Post-traumatic Delayed Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis Caused by Cervical Osteophytes: A Case Report.

Vocal fold paralysis occurs when the function of the vagus nerve or its distal branch, the recurrent laryngeal nerve, is diminished or absent. Bilateral vocal fold paralysis can present with varying degrees of severity and is sometimes fatal. Cervical osteophytes are a rare cause of bilateral vocal fold paralysis, with only a few cases reported. A 68-year-old man was brought to the emergency department because of a disturbance in consciousness following a fall. A CT scan of the head showed multiple cranium and brain injuries, and the patient was treated conservatively by neurosurgery. The day after the injury, dysphagia and dysarthria appeared. On the third day of admission, both vocal cords were fixed bilaterally in the paramedian position, and the patient was nearly choking on sputum. A CT scan showed that the intracranial lesions gradually improved, but the vocal cord paralysis remained. A cervical CT scan was performed to investigate the cause of the vocal cord paralysis, which revealed that cervical vertebral osteophytes were compressing the tracheoesophageal groove and the glottis. The patient was transferred to the hospital for rehabilitation, although bilateral vocal cord paralysis remained. Although rare, clinicians need to be aware that cervical osteophytes can cause vocal fold paralysis, which may be manifested when combined with further trauma. It is also important to note that traumatic vocal cord paralysis can be delayed.

Endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Streptococcus mitis: A case report.

RATIONALE: Endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare disease caused by hematogenous intraocular metastasis of bacteria from an infectious source. Diagnosing endogenous endophthalmitis is challenging for non-ophthalmologists. However, ophthalmic diseases can cause irreversible vision loss, making prompt diagnosis and treatment critical. Here we present a rare case of endogenous endophthalmitis initially misdiagnosed as a cataract. PATIENT CONCERNS: An 84-year-old Japanese man presented to the emergency department with fever and dysmotility. The patient was aware of a left subconjunctival hemorrhage and cloudy cornea upon arrival at the hospital, but he misunderstood it as a fall-induced subconjunctival hemorrhage and age-related cataracts. DIAGNOSES: On the day following admission, petechial hemorrhage on the eyelid conjunctiva and the detection of Streptococcus mitis in the blood culture results led us to suspect endophthalmitis rather than cataracts. A definitive diagnosis of endophthalmitis was made through ophthalmologic examinations, and endophthalmitis was considered secondary to endocarditis. INTERVENTIONS: Subsequently, antimicrobial treatment was continued. OUTCOMES: However, the patient developed myocardial infarction and died on the ninth day of hospitalization. LESSONS: Two important lessons were learned from the examination of this case of endogenous endophthalmitis caused by S mitis. First, endophthalmitis and cataracts can be misdiagnosed. Because the symptoms of endophthalmitis and cataracts, such as decreased vision, photophobia, and blurred vision, are similar, the eye must be cautiously examined. Second, endocarditis caused by S mitis may lead to endogenous endophthalmitis. Although S mitis is not pathogenic, endogenous endophthalmitis may occur in patients with certain risk factors, such as older age, cancer, and immunosuppression.

The Usefulness of Reduced Anion Gap and the Possibility of Pupillary Findings in the Treatment of Acute Bromvalerylurea Intoxication.

Bromvalerylurea is found as an over-the-counter analgesic and hypnotic drug in Japan and can be purchased at drugstores or over the Internet. Therefore, both acute poisoning due to large doses taken in suicide attempts and chronic poisoning due to continuous use for chronic pain have been observed. We report a case of acute BVU poisoning due to the use of an over-the-counter hypnotic sedative for a suicide attempt. A 34-year-old woman was referred to our ICU with unexplained disturbance of consciousness, respiratory failure, and shock. During ICU management, when her pupil diameter was measured with an automatic pupillometer to confirm her conscious state, the right pupil diameter was larger than the left, but one hour later, the left pupil diameter was larger than the right. The difference between right and left fluctuated with the time of day. After awakening, it was found that the patient had taken 108 tablets of Utt, an over-the-counter hypnotic sedative, and the possibility of acute poisoning by its component, BVU, was raised. Because a blood gas analysis at the time of admission showed metabolic acidosis with anion gap ≤1, a diagnosis of acute BVU poisoning was made. The patient's general condition stabilized, and she was transferred to the psychiatric ward. Symptoms of acute BVU poisoning include impaired consciousness and respiratory and circulatory depression, which may make it impossible to obtain a medical interview. When treating a patient with suspected drug intoxication who is unable to communicate, the clinician needs to include BVU poisoning in the differential when a reduced anion gap is observed. The clinician should also know that BVU poisoning can cause ocular manifestations such as anisocoria. This may lead to early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.

