Hearts of stone: Rapidly progressive left ventricular myocardial calcifications in severe sepsis: Case series.

Rapidly progressive left ventricular myocardial calcification (RPLVMC) is a rare phenomenon of severe sepsis which is associated with long-term complications like irreversible cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias. To date, only 19 cases have been reported in literature. We present a case series of two patients with RPLVMC which manifested within a period of days in the setting of severe sepsis. Unique to previous case reports, the patients in the current case series had no pre-existing systemic risk factors such as end-stage kidney disease or endocrinological dysfunction. This case series aims to increase awareness of RPLVMC in severe sepsis, improve its opportunistic detection on routine medical imaging (namely chest x-ray and computed tomography), and spur future research to develop potential prevention strategies.

Current concepts and new trends in management of isolated triangular fibrocartilage complex injuries.

The triangular fibrocartilaginous complex is made of multiple components, of which the palmar and dorsal radioulnar ligaments play an important role in distal radioulnar joint stability. The ulnar wrist ligaments may be injured during forearm and wrist trauma. There are several aspects of triangular fibrocartilaginous complex management that are still open to debate. The aim of the present study was to review the current concepts and discuss emerging trends to better elucidate and treat this important ligament complex.Level of evidence: V.

Preauricular sulcus: Radiological incidence in the female gender in a multicultural population.

INTRODUCTION: The preauricular sulcus is a bony groove seen on the inferior aspect of the iliac bone. It is thought and accepted to be an indicator of female gender. To our knowledge, this study would be the first to examine the sulcal incidence in a multicultural population. To date, there are limited studies to also test the existing hypothesis that the sulcus is only seen in the female gender. The results of this study would be applicable to the field of forensic medicine and gender identification in the post-mortem setting. METHODS: Retrospective review of 500 adult pelvic X-ray radiographs (250 female and 250 male) obtained as part of routine medical care in a metropolitan public health service (encompassing three hospitals) was performed. The radiographs were examined by two post-FRANZCR examination senior registrars who recorded their results independently. RESULTS: The mean age of the female population was 70.1 years, and the mean age of the male population was 75.5 years. This study found that the preauricular sulcus is only present in the female pelvis. The incidence was 41.2% (103 of 250) in the examined female patient population. The sulcal incidence in this study was also found to be significantly higher than previously reported in prior studies. CONCLUSION: This study supports the previous notion that the presence of preauricular sulcus in a pelvic specimen would indicate the female gender. The absence of the sulcus does not necessarily confer the male gender.