Cardiac Papillary Fibroelastoma: A Rare Cause of Cardioembolic Stroke.

Background: Cardiac fibroelastomas are exceedingly rare etiologies of stroke, increasingly recognized with better diagnostic modalities. Surgical excision is the only curative option; however, timing of heparinization for cardiac bypass remains a challenging decision. Objective: We present a case of a 56-year-old female, diagnosed with multiple posterior circulation strokes and a left atrial mass, who successfully underwent anticoagulation and resection in 1 week. Material and Methods: MRI of the brain demonstrated numerous embolic-looking posterior circulation strokes. Transthoracic echo was negative for atrial pathology; a transesophageal echo revealed a left atrial mass, histologically consistent with papillary fibroelastoma. Results: Resection was delayed for up to 1 week to allow safe heparinization. We present a unique case of embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) arising from a histologically rare tumor. Conclusion: We make the case for extensive workup for evaluation of posterior circulation strokes, including TEE, as well as timely resection of cardiac tumors.

Prompt diagnosis and management of a ruptured mediastinal cystic teratoma.

Mediastinal germ cell tumors are some of the less frequently encountered anterior mediastinal masses. We report an interesting case of a 26-year-old male with a ruptured mediastinal cystic teratoma. Initial plain radiograph and CT scan of the chest showed radiographic evidence of a ruptured cystic teratoma, including a peripherally enhancing, partially calcified mass with internal fat density. Upon surgical excision, the mass was found to adhere to the thymus and anterior aortic arch. The patient was promptly diagnosed via imaging and managed in a timely manner via complete surgical resection.

Data valuation for medical imaging using Shapley value and application to a large-scale chest X-ray dataset.

The reliability of machine learning models can be compromised when trained on low quality data. Many large-scale medical imaging datasets contain low quality labels extracted from sources such as medical reports. Moreover, images within a dataset may have heterogeneous quality due to artifacts and biases arising from equipment or measurement errors. Therefore, algorithms that can automatically identify low quality data are highly desired. In this study, we used data Shapley, a data valuation metric, to quantify the value of training data to the performance of a pneumonia detection algorithm in a large chest X-ray dataset. We characterized the effectiveness of data Shapley in identifying low quality versus valuable data for pneumonia detection. We found that removing training data with high Shapley values decreased the pneumonia detection performance, whereas removing data with low Shapley values improved the model performance. Furthermore, there were more mislabeled examples in low Shapley value data and more true pneumonia cases in high Shapley value data. Our results suggest that low Shapley value indicates mislabeled or poor quality images, whereas high Shapley value indicates data that are valuable for pneumonia detection. Our method can serve as a framework for using data Shapley to denoise large-scale medical imaging datasets.

WHIPPLE PROCEDURE: PANCREATICOGASTROSTOMY VERSUS PANCREATICOJEJUNOSTOMY: A LITERATURE REVIEW.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of oncologic morbidity and mortality worldwide. The definitive surgical management for pancreatic cancer includes pancreaticoduodenectomy with either anastomosis to, or implantation of remnant pancreas to the stomach (pancreaticogastrostomy) or the jejunum (pancreaticojejunostomy). Operative morbidity and mortality following pancreaticoduodenectomy frequently results from complications associated with a pancreaticojejunal anastomotic leak. Pancreaticogastrostomy is an alternative method of restoring pancreatic continuity with the gut, which has been employed by a number of institutions showing some benefit in operative mortality.

Recipient Criteria Predictive of Graft Failure in Kidney Transplantation.

Several classifications systems have been developed to predict outcomes of kidney transplantation based on donor variables. This study aims to identify kidney transplant recipient variables that would predict graft outcome irrespective of donor characteristics. All U.S. kidney transplant recipients between October 25,1999 and January 1, 2007 were reviewed. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model time until graft failure. Death-censored and nondeath-censored graft survival models were generated for recipients of live and deceased donor organs. Recipient age, gender, body mass index (BMI), presence of cardiac risk factors, peripheral vascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, history of malignancy, hepatitis B core antibody, hepatitis C infection, dialysis status, panel-reactive antibodies (PRA), geographic region, educational level, and prior kidney transplant were evaluated in all kidney transplant recipients. Among the 88,284 adult transplant recipients the following groups had increased risk of graft failure: younger and older recipients, increasing PRA (hazard ratio [HR],1.03-1.06], increasing BMI (HR, 1.04-1.62), previous kidney transplant (HR, 1.17-1.26), dialysis at the time of transplantation (HR, 1.39-1.51), hepatitis C infection (HR, 1.41-1.63), and educational level (HR, 1.05-1.42). Predictive criteria based on recipient characteristics could guide organ allocation, risk stratification, and patient expectations in planning kidney transplantation.

Steroid maintenance is associated with an increased risk of infections but has no effect on patient and graft survival in pancreas transplantation: A retrospective review of the UNOS database.