A retrospective observational study on disseminated herpes zoster in immunocompetent patients.

INTRODUCTION: Disseminated herpes zoster (DHZ) is a severe infection associated with high incidences and mortality rates in immunocompromised patients. Although studies have shown its occurrence in immunocompetent patients, its epidemiology, clinical presentation, and treatment outcomes in this cohort remain unknown. Thus, this study aimed to examine the clinical presentation, treatment, complications, and outcomes of DHZ in immunocompetent patients and compare these findings with previous studies. METHODS: We included 20 immunocompetent patients of DHZ at our institution and reviewed 42 previously published cases. We then investigated the clinical features, predisposing factors, laboratory findings, treatment, and outcomes of all cases including in-hospital mortality, neurological dysfunction at discharge, and postherpetic neuralgia. We compared DHZ-immunocompetent patients to DHZ-immunocompromised patients. RESULTS: Patients had a median age of 71.5 years and were predominantly male. The trigeminal area was the most common site of initial rash, with a mean dissemination time of 6.5 days. Pain was the most common symptom, followed by fever (approximately 40 % of cases); acyclovir was the most used treatment. Additionally, the in-hospital mortality was 0 %, neuropathy at discharge was observed in approximately 10 % of patients, and postherpetic neuralgia was present in approximately 40 % of patients. In the immunocompromised cases, the mortality rate was 12 %, which was higher than in our cases; however, the rates of neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia were lower. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new insights into the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes of DHZ cases in immunocompetent patients, highlighting its tendency for residual neurological damage despite having low mortality rates.

Rapid Progression of Aortitis Caused by Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus in a Patient With Pneumonia: A Case Report.

Infected aortic aneurysm is a rare but fatal disease that occurs through various mechanisms. In this report, we describe the case of a patient who was hospitalized for acute pneumonia and developed an infected aortic aneurysm in the descending aorta during the hospitalization. A 73-year-old Japanese man presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of fever. He had a history of chronic renal failure due to nephrosclerosis and was on regular hemodialysis three times a week. The patient presented with an elevated inflammatory response, anemia, and low platelet counts after various tests. Computed tomography (CT) showed ground-glass opacity in the left lung with a small amount of pleural effusion, leading to a diagnosis of pneumonia. The patient was admitted to the hospital on the same day, and a course of antibiotics (ceftriaxone [CTRX]) was started. On the fourth day of hospitalization, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) was detected in the blood sample, which was collected from the patient on the day of admission. The patient was treated for MSSA pneumonia and bacteremia, and the antibiotics were changed to cefazolin (CEZ). Treatment with antimicrobials resulted in a negative blood culture retest on day 5 and improvement of the inflammatory response. On the 12th day, improvements in pneumonia and pleurisy were observed on the CT scan; however, an abnormal bulge was seen on the dorsal side of the descending thoracic aorta with suspected partial vessel wall disruption, suggesting a ruptured infected aortic aneurysm. Despite treatment with antibiotics, the thoracic descending aortic aneurysm continued to dilate with progressing rupture, and the patient died on the 25th day of hospitalization. This is the first report of an infected aneurysm caused by Staphylococcus aureus, despite a negative blood culture. Patients at high risk might develop infected aneurysms, and the possibility of rapid dilation should always be considered.

Overwhelming Post-splenectomy Infection Caused by Escherichia coli 20 Years After Splenectomy: A Case Report.

Post-splenectomy patients are at increased risk of infection. This complication is called overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI), which is uncommon but has high mortality. We describe a case of a man in his 80s who presented with septic shock with purpura fulminans caused by pyelonephritis. He had undergone a splenectomy in his 50s and had been taking prednisolone for the past six months for suspected immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease. He was admitted to the intensive care unit but died the day after admission. OPSI is generally caused by encapsulated bacteria. However, in the present case, the causative agent was Escherichia coli, a bacterium that typically causes urinary tract infections. Post-splenectomy patients are known to have compromised bacterial clearance, and accumulation of bacteria such as E. coli can induce acute sepsis after splenectomy. Thus, physicians must have a high index of suspicion when treating splenectomy patients for the possibility that they may rapidly deteriorate to severe conditions such as OPSI, and the patients must be informed about the risk of severe infections, which can be fatal.

