Unnecessary Delay In Diagnosis Research Articles

Isolated Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis in ENT: A Commonly Missed Diagnosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) constitutes 15-20% of TB cases in general practice among HIV-negative adults in India. The head and neck region provides an impressive field of research because of its varied presentations and different sites of involvement. TB may often mimic malignancy and is misdiagnosed, which leads to an unnecessary delay in diagnosis. Through this study, we aim to draw focus on the various ways in which isolated extrapulmonary TB manifests in today's clinical practice in the head and neck region. Prospective analysis of 60 patients diagnosed with TB in a simple random sampling over 1year. The period of study was from July 2022 to June 2023. All those patients who presented to the ENT OPD of Civil Hospital of Asarwa. Patients with complete clinical data were included in the study. In our study patients in the 3rd and 4th decade of life were most commonly affected and a male preponderance of the disease was seen. The most common presentation of EPTB in the head and neck region is cervical lymphadenitis, followed by tuberculous otitis media and laryngeal TB. Each of these has a characteristic clinical presentation that helps to identify this disease. Fine needle aspiration cytology is a very efficient cytopathological examination method that helps in the diagnosis of the disease. Special care should be taken in patients in whom other routine conventional medical and surgical therapy fail to show the desired outcome. Special care and a high degree of suspicion are needed to diagnose extrapulmonary TB. Once rightly diagnosed, it will prevent the progression of the disease and its complications.

P 92 Limbic encephalitis with Contactin-associated protein like-2 (CASPR2) -antibodies: acute psychosis with late onset and abnormal EEG

Introduction: Contactin-associated protein like-2 (CASPR2)- autoantibodies are associated with distinctive syndromes 1 , such as agrypnia excitata, psychosis, neuromytonia and limbic encephalitis. All of them are highly responsive to immunotherapy. The target of these directly pathogenetic autoantibodies are surface-exposed domains of CASPR2 2 . Due to the fact of multiple variations of clinical presentations, it may be challenging to distinguish particular an autoimmune encephalitis associated with anti-neuronal autoantibodies, from primary psychiatric disorders such as psychosis. First medical treatment should be immediate immunotherapy, such as steroids, intravenous antibodies or plasma exchange given fast diagnosis of encephalitis is made. In our case the EEG showed focal slow waves with the clinical presentation of an acute psychosis which leaded to an admission to the neurology ward and further investigations. Patient and methods: A 75-years-old man was hospitalized on a psychiatric ward for psychotic symptoms characterized by psychomotor agitation, thought disorganization, persecutory delusions and auditory hallucinations with commanding voices and global insomnia. Cerebral Imaging with cMRI and cCT scan showed no acute abnormalities. EEG showed focal intermittent slow delta-theta wave activity (4-6 Hz) on the left temporal lobe, reactive to visual stimuli and provided focal cerebral dysfunction and pathology. CSF did not reveal any evidence of infection, but CASPR2- autoantibodies (1:10.000) were indentified and the diagnosis of limbic encephalitis with CASPR2-antibodies was made. Treatment with high dose dexamethasone and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was made and the clinical conditions improved. Conclusion: Fast and first medical treatment of autoimmune encephalitis should be initiated in early stages. To avoid an unnecessary delay in diagnosis and treatment, EEG, cMRI and expanded CSF examination should be performed as soon as possible to prevent severe disability in patients with limbic encephalitis with CASPR2-antibodies.

Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography Image-Based Radiomics for Discriminating Vertebral Bone Metastases From Benign Bone Lesions in Patients With Tumors.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography (SPECT/CT) image-based radiomics in differentiating bone metastases from benign bone lesions in patients with tumors.Methods: A total of 192 lesions from 132 patients (134 in the training group, 58 in the validation group) diagnosed with vertebral bone metastases or benign bone lesions were enrolled. All images were evaluated and diagnosed independently by two physicians with more than 20 years of diagnostic experience for qualitative classification, the images were imported into MaZda software in Bitmap (BMP) format for feature extraction. All radiomics features were selected by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and 10-fold cross-validation algorithms after the process of normalization and correlation analysis. Based on these selected features, two models were established: The CT model and SPECT model (radiomics features were derived from CT and SPECT images, respectively). In addition, a combination model (ComModel) combined CT and SPECT features was developed in order to better evaluate the predictive performance of radiomics models. Subsequently, the diagnostic performance between each model was separately evaluated by a confusion matrix.Results: There were 12, 13, and 18 features contained within the CT, SPECT, and ComModel, respectively. The constructed radiomics models based on SPECT/CT images to discriminate between bone metastases and benign bone lesions not only had high diagnostic efficacy in the training group (AUC of 0.894, 0.914, 0.951 for CT model, SPECT model, and ComModel, respectively), but also performed well in the validation group (AUC; 0.844, 0.871, 0.926). The AUC value of the human experts was 0.849 and 0.839 in the training and validation groups, respectively. Furthermore, both SPECT model and ComModel show higher classification performance than human experts in the training group (P = 0.021 and P = 0.001, respectively) and the validation group (P = 0.037 and P = 0.007, respectively). All models showed better diagnostic accuracy than human experts in the training group and the validation group.Conclusion: Radiomics derived from SPECT/CT images could effectively discriminate between bone metastases and benign bone lesions. This technique may be a new non-invasive way to help prevent unnecessary delays in diagnosis and a potential contribution in disease staging and treatment planning.

Ethambutol Induced Ocular Toxicity in Patients Receiving “Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course” Therapy

Background: To determine the frequency of Ocular toxicity due to Ethambutol in Category-1 patients after receiving DOTS therapy. Methods: Category-1 tuberculosis patients of 15-60 years (both gender) with normal ocular parameters on ophthalmological assessment at time of initiation of DOTS therapy were included in the study. A total of 242 eyes (121 patients) were studied for any change in the vision or occurrence of any other ocular symptom while on the Ethambutol treatment. Each patient was followed up for Ethambutol compliance status at the completion of one month and again at two months of treatment, all the ophthalmological assessments for ocular toxicity were repeated for every selected patient. Category-2 patients with sputum smear positive who have relapsed, who have treatment failure or who are receiving treatment after treatment interruption were excluded from the study. The patient’s information was gathered on a specifically designed proforma. The information on the proforma was filled by the researchers themselves. Results: Out of 121 patients (242 eyes), 64 (52.9%) were males and 57 (47.1%) were females. There was no sign of ocular toxicity after a month period. However, after second month ocular toxicity was developed in 02 (1.65%) of the patients. Besides, decrease in visual acuity, color vision abnormalities, decrease in contrast sensitivity, and optic disc abnormalities were also observed in these 02 patients. Conclusion: There is a possibility of the occurrence of ocular toxicity when the Ethambutol is taken by the tuberculosis patients. Thus, the early identification of ocular symptoms and signs is vital to avoid unnecessary delay in diagnosis and probable irreversible visual loss.

Abstract 10435: A Plea for Inclusion of Surface Echocardiography for Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Algorithm

Background: The AHA/ACC guidelines algorithm for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) does not include echocardiographic evaluation in the assessment of chest pain. Such patients may be subjected to interventions based on ECG leading invasive procedures which may prove unnecessary. This study was performed to determine if a bedside echocardiography would help identify the conditions that do not need intervention and might possibly change the treatment pathway at the right time. Methods: In a prospective observational study design, adult patients presenting to acute emergency care with chest pain were included in the study. Patients exhibiting a significant ST change on a 12-lead ECG were subjected to bedside echocardiography, i.e. 2D transthoracic echocardiography (2D-TTE) The findings of echocardiography were correlated with ECG and coronary angiography for possible percutaneous coronary intervention. Results: Among the 385 patients in the study, 312 suffered acute coronary syndrome. In 18.7% patients presented to acute emergency care with chest pain, ST-T changes and were found to have causes other than ACS; and bedside echocardiography (2D-TTE) was able to identify 90.4% of those cases. From this study we conclude that bedside echocardiography had high specificity (90.4%) and sensitivity (97.43%) in identifying regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA) due to ACS and exclude non-ischemic causes of chest pain. Conclusion: Bedside echocardiography is recommended in patients with chest pain and ST-segment abnormality to avoid unnecessary delay in diagnosis and invasive interventions in non-acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Hence it is reasonable to include bedside echocardiography in either box 3 or 4 in the ACS algorithm.

