Investigating and Summarizing Information Resources Related to the Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis of Cutaneous Manifestations of Infectious Diseases in Patients With Skin of Color.

Patients with skin of color (SOC) present diseases differently in many circumstances, yet there is a lack of information regarding the presentation and diagnosis of cutaneous manifestations in such patients experiencing infectious diseases. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to investigate and summarize information pertaining to the clinical presentation and diagnosis of cutaneous manifestations of infectious diseases in patients with SOC focusing on the following viral, bacterial, toxin-mediated, and infestation diseases and fungal infections: human immunodeficiency virus, shingles, impetigo, scarlet fever, Lyme disease, toxic shock syndrome, scabies, rickettsioses, and cutaneous fungal infections. This scoping review identified literature gaps regarding cutaneous manifestations of infectious diseases in patients with SOC such as a lack of visual examples and more precise descriptions of common infectious diseases. The lack of better-quality literature and educational resources describing cutaneous manifestations of infectious diseases in patients with SOC may contribute to care barriers; therefore, more research and collaboration are needed in the specialties of both infectious diseases and dermatology.

Reorganizing the History of Present Illness to Improve Verbal Case Presenting and Clinical Diagnostic Reasoning Skills of Medical Students: The All-Inclusive History of Present Illness.

The Institute of Medicine states that most diagnostic errors are caused by flaws in clinician diagnostic thinking. Accurately inferring the correct diagnosis from the patient history is the best way to improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. Such an improvement is contingent upon training early phase medical learners how to organize data from a patient history to arrive at the most likely diagnosis of the patient's chief health concern (CC). We describe how organizing the traditional history of present illness into what our trainees have come to call the "All-Inclusive History of Present Illness" (AIHPI) by applying the Bayesian statistical concepts of chronologically sequencing, as suggested by Skeff, both relevant historical risks and known medical events generate a series of pre-event probabilities of the most likely disease causing a patient's CC. Our trainees have enthusiastically recognized that the AIHPI organization process helps them improve both their ability to deliver well-organized, succinct verbal case presentations and the efficiency of generating and communicating what they think is the most likely disease causing a patient's CC.

TB Peritonitis Mistaken for Ovarian Carcinomatosis Based on an Elevated CA-125.

Background. In the United States, tuberculosis (TB) is of relatively low prevalence and most newly diagnosed patients are born outside of the United States. In addition, a large percentage (20.6%) of TB cases initially present with extrapulmonary manifestations (CDC, 2010). Cases of TB peritonitis are a diagnostic challenge in women due to the nonspecific clinical features overlapping with signs of ovarian cancer. (Kosseifi et al., 2009; Rashed et al., 2007; and Xi et al., 2010). We present a 27 year-old woman thought to have ovarian carcinomatosis based on elevated levels of CA-125 who was ultimately diagnosed with TB salpingitis, endometritis, and peritonitis. Methods. This brief report is a retrospective case report. Results. This case outlines the unfortunate consequences of the misdiagnosis of what probably was an antibiotic responsive illness, resulting in an unnecessarily aggressive surgical procedure. The delay in the diagnosis of tuberculous pertitonitis resulted in an unnecessary radical resection of the patient's reproductive organs. Conclusions. Patients with TB peritonitis present with non-specific signs that may be misdiagnoses as ovarian cancer. In differentiating between ovarian carcinomatosis and peritoneal TB, it is vital to consider country of origin, age, CA-125, ascitic fluid analysis, and the use of intra-operative frozen sections.

Delay in diagnosis of cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis: successful use of mechanical thrombectomy and thrombolysis.

Cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis is a relatively rare condition with a variable presentation that can translate into a difficult workup and a delay in diagnosis and treatment. We describe the successful use of mechanical thrombectomy and thrombolysis in the case of an eighteen-year-old woman that presented with progressive thrombosis of the jugular veins and dural sinuses despite adequate anticoagulation. Our case highlights the need for clinicians to include CVST in the initial differential diagnosis of patients in order to prevent delays and poor outcomes.

Undiagnosed HIV Presenting with Lymphoid Interstitial Pneumonitis.

Undiagnosed or untreated human immunodeficiency virus infection can lead to devastating complications. We present a case of a 41-year-old woman who was found to have HIV-related lymphoid interstitial pneumonitis. LIP is uncommon, and its presentation can be quite similar to that of other chronic lung conditions. This case illustrates one of the possible protean manifestations of untreated HIV and is a sobering reminder of the need to screen all adults for HIV infection. Additionally, further invasive diagnostic testing may be required to guide therapy in patients with advanced acquired immune deficiency syndrome. This patient's LIP was likely related to long-standing unrecognized HIV disease.