Bilateral vestibulopathy presaging clinically probable multisystem atrophy.

Bilateral vestibulopathy is a clinical diagnosis backed by investigative confirmation, which can be masked by the lack of lateralising signs. It has a broad aetiological spectrum including neurodegenerative conditions, though many such cases also have unknown aetiology. We present the case of an elderly gentleman who presented with progressive bilateral vestibulopathy nearly 1.5 years prior to his eventual diagnosis of clinically probable multisystem atrophy. This case highlights the need to serially re-evaluate for parkinsonism and cerebellar signs in idiopathic bilateral vestibulopathy and raises a possibility that bilateral vestibulopathy, similar to constipation or anosmia, could be an early syndrome presaging the onset of overt extrapyramidal or cerebellar symptoms in patients with multisystem atrophy.

Antimicrobial Resistance Among Uropathogens: Surveillance Report From South India.

Background Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections encountered in clinical practice. Evidence supports that empirical treatment guidelines based on local bacterial spectrum and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance provide the best clinical results and also prevent the emergence of resistant strains. Antimicrobial resistance has been increasing at an alarming rate throughout the world. This warrants continuous reporting and surveillance of the emergence of AMR among the uropathogens across regions and nations. Materials and methods A retrospective cross-sectional study using antibiograms of adult patients with culture-proven UTI during January 2011 and January 2017 was done. Comparative analysis was performed between the two study periods for the prevalence, changing trends of antimicrobial resistance, and usage of antimicrobials for testing. Results The commonest organism cultured during each study period was Escherichia coli (56.6% and 51.6%). The most frequently tested antibiotics were ampicillin (97%, 88%), amikacin (85%, 85%), nitrofurantoin (95%, 95%), cephalexin (84%, 93%), and norfloxacin (83%, 83%). There was a significant increase in resistance proportion noted for imipenem (by 29.8%), meropenem (by 18.3%), ertapenem (by 24.9%), ciprofloxacin (by 26.5%), nitrofurantoin (by 11.2%), amikacin (by 8.7%), and cefotaxime (by 7.4%) in 2017 as compared to 2011. A significant increase in susceptibility was seen for tobramycin (by 32.5%), cefepime (by 14.4%), and polymyxin (by 12.6%) in 2017 when compared to 2011. Conclusion Our analysis has shown that there is an alarmingly increasing trend for AMR among uropathogens in this region as compared to developed countries. Data on changing trends of antimicrobial testing and reporting might help in strengthening antimicrobial surveillance.

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography finding of left gonadal vein thrombosis in a case of renal cell carcinoma.

Tumor thrombus from renal cell carcinoma is commonly reported in renal vein and inferior vena cava with a few reports of gonadal vein involvement. Here, we report a case of an elderly female who underwent fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan for initial staging of left renal cell carcinoma. Along with an FDG avid left renal mass lesion, scan also revealed FDG avid tumor thrombus in the entire length of the left gonadal vein.

Planar Tc99m--sestamibi scintimammography should be considered cautiously in the axillary evaluation of breast cancer protocols: results of an international multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node status is the most important prognostic indicator in breast cancer in recently diagnosed primary lesion. As a part of an interregional protocol using scintimammography with Tc99m compounds, the value of planar Tc99m sestamibi scanning for axillary lymph node evaluation is presented. Since there is a wide range of reported values, a standardized protocol of planar imaging was performed. METHODS: One hundred and forty-nine female patients were included prospectively from different regions. Their mean age was 55.1 +/- 11.9 years. Histological report was obtained from 2.987 excised lymph nodes from 150 axillas. An early planar chest image was obtained at 10 min in all patients and a delayed one in 95 patients, all images performed with 740-925 MBq dose of Tc99m sestamibi. Blind lecture of all axillary regions was interpreted by 2 independent observers considering any well defined focal area of increased uptake as an involved axilla. Diagnostic values, 95% confidence intervals [CI] and also likelihood ratios (LR) were calculated. RESULTS: Node histology demonstrated tumor involvement in 546 out of 2987 lymph nodes. Sestamibi was positive in 30 axillas (25 true-positive) and negative in 120 (only 55 true-negative). The sensitivity corresponded to 27.8% [CI = 18.9-38.2] and specificity to 91.7% [81.6-97.2]. The positive and negative LR were 3.33 and 0.79, respectively. There was no difference between early and delayed images. Sensitivity was higher in patients with palpable lesions. CONCLUSION: This work confirmed that non tomographic Tc99m sestamibi scintimammography had a very low detection rate for axillary lymph node involvement and it should not be applied for clinical assessment of breast cancer.