Navigating a medical mystery in an elite athlete-severe dystonia induced by swimming.

Dystonia is a state of involuntary muscle contractions that cause repetitive or twisting movements. It may affect one or more parts of the body and sometimes the entire body. The condition can be mild or severe. In this unusual case, high-intensity swimming triggered the episodes of atypical functional movement disorder.

A young woman with a symptomatic patent foramen ovale: Natasha's fascinating story.

A young Amerasian woman developed transient ischemic attacks related to a patent foramen ovale. Her background personal story, involving being willed from her dying grandmother to a US photographer and attempting to find her serviceman father, has led to a book and a TED talk.

A great-grandfather's account of the Irish potato famine (1845-1850).

My great-grandfather, Rodger Cantwell, and his family managed to survive the Irish famine that began in 1845. Blending what family records we have with Kelly's outstanding 2012 book about the era, the following is an historical fictional account of Rodger's saga.

Cardiologist in the shadow of Angkor Wat: A medical mission to Cambodia.

In a medical mission to Cambodia, our team of doctors, dentists, and nurses saw over 1000 patients during 4 days of clinics. The most common cardiovascular problems were hypertension (11%) and heart murmurs (3%). Obesity and a history of diabetes were very rare. Unlike the cardiac patients I typically see in my Atlanta office, the Cambodians were trim and muscular from their predominantly farming and, less often, construction jobs. They are a gentle, seemingly happy people, appreciative of whatever limited medical help we could offer. Tuberculosis was the most prevalent serious illness noted.