Spontaneous Improvement of Aortitis Associated with Severe COVID-19 Infection-A Case Report.

Aortitis is a rare complication of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is often treated empirically with steroids. We present a case of spontaneous resolution of aortitis without treatment. A 65-year-old man was admitted to our intensive care unit for severe COVID-19 pneumonia and underwent rehabilitation in the general ward. On day 12, he developed fever, and on day 13, he developed right cervical pain and increased inflammatory markers. On day 16, a cervical echocardiogram showed vasculitis in the right common carotid artery, and on day 17, computed tomography (CT) of the neck showed thickening of the arterial wall of the right common to the internal carotid arteries. A retrospective assessment of the CT scan on day 12 showed wall thickening from the thoracic aorta to the abdominal aorta, and a diagnosis of aortitis was made. Autoantibody analysis, culture, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head and neck showed no abnormalities. During the investigation of the cause of aortitis, the fever and inflammatory reaction spontaneously resolved and the right cervical pain gradually improved. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with transient COVID-19-related aortitis. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the spontaneous resolution of COVID-19-related aortitis.

A Case of Refractory Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia Treated Successfully With Distal Gastrectomy and Billroth II Reconstruction.

Gastric antral vascular ectasia is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and an important cause of transfusion dependence. Although surgery should be considered when patients with gastric antral vascular ectasia become transfusion-dependent even after endoscopic treatment, surgery for such patients with cirrhosis on dialysis has not been reported. Our patient, a 62-year-old man with a history of cirrhosis and chronic kidney failure, experienced recurrent bloody stool. Upper endoscopic findings indicated a diagnosis of gastric antral vascular ectasia; therefore, we initiated therapy with argon plasma coagulation. Anemia developed, and despite a second argon plasma coagulation treatment, it remained difficult to control. During the six weeks of hospitalization, the patient received more than 40 units of red blood cells. The gastroenterologist determined that further treatment with argon plasma coagulation would increase the risk of gastric perforation; therefore, we performed distal gastrectomy with Billroth II reconstruction. The patient was discharged from the hospital 15 days after surgery and had no signs of anemia for more than one year after discharge. The case of our patient shows that although endoscopic therapy is the usual treatment for gastric antral vascular ectasia, surgery should be considered when anemia is difficult to control.

Spinal cord infarction after withdrawal of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for cardiogenic shock: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord infarction is a rare central nervous system angiopathy that impairs motor, sensory, and autonomic nerves and occurs due to various reasons. This study reports a case of spinal cord infarction in a patient following myocardial infarction that was managed by veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). CASE SUMMARY: A 78-year-old Japanese man visited the emergency department with a complaint of chest tightness. He had a history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, chronic renal failure, and postoperative bladder cancer. Myocardial infarction was diagnosed after ST elevation in lead aVR was identified by electrocardiogram during the visit, and cardiopulmonary arrest occurred twice during our examination and treatment. After percutaneous coronary intervention with an intra-aortic balloon pump and VA-ECMO, the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit. His circulation stabilized, and he was withdrawn from the intra-aortic balloon pump on day 3 of illness and from VA-ECMO on day 4. However, his consciousness remained impaired. When the patient's consciousness improved on day 14, lower limb weakness was identified. Magnetic resonance imaging conducted on the following day revealed spinal cord infarction in the 5th to 12th thoracic vertebrae. CONCLUSION: Spinal cord infarction due to VA-ECMO is extremely rare but has a poor neurological prognosis upon onset. Necessary countermeasures include conducting regular neurological examinations and high blood pressure maintenance, which is very difficult in VA-ECMO patients. Therefore, patient care will benefit from the experiences reported in such cases.

