Left Atrial Enlargement as a Predictor of Atrial Fibrillation in Rheumatic Mitral Valve Disease: An Echocardiography-based Retrospective Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic heart disease is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in developing nations and is a leading cause of hospital admission due to cardiac problems in our country. This study will evaluate the association between left atrial size and the occurrence of atrial fibrillation and describe the clinical characteristics along with complications related to Rheumatic Mitral valve disease. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care center from January 2018 to December 2019. Reports of 207 patients admitted to medical and/or surgical wards with echocardiographic diagnosis of rheumatic mitral valve disease with or without atrial fibrillation were reviewed. Data were collected, entered, and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science version 25.0. RESULTS: Among 207 patients, atrial fibrillation was present in 90 (43.5%) patients. Atrial fibrillation was higher in patients with mixed mitral valvular lesions compared to isolated mitral stenosis or mitral regurgitation. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed left atrial size [aOR=1.067, 95% CI: 1.023 - 1.113, P= 0.002] and age [aOR = 1.073, 95% CI: 1.042 - 1.105, P<0.001] as an independent predictor of atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS: Larger left atrium was an independent predictor of atrial fibrillation. Besides this, atrial fibrillation was associated with increasing age, mixed mitral valvular lesion, and moderately reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, but not associated with gender and mitral stenosis severity. Left atrial clot was significantly higher in patients with atrial fibrillation than in sinus rhythm.

De novo subgaleal abscess complicated by spontaneous osteomyelitis and epidural abscess: a case report and review of literature.

Introduction and importance: A subgaleal abscess is a collection of pus in a potential space between the galea aponeurotica and pericranium. De novo subgaleal abscesses are a subset of subgaleal abscesses that develop in the absence of identifiable risk factors such as head trauma or procedures. However, these have rarely been reported in the literature. Case presentation: We present the case of a 65-year-old woman who presented with a headache for two and a half months, followed by swelling of the right parieto-occipital scalp. She denied any history of trauma, procedures, or anticoagulant use. A diagnosis of subgaleal abscess complicated by osteomyelitis and epidural abscess was made after obtaining a computed tomography of the head. Surgical treatment consisting of drainage, debridement, and craniectomy was performed, and the disease was successfully treated with a 6-week course of antibiotics. Clinical discussion: It is uncommon to have a de novo subgaleal abscess with spontaneous osteomyelitis and an epidural abscess as concurrent complications. The symptoms can be subtle, such as chronic headaches which can lead to delayed hospital visits. Computed tomography of the head is sufficient to make a definitive diagnosis. Appropriate antibiotic therapy and surgical intervention are necessary, which may encompass incision, drainage, debridement, and occasionally a craniectomy in order to achieve full resolution. Conclusions: One should be vigilant when evaluating scalp swelling for possible underlying abscesses. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment with adequate antibiotics are preferred treatment options for de novo subgaleal abscesses.

Spontaneous widespread muscle hematoma complicated by pyomyositis in a case of dengue hemorrhagic fever: a case report from Nepal.

Introduction and importance: Most dengue infections are asymptomatic, and some of them develop haemorrhagic manifestations with or without shock. However, dengue can sometimes present with very rare complications like pyomyositis. Case presentation: A healthy 27-year-old male, presented with a 2-day fever, confirmed to be dengue through a positive non-structural protein 1 test. Despite initial symptomatic management, his condition worsened and he was hospitalized. Leucocyte and platelet counts dropped to the lowest value on the seventh day of illness, followed by the gradual development of chest pain, persistent fever, and severe limb pain. Radiographic evaluation revealed pleural effusion, and multiple intramuscular haematomas complicated by pyomyositis. Pleural effusion resolved on its own. Pyomyositis resolved with 6 weeks of appropriate antibiotics and aspiration of pus. Clinical discussion: Dengue infection, caused by a dengue virus transmitted through Aedes mosquitoes, is a significant public health concern in many parts of the world. Dengue haemorrhagic fever is a severe form of dengue infection characterized by vascular leakage, thrombocytopenia, and bleeding manifestations. Although musculoskeletal manifestations are common in dengue fever, the occurrence of multiple muscle haematomas and pyomyositis as complications of Dengue haemorrhagic fever is rare. Drainage or aspiration of pus combined with the antibiotics according to the pus culture and sensitivity report is the management strategy. Conclusion: Prolonged fever with severe musculoskeletal pain and focal tenderness on examination in a dengue patient, warrant radiographic testing (ultrasonography or MRI) considering the differentials of haematoma, myositis, or pyomyositis.

Prevalence and Clinical Types of Tremor in Multiple Sclerosis and its Associated Disability: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To describe the state of literature regarding prevalence, clinical types of tremor in Multiple Sclerosis and associated disability. Background: Tremor has long been recognized as an important symptom of multiple sclerosis. This can be intention and postural tremor that affects the upper limbs. Patients with multiple sclerosis who experience tremor of any severity typically retire early or lose their jobs due to disability. Methods: This systematic review was performed up to September 9, 2022. Article selection was performed by searching the MEDLINE (PubMed) and EMBASE electronic bibliographic databases. The search strategy was not limited by study design but only for articles in the English language. Results: A total of nine full-text articles were included in the analysis. Six studies were cross-sectional studies; one each was a prospective observational study, a case-control study, a community-based cohort. The prevalence of tremor in the multiple sclerosis (MS) population among studies ranged widely, between 12.5% and 68.9%. The presence of severe tremor ranged from 3% to 33%. Younger age was a significant predictor of tremor in two studies. The most common tremor subtype was action tremor. Upper extremities were the most common site involved in the majority of our studies, followed by head and neck. Conclusions: Prevalence of tremor ranged from 12.5% to 68.9% in the MS population with severe tremor being an infrequent complication. Severity of tremor correlated with increasing disability. Upper limb action tremor was the most common with rare occurrences of resting and rubral tremor.

Wound myiasis resulting from a neglected insect bite wound.

Infestation of maggots in humans is uncommon because humans are an accidental host for many dipterous larval species. We present a case of wound myiasis in a homeless person that resulted from a neglected minor insect bite wound.

Huge retroperitoneal liposarcoma encasing right kidney: A case report from Nepal.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Retroperitoneal liposarcoma is a rare entity originating from adipocytes. Before showing any symptoms, it can grow hugely and envelop nearby structures. Surgery is the optimum course of treatment, however, well-differentiated liposarcomas make it challenging to discern between malignant and normal adipocytes during surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 62-year-old male referred to evaluate his abdominal distention presented for four years. Recently he had developed loin pain for six months. A computerized tomography scan showed extensive tumor encompassing the right kidney and ureter, colon, and duodenum, however, exploratory laparotomy revealed free colon and duodenum. Complete resection of the mass with a right nephrectomy was performed. Subsequently, a histopathological assessment of the resected specimen confirmed the diagnosis of well-differentiated liposarcoma. Adjuvant chemotherapy was initiated as the tumor was a high-risk sarcoma but local recurrence was observed after 2 years despite surgery and chemotherapy. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Imaging modalities are the mainstay of preoperative diagnosis. Preferably, surgical resection with a tumor-free margin is recommended to avoid tumor recurrence which remains the primary challenge. This, along with the grade of the tumor, multifocal disease, and invasion of adjacent structure dictate the prognosis of the disease. Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy are not regarded as standard therapies for resectable retroperitoneal liposarcoma, although further research is still needed to determine their value in the case of high-risk sarcoma. CONCLUSION: Retroperitoneal liposarcoma has the potential to present as huge asymptomatic masses which with an added predilection for recurrence poses a huge challenge to any surgeon.