Socio-Economic Disparities in Access to Diagnostic Neuroimaging Services in the United Kingdom: A Systematic Review.

Socio-economic factors affecting health care can lead to delays in diagnosis of neurological conditions, consequentially affecting treatment and morbidity rates. This inequality in health care can leave patients from lower socio-economic backgrounds more vulnerable to a poorer quality of care from health care providers in the United Kingdom (U.K.). Aims: In this systematic review, we assess the impact of socio-economic status on the use of diagnostic neuroimaging in the U.K., measured by the timeliness, accessibility and appropriate use of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasonography, electroencephalography (EEG) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We specifically evaluate the non-surgical use of neuroimaging techniques as this relies on the judgment of primary care-givers (e.g., doctors and radiologists), where health disparities are most common. This study includes the analysis of diagnostic imaging used for dementia, minor head injury, stroke, cancer, epilepsy, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and Parkinson’s disease. With this study, we aim to assess the health inequalities at disease diagnosis. Methods: Using Medline (via Ovid), PubMed and Web of Science databases as sources of information, we critically appraise existing studies on neuroimaging use in the U.K. health care system, published between January 2010 and February 2021. Findings: A total of 18 studies were included in this research, revealing that there was an increase in patients of Black and Asian communities diagnosed with dementia and at an earlier age. There was little evidence to suggest that a lack of access to diagnostic imaging is associated with socio-economic status. However, there are data to suggest that people of a lower socio-economic background require more specialist services with diagnostic neuroimaging tools. In addition, there is evidence to suggest that diagnostic neuroimaging techniques could be utilised more effectively by health care workers to prevent unnecessary delays in diagnosis for patients in lower socio-economic areas.

Recommendation for Inclusion of Surface Echocardiography in Evaluation of Chest Pain in Acute Emergency Care

Abstract Objective A significant number of conditions may mimic acute myocardial infarction when patients present to acute emergency care (AEC) with chest pain. A proportion of such patients may exhibit ST segment abnormality on the electrocardiogram (ECG) which is due to conditions other than acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or myocardial infarction. The American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines (2015) algorithm for ACS does not include echocardiographic evaluation in the assessment of chest pain. Patients with chest pain may be subjected to investigations and interventions based on ECG leading unwarranted invasive procedures, which may prove unnecessary, futile, and even detrimental. This study was performed to determine if a bedside echocardiography would help identify the conditions that do not need intervention and might possibly change the treatment pathway at the right time. Materials and Methods In a prospective observational study design, adult patients presenting to AEC with chest pain were included in the study. After the assessment of airway, breathing and circulation, and initiation of bed side monitoring, a 12-lead ECG was obtained. Patients exhibiting a significant ST change on ECG were subjected to bedside echocardiography, that is, two-dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography (2D-TTE) with a cross reference to a consultant cardiologist for the precise assessment and diagnosis. The findings of echocardiography were correlated with electrocardiogram for possible diagnostic coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention. The results of ECG, echocardiography, and coronary angiography (if done) were analyzed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of echocardiography for ACS. Results Among 385 patients in the study, 312 were suspected to suffer acute coronary syndrome; among these patients, eight patients turned out to have chest pain due to non-ACS. Of the 73 patients, the chest pain was suspected to be not of cardiac ischemia origin; among these patients, 66 patients were true negative and 7 patients were false positive. Echocardiography was the predictive of ischemic chest pain with a predictive value of 97.7%. The specificity of echocardiography calculated from the above confusion matrix was 90.4% and sensitivity was 97.4%. The positive predictive value of 2D-TTE was 97.7% and negative predictive value was 89.1%. The overall accuracy of bedside 2D-TTE was 96.1%. Conclusion Echocardiography was found to be an effective tool in aiding diagnosis of a patient presenting to AEC with chest pain and ST-T changes in ECG. A significant percentage of patients (18.7%) presented to AEC with chest pain, ST-T changes and found to have causes other than ACS, and screening echocardiography (2D-TTE) was able to identify 90.4% of those cases. From this study, we conclude that bedside echocardiography had high specificity (90.4%) and sensitivity (97.43%) in identifying regional wall motion abnormality due to ACS. Hence, bedside echocardiography is recommended in patients with chest pain and ST-segment abnormality to avoid unnecessary delay in diagnosis and invasive interventions in non-ACS.

