Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis complicated by life-threatening acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in a Chinese male with painless thyroiditis.

CONTEXT: Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is a relatively common complication seen in Asian hyperthyroid patients. However, it is a rare occurrence to find a TPP case comprised of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in patients with painless thyroiditis. PATIENT: A 29-year-old Chinese man presented with flaccid paralysis of all four limbs and he was brought to emergency room. Severe hypokalemia was found on admission. Although treatment had been initiated with potassium chloride supplementation, he went on to develop acute hypercapnic respiratory failure likely due to muscle fatigue. The patient was intubated for mechanical ventilatory support. Once his serum potassium levels were normalized, he was able to be weaned off ventilator support. Thyroid function tests showed elevated free thyroxine concentration and low thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration. He underwent a thyroid uptake scan with 131I which revealed decreased uptake rate of thyroid area. Based on the patient's clinical presentation and associated findings, we diagnosed him with TPP due to painless thyroiditis. We have reviewed TPP cases caused by painless thyroiditis and TPP cases associated with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: It is important to note that potentially fatal complications such as acute hypercapnic respiratory failure might occur in acute attacks of TPP even in cases of TPP due to painless thyroiditis.

A spontaneous pregnancy and successful delivery in a Chinese female with Silver-Russell syndrome accompanied by gestational diabetes mellitus.

Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by severe intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation and typical dysmorphic features including body asymmetry, relative macrocephaly, protruding forehead, and feeding difficulties. Previous descriptions of SRS focus on the management of specific issues in children. Herein, we present clinical and metabolic characteristics of an adult woman with SRS accompanied by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Given the rare circumstances presented in our case, the emerging questions concerning the management of metabolic issues and fertility potential in adult SRS patient deserve more attention. Further, long-term follow up is essential to gain future insights into the natural history and optimal management in adulthood.

Early diagnosis of caesarean scar pregnancy by ultrasound - a novel, simple and rapid clinical classification scoring system.

AIM: In the recent years, with the increase in the caesarean section rate, the incidence of caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) has shown a significant upwards trend. We propose a novel, simple and rapid clinical and ultrasound (US) classification scoring system to assist in the early diagnosis of CSP. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 385 patients with CSP were included in the study. All patients were given a comprehensive score, iincluding clinical data (whether HCG is consistent with gestational age and vaginal bleeding) and US findings (linea a and b, gestational sac morphology, the presence of primitive cardiac tube beat, and color Doppler aspect). The scores were analysed by ROC curve analysis, and sensitivity and specificity were calculated. RESULTS: A score of 4 has a specificity of 91.7% and a sensitivity of 95.6% in diagnose CSP. The area under the ROC curve was 0.973. CONCLUSION: This scoring system may be a reliable tool for the early diagnosis of CSP and has the characteristics of being simple and rapid. For patients with a total score of ≥4 points, CSP is suggested, and early clinical treatment can be carried out, while patients with a score of less than 4 points can temporarily retain pregnancy and be closely followed up.

Low-dose adefovir dipivoxil-induced hypophosphatemia osteomalacia in five chronic hepatitis B virus-infected patients. Is low-dose adefovir dipivoxil-induced nephrotoxicity completely reversible?

Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) is one of the most important nucleostide analogues currently in use for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Low-dose ADV-induced nephrotoxicity in most cases was reported to be reversible after the discontinuation of ADV or by decreasing the dose of ADV. In our study, we have 5 documented cases of low-dose ADV-induced hypophosphatemia osteomalacia with or without Fanconi syndrome which were diagnosed in our hospital between 2010 and 2017. Three patients were observed to have a full recovery after the discontinuation of ADV. Two patients had persistently elevated urine ß2-microglobulin levels and out of these two patients, one patient had persistent hypophosphatemia after the cessation of ADV. These cases illustrated that the use of low-dose ADV increased the risk of nephrotoxicity, and in some patients, low-dose ADV-induced nephrotoxicity was not completely reversible. Patients of East Asian origin, especially those with a low body mass index, were prone to a relatively higher risk of developing low-dose ADV-induced nephrotoxicity; therefore, it was worth paying attention to the side effects caused by low-dose ADV.