Intestinal Aspergillosis: Systematic Review on Patterns of Clinical Presentation and Management.

Intestinal aspergillosis (IA) is a rare entity primarily discovered in immunocompromised patients. Because of its low incidence, IA is not considered routinely in the differential of abdominal pain, distension, and diarrhea. A systematic characterization of demographics, comorbidities, clinical presentations, and outcomes can help surgeons recognize and manage IA in critically ill patients.

Surveillance of moderate-size aneurysms of the thoracic aorta.

Background: There are no evidence based guidelines for the surveillance of patients with moderate-sized (<5 cm) thoracic aortic aneurysms (MTAA), who do not warrant surgical intervention. The purpose of this study was to review the MTAA patient surveillance strategy used currently at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, to assess outcomes over time and accrue data to develop guidelines to optimize MTAA patients' follow-up.

Methods: The study group included veterans referred to the Thoracic Surgery clinic for the management of moderate-sized (<5 cm) thoracic aortic aneurysms (MTAA) not warranting immediate surgical repair.