Case study: diagnosis and operative management of de Garengeot hernia without appendectomy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

de Garengeot herniae have been reported in <100 cases in literature. They are characterized by an incarcerated femoral hernia containing the appendix. We present the case of a 45-year-old female who, upon emergency intraoperative consultation to a general surgeon while having a right groin exploration by a plastic surgeon, was found to have an appendix incarcerated within a femoral hernia.

Shoulder Subluxation Pain as a Secondary Indication for Trapezius to Deltoid Transfer.

Brachial plexus injuries can be debilitating. We have observed that manual reduction of the patients' shoulder subluxation improves their pain and have used this as a second reason to perform the trapezius to deltoid muscle transfer beyond motion. The authors report a series of nine patients who all had significant improvement of pain in the shoulder girdle and a decrease in pain medication use after a trapezius to deltoid muscle transfer.

Diaphragm paralysis caused by transverse cervical artery compression of the phrenic nerve: the Red Cross syndrome.

Background: The etiology of diaphragm paralysis is often elusive unless an iatrogenic or traumatic injury to the phrenic nerve can be clearly implicated. Until recently, there has been little interest in the pathophysiology of diaphragm paralysis since few treatment options existed.

Methods: We present three cases of symptomatic diaphragm paralysis in which a clear clinico-pathologic diagnosis could be identified, specifically a vascular compression of the phrenic nerve in the neck caused by a tortuous or adherent transverse cervical artery.

Nerve allograft transplantation for functional restoration of the upper extremity: case series.

Background: Major trauma to the spinal cord or upper extremity often results in severe sensory and motor disturbances from injuries to the brachial plexus and its insertion into the spinal cord. Functional restoration with nerve grafting neurotization and tendon transfers is the mainstay of treatment. Results may be incomplete due to a limited supply of autologous material for nerve grafts.

Staphylococcal liver abscess and acute cholecystitis in a patient with Crohn's disease receiving infliximab.

We present an unusual case of empyema of the gallbladder associated with a pyogenic liver abscess in a patient with Crohn's disease on Infliximab. It manifested by weakness, weight loss, and vague abdominal pain, which eventually localized to the right upper quadrant 4 days prior to admission. Diagnostic evaluation, which included ultrasonography and computed tomography, revealed cholelithiasis, gallbladder wall thickening, and a low-attenuation, complex mass in the left hepatic lobe.

Frontal bone periosteal osteomas.

Osteomas are the most common tumors of the cranial vault and facial skeleton. Osteomas are usually benign in nature, commonly presenting with symptoms of facial deformity, facial pain, and headaches. Although the frontal sinus is the most frequent location of cranial osteomas, they are also occasionally seen involving only the frontal bone periosteum.

Simvastatin suppresses LPS-induced Akt phosphorylation in the human monocyte cell line THP-1.

Background: Activation of the small GTPase, Rac, requires post-translational modification by isoprenylation. Statins interfere with this process by blocking the synthesis of isoprenoid intermediates. The protein kinase Akt is a multifunctional regulator of cell behavior that has been linked to Rac activation.

Mevastatin suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced Rac activation in the human monocyte cell line THP-1.

Background: Rac is a member of the Rho family of small guanosine triphosphatases that regulate the actin cytoskeleton. Activation of Rac requires lipid modification that can be blocked by statins. Lipopolysaccharide-induced rearrangements in the actin cytoskeleton lead to changes in cell adhesion and motility that play a role in the cellular response to infection.