Clinical impact of targeted single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) bone scintigraphy on the assessment of bone metastasis in cancer patients.

We investigated the clinical impact of single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) bone scintigraphy combined with 16-slice CT on metastatic workup and treatment planning in a large cancer patient series. Between January 2019 and January 2020, a total of 600 cancer patients were prospectively evaluated with whole-body planar bone scan (wbPBS) for staging or restaging purposes. 272/600 had equivocal lesions on wbPBS and 265/272 underwent additionally a targeted SPECT/CT bone scintigraphy on designated regions. Findings were classified as benign (score 1), metastatic (score 2) and inconclusive (score 3). Findings from SPECT/CT bone scintigraphy were compared with the results of wbPBS. A total of 668 lesions were considered as unclear οn wbPBS and were re-evaluated through targeted SPECT/CT bone scintigraphy. Definite diagnostic findings on SPECT/CT bone scintigraphy were obtained in 227/265 (85.7%) patients and in 592/668 (88.6%) lesions vs. 15.4% of wbPBS alone. On per-patient analyses, 38.9% of patients were considered definitely nonmetastatic and 46.8% as definitely metastatic. On per lesion analyses using SPECT/CT bone scintigraphy, corresponding diagnostic rates were 47.5 and 41.2%. Although the addition of SPECT/CT bone scintigraphy significantly reduced the rate of equivocal wbPBS results (83.1%), it failed to provide a conclusive diagnosis in a relatively small proportion of lesions 76/668 (11.4%) in 38 patients. SPECT/CT bone scintigraphy afforded a significant reduction of the number of patients with equivocal findings who needed further evaluation with other imaging modalities, preventing unnecessary delays in diagnosis and potential changes in disease staging and treatment planning. Moreover, SPECT/CT bone scintigraphy slightly increased diagnostic sensitivity.

Vertigo in children: Our experiences at a tertiary care teaching hospital of eastern India

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the vertigo among pediatric age presenting to the vertigo clinic at the department of otorhinolaryngology of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: Patient records of 108 children under the age of 18 years with vertigo as the chief complaint examined at vertigo clinic, the department of otorhinolaryngology of tertiary care teaching hospital between January 2015 and March 2020. All the data were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical presentations, laboratory tests including audiological and vestibular tests were analyzed. Results: This study consisted 108 children with 66 girls (61.11%) and 42 boys (38.88%) between the age of 4 and 18 years (mean age, 12.4 years). The most common etiology for pediatric vertigo in this study was vestibular migraine (VM) followed by benign paroxysmal vertigo of children and vestibular neuritis. The duration of vertigo attacks occurred in seconds in 29 children (26.85%), min in 45 children (41.66%), hours in 27 children (25%), and more than 24 h in 7 children (6.48%). Conclusion: VM was found to be a more common diagnosis in pediatric vertigo, although several peripheral vestibular causes were diagnosed. Proper evaluation of vertigo in children should be done with thorough neuro-otologic examination. Other multidisciplinary team members should be there during evaluation of vertigo in children to avoid unnecessary delay in diagnosis and treatment.

