Cerebral fat embolism: Use of MR spectroscopy for accurate diagnosis.

Cerebral fat embolism (CFE) is an uncommon but serious complication following orthopedic procedures. It usually presents with altered mental status, and can be a part of fat embolism syndrome (FES) if associated with cutaneous and respiratory manifestations. Because of the presence of other common factors affecting the mental status, particularly in the postoperative period, the diagnosis of CFE can be challenging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain typically shows multiple lesions distributed predominantly in the subcortical region, which appear as hyperintense lesions on T2 and diffusion weighted images. Although the location offers a clue, the MRI findings are not specific for CFE. Watershed infarcts, hypoxic encephalopathy, disseminated infections, demyelinating disorders, diffuse axonal injury can also show similar changes on MRI of brain. The presence of fat in these hyperintense lesions, identified by MR spectroscopy as raised lipid peaks will help in accurate diagnosis of CFE. Normal brain tissue or conditions producing similar MRI changes will not show any lipid peak on MR spectroscopy. We present a case of CFE initially misdiagnosed as brain stem stroke based on clinical presentation and cranial computed tomography (CT) scan, and later, MR spectroscopy elucidated the accurate diagnosis.

A 62-year-old women with persistent severe asthma, skin rash, and eosinophilia.

A 62-year-old white woman was admitted with shortness of breath, wheezing, and cough. While in the hospital a generalized pruritic skin rash developed on her trunk and upper and lower extremities. She did not have any fevers, chills, or night sweats. The patient was known to have chronic, difficult-to-control asthma despite being compliant with a treatment regimen consisting of inhaled albuterol, high-dose inhaled steroids, salmeterol, and montelukast. Her medical history was significant for hypertension and gout. She had no family history of asthma. The patient was a life-long nonsmoker and did not drink alcohol. During this hospitalization, she was started on prednisone 40 mg/d po in addition to her home medications.

A pneumonia that will not go away.

Pneumonia is a common diagnosis with significant morbidity and mortality. However, pneumonia is a commonly overdiagnosed entity, with many similar-appearing conditions. A young, previously healthy woman was misdiagnosed with a variety of respiratory tract infections over the course of five months before establishing the correct diagnosis - chronic eosinophilic pneumonia.

Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica.

A 71-year-old patient presented for cough, generalized body aches, and fever. Pulmonary work-up included computed tomography scan of the chest, which showed an irregular anterior tracheal wall. Flexible bronchoscopy showed the presence of multiple sessile nodules in the anterior and lateral walls of the trachea and mainstem bronchi, sparing the posterior membranous wall and the airways distal to the mainstem bronchi. Bronchoalveolar lavage grew Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare and the patient was started on appropriate treatment. Biopsy of the lesions showed no malignancy or inflammation. An 18-month follow-up confirmed stability of these lesions pathognomonic of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica, a rare benign condition of the large airways. Fewer than 400 patients with this disorder have been described to date.