Prevalence, Clinical Presentation, and Outcome of Tuberculosis in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious public health threat in low- and middle-income countries like Nepal. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are at higher risk of developing new infection as well as reactivation of TB. We aimed to determine the prevalence, clinical presentations, and outcome of TB in patients with CKD in Nepal. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was performed at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), a tertiary level referral centre in Kathmandu, Nepal. We included patients older than 16 years with the diagnosis of CKD stage 3, 4, 5, and 5D (CKD 5 on maintenance dialysis); renal transplant recipients and patients living with HIV/AIDS were excluded. Tuberculosis was diagnosed based on clinical, radiological, and laboratory findings. Prior written informed consent was obtained. Approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Institute of Medicine. Data entry and statistical analysis were performed using SPSS v21. RESULTS: A total of 401 patients with CKD were included in the study (mean age, 50.92 ± 17.98 years; 64.8% male). The prevalence of TB in CKD patients was found to be 13.7% (55), out of which 49 were newly diagnosed cases. The most common clinical presentations of TB in CKD were anorexia (85.7%), fever (83.7%), weight loss (51%), and cough (49%). Thirty-eight patients (69.1%) had extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), 12 (21.8%) had pulmonary TB, 3 (5.5%) had disseminated TB, and 2 (3.6%) had miliary TB. Only 4.1% of cases were sputum smear positive. Pleural effusion (34.2%) was the most common EPTB. At 2 months of starting antitubercular therapy, 29 patients out of the 49 newly diagnosed cases of TB (59.2%) had responded to therapy. Mortality at 2 months was 28.6% (14 died amongst 49 patients). Four out of 49 patients (8.2%) did not improve, and 2 (4%) patients were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Prevalence and mortality of TB were higher in patients with CKD. Special attention must be given to these people for timely diagnosis and treatment as the presentation is different and diagnosis can be missed.

The Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease: A Single-Center Study.

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the factors affecting health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Nepalese patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Methods In this study, HRQOL was measured with validated Nepali versions of the short-form 36 (SF-36) survey. Socioeconomic factors, etiology, laboratory parameters, disease severity, and self-rated health perceptions on HRQOL were recorded for analysis. Results Sixty CLD patients were enrolled in the study. The following HRQOL scores were obtained: physical functioning (PF) (34.4 ±26.7), role limitation due to physical health (RLPH) (7.5 ±17.8), role limitation due to emotional problems (RLEP) (27.7 ±38.2), energy or fatigue (E/F) (38.5 ±21.5), emotional well-being (EWB) (57.7 ±22.8), social functioning (SF) (55.2 ±23.5), pain (44.8 ±30.3), and general health (GH) (38.2 ±17). Employed status and higher annual family income had a positive impact on HRQOL. Ascites and abnormal upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings were associated with poor health status perceptions. More severe disease (higher Child-Pugh class) was associated with lower HRQOL scores. A significant negative correlation between the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and HRQOL domains was observed (p: <0.05). Age, gender, religion, education, and duration of the diagnosis of CLD had no effect on HRQOL of CLD patients. Conclusion HRQOL in patients with CLD was lower than that in the general population. Unemployed status, low annual family income, ascites, abnormal upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings, and higher Child-Pugh class and MELD scores were important factors that adversely affected HRQOL.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With Synchronous Peritoneal Adenocarcinoma: A Rare Independent Combination.

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and metastasis occurs in more than one-third of cases. Common sites of metastatic disease are the brain, spine, nerve, adrenal glands, bone, liver, and pleura. Peritoneal involvement, however, is rare, and peritoneal involvement found in lung cancer is presumed to be metastatic until proven otherwise. This is due to the fact that primary peritoneal adenocarcinoma is uncommon and difficult to distinguish from the metastatic spread.  Here, we report on a case of a 73-year-old woman who presented with ascites. Evaluation of ascitic fluid was consistent with adenocarcinoma. Subsequent CT of the chest revealed a 4.3-cm mass in the lower lobe of the left lung, which was determined to be poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma on histopathology. This is a rare case of two synchronous primary cancers: adenocarcinoma and poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.  To conclude, physicians should be familiar with an independent presentation of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and peritoneal carcinomatosis in the same patient, as the outcome of independent tumors is poor in most cases.

Atypical Presentation of Myocardial Infarction in a Young Patient With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the common endocrinopathy noted in women of childbearing age groups. Patients with PCOS have increased cardiovascular risk factors compared with age-matched control; hence, these patients are believed to be at an increased risk for cardiovascular events. Here, we report a case of a young female with PCOS, who presented with atypical back pain in the thoracic region. Initially, her electrocardiogram (EKG) and troponin were normal; hence, it was thought to be a muscle spasm but the back pain continued; repeat EKG and troponin came abnormal suggestive of myocardial infarction (MI). The patient underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention and was discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy. MI is common in patients with PCOS. MI is the most important differential diagnosis in any patients of PCOS presenting with chest pain or back pain. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of MI in patients with PCOS prevent adverse outcomes.

Pharyngeal-Cervical-Brachial variant of Guillian-Barre Syndrome in Children.

Guillian-Barre Syndrome (GBS) typically presents as symmetrical ascending flaccid muscle weakness with areflexia, and with or without sensory symptoms. However, some patients may present atypically, and accordingly, different variants of GBS have been reported in the literature. Pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant is one of the rare variants and is characterized by muscle weakness extending from the oropharyngeal and neck area to the proximal upper extremities. Many physicians and neurologists are unfamiliar about pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant, which is often misdiagnosed as brainstem stroke, myasthenia gravis or botulism. Herein, we report a case of pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of GBS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of GBS in children from Nepal. A 14-year-old Asian male presented with weakness of bilateral upper limb, dysphagia, and nasal intonation of voice. A diagnosis of pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of GBS was made after excluding all other possible differentials and based on cerebrospinal fluid analysis and nerve conduction study. The patient improved following conservative management. Pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of GBS should always be considered in any patient presenting with symmetrical upper limb weakness and bulbar palsy. This is to ensure early diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of the potential complications.