Psychological Aspects of Congenital Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism.

Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism/Kallmann syndrome (CHH/KS) is a rare, treatable form of infertility. Like other rare disease patients, individuals with CHH/KS frequently experience feelings of isolation, shame, and alienation. Unlike many rare diseases, CHH/KS is not life threatening and effective treatments are available. Nevertheless, it remains a profoundly life-altering condition with psychosocial distress on a par with untreatable or life-limiting disease. Patients with CHH/KS frequently express lasting adverse psychological, emotional, social, and psychosexual effects resulting from disrupted puberty. They also frequently experience a “diagnostic odyssey,” characterized by distressing and convoluted medical referral pathways, lack-of-information, misinformation, and sometimes-incorrect diagnoses. Unnecessary delays in diagnosis and treatment-initiation can significantly contribute to poor body image and self-esteem. Such experiences can erode confidence and trust in medical professionals as well as undermine long-term adherence to treatment–with negative sequelae on health and wellbeing. This review provides a summary of the psychological aspects of CHH/KS and outlines an approach to comprehensive care that spans medical management as well as appropriate attention, care and referrals to peer-to-peer support and mental health services to ameliorate the psychological aspects of CHH/KS.

Delayed presentation of congenital diaphragmatic hernia masquerading as pulmonary tuberculosis in a 4-year-old girl

Diaphragmatic hernias are defined as congenital or acquired defect in the diaphragm. It is said to be the most common intra-thoracic fetal anomaly with an incidence of 1 in 2200 to 3000 live births and male to female ratio of 2:1.The unusual and misleading presentation of this condition which would cause an unnecessary delay in diagnosis and all the attendant consequences (such as intestinal obstruction) is hereby presented. The role of plain chest Xray which is cheap and readily available in salvaging the confusing clinical scenario has been emphasized. Late presenting CDH should be factored in the differential diagnosis of any child with chronic cough. Delay in diagnosis increases chances of complication such as chronic lung diseases and gastro-esophageal reflux, later in adulthood.

Four seasons of Czech asthma study: asthma characteristics and management reality in the Czech Republic

Objective: To describe the characteristics and management of asthma in clinical practice in the Czech Republic in the context of international guidelines and clinical realities.Methods: Data were collected over four seasons from summer 2016 to spring 2017 and are mostly presented using descriptive statistics.Results: We obtained valid data for 4557 adult patients with asthma, including detailed phenotyping (71% eosinophilic allergic, 10% eosinophilic non-allergic, 19% non-eosinophilic non-allergic asthma) from 58 allergologists and 56 pulmonologists. The average time to diagnosis was 3 years. In more than half of the subjects, bronchodilator testing (BDT) results were available at primary diagnosis. More than 10% of physicians did not test for mold allergy. Occupational asthma was diagnosed in 0.7% of subjects. According to the attending physician, 68% of patients had well-controlled and 10% had uncontrolled asthma. Ninety-four percent of patients were on preventive treatment, with 91% using an inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) at an average dose of 705 µg/day budesonide equivalent. Approximately 75% of patients were on an ICS/LABA, with 91% using fixed combinations. Among patients using ICS/formoterol, a maintenance and reliever therapy regime was prescribed in 67%.Conclusions: The quality of asthma management in the Czech Republic is comparable to that of other developed countries and better in some respects (frequent BDT, phenotyping, and use of preventive treatment). Nevertheless, there is unnecessary delay in diagnosis and lack of research on possible environmental causes (workplace, molds). Pharmacotherapy shows good adherence to guidelines. Although 10% of patients show poor control, there is concurrently a trend for overtreatment.

