Baingilbert4173

Quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) is a rare congenital valvular abnormality with less than 200 cases reported to date. The first QAV was reported in 1862 by Balington. Clinical manifestations of patients with a QAV depend on the functional status of the QAV and the associated cardiac disorders. Most QAV are asymptomatic and are incidentally found. Severe aortic regurgitation and/or stenosis can develop overtime, requiring aortic valve replacement or repair. Transesophageal echocardiography is the preferred modality to diagnose QAV. We present a case of QAV which was incidentally diagnosed in a 43-year-old woman who presented with gastroenteritis.An aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) is a rare developmental anomaly (0.4-1.8%)of the aorta in which the right subclavian artery arises from the aortic arch distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery often coursing behind the esophagus to reach the right arm. It courses behind the esophagus in about 80% of cases, between the esophagus and the trachea in 15%, and anterior to the trachea or mainstem bronchus in 5%. Patient with this anomaly rarely have symptoms (90-95%) but when symptomatic the ARSA give rise to symptoms of dysphagia lusoria, dyspnea and chronic cough. In a vast majority of patients ARSA is clinically silent till right radial angiography is performed. We are reporting a case of dissection of the retroesophageal right subclavian artery with extension to the descending thoracic aorta (Stanford Type B).The usage of marijuana and its legalization has been growing rapidly, being abused by a wide range of age groups. Its effects on the heart are well known, but coronary artery vasospasm causing ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) from Marijuana alone is rather lesser known. Herein, we report a case of a middle aged African American man with a significant tobacco smoking history who presented with chest pain typical of myocardial infarction (MI) soon after smoking marijuana. ECG showed ST elevation in inferior leads with first degree AV block and a urine drug screen positive only for marijuana. Coronary angiogram showed mid right coronary artery (RCA) obstruction which was relieved upon injection of intracoronary nitroglycerine. This case report reinstates the significance of considering substance abuse as an etiology of STEMI during initial presentation, ruling out with urine drug samples. We also present a literature review of coronary vasospasm with STEMI, induced specifically by Marijuana and its pathophysiologic mechanisms.Sarcoidosis is an idiopathic multisystem granulomatous disease that affects patients of all races and ethnic groups however predilection for women and African Americans is apparent. Extrapulmonary manifestations of sarcoidosis occur in up to 50% of cases. The most common sites of extrapulmonary involvement are the skin, eyes, liver, and reticuloendothelial system followed bt renal, cardiac, and neurological involvement. We present the case of a middle age man with exclusive extrapulmonary sarcoidosis affecting the renal, cardiac, hepatic, splenic and central nervous system. The patient sustained a second episode of venous thromboembolism which highlights a frequently seen complication of sarcoidosis. We discuss the proposed pathophysiology for the prothrombotic state seen in sarcoidosis and imaging modalities that can be utilized to assess extrapulmonary involvement in sarcoidosis. Lastly, sarcoidosis management is reviewed, highlighting that immunosuppressants and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors are being proposed to arrest disease progression and reduce glucocorticoid doses.Methotrexate is a disease-modifying anti rheumatic drug (DMARD) that is often used in low dosages as the first line drug for rheumatoid arthritis patients. The chemotherapeutic agent works by inhibiting dihydrofolate reductase, and the primary route of clearance of the drug is via the kidneys. Kidney injury may delay this clearance and lead to toxic level accumulation of the drug- toxicity presenting as diarrhea, vomiting, mucositis, rash, transaminitis and myelosuppression. Antibiotics such as vancomycin may induce acute kidney injury (AKI) through various mechanisms include damage to the renal tubular epithelial cells. In this report, we describe a case in which an elderly female suffered AKI secondary to vancomycin induced nephrotoxicity. The AKI subsequently led to methotrexate accumulation and toxicity presenting as bleeding mouth ulcers, transaminitis and pancytopenia. selleck The condition was managed with leucovorin rescue therapy and sodium bicarbonate to enhance methotrexate excretion. Renally dosing methotrexate in patients on other nephrotoxic drugs, and monitoring creatinine clearance are methods for preventing such a toxicity.Coronary embolism is a cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI)in which obstructive foci enter the coronary circulation, block normal blood flow and precipitate ischemia. Precise studies focusing on patient population affected, pathophysiological mechanisms, and treatment strategies are scanty, in spite of a reported prevalence estimated at 2.9%. As the understanding of myocardial infarction without evidence of coronary artery disease continues to grow, an in-depth review of this previously seldomly reported subtype of coronary ischemia was in order. Patients suffering coronary embolism are 15 to 20 years younger than traditional AMI patients with a slight predominance towards male sex, which resembles the gender data of the populations affected by non-traditional myocardial infarction in published reports. While the expected prevalence rate of cardiovascular disease risk factors such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia are present, this population also has a relatively high prevalence of atrial fibrillation and valve pathology, especially endocarditis. Initial presentation is indistinguishable from other causes of myocardial infarction however fever is commonly present, when endocarditis with valvular involvement is the primary cause of the coronary embolism. Mechanical thrombectomy is the mainstay of treatment, followed by percutaneous coronary intervention. Mortality is the highest in patients who do not receive targeted treatment for the coronary embolism, particularly if only antimicrobial agents or anticoagulation without thrombolytic agents are employed. The unique features of coronary embolism highlighted in this historical study justify further examination in contemporary patient populations.