Publications by authors named "Zahra Akhtar"

Biliary stents have been widely used to treat both malignant and benign biliary obstruction. Biliary stenting serves as a temporary measure to maintain ductal patency and promote bile drainage. Biliary decompression can help relieve clinical symptoms of pain, obstructive jaundice, pruritis, fat malabsorption, and failure to thrive and prevent disease progression, such as secondary biliary cirrhosis and end-stage liver failure.

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Background And Aim: Acute ischemic colitis (IC) has been linked with the use of oral decongestants. However, clinical evidence on this association remains limited. We aim to evaluate the occurrence and clinical outcomes of acute IC following over-the-counter (OTC) use of pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine.

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Article Synopsis
  • Acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is a severe inflammation of the gallbladder without gallstones, showing a high mortality rate of 30-50%, and its link to COVID-19 is poorly understood.* -
  • The study examined 3 patients with AAC resulting from COVID-19 and analyzed 23 relevant studies, finding a mean patient age of 64.7 years, with common symptoms like fever and abdominal pain, and many patients had underlying conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.* -
  • Results indicated that AAC can occur before, after, or concurrently with COVID-19 pneumonia; the majority of cases were severe (grade II), and treatments included surgery for over half of the patients
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Amyloidosis is a rare condition on its own but finding localized amyloidosis of a site such as the nasopharynx is an extremely rare condition with very few cases described in the literature. The condition occurs due to the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the extracellular space disrupting the cell architecture and causing eventual dysfunction. In this case report we discuss the pathophysiology, symptoms, and imaging findings of a patient initially thought to have giant cell arteritis, but who was found on CT to have a mass later determined to be localized nasopharyngeal amyloidosis.

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Hemosuccus pancreaticus is a rare but potentially torrential and life-threatening cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. It is described as an intermittent hemorrhage from the major duodenal papilla via the main pancreatic duct. Peripancreatic pseudoaneurysm following chronic pancreatitis is a common underlying etiology.

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