Feasibilty of early surgical intervention for acute appendicitis in gravid patients

Background: Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical non-obstetric pathology during pregnancy. Unnecessary hesitation and hence delay in surgical intervention for acute appendicitis in pregnancy is common. In this background, while attempting early suspicion and surgical intervention (appendectomy) in our patients, we encountered no mortality and no significant morbidity in the in immediate postoperative period. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was carried over a period of 3.5 years from June 2012 to November 2015, in the department of surgery, GMC (Government Medical College) Srinagar. Patients included were only those who had features of acute appendicitis on clinical grounds and/or imaging studies (ultrasound). Objective: Our aim was to study the feasibility of early suspicion and surgical intervention in patients with features of acute appendicitis in pregnancy. Results: The mean age of the patients was 28.84 years, ranging from 21 to 38 years. The mean gestational age of our patient cohort was 17.4 weeks (6-35 weeks). Majority of the patients presented in the 2nd trimester (55.9%) followed by 1st trimester (29.4%). The Alvarado score of the patients ranged from 5 to 9 (mean 6.76). WBC (white blood cell count) of our patients ranged from 5800 to 22400 (average 14150). Neutrophill count ranged from 64.4% to 92.2% (mean 79.20%). USG diagonosed 20 patients as acute appendicitis (58.82%) and 14 patients as negative for appendicitis (41.2%) with a sensitivity of 60.6% and specificity of 71.42 %. Intraoperatively 31 patients (22 inflamed and 9 perforated) had features of acute appendicitis, one had early lump formation, and two had grossly normal appendix. All patients were followed up strictly for 2 months postoperatively and no obstetrical complication was recorded. Conclusion: Diagnosis of acute appendicitis in pregnancy can be difficult; however, surgical intervention should be performed with any suspicion. Fetal morbidity and mortality are high in the presence of perforation and generalized peritonitis. For minimizing the unnecessary delay in diagnosis and surgery, high clinical suspicion can only be supplemented and not replaced by imaging studies. Ultrasound is not only safe in pregnancy but also easily available and affordable. The decision to perform laparotomy should be based on clinical findings and diagnostic imaging. Delays over 24 hours for intervention increase the risk of perforation. We noted no immediate fetal or other major complications in our patients, hence we recommend early surgical intervention in patients with suspicion of acute appendicitis in pregnancy. There is also need for some unequivocal diagnostic scoring system which should be highly predictive of acute appendicitis in pregnancy, early in the course of disease before giving way to complications.

Management of adverse events related to new cancer immunotherapy (immune checkpoint inhibitors).

New immunotherapies have significantly improved survival in certain advanced cancers in recent years, particularly metastatic melanoma and lung cancer. The most effective of these therapies are the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as ipilimumab, nivolumab and pembrolizumab. The use of ICIs will continue to increase in the coming years as evidence of their benefit in a range of other cancers builds. ICIs are associated with novel immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which can involve a wide range of organs. The most common irAEs involve the skin (rash, pruritus), gastrointestinal tract (diarrhoea, colitis) and endocrine system (thyroid, pituitary). While severity is generally mild, life-threatening complications can occur if not recognised and treated promptly. Due to the diverse manifestations of irAEs, patients may present to doctors who are not familiar with these drugs, which creates the potential for delays in management. Management of irAEs depends on severity and the organ affected. Systemic steroids are often required and ICI therapy may be withheld or discontinued. Additional immunosuppressive medications may be necessary in steroid-refractory cases. This review provides an overview of the potential toxicities and their management for general clinicians. Broader awareness of these issues among medical professionals will hopefully reduce unnecessary delays in diagnosis and treatment. Patient and carer education regarding irAEs is extremely important; patients and carers should be advised to seek urgent medical attention if required.

