential DCE-MRI examinations.

Anatomical Variations of the Epitympanum and the Usable Space for Middle Ear Implants Analyzed With CT-assisted Imaging Using a Tablet-based Software.

Objective: To evaluate interindividual anatomical variations of the epitympanum and the usable space for implantation of active middle ear implants (AMEI) as well as the usefulness of a tablet-based software to assess individual anatomy on computed tomography (CT) scans.

Patients: CT scans of 126 patients, scheduled for cochlea implantation (50.8% men; 0.

One-year follow-up-case report of secondary tension pneumothorax in a COVID-19 pneumonia patient.

Purpose: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) may result not only in acute symptoms such as severe pneumonia, but also in persisting symptoms after months. Here we present a 1 year follow-up of a patient with a secondary tension pneumothorax due to COVID-19 pneumonia.

Case Presentation: In May 2020, a 47-year-old male was admitted to the emergency department with fever, dry cough, and sore throat as well as acute chest pain and shortness of breath.