Hepatopulmonary Syndrome in a Patient With Autoimmune Hepatitis and Chronic Hepatitis C: A Case Report Highlighting Typical Echo Findings.

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare complication of liver disease characterized by intrapulmonary vascular dilatations leading to arterial hypoxemia. We present the case of a 59-year-old female with a past medical history of bilateral breast cancer status post mastectomy who presented with progressive dyspnea on exertion and fatigue. A comprehensive diagnostic workup was conducted to exclude other cardiac, pulmonary, and systemic etiologies.

Worse Outcomes Associated With Liver Transplants: An Increasing Trend.

Background and aim Since individuals in the early stages of liver cirrhosis are typically asymptomatic, the prevalence of liver cirrhosis may be underestimated. Liver cirrhosis has a significant morbidity and mortality rate, with 1.03 million deaths worldwide each year.

Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Telemedicine Among Doctors in Karachi.

Background Telemedicine is an affordable use of information and communication technology (ICT) to enable long-distance patient care and health care services. While the developed world continues to take advantage of this technology, its concept remains new to Pakistan. This study aims to assess the knowledge and perceptions regarding telemedicine among health care professionals in Karachi, Pakistan.

Knowledge of Chikungunya Fever Among Medical Students of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.

Objective Chikungunya is a viral disease characterized by severe arthralgia, fever, rash, muscle pain, and neurological symptoms. Warm and humid weather, poor sanitary conditions, and improper water storage and disposal can lead to an uncontrolled outbreak of the Chikungunya virus in South Asia. Because a vaccine against the Chikungunya virus has not yet been developed, we must rely on appropriate awareness and suitable preventive measures to prevent its spread.

Wernicke Encephalopathy Due to Hyperemesis Gravidarum in Pregnancy: A Case Report.

Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is a life-threatening acute or sub-acute neurological emergency characterized by ataxia, confusion, nystagmus, and ophthalmoparesis caused by thiamine deficiency. It was first described in 1881 by Carl Wernicke with alcohol being the most common cause. We present a rare case of a 35-year-old pregnant female who presented to our emergency department with a history of vomiting and loose motions for two weeks.

Takayasu Arteritis: A Diagnosis Made Using a Multidisciplinary Approach.

Takayasu arteritis is an idiopathic chronic vasculitis that involves large blood vessels, including the aorta and its main branches. This disease presents typically as ischemia or aneurysms that could be prevented by timely diagnosis and vigilant management. We present here the case of a 19-year-old male who presented with a history of visual disturbance, chest pain, dizziness, and a feeble pulse.

Post-tuberculosis Aspergilloma in Undiagnosed Tetralogy of Fallot.

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common congenital heart disease (CHD) with an incidence of four in every 1000 live births in Pakistan. Classically, these children present with central cyanosis in early life; however, milder defects may remain asymptomatic for months or even years. We report a malnourished and anemic teenage male, who was admitted with shortness of breath, hemoptysis, fever, palpitations, and weight loss.

Lupus Profundus: A Case Report from Pakistan.

Lupus erythematosus (LE) is termed as an autoimmune chronic condition which involves a spectrum of symptoms. It is a part of the connective tissue diseases. Its cutaneous form is termed as cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE).

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement: An Alternate Treatment Methodology for Patients at High Surgical Risk.

Mitral valve regurgitation (MVR) is the reverse passage of blood through the mitral valve when the valve fails to close during ventricle contraction. Transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement (TMVR) is a recent technology that can benefit MVR patients as an alternative, minimally invasive, and safer solution than conventional open-heart surgical approaches. TMVR uses a catheter guided by ultrasonography to replace or repair the defective valve and has provided better clinical outcomes, decreased hospital stay, and reduced mortality rates.

Percutaneous Management of Biliary Enteric Anastomotic Strictures: An Institutional Review.

Purpose Stricture formation at the biliary enteric anastomotic site is a common complication due to fibrotic healing. Few therapeutic options are available for biliary-enteric anastomotic site stricture (BES) including new surgical reconstruction or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage followed by balloon dilation of BES or stent placement. The purpose of this study is to assess the technical success, complications and reintervention rate of percutaneous transhepatic balloon dilatation (PTBD) of BES after iatrogenic bile duct injuries (BDI).

Institutional Review of Hemorrhagic Pelvic Emergencies Effectively Managed with Percutaneous Arterial Embolization.

Objective: Our aim was to review the results of pelvic arterial embolization (PAE) performed in the interventional radiology suite.