INTRODUCTION: The appropriateness of steroid maintenance in pancreas transplantation is unproven. The current literature is insufficient due to small numbers, short follow-up and sparse data. METHODS: Data from the UNOS database on adults ≥18 years old, who received pancreas and kidney-pancreas transplants between January 1996 and March 2014 were analyzed (n = 27,077). Two groups were evaluated: (a) Steroids Induction only (n = 4391) and (b) Steroid maintenance (n = 22,686). One-, 3-, 5-, 10-, and 15-year unadjusted patient and graft survival rates were compared. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine what patient factors were associated with these outcomes. RESULTS: There were differences in patient survival at 1 and 3 years and in graft survival at 3 and 5 years. There was a higher rate of infectious complications in the maintenance group, but after controlling for several recipient factors, whether a patient received steroid maintenance or not, was not significantly associated with the risk of death or graft failure. CONCLUSION: The use of maintenance steroids is significantly associated with an increased risk of infectious complications, but no difference in patient death or graft failure after controlling for multiple recipient factors. There is also no benefit with the use of steroid maintenance after pancreas transplantation.

Adenocarcinoma arising at ileostomy sites: Two cases and a review of the literature.

Total colectomy with ileostomy placement is a treatment for patients with inflammatory bowel disease or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). A rare and late complication of this treatment is carcinoma arising at the ileostomy site. We describe two such cases: a 78-year-old male 30 years after subtotal colectomy and ileostomy for FAP, and an 85-year-old male 50 years after colectomy and ileostomy for ulcerative colitis. The long latency period between creation of the ileostomies and development of carcinoma suggests a chronic metaplasia due to an irritating/inflammatory causative factor. Surgical excision of the mass and relocation of the stoma is the mainstay of therapy, with possible benefits from adjuvant chemotherapy. Newly developed lesions at stoma sites should be biopsied to rule out the possibility of this rare ileostomy complication.

Case series and literature review of multiple nodular sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Nodular lung disease is a rare presentation of sarcoidosis. Radiologically it can present as multiple pulmonary masses or solitary lung nodule. CASE PRESENTATION: We report three cases of nodular sarcoidosis in young females of Asian origin who had initially presented with dry cough and worsening dyspnea non-responsive to initially administered antibiotics. Pulmonary nodules were discovered upon radiographic imaging in all three cases which raised concern for the possibility of neoplastic processes. Subsequent biopsies revealed granulomatous inflammation indicative of sarcoidosis. All cases responded very well to systemic corticosteroids. CONCLUSION: Sarcoidosis may present as nodular infiltrates which alerts the treating physician to other neoplastic and infectious diseases of the lungs. Appropriate workup may reveal the true nature of this disease and hence, simplify treatment.

Mirizzi's syndrome masquerading as cholangiocarcinoma: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Mirizzi's syndrome is a rarely observed disorder that presents with obstructive jaundice. The condition is caused by a stone impacted in the gall bladder neck or cystic duct that impinges on the common hepatic duct, with or without a cholecystocholedochal fistula. The condition is often confused with other serious conditions such as hilar cholangiocarcinoma, which present with similar clinical and imaging findings, and a pre-operative diagnosis may be a serious challenge. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 44-year-old Asian man with Mirizzi's syndrome who was initially diagnosed as having cholangiocarcinoma based on his clinical presentation, raised cancer antigen 19-9 levels and radiological findings. Our patient was diagnosed as having Mirizzi's syndrome intra-operatively and subsequently a cholecystectomy was performed with restoration of biliary drainage. Careful clinical assessment during surgery with the help of intra-operative frozen section helped in establishing the definitive diagnosis and altered the surgical procedure for our patient. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-operative diagnosis of Mirizzi's syndrome could be challenging as the clinical, biochemical and radiological presentation is similar to other conditions causing obstructive jaundice such as choledocholithiasis, bile duct stricture or cholangiocarcinoma. A high index of suspicion and careful surgical assessment may help in establishing a diagnosis and alter the clinical course for our patient.

Sigmoid volvulus in pregnancy and puerperium: a surgical and obstetric catastrophe. Report of a case and review of the world literature.

Sigmoid volvulus is a rare surgical complication occurring in pregnancy and puerperium. Only 84 cases of sigmoid volvulus in pregnancy have been reported in the English literature so far. We have reviewed the available literature on this subject and present another case recently managed at our institution. The available literature suggests that over the years, there has been an improvement in the maternal and fetal outcome for this critical condition, but delay in presentation and a further delay in diagnosis remain a challenge for the treating physicians. Our patient was a 30-week pregnant lady, who presented late with 6 days history of abdominal pain, distension and absolute constipation. She had evidence of multi-organ dysfunction at presentation due to complicated sigmoid volvulus. She was resuscitated and surgical exploration revealed gangrenous large bowel. Bowel resection with diverting ileostomy was performed, but she succumbed to the septic shock due to late presentation. Acute surgical pathology may be overlooked in pregnant patients due to reluctance in radiological workup and a high index of suspicion is essential for enhanced outcome. There is a need to increase the awareness amongst the obstetricians and general practitioners. Early diagnosis and referral and timely surgical intervention could significantly improve the outcome of this surgical and obstetric catastrophe.

Bilateral airway foreign body aspiration as a cause of recurrent pneumonia.

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) into the lower airway requires a high index of suspicion. Identification of the problem can be difficult as it has a broad range of clinical presentation and often mimics other medical conditions. A delay in diagnosis and management can result in serious complications. The authors report the case of a middle aged man with bilateral airway FBA who had a history of six hospitalisations over the previous 10 years with recurrent pneumonias.