Non-diabetic Euglycemic Ketoacidosis in an Adult Patient With Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disease that develops as a result of the degeneration of the anterior horn cells in the spinal cord and lower brainstem motor nuclei, resulting in progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. While the initial presentation of this disease involves diffuse muscular atrophy at an early age, patients with an established diagnosis and later-stage disease often present with gastrointestinal symptoms related to metabolic imbalances. Here, we examine the case of an adult patient with SMA type II who presented with complaints of 12 hours of intractable nausea and vomiting. The patient was found to be in euglycemic ketoacidosis (EKA), an uncommon, but not unheard of, metabolic derangement in SMA patients with severely decreased muscle mass.

KCCQ total symptom score, clinical outcome measures, and adverse events associated with omecamtiv mecarbil for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a direct myosin activator that augments left ventricular systolic function. This review compares OM to placebo by evaluating its effect on clinical outcomes and adverse events in patients with heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. METHODS AND RESULTS: A literature search of multiple databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating OM versus placebo was undertaken. Six RCTs comprising 9596 patients were included. Use of OM was associated with a reduced risk of stroke (RR: 0.69; 95% CI 0.52-0.92). There was no significant mean difference (MD) change in the KCCQ total symptom score (MD: 1.82, 95% CI - 1.33 to 4.97), all-cause death (RR: 1.00; 95% CI 0.93-1.07), hospital readmissions (RR: 0.96; 95% CI 0.90-1.03), myocardial infarction (RR: 1.05; 95% CI 0.83-1.33), cardiovascular death (RR: 1.01; 95% CI 0.92-1.10), heart failure (HF) events (RR: 0.95; 95% CI 0.89-1.02), or a composite of cardiovascular death or HF events (RR: 0.97; 95% CI 0.93-1.02). In addition, OM was associated with an increased risk of dizziness (RR: 1.25; 95% CI 1.04-1.50) and hypotension (RR: 1.17; 95% CI 1.01-1.36). Other adverse events including ventricular tachyarrhythmias, (RR: 0.95; 95% CI 0.82-1.11), supraventricular tachyarrhythmias and atrial fibrillation/flutter (RR: 0.73; 95% CI 0.46-1.18), dyspnea (RR: 1.00; 95% CI 0.86-1.18), and acute renal injury (RR: 0.88; 95% CI 0.60-1.27) were not significant. CONCLUSION: OM is generally well tolerated. We identified a reduced risk of stroke with use of OM. However, there was no improvement in other clinical outcomes or quality of life. Study protocol was registered in PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42022348423).

Beyond burnout: Understanding the well-being gender gap in general surgery by examining professional fulfillment and control over schedule.

BACKGROUND: Prior research has revealed a gender gap in physician burnout. Our study attempts to elucidate the cause for the differences in burnout among male and female general surgeons (GS). METHODS: The study is based on a sample of 431 GS from 11 healthcare organizations participating in the Physician Wellness Academic Consortium. RESULTS: Female (N = 154) and male (N = 277) GS significantly differed in burnout (46% vs 33%, p = 0.008) and professional fulfillment (PF), (37% vs 56% p < 0.001). Male surgeons reported a higher sense of control over their schedule (COS) (5.0 vs 4.2, p = 0.001). Mediation analyses showed that the gender effect on burnout was fully mediated through PF and COS. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the observed differences in burnout between female and male GS are due to their differences in PF and COS. Longitudinal research is needed to determine whether interventions targeting PF and COS may mitigate burnout among female GS.

An Unusual Location for a Nonurachal Bladder Adenocarcinoma.

Malignant bladder neoplasms represent a significant disease burden not only for urologists but also the broader medical community. While the majority of bladder tumors are urothelial in origin, up to two percent are found to be adenocarcinomas. Among bladder adenocarcinomas, roughly one-tenth are urachal and are frequently located at the dome of the bladder where urachal remnants can often be found. We describe a case of bladder adenocarcinoma that presented at the dome of the bladder but ultimately exhibited a nonurachal histology. A 65-year-old male with a history of myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident with residual right-sided hemiparesis and aphasia was referred to our clinic for evaluation of a bladder mass discovered in the setting of painless gross hematuria. Diagnostic cystoscopy demonstrated a large mass at the dome of the bladder, and subsequent transurethral resection revealed stage T1 mucinous adenocarcinoma arising in a villous adenomatous lesion without the presence of muscle in the specimen. The patient underwent a robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial cystectomy with extended bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection. Postoperatively, the patient experienced short-lived paralytic ileus and was discharged on postoperative day 5. Follow-up surveillance imaging at 6 months with CT chest, abdomen, and pelvis, repeat office cystoscopy, and negative tumor markers postoperatively indicated no evidence of disease recurrence. Characterization of bladder adenocarcinomas into urachal and nonurachal subtypes is critical in differentiating the operative management and oncologic outcomes of the respective neoplasms. However, given the paucity of literature describing treatment approaches to bladder adenocarcinoma in general, existing methods have largely mirrored genetically similar neoplasms, including ovarian and colon adenocarcinomas. Although there is still much to be understood regarding the potential mechanisms of carcinogenesis of nonurachal adenocarcinomas, further investigation may pave the way for a more standardized treatment paradigm and provide insight into the potential utility of modern immunotherapies.

A case of acute vasitis mimicking an incarcerated inguinal hernia with subtle imaging findings.

Acute vasitis, or inflammation of the vas deferens, is a rare condition that classically presents with unilateral groin pain radiating into the scrotum and a bulge or induration along the inguinal canal. As a result, it mimics and is often mistaken for more common pathologies such as inguinal hernia, epididymo-orchitis or testicular torsion. A misdiagnosis may lead to unnecessary surgery and morbidity. Here, we present a case of acute vasitis which was originally diagnosed as an incarcerated inguinal hernia. Finally, we review the imaging findings, which can often be subtle and misinterpreted or missed.

Schistosoma haematobium cercarial infection alters subsequent systemic immune responses to eggs but has minimal impact on immune responses to egg injection of the bladder.

AIMS: Mouse bladder wall injection with Schistosoma haematobium eggs has been used to overcome limitations in animal models of urogenital schistosomiasis. However, the effect of the absence of cercarial infection on immune responses to eggs in this model is unknown. We hypothesized that cercarial infection would alter local bladder and systemic immune responses to eggs in this model. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice were infected or not infected with S haematobium cercariae, and then, their bladder walls injected with S haematobium eggs or vehicle 5 weeks following cercarial infection. Three weeks later, mice were bled, sacrificed, perfused and their bladders harvested. Parasitological parameters and gross bladder pathology were not changed in egg-injected bladders by cercarial exposure. Figure S1 shows no changes in either granulomas or fibrosis. The only bladder cytokine upregulated in egg-injected bladders by cercarial exposure (vs no exposure) was leptin. Cercarial exposure, compared to no exposure, resulted in increased serum, IL-1α, IL-13 and TGF-ß in bladder egg-injected mice. CONCLUSION: Cercarial exposure altered systemic responses of several cytokines in bladder egg-injected mice, but surprisingly, only modified leptin expression in bladder tissue. This suggests that depending on the specific application, cercarial exposure may not be strictly necessary to model local immune responses in the bladder wall egg injection mouse model of urogenital schistosomiasis.