A Case of Pneumomediastinum and Pneumorrhachis in a Patient With Multiple Risk Factors.

Pneumomediastinum is the presence of gas (usually air) in the mediastinum, which is rare and typically benign. Pneumomediastinum is classified into primary and secondary based on etiology. Its pathophysiology is due to high intra-alveolar pressures causing alveolar rupture, which releases air that travels along bronchoalveolar sheaths into the mediastinum.

Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis in an Elderly Male With Heart Failure Intolerant to Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy.

Cardiac amyloidosis arises when there is a deposition of abnormal proteins, called amyloids, in the myocardium. It can manifest as overt heart failure, conduction abnormalities, atrial and ventricular arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, and aortic stenosis. Two main types of proteins identified in cardiac amyloidosis are light-chain amyloid and transthyretin amyloid.

A Case of Overlapping Autoimmune Syndrome.

Overlapping autoimmune disorders are used to describe the coexistence of more than one autoimmune disease in the same patient. Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) are autoimmune diseases that manifest with pulmonary involvement, presenting as persistent dyspnea. The coexistence of both conditions in the same patient is extremely rare.

A Case Report of Sepsis-Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy Secondary to Human Metapneumovirus Infection.

Sepsis is a medical emergency that describes the body's systemic immunological response to an infectious process that can lead to end-stage organ dysfunction and death. Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SICM) is an increasingly recognized form of transient cardiac dysfunction characterized by left ventricular dilation, depressed ejection fraction, and recovery in 10 days without cardiac-related medical intervention. Injury to the myocardium by inflammatory cytokines has been proposed as one of the main causative mechanisms.

Non-tamponade Indications for Pericardial Drainage: A Case Report of Acute Streptococcus pneumoniae Purulent Pericarditis.

Pericardial drainage is a procedure completed to evacuate fluid from the pericardial space. This can be completed by pericardiocentesis or pericardial window. These procedures are most often done in the setting of cardiac tamponade, typically to correct low blood pressure due to low stroke volume from extrinsic compression of the heart chambers by the pericardial fluid.