Remote Supratentorial Subdural Hematoma Following Craniectomy and Evacuation of Hypertensive Cerebellar Hematoma.

Remote acute subdural hematoma following a decompressive craniotomy or craniectomy is a rare phenomenon. Only few cases of postoperative contralateral acute subdural hematomas have been reported in the literature review till date. This case report details a case of a 32-year-old hypertensive male who presented with severe headache, multiple episodes of vomiting, slurring of speech, nystagmus and ataxic gait for one day. Computed tomography (CT) scan of head revealed a right sided cerebellar hemorrhage with effacement of fourth ventricle and upstream hydrocephalus. A right suboccipital craniectomy and hematoma evacuation were performed. A repeat CT scan of head was done at six hours post surgery; which revealed a contralateral (left-sided) subdural hematoma involving the fronto-parieto-temporal region. The patient improved following conservative management. Contralateral acute subdural hematoma following evacuation of hematoma is a rare, but a potentially life-threatening complication; therefore, we should try to detect such contralateral hematoma and prevent clinical deterioration.

Idiopathic Eosinophilic Pleural Effusion Treated Successfully with Corticosteroid Therapy: A Clinical Case Report.

A pleural effusion is defined to be eosinophilic when 10% or more of the white blood cells in pleural fluid are eosinophils. Despite the multitude of studies enumerating the causes of eosinophilic pleural effusion (EPE), 14%-25% of such cases remain idiopathic even after thorough work-up. We report a case report of a 28-year-old never smoker male from the Rukum district of Nepal who presented to the emergency department (ED) with a chief complaint of shortness of breath associated with a low grade fever, nonproductive cough, and pleuritic right-sided chest pain for two weeks. There was no past medical and surgical history of note. Clinical examination revealed findings suggestive of a right-sided pleural effusion and relevant laboratory and radiological investigations were performed. Symptomatic treatment for the fever was administered. Full blood count showed a leukocytosis of 34 × 109/L with an absolute eosinophil count (AEC) of 7.5 × 109/L (22%). Peripheral blood smear showed normocytic normochromic erythrocytes with eosinophilia (morphologically normal eosinophils). Autoimmune profile was normal, inflammatory markers including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were raised, and an ultrasound and a plain radiograph of the chest confirmed the right-sided pleural effusion. Empirical anti-helminthic coverage was instituted. Subsequent infectious disease work-up was negative. An ultrasound-guided thoracentesis was performed, and the straw-colored pleural fluid showed an exudative picture which was eosinophil-predominant (42%). No malignant cells were detected. Failure of response to anti-helminthic therapy for one week led the team to start oral prednisolone 1 mg/kg once daily with the dose tapered subsequently. The patient responded dramatically. This was continued for one week and a regression of pleural effusion was demonstrated on chest radiography with a normalization of inflammatory parameters (ESR and CRP) and peripheral blood counts. Outpatient follow-up after one month showed no remaining clinical and radiological signs of EPE, and the peripheral eosinophilia resolved. As far as we know, this is the first case report of idiopathic EPE in the context of Asia. There are many causes of EPE, and some of them are still being discovered.

A Systematic Review of Marijuana Use and Outcomes in Patients with Myocardial Infarction.

The prevalence of marijuana use is increasing after its legalization in a few states of the United States (US). Smoking marijuana is found to be associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) immediately after its use. However, knowledge about the impact of marijuana on outcomes following MI is limited. In light of the rapidly shifting landscape regarding the legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of marijuana on the outcomes following MI. In this systematic review, we opted to review the effects of marijuana on in-hospital and long-term outcomes following MI.

Rheumatic Heart Disease with Multiple Systemic Emboli: A Rare Occurrence in a Single Subject.

Valvular heart disease is one of the more common diseases in low- and middle-income countries, when associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), carries a risk of multisystemic embolizations. We report a case of 37-year-old man with multiple systemic emboli consisting of acute ischemic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and acute limb ischemia. This is a rare occurrence in a single subject. The patient had a background of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) involving severe mitral stenosis (MS) with AF, who was not compliant with his medications. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the head showed right-sided ischemic stroke involving more than one-third of the middle cerebral artery territory. An electrocardiogram (ECG) showed AF and ST-segment elevation in V4 to V6. Cardiac enzymes were elevated. A transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated hypokinetic left ventricular anterolateral wall, severe MS, and a left atrial clot. An arterial Doppler of the right lower limb showed an occluding thrombus of the right common femoral artery and right popliteal artery with no flow in color Doppler. Patient adherence to medications in cases of RHD prevents devastating outcomes.

Assessment of Validity of SF 36 Questionnaire Using Nepali Language to Determine Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this study was to translate and validate the short form 36 (SF-36) health survey questionnaire into the Nepali language using a standard protocol to determine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 40 patients with CLD. A formal translation of SF-36 from English into the Nepali language was performed. Patients with CLD without other known co-morbidities were administered the Nepali version of SF-36. Cronbach's alpha and test-retest were performed for reliability analysis. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha of overall SF-36 score was 0.85, and the test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.78 (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: The Nepali language version of SF-36 is valid and reliable.