Method: The data of all patients in whom pelvic angioembolization was performed was collected from July 2011 to June 2017. Procedures were performed by an experienced interventional radiologist.

Physician's Perception Versus Patient's Actual Incidence of Drug Non-adherence in Chronic Illnesses.

Objectives Treatment adherence is crucial to the success of a management plan. The objectives of this study are (i) to assess medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases, (ii) to assess if physicians correctly perceive medication adherence among said patients, and (iii) to investigate the factors associated with low drug adherence. Materials & methods This observational cross-sectional study included 283 patients and 208 physicians from various hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan.

Valproate-Induced Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy.

Valproate is the best choice drug for a variety of medical conditions. As with any other drug, it has adverse effects, and it is important to emphasize the possibility of those adverse effects to prevent complications. We present the case history of a 44-year-old male with valproate-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy, despite having normal liver function tests.

Pineal Gland Tumor but not Pinealoma: A Case Report.

The pineal gland is a small pinecone-shaped and functionally endocrine structure located in the epithalamus region. Developmentally, the pineal gland is considered as a part of the epithalamus. It plays a role in the entrainment of the circadian rhythms of an organism by producing melatonin, a functionally important hormone.

Burden of Arrhythmias in Epilepsy Patients: A Nationwide Inpatient Analysis of 1.4 Million Hospitalizations in the United States.

Arrhythmias have been one of the common complications in epilepsy patients and have also been the reason for death. However, limited data exist about the burden and outcomes of arrhythmias by subtypes in epilepsy. Our study aims at evaluating the burden and differences in outcomes of various subtypes of arrhythmias in epilepsy patient population.

Bleeding Diathesis or Fabrication: Munchausen Syndrome.

A case history of an 18-year-old female with a diagnosis of Munchausen syndrome is presented with a literature review of this rare syndrome. We present this case because of the young age and the patient's overwhelming response to cognitive behavioral therapy. We recommend collateral history taking, exclusion of all possible etiologies and detailed briefing of family members as it plays a vital role to reduce the mental and financial suffering of the patient.

Euthanasia: A Controversial Entity Among Students of Karachi.

Background A serene death may be achieved through skilled and compassionate care, as well as by the dying person's own sense of having lived a righteous life. The purpose of this study is to acquire information about students' knowledge and understanding of euthanasia. Materials and Methods Four hundred and fifty-six students from four classes of two institutions with similar demographic characteristics were included in this cross-sectional study.

Procalcitonin: A Powerful Rescuer on Surgical Floors.

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rare but life-threatening medical and surgical emergency. It is characterized by necrosis of the soft tissue leaving the overlying tissue unaffected, which delays the diagnosis and treatment. Delay in recognition of the severity of necrotizing fasciitis might lead to serious morbidity and mortality.

Clinical Spectrum of Chikungunya in Pakistan.

Background Chikungunya fever is a pandemic disease caused by an arthropod-borne chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The virus spreads through mosquitoes. This mosquito induced viral illness is clinically suspected on symptoms from fever and severe polyarthralgia.

Correlation between Glycated Hemoglobin and Triglyceride Level in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Context: Dyslipidemia is quite prevalent in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Maintaining tight glycemic along with lipid control plays an essential role in preventing micro- and macro-vascular complications associated with diabetes.

Purpose: The main purpose of the study was to highlight the relationship between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and triglyceride levels.

Autoamputation and Polyneuropathy in Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder: A Case Report.

Mixed connective tissue disorder (MCTD) is a multisystem disease with overlapping features of other autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), myositis, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma. MCTD presents with a distinctive antibody in serum known as U1-ribonucleoprotein (RNP). MCTD is quite rare as compared to other connective tissue disorders like SLE, systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis, and polymyositis.

Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuroradiculopathy with Ipilimumab in Metastatic Melanoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Ipilimumab (Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., New York, NY) is a novel anticancer medication used for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. The exact mechanism of its action remains unclear; however, data from previous clinical trials postulates the immunomodulatory activity of ipilimumab to enhance therapeutic effectiveness.

Alexia Without Agraphia: A Rare Entity.

Pure alexia refers to an acquired disorder associated with the damage to medial occipitotemporal gyrus in the dominant hemisphere, which is also known as visual word form area (VWFA). VWFA is involved in rapid word recognition and fluent reading. Alexia without agraphia is a disconnection syndrome that occurs when the splenium is also damaged with the occipital lobe on a dominant side.