Neurocysticercosis: Case reports with an update on diagnosis and management

Cysticercosis is a parasitic infestation caused by the larval form of Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm, and neurocysticercosis [NCC] is the deposition of the encysted form in the brain. In a short span of three months we had two patients admitted to our hospital with different neurological manifestations, but showing similar looking Ring/Disc Enhancing Lesions [RDEL or REL] on computerized tomography of the head. Clinical suspicion of neurocysticercosis in the first case was not easy but the first case served as a lesson for the second case. NCC may present with various neurological manifestations depending on the number, location of the lesion and patient immune status. A CT scan of the head showing Ring/Disc Enhancing Lesions is characteristic. Drug treatments have been used instead of surgical interventions on the brain. Differential diagnosis is easier in endemic areas and an awareness of the disease is essential for early diagnosis in non-endemic areas like Kuwait

Transiaphragmatic thoracic involvement in hepatic hydatid disease presenting as pneumonitis right base: a case report and a brief review of the literature

Hydatid disease of the lungs and the liver is a common occurrence especially in certain regions, but hydatid cyst of the liver communicating through the diaphragm and presenting with fever and pneumonitis is uncommon. We report a case which presented as right basal pneumonitis. The CT scan of the chest and abdomen revealed a communicating tract between a large hydatid cyst in the superior aspect of the liver and the right lung through the diaphragm. The patient was operated upon by a trans-thoracic route with good recovery

Left atrial myxoma: a case report and a brief review of cardiac tumours

Primary cardiac tumours are rare and constitute around 0.002-0.3% of autopsies. We describe a case of a left atrial myxoma [LAM] in a 33 year old South African patient, presenting as congestive cardiac failure. An immediate Echocardiographic examination helped in establishing the diagnosis and he underwent excision surgery and showed a remarkable improvement. A brief review of cardiac masses has been done

Acute myocardial infraction in young adults

A retrospective study was conducted on 76 patients mostly males [98%] aged 40 years and below, admitted to the Coronary Care Unit [CCU] of Al-Jahra Hospital over a 4 year period from August 1991 to August 1995, with a diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction [MI]. The single most contributing risk factor was found to be smoking [81.5%], followed by hypercholesterolaemia [54%], diabetes mellitus [12%], and hypertension [6.5%]. Acute anterior MI was the most prevalent location [64.5%] followed by inferior [25%]. South Asian Indians showed a higher predilection to MI than other population groups and the importance of Lipoprotein "a" [Lp[a]] as a risk factor is discussed