Acquired Small Intestinal Angioedema Presenting as a Paraneoplastic Phenomenon Related to Lymphoma

Aim: To describe a case of acquired small intestinal angioedema presenting as a paraneoplastic phenomenon related to lymphoma. Case report: A 36 yo female presented with acute nondescript, upper abdominal pain. The pain was variably exacerbated by food intake and tensing her abdominal musculature. She was taking no medications. Physical exam revealed mild epigastric tenderness. Laboratory evaluation revealed pancytopenia, an elevated PT INR = 1.5 and a PTT =46.2 s (N=26.8-39.5). A CT scan suggested edema at the root of the mesentery and splenomegaly. The etiology of her pain was initially unclear and the gastroenterologist who evaluated the patient believed that the illness was unlikely to be related to a primary gastrointestinal disorder and the probability of a preeminent hematologic process was suggested. While a hematology consultation was sought, her pain escalated and a repeat CT showed the evolution of segmental jejunal mural thickening with submucosal edema (see Figure 1). The hematologist was immediately suspicious of the possibility of lymphoma with acquired angioedema of the small bowel. A bone marrow biopsy revealed involvement with B-cell lymphoma. A blood C4 level was 8 mg/dl (N= 9-36) and a blood C1 esterase inhibitor level was 12 mg/dl (N= 21-39). The patient was transferred to a tertiary center specializing in hematologic/oncologic care. She underwent left axillary lymph node biopsy, and a diagnosis of marginal zone lymphoma was confirmed. She was treated with rituximab and after 2 years, she remains in remission. Angioedema ordinarily involves the skin, respiratory and/or gastrointestinal tract. Since acquired angioedema related to C1 esterase deficiency and lymphoproliferative disease was initially reported nearly 40 years ago, the disorder has been associated with a variety of hematologic processes. When associated with a hematologic disease, angioedema can on rare occasion be associated with a normal C1 esterase level and auto antibodies which cause inactivation and qualitative dysfunction of this protein.Figure 1Conclusion: From the gastroenterological perspective, it should be noted that angioedema can affect multiple organs simultaneously, but it can involve the gastrointestinal tract alone, as in this case. When acquired angioedema occurs and is not associated with exposure to drugs and toxins, the scenario should raise the specter of an underlying hematologic disorder to avoid an unnecessary delay in diagnosis.

Role of Laparoscopy - A Diagnostic Aid, its Indications & Benefits

Patients with an obscure and unrelievable abdominal condition may be forced to receive open laparotomy for diagnosis. Diagnostic Laparoscopy has been suggested as an alternative to diagnostic laparotomy in selected cases. It is a prospective descriptive study in which, thirty one patients under-going diagnostic Laparoscopy using conventional pneumoperitoneal techniques from January 2000 to June 2002 were included in this study. The correlation between preoperative diagnosis. laparoscopic diagnosis and pathologic diagnosis as well as the outcome of laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment have been assessed. Major indications for diagnostic Laparoscopy included acute abdominal pain (n=9). chronic abdominal pain (n=13), different intraabdominal tumor (n=7). All patients with acute abdominal conditions. 8 of the 13 patients with chronic abdominal pain and 4 of the 7 patients with abdominal tumors had no reasons for a further exploratory procedure, thus preventing the morbidity or mortality which might occur after unnecessary laparotomy. Diagnostic Laparoscopy benefits patients by avoiding unnecessary surgery. avoiding unnecessary delay in diagnosis and treatment and shortening the operative and hospitalized period. However. it provides only an alternative not a substitute for traditional diagnostic procedures and will never lessen the importance of conventional laparotomy.

Concepts in monitoring enthesitis in patients with spondylarthritis--the role of musculoskeletal ultrasound.

Enthesitis is the key pathological lesion in the spondyloarthritides group and an important element for early diagnosis with a predictive and prognostic value. The recognition of enthesitis on a clinical basis alone remains a challenge and creates unnecessary delays in diagnosis and adequate treatment commencement. Musculoskeletal ultrasound is a valid, reliable, and feasible imaging tool valuable for identifying inflammatory and structural lesions at enthesis level, helpful in establishing a diagnosis, evaluating disease activity and therapy monitoring. This paper focuses on the most relevant aspects of current literature regarding enthesitis and highlights the musculoskeletal ultrasound added value in enthesis assessment.

A prospective study of ocular toxicity in patients receiving ethambutol as a part of directly observed treatment strategy therapy.