Recurrent Takotsubo Syndrome Due to Hypoglycemic Attacks.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a disorder with transient cardiac dysfunction triggered by stress. Rarely, hypoglycemia can also trigger TTS, but there are no case reports of repeated TTS due to hypoglycemia. We report the case of a 51-year-old Japanese woman who was brought to the emergency department with impaired consciousness and shock vitals. Blood tests revealed severe hypoglycemia. She also had an abnormal electrocardiogram with a QS pattern in the anterior thoracic guidance, which led to the diagnosis of TTS after repeated echocardiographic evaluation by a cardiologist. The diagnosis of hypoglycemic coma was made, and the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The patient had anorexia nervosa and had been suffering from a hypoglycemic coma due to anorexia for some time. The patient had a history of hypoglycemic coma about one year before and had been hospitalized in the ICU with TTS at that time. We report the world's first case of repeated TTS due to hypoglycemia. Since hypoglycemia is hemodynamically associated with increased heart rate and systolic blood pressure, TTS should be included in the differential diagnosis when shock vitals are repeated in patients with frequent hypoglycemia.

Systemic lupus erythematous presenting with hemorrhagic shock caused by gastric penetration of pancreatic pseudocyst: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematous that causes various organ damage is rarely associated with pancreatic lesion. To the best of our knowledge, no cases presenting with hemorrhage shock caused by gastric penetration of pancreatic pseudocyst due to lupus pancreatitis have been reported. Herein, we report a case of hemorrhage shock caused by gastric penetration of pancreatic pseudocyst due to lupus pancreatitis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 53-year-old Japanese man with a history of systemic lupus erythematous, pancreatic pseudocyst, and chronic pancreatitis complained of epigastric pain and had hematemesis. He visited our emergency room and was admitted in our hospital. Upper endoscopy showed that hemostasis was obtained; however, computed tomography scan was performed since he was suspected to have gastric penetration into hollow viscera. The computed tomography revealed accumulation of fluid around the pancreas and gastric penetration of pancreatic cyst. Blood test showed increased serum amylase level. These results suggest that the exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis causes the penetration. Surgery was considered; however, we took a wait-and-see approach since hemostasis was obtained. After that, he was in stable condition, although he suffered from fever and accumulation of left pleural effusion was observed by computed tomography. However, he had massive hematemesis and melena 9 days after hospitalization and died in spite of several treatments including blood transfusion. Autopsy revealed that he actually had pleural thickening, which is not caused by accumulation of left pleural effusion but by severe pleural inflammation. We therefore performed additional blood and urinary tests on the same day. The test results showed that he had a high titer of anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) antibody, hypocomplementemia, and erythrocyturia, indicating that he had systemic lupus erythematous with high disease activity considering his fever and pleural inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who have systemic lupus erythematous with high disease activity have the potential to develop fatal complications due to pancreatitis, so appropriate treatments are required for such patients.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis caused by cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare condition in which the small intestine is covered by an inflammatory fibrocollagenous membrane; the exact etiology of EPS is unclear. Herein, we report the case of our patient who underwent hemodialysis and cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy (CART) and was diagnosed with EPS. CASE PRESENTATION: A 64-year-old Japanese man visited our emergency department with a chief complaint of abdominal pain. He had a medical history of cirrhosis due to hepatitis C for 25 years. He had undergone partial resection of the small intestine 2 years earlier for an incarcerated hernia. One year earlier, he experienced renal failure due to hepatorenal syndrome and started hemodialysis three times a week and CART twice a month. Physical examination of the abdominal wall revealed a lack of peristalsis of the intestinal tract and strong tenderness on palpation. Because hernia of the small intestine was found on computed tomography, we suspected strangulation ileus, requiring emergency operation. When the abdomen was opened, the entire small intestine was found to be wrapped in a fibrous membrane and constricted by it. The patient was diagnosed with EPS; hence, during surgery, the fibrous membrane was excised, resulting in decompression of the intestinal tract and subsequent recovery. CONCLUSIONS: EPS is thought to be related to various elements, but no case of EPS induced by CART has been reported to date. EPS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of small bowel obstruction in patients undergoing CART for refractory ascites.

