Uncommon fracture in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A case report.

Proximal humerus fractures in pediatric patients are uncommon. This is a case report of a 17-year-old patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who sustained an occult proximal humerus fracture. The patient was on chronic steroids and had a history of vertebral and long bone fractures. He was using a wheeled mobility device on public transportation at the time of injury. He had a negative radiograph, but an MRI revealed a right proximal humerus fracture. He had decreased mobilization in the affected extremity, which limited activities of daily living including driving his power wheelchair. After six weeks of conservative management, he returned to his baseline level of activity. It is important to recognize that chronic steroid use adversely affects bone health, and fractures may be missed on initial imaging. To ensure adequate safety, providers, patients, and their families should be educated on the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines for using wheeled mobility devices on public transportation.

Spinal epidural lipomatosis in a pediatric patient with a malignant brain tumor: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) in pediatric patients with concomitant malignant brain neoplasms is rare and can present with rapid deterioration in neurological function. OBSERVATIONS: A 4-year-old boy with SEL became paraplegic 4 months after completion of chemoradiation for his previously resected, intracranial atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor. The patient presented with rapid deterioration in lower extremity sensory and motor function, which, given his oncological history, was concerning for disease progression. Of note, 8 months prior, the patient was started on corticosteroid therapy for respiratory dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed significant progression of lumbosacral SEL requiring surgical decompression with subsequent neurological improvement. LESSONS: When evaluating pediatric patients with primary or metastatic brain tumors with new or worsening myelopathy and motor or sensory deficits, it is important to consider SEL.

A Decade of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Following Orthopedic Wrist Surgery: A Case Report and a Literature Review.

Every day, people of all ages in the United States break bones, with traumatic injury being the most common way, and wrist injury being in the top five most common areas in which bones break. Traumatic fractures are managed with either surgical or nonsurgical approaches. The surgical approach utilizes ortho procedures such as internal fixation and reduction, while the nonsurgical approach consists of procedures like RICE, ace bandage, and so on. However, in rare cases, patients are left with a peculiar constellation of symptoms, which cause edema, pain, skin changes, and loss of function at the trauma site. This occurrence is termed complex regional pain syndrome. Here, we present the case of a 55-year-old female patient who suffered a traumatic wrist injury. The trauma was fixed by pinning ORIF orthopedic surgery, and the patient developed manifestations of complex regional pain syndrome around 10 days postoperatively. In this case report, we describe the variation and complexity of symptoms in the patient over the course of a decade after the original injury. The case report explains the pain management therapies that reduced the patient's symptoms and highlights the ones that were ineffective. We have included some less frequently used yet effective treatments and shed light on how this disease affected the patient's overall well-being.

The impact of chronic steroid use on early postoperative complications in shoulder surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic steroid use has been associated with poor healing and worse long-term outcomes in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery, but the specific risk profile and short-term complications related to chronic steroids in patients undergoing outpatient shoulder surgery are inadequately defined. The purpose of this study is to characterize the effects of chronic steroids on 30-day post-operative complications following arthroscopic and open shoulder surgery. METHODS: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was used to identify patients who underwent arthroscopic and open rotator cuff repair, shoulder stabilization, and associated procedures from 2011 to 2018. Patients on chronic steroids were compared with patients not on chronic steroids. Demographic data and 30-day postoperative complications were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to isolate the effects of chronic steroid use on postoperative complications. RESULTS: We identified 99,970 patients who underwent shoulder surgery during this period, of which 1.7% (1,662 patients) were on chronic steroids. Patients on chronic steroids were older (58.3 ± 0.30vs52.1 ± 0.05 years, p < 0.01), had higher average BMI (30.6 vs 30.1, p = 0.02), and were more likely to be female (54.9%vs38.0%, p < 0.01) and white (76.2%vs73.1%, p < 0.01). Patients on steroids had a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists class, and higher rates of diabetes, CHF, COPD, hypertension, bleeding disorders, and functionally dependency (all P < 0.01). Patients on chronic steroids were less likely to smoke (P < 0.01). Multivariable logistic regression revealed that chronic steroid use was an independent risk factor for major (OR 2.20[1.51-3.21], p < 0.001), minor (OR 2.32[1.13-3.2], p < 0.001), and infectious complications (OR 1.90[1.13-3.2], p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative chronic steroid use is independently associated with increased odds of major, minor, and infectious complications after open and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, shoulder stabilization, and associated procedures. Patients on chronic steroids should be counseled about their increased risk for these complications, and both preoperative risk stratification and optimization should be employed to minimize perioperative risk.

Maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnancies with long-term corticosteroid use.

PURPOSE: Long-term corticosteroids are administered in pregnant patients with an array of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Our objective is to determine whether long-term corticosteroid use is associated with increased maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-national Inpatient Sample from the USA. All pregnant patients on long-term corticosteroids were identified using International Classification of Disease-9 coding from 2003 to 2015. The effect of long-term corticosteroid use on maternal and neonatal outcomes was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Out of the 10,491,798 births included in our study, 3999 were among women with long-term use of steroids, for an overall prevalence of 38 per 100,000 births. There was a steady increase in chronic steroid use from 2 to 81 per 100,000 births over the 13-year study period (p < .0001). Women on long-term steroids were more likely to have pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia, 1.72 (1.30-2.29) and were at greater risk of preterm premature rupture of membranes, 1.63 (1.01-2.44), pyelonephritis, 4.81 (1.18-19.61), and venous thromboembolisms, 2.50 (1.32-4.73). Neonates born from mothers on long-term steroids were more likely to suffer from prematurity, 1.51 (1.13-2.05), and lower weight for gestational age, 2.10 (1.34-3.30). CONCLUSION: Long-term corticosteroids use in pregnancy is associated with maternal and fetal adverse outcomes. These patients would benefit from close follow-up throughout their pregnancy to minimize complications.

Strongyloides Hyperinfection Causing Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Bacteremia in an Immunocompromised Patient.

Strongyloidiasis is a parasitic infestation caused by Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis). Most cases are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic with respiratory, gastrointestinal, or non-specific cutaneous symptoms. However, in immunocompromised patients, such as patients on chronic corticosteroids, malignancy, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, hyperinfection syndrome can occur. The following is a case of Strongyloides hyperinfection in an individual taking prednisone for uveitis who developed upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleed and gram-negative bacteremia.