Rejected

Inflammation of the meningeal linings of the central nervous system (CNS), also known as meningitis, is one of the serious presentations in the emergency because it carries high morbidity and mortality. The most common cause is pus-producing organisms. However, non-suppurative meningitis, termed aseptic meningitis, is another cause of meningeal inflammation. Many etiologies stand behind aseptic meningitis. Those etiologies include viral and non-viral, drug-induced, malignancy, and systemic inflammation. Drug-induced aseptic meningitis is a rare type of meningitis. Although it is easily treated, it can be a challenging disease if not present in the differential diagnosis. It is commonly associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Nonetheless, other medications have been also reported to cause aseptic meningitis, including antibiotics. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is one of the most prescribed antibiotics as a prophylactic and therapeutic drug due to its effectiveness and low cost. Although immunocompromised patients are at a higher risk to develop aseptic meningitis, immunocompetent patients are also at risk. Unrelated to the source of the infection, TMP-SMX carries a risk of aseptic meningitis and should be considered as an etiology in patients presenting with meningeal signs and symptoms. Hereby, we report a young immunocompetent patient who developed aseptic meningitis eight days after being prescribed TMP-SMX. Like all drug-induced aseptic meningitis, all his symptoms resolved two days after stopping the medication.

 is a protozoan that results in the commonly diagnosed giardiasis. Due to its prevalence and incidence worldwide, it is essential to recognize the different presentations of giardiasis, routes of transmission, modalities of diagnosis, treatments, and complications. Diagnostic modalities have evolved over the years and can be achieved reliably through noninvasive stool testing. Endoscopic duodenal aspirate and biopsies can also be used; however, they yield lower sensitivity and specificity rates and are therefore not used as a first-line modality for diagnosing giardiasis. Nonetheless, its use should be considered in cases with high suspicion and unremarkable stool testing. Herein, we discuss the case of a 27-year-old male with chronic weight loss and abdominal pain for six months diagnosed with through a duodenal biopsy.

Phaeochromocytoma is a rare catecholamine-producing tumour. We present the case of phaeochromocytoma in a young man with a background history of a double-lung transplant for cystic fibrosis (CF). Clinical case: A 25-year-old man, with a background history of CF, CF-related diabetes (CFRD) and a double-lung transplant in 2012 was presented to the emergency department with crampy abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. He was diagnosed with distal intestinal obstructions syndrome (DIOS). Contrast-enhanced CT imaging of the abdomen and pelvis showed a 3.4 cm right adrenal lesion. This was confirmed by a subsequent MRI of adrenal glands that demonstrated moderate FDG uptake, suggestive of a diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma. The patient was noted to be hypertensive with a blood pressure averaging 170/90 mm/Hg despite treatment with three different anti-hypertensive medications – amlodipine, telmisartan and doxazosin. He had hypertension for the last 3 years and had noted increasingly frequent sweating episodes recently, without palpitations or headache. Laboratory analysis showed elevated plasma normetanephrines (NMN) of 3167 pmol/L (182-867) as well as elevated metanephrines (MN) of 793 pmol/L (61-377) and a high 3-MT of 257 pmol/L (<185). Once cathecholamine excess was identified biochemically, we proceeded to functional imaging to further investigate. MIBG scan showed a mild increase in the uptake of tracer to the right adrenal gland compared to the left. The case was discussed at a multidisciplinary (MDT) meeting at which the diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma was made. Following a challenging period of 4 weeks to control the patient's blood pressure with an alpha-blocker and beta-blocker, the patient had an elective right adrenalectomy, with normalisation of his blood pressure post-surgery. The histopathology of the excised adrenal gland was consistent with a 3 cm phaeochromocytoma with no adverse features associated with malignant potential.

The aims of this study were to evaluate wear on the surface of cobalt-chromium (CoCr) femoral components used in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and compare the wear of these components with that of ceramic femoral components.

Sinomenine (SINO), which is used clinically to treat rheumatoid arthritis and neuralgia, is derived from the root and stems of . SINO has been reported to exert analgesic, sedative and anti-inflammatory effects, and provides a protective role against shock and organ damage. Studies have suggested that SINO primarily exerts it anti-inflammatory function by inhibiting NF-κB signaling. There is also evidence to indicate that SINO may regulate inflammation Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) signaling. The present study aimed to investigate whether the anti-inflammatory and cerebral protective effects of SINO were induced through Nrf2 both and . The results revealed that SINO significantly upregulated Nrf2 protein expression levels, increased Nrf2 nuclear translocation and the upregulated the protein expression levels of downstream factors. The treatment of a middle cerebral artery occlusion model mice with SINO effectively reduced cerebral damage and inflammation, and restored the balance in cerebral oxidative stress. In addition, SINO treatment also promoted Nrf2-dependent microglia M1/M2 polarization and inhibited the phosphorylation of IκBα as well as NF-κB nuclear translocation. This revealed an important upstream event that contributed to its anti-inflammatory and cerebral tissue protective effects. In conclusion, the findings of the present study identified a novel pathway through which SINO may exert its anti-inflammatory and cerebral protective functions, and provided a molecular basis for the potential applications of SINO in the treatment of cerebral inflammatory disorders.

A 47-year-old man presented to the emergency department with persistent fever, chest pain and neck swelling, two months following a mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. He was found to have persistent fever, hypotension, cervical lymphadenitis, myocarditis, and acute kidney injury, collectively meeting the multi-system inflammatory syndrome criteria in adults (MIS-A). The patient responded well to methylprednisolone therapy and intravenous immunoglobulins with a complete clinical recovery. This case demonstrates that MIS-A can present as a delayed complication of COVID-19 infection.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder characterized by non-caseating granulomas in multiple organs. It most commonly involves lungs and it is very rare to find isolated cases affecting other organ systems with no associated pulmonary findings. We hereby present a case of a young 30-year-old male who was referred to the hospital by his primary medical doctor due to right eye pain secondary to iritis and acute kidney injury (AKI). His initial laboratory studies revealed anemia, AKI, mild hypercalcemia, and the urinary analysis revealed proteinuria. Imaging studies were negative and a kidney biopsy was performed and showed results from the biopsy that revealed diffuse tubulointerstitial disease with early fibrosis, widespread moderate inflammation, multifocal tubulitis, and focal aggregate of epithelioid cells suggestive of granuloma consistent with sarcoidosis. The patient was treated with prednisone. Renal involvement of sarcoidosis is extremely rare (around 0.7%). It has a wide spectrum of presentation including abnormal calcium metabolism, nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis, and acute tubulointerstitial nephritis with or without granulomas. This is a unique case as it shows renal sarcoidosis without coexisting pulmonary finding of hilar lymphadenopathy on chest X-ray. There are very few reported cases of renal sarcoidosis in the literature and this case can add to the pool of those cases. It also emphasizes the need for urgent renal biopsy in the settings of AKI associated with mild to moderate proteinuria. Lack of availability of comprehensive research on the disease may lead to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment.