Cardiovascular Disease Burden, Mortality, and Sudden Death Risk in Epilepsy: A UK Biobank Study.

BACKGROUND: Sudden death is the leading cause of mortality in medically refractory epilepsy. Middle-aged persons with epilepsy (PWE) are under investigated regarding their mortality risk and burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: Using UK Biobank, we identified 7786 (1.6%) participants with diagnoses of epilepsy and 6,171,803 person-years of follow-up (mean 12.30 years, standard deviation 1.74); 566 patients with previous histories of stroke were excluded. The 7220 PWE comprised the study cohort with the remaining 494,676 without epilepsy as the comparator group. Prevalence of CVD was determined using validated diagnostic codes. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess all-cause mortality and sudden death risk. RESULTS: Hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and congenital heart disease were more prevalent in PWE. Arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation/flutter (12.2% vs 6.9%; P < 0.01), bradyarrhythmias (7.7% vs 3.5%; P < 0.01), conduction defects (6.1% vs 2.6%; P < 0.01), and ventricular arrhythmias (2.3% vs 1.0%; P < 0.01), as well as cardiac implantable electric devices (4.6% vs 2.0%; P < 0.01) were more prevalent in PWE. PWE had higher adjusted all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 3.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.01-3.39), and sudden death-specific mortality (HR, 6.65; 95% CI, 4.53-9.77); and were almost 2 years younger at death (68.1 vs 69.8; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Middle-aged PWE have increased all-cause and sudden death-specific mortality and higher burden of CVD including arrhythmias and heart failure. Further work is required to elucidate mechanisms underlying all-cause mortality and sudden death risk in PWE of middle age, to identify prognostic biomarkers and develop preventative therapies in PWE.

Rare Case of Osteochondroma on the Dorsal Aspect of the Scapula.

Osteochondroma, often referred to as exostosis, is the most common benign bone tumor characterized by a bony protuberance surrounded by a cartilaginous surface. Most osteochondromas are found on the metaphysis of long bones, with the dorsal aspect of the scapula being a rare site of occurrence for an exostosis. Radiographic imaging, preferably through MRI or CT, assists in the identification of benign growth; however, a definitive diagnosis requires a biopsy. Open surgical resection and arthroscopic excision are the definitive treatment modalities of the nidus. Postoperative care requires immobilization of the limb for two months, with at least four months being the appropriate timeline for complete recovery.

Parvovirus Infection and Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in an Adult Patient With Sickle Cell Beta-Thalassemia.

Parvovirus infection and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) are rare manifestations in adults with sickle cell beta-thalassemia. Due to the lack of a clear demarcation between the complications related to sickle cell disease (SCD) and TTP, the diagnosis is often challenging. The treatment requirements for both these entities are divergent and complicated, thus necessitating a careful plan of action during atypical presentations. Here we present a case of a 22-year-old woman during the peripartum period with fever, generalized body aches, and large joint pains that soon evolved into labor. The patient's history was suggestive of an undiagnosed and inherited blood disorder. The presentation of aplastic crisis-splenic sequestration during early adulthood is atypical for the SCD course in general populations. Moreover, as the patient's clinical status deteriorated with blood transfusion, the diagnosis and management of a sickle cell crisis event and TTP added to the dilemma in the presence of non-classic parvovirus infection. Though the causation of TTP due to SCD-parvovirus infection is questionable, the treatment of the baseline sickle cell crisis with the novel supportive measures resolved the underlying complications in our patient, suggesting the causal effect. As a result of this, we emphasize the importance of being vigilant about such atypical presentations to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment of such life-threatening emergencies like TTP.

A Spectrum of Pulmonary Complications Occurring in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis.

Objective To investigate the trends of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and find the correlation with effects on the pulmonary system in such patients. Methodology A multicentric prospective study was conducted in the city of Solapur, India. Data were collected from 250 patients through interpersonal interrogation using a questionnaire to capture basic demographic details, the history of ESRD, and relevant respiratory symptoms like breathlessness, cough, fever, etc. related to their disease. Symptoms that are likely associated with the pulmonary system were analyzed and referred to the pulmonology department. Appropriate diagnoses were made using relevant diagnostic tools like X-rays and sputum studies. The association between various disease attributes and pulmonary diagnoses was analyzed using the chi-square (χ2) test, with a p-value of value less than or equal to 0.05 considered statistically significant. Various socio-demographic variables, existing comorbidities, occupation-related risk factors, smoking history, past or current history of any respiratory conditions, the association between the causes of ESRD, time since the first dialysis and sociodemographic factors, and frequency of pulmonary complications were the other covariates in the study. Results Our study reports that 31.6% of our patients had significant impairment in their functioning due to respiratory complaints. The prevalence of respiratory complications was 27.2%. Major contributors were pleural effusion (33.8), pneumonia (25), pulmonary edema (20.58), pleuritis (11.76), collapse (8.8), tuberculosis (5.8), fibrosis (4.4), pericardial effusion (4.4), calcification (2.9), and hydrothorax (1.47). We report one case of Urinothorax as a rare cause of hydrothorax in such patients. Overall, our analysis found a significant association between non-reporting of respiratory complaints and acute admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) with a respiratory cause at p-value 0.0076 with a greater predilection toward the rural populations. Conclusion Our study results highlight the prevalence of pulmonary complications in ESRD patients. The occurrence of pulmonary complications, irrespective of the presence of symptoms and a greater association between non-reporting of respiratory symptoms and acute admissions to the ICU, is a hallmark to consider the importance of history and clinical vigilance during patient visits.