Inflammatory Myositis Following Statin Use in a Patient With Untreated Hypothyroidism.

Inflammatory myositis (IM) presents a diagnostic challenge due to its multifaceted etiology and varying clinical presentations. This case involves a 55-year-old male with asymptomatic hypothyroidism, recent statin use, and rapidly progressing proximal muscle weakness. He presented with profound weakness in the upper and lower extremities, severely impairing his daily activities. The patient's medical history included recent hospitalizations for idiopathic interstitial lung disease, myopericarditis, and pneumonia, adding complexity to his condition. Laboratory findings revealed elevated serum muscle enzymes, notably creatine kinase, indicating muscle damage and rhabdomyolysis. Serological testing confirmed the absence of myositis-specific antibodies and anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) antibodies. The patient was eventually diagnosed with IM and rhabdomyolysis, likely secondary to statin use or hypothyroidism. Treatment with methylprednisolone, levothyroxine, and discontinuation of atorvastatin led to rapid improvements in AST levels and overall muscle strength. This case highlights the challenges of managing IM and emphasizes the importance of assessing thyroid function before initiating lipid-lowering therapy.

Myopericarditis as a complication of nonspecific colitis.

PATIENT: Male, 31 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Myopericarditis Symptoms: Abdominal pain • diarrhea MEDICATION: - Clinical Procedure: - Specialty: Cardiology. OBJECTIVE: Unusual setting of medical care. BACKGROUND: Myopericarditis is a condition involving inflammation of the pericardium and myocardium. It has been reported in conjunction with inflammatory bowel disease as well as infectious colitis caused by a cardiotropic organism. The etiology of myopericarditis includes a long list of infectious causes (especially viral), toxic causes, autoimmune disorders, and vasculitides. CASE REPORT: A 31-year-old previously healthy Hispanic man complained of sudden onset of watery, non-bloody diarrhea associated with mucus and crampy abdominal pain. ECG showed ST-segment elevation in the infero-lateral leads, with elevated troponin I level. Urgent cardiac catheterization revealed normal coronary arteries and the patient was diagnosed with myopericarditis. The echocardiogram results were within normal limits, with 65% ejection fraction and no evidence of wall motion abnormalities. Colonoscopy showed macroscopically congested mucosa in the descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum, with scattered petechiae indicative of nonspecific colitis. Microscopic examination of obtained biopsies revealed evidence of acute mucosal inflammation without ulceration, granulomas or ischemia. The patient was started on Naproxen 250 mg twice daily and chest pain started to improve gradually. The patient was discharged on Naproxen and was followed up in clinic 2 weeks after discharge, where he was found to be completely asymptomatic, with troponin level <0.015 ng/ml. CONCLUSIONS: Myopericarditis is a challenging diagnosis that has been reported in association with colitis, either as an extraintestinal manifestation of IBD or due to infectious colitis with a cardiotropic organism.

A case with unusual stroke and fulminant outcome in a Hispanic male.

PATIENT: Male, 42 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Moyamoya disease (MMD) Symptoms: Aphasia • concentration difficulty • dysarthria • personality change MEDICATION: - Clinical Procedure: - Specialty: Radiology. OBJECTIVE: Rare disease. BACKGROUND: Moyamoya disease (MMD) was first described in 1957 as "hypoplasia of the bilateral internal carotid arteries." The characteristic appearance of the associated network of abnormally dilated collateral vessels on angiography was later likened to "something hazy, like a puff of cigarette smoke," which, in Japanese, is Moyamoya. This paper describes the fulminant course of the disease in a Hispanic male involving the corpus callosum. CASE REPORT: A 42-year-old Hispanic male with progressive aphasia, slow mentation, and sudden onset of sensorimotor symptoms with gait disturbance was found to have multiple intracranial supratentorial infarcts of variable stages of evolution involving, but not limited to, the anterior corpus callosum, followed by rapid development of further infarcts. Angiography demonstrated right ACA occlusion, left supraclinoid ICA occlusion with a Moyamoya pattern of collateralization, and diffuse arteriopathy. A fulminant course ensued and the patient did not survive the acute phase of ischemic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Moyamoya disease may rarely present in North American Hispanic males, with advanced atypical clinical and imaging features involving the anterior corpus callosum and having a fulminant course.