Gallbladder hemorrhage during orally administered edoxaban therapy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Edoxaban is an orally administered anticoagulant treatment that is used in patients with cerebral infarction, venous thrombosis, or other conditions, with a reported incidence of gastrointestinal hemorrhage at approximately 1%. We encountered the rare case of a patient who developed a gallbladder hemorrhage after the administration of edoxaban. CASE PRESENTATION: An 86-year-old Japanese woman visited our gastrointestinal department due to the chief complaint of melena lasting for a week. Her medical history included hypertension and embolic cerebral infarction, and she was taking orally administered carvedilol (5 mg/day) and edoxaban (30 mg/day). Her palpebral conjunctiva was pale during a physical examination, indicating the possibility of anemia. Her blood test results confirmed severe anemia with red blood cells at 1.7 × 106/µL and hemoglobin at 4.7 g/dL. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed bile and fresh blood on the duodenal bulb and in more distal regions; hemobilia was suspected. A computed tomography scan on the ninth hospitalization day confirmed the hemobilia with a gallbladder fundus high-density signal. She was discharged on the 30th day of hospitalization with only fluid therapy and no progression of anemia. Moreover, she underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy 1 month after discharge, but the pathologist did not identify false aneurysms or neoplastic lesions. She has not been shown to develop anemia for 5 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Our case suggests that gallbladder hemorrhage needs to be considered a possible complication for patients on direct oral anticoagulants.

Yellow nail syndrome following multiple orthopedic surgeries: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Yellow nail syndrome is a rare condition associated with a triad of symptoms: yellow nails, lung lesions, and lymphedema. We report a case of yellow nail syndrome caused by titanium exposure from multiple artificial joint replacements. CASE PRESENTATION: A 78-year-old Asian woman presented to our outpatient department with chief complaints of cough, fever, and nausea. The patient was hospitalized for observation because of the presence of hypoxemia and bilateral pleural effusion. Her medical history included knee joint replacement and two spinal fusion surgeries. Her physical examination conducted following hospitalization revealed yellow nails on both hands and feet. This finding, combined with the observation of bilateral pleural effusion, raised suspicion for yellow nail syndrome. Blood analysis yielded negative results, as did the tests for sputum culture, interferon liberation, pleural effusion culture, and pleural effusion cytology. Pleural histopathological analysis and imaging yielded negative results. Considering the possibility of titanium exposure from artificial joints based on the patient's medical history, we examined a chest radiograph obtained before the second spinal fusion surgery; however, no pleural effusion was observed. Pleural effusion was observed, however, following the surgery. On the basis of these findings, the patient was diagnosed with yellow nail syndrome due to titanium exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should examine the nails of patients with unexplained pleural effusion. Moreover, they should inquire about titanium exposure when obtaining the patient's medical history.

Vitamin K deficiency-induced hemorrhagic shock after thoracentesis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin K deficiency results in serious coagulation dysfunction, but hemorrhagic shock is rare. Herein, we describe a case of vitamin K deficiency and abnormality in the path of the intercostal artery, the combination of which led to hemorrhagic shock. CASE PRESENTATION: An 83-year-old woman was hospitalized for suspected gallstones. She developed septic shock after 4 days of hospitalization. We considered cholecystitis or cholangitis and performed abdominal ultrasonography, which revealed gallbladder enlargement, biliary sludge, and hyperplasia of the bile duct wall. Antibiotic treatment with sulbactam/ampicillin (SBT/ABPC) was initiated on day four, and percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) was performed on day five. The treatment was successful, but the patient developed bilateral pleural effusion because of hypoalbuminemia. We performed drainage for bilateral pleural effusion on days 13 and 17. The patient developed hypotension on day 18; blood tests showed anemia and severe coagulation dysfunction but a normal platelet count. We suspected vitamin K deficiency-induced coagulation dysfunction because of previous antibiotic treatment and restricted diet, and it led to hemorrhagic shock. Massive right hemothorax was observed by computed tomography, and urgent interventional radiology was performed. We observed no injury to the intercostal artery truncus but confirmed an abnormality in the course of the intercostal artery; therefore, we inferred that the cause of hemothorax in this case was injury to a small vessel, not truncus because of the abnormality. Because of the likelihood of rebleeding, we performed coil embolization from the seventh to the ninth intercostal artery. Because we confirmed vitamin K deficiency-induced coagulation dysfunction, we referred to the concentration of protein induced by vitamin K absence/antagonist-II (PIVKA-II), and it was found to increase by 23,000. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of vitamin K deficiency and abnormality in the course of the intercostal artery led to hemorrhagic shock. When using certain antibiotics and restricting diet, it is important to measure coagulation function, even if the platelet count is normal. Further, when thoracentesis is performed, abnormalities in the course of the intercostal artery should be identified. Thoracentesis with ultrasound may prevent hemothorax.