Takotsubo cardiomyopathy following pacemaker insertion complicated with polymorphic ventricular tachycardia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a novel form of rapidly reversible heart failure occurring secondary to a stressor that mimics an acute coronary event. The underlying etiology of the stressor is highly variable and can include medical procedures. Pacemaker insertion is an infrequent cause of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. CASE PRESENTATION: An 86-year-old Caucasian woman underwent an uncomplicated pacemaker insertion for symptomatic complete heart block in the background of slow atrial fibrillation. A transient episode of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia was noted on day 1 following the procedure; however, her pacemaker was checked and, as she remained stable, she was discharged home. She presented again 5 days later with symptomatic heart failure. Chest X-ray confirmed pulmonary edema. Echocardiography confirmed new onset severe left ventricle dysfunction. Pacemaker checks were normal and lead placement was confirmed. Though her troponin I was elevated, her coronary angiogram was normal. Contrast enhanced echocardiography suggested apical ballooning favoring Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. She was treated for heart failure and made a good recovery. Her follow-up echocardiography a month later showed significant improvement in left ventricle function. CONCLUSIONS: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is mediated by a neuro-cardiogenic mechanism due to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation. It generally has a good prognosis. Complications though uncommon, can occur and include arrhythmias. Pacemaker insertion as a precipitant stressor is an infrequent cause of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. As pacemaker insertions are more frequent in the elderly age group, this phenomenon should be recognized as a potential complication.

Are We Missing Something in the CT-PNS Report? - an Observational Study on the Rate of Reporting the Presence of Dental Disease and the Probable Etiology of Sinusitis on CT Scans.

Objectives: To (i) identify the prevalence of dental disease, (ii) identify the proportion of sinusitis cases that could be considered odontogenic in origin and, (iii) audit the rate of diagnosis of incidental dental disease and odontogenic sinusitis in radiology reports on CT scans covering the maxillary teeth and sinuses. Materials and methods: Images and reports of CT studies performed in our institution that covered the paranasal sinuses and maxilla were retrospectively audited for documentation of findings pertaining to maxillary sinusitis and maxillary dental disease. Trauma cases, edentulous and pediatric patients and patients without maxillary sinusitis or dental disease were excluded. The etiologies of maxillary sinusitis was defined as likely odontogenic, indeterminate and rhinogenic sinusitis. Only molar and pre-molar tooth disease were considered as these are most commonly in direct contact with the floor of the maxillary sinus. Results: One-hundred sixty CT studies were reviewed. The prevalence of dental caries and periapical lucency was 80.6% and 15.0%, respectively. The cause of sinusitis was determined to be likely odontogenic in 30.0%, rhinogenic in 33.1% and of indeterminate origin in 36.9%. The rate of reporting dental findings or raising the suspicion of odontogenic sinusitis was 8.5% (n = 14). Conclusions: Under-reporting of dental disease and odontogenic sinusitis is common. Early recognition results in higher chances of salvaging the diseased tooth, preventing complications and providing appropriate treatment. An urgent and collective effort by the radiological fraternity is warranted to recognize the significance of reporting of dental pathologies, even in CT scans done for other indications.

Comparison of the effect of conventional and implant-retained overdentures on brain activity and cognition in a geriatric population - A functional MRI study.

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation with complete dentures versus implant-retained overdenture on activity in various parts of the brain cognition in a geriatric edentulous population via Functional MRI (fMRI) studies and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). METHODS: Ten completely edentulous patients were rehabilitated with both complete dentures and two-implant retained overdentures for three months each. fMRI studies were performed for each modality during chewing and recall tasks at three time periods: T0: Completely Edentulous (CE) T1: after three months of wearing Conventional Complete Dentures (CD) and T2: after three months of wearing Implant-retained Overdentures (IOD). The Z scores obtained from the fMRI at these phases of examination were tabulated and correlated with MMSE scores obtained at the corresponding time periods. RESULTS: Z scores obtained during the memory recall tasks at T2 were the greatest (Prefrontal Cortex (p=0.059) and Hippocampus (p=0.036). The MMSE scores obtained were significantly higher for the IODs when compared to the CDs and Baseline values (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: IODs may potentially result in superior sensory feedback in edentulous patients and lead to improved cognitive performance when compared to conventional complete dentures.

Malignant melanoma without primary, presenting as solitary pulmonary nodule: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Solitary pulmonary nodules are the most common incidental finding on chest imaging. Their management is very well defined by several guidelines, with risk calculators for lung cancer being the gold standard. Solitary intramuscular metastasis combined with a solitary pulmonary nodule from malignant melanoma without a primary site is rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 57-year-old white male was referred to our lung cancer service with solitary pulmonary nodule. After positron-emission tomography, we performed an ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy of an intramuscular solitary lesion, not identified on computed tomography scan, and diagnosed metastatic malignant melanoma. The solitary pulmonary nodule was resected and also confirmed metastatic melanoma. There was no primary skin lesion. The patient received oral targeted therapy and is disease-free 5 years later. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians dealing with solitary pulmonary nodules must remain vigilant for other extrathoracic malignancies even in the absence of obvious past history. Lung metastasectomy may have a role in metastatic malignant melanoma with unknown primary.