Background and Objectives:India is among the largest countries to implement the revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP). This program provides intermittent regimens to the patients, where the doses of isoniazid and ethambutol are more as compared to the daily regimen, which is a cause of concern, particularly with regard to the ocular toxicity of ethambutol. The present study was undertaken to explore the ocular toxicity in the patients registered under the program.Materials and Methods:This was a prospective single center cohort study of 64 patients of categories I and II, coming to the RNTCP-Directly Observed Treatment Strategy (DOTS) center at a tertiary care referral hospital. The detailed history, best corrected visual acuity, fundus examination, and color vision test were carried out in all patients at the start of treatment and then at the first and second month of treatment.Results:Loss in visual acuity from the baseline was noted at the second month follow up in 12 (9.4%) eyes (P = 0.001), visual field defects were seen in eight (6.3%) eyes (P = 0.0412), and optic disc abnormalities were observed in six (4.7%) (P = 0.013) eyes. Color vision abnormalities were noted in 16 (12.6%) eyes (P = 0.003), four eyes showed impairment in red–green color perception, and the others showed impairment in blue–yellow color perception as well. Patients with ocular symptoms were advised to stop ethambutol and they showed improvement in visual acuity after follow up of one to two months. The overall outcome of treatment was not affected by discontinuation of ethambutol in these patients.Conclusion:Ethambutol when taken according to program could cause ocular toxicity. The early recognition of ocular symptoms is important to prevent unnecessary delay in diagnosis and probable irreversible visual loss.

Candida esophagitis: Feathery appearance as a new sign on barium esophagogram

The characteristic appearance of Candida esophagitis on barium studies is that of diffuse discrete mucosal plaques, which may become confluent to form 'cobblestone or shaggy' esophagus. Many authors have also reported different radiographic findings such as a foamy appearance in florid esophageal candidiasis in immunocompromised patients. This report discusses a “feathery” appearance seen in barium esophagography of a 74-year-old woman who presented with dysphagia. The barium swallow showed fine out- pouching giving a “feathery” appearance, which is similar to what is described as pseudo-diverticulosis in patients with esophagitis complicating gastro-esophageal reflux disease. A diagnosis of esophagitis presumably due to candidiasis was made. This was confirmed by fungal studies on biopsy specimen following flexible esophagoscopy. Radiologists should be aware of this rare manifestation as a new sign of Candida esophagitis in order to avoid unnecessary delay in diagnosis and treatment.

High prevalence of early hypothalamic-pituitary damage in childhood brain tumor survivors: need for standardized follow-up programs.

Childhood brain tumor survivors (CBTS) are at increased risk to develop endocrine disorders. Alerted by two cases who experienced delay in diagnosis of endocrine deficiencies within the first 5 years after brain tumor diagnosis, our aim was to investigate the current screening strategy and the prevalence of endocrine disorders in survivors of a childhood brain tumor outside of the hypothalamic-pituitary region, within the first 5 years after diagnosis. Firstly, we performed a retrospective study of 47 CBTS treated in our center, diagnosed between 2008 and 2012. Secondly, the literature was reviewed for the prevalence of endocrine disorders in CBTS within the first 5 years after diagnosis. Of 47 CBTS eligible for evaluation, in 34% no endocrine parameters had been documented at all during follow up. In the other 66%, endocrine parameters had been inconsistently checked, with different parameters at different time intervals. In 19% of patients an endocrine disorder was found. At literature review 22 studies were identified. The most common reported endocrine disorder within the first 5 years after diagnosis was growth hormone deficiency (13-100%), followed by primary gonadal dysfunction (0-91%) central hypothyroidism (0-67%) and primary/subclinical hypothyroidism (range 0-64%). Endocrine disorders are frequently seen within the first 5 years after diagnosis of a childhood brain tumor outside of the hypothalamic-pituitary region. Inconsistent endocrine follow up leads to unnecessary delay in diagnosis and treatment. Endocrine care for this specific population should be improved and standardized. Therefore, high-quality studies and evidence based guidelines are warranted.