Rejected

Talus fracture is an uncommon fracture that can be encountered on day- to- day basis. However, it is the 2nd most common tarsal bone to get fractured after calcaneum and accounts for approximately 1% of all fractures around foot and ankle. The anastomotic ring around the talar neck is highly likely to get damaged at the time of the fracture, which, in turn, hampers the blood supply to the body of talus. As a result, the bone healing is delayed and the integrity of the healed fracture is poor which leads to poor functional outcome. Almost 39% cases are missed during the initial evaluation, and talus fracture accounts for almost 50% of all the missed injuries (6-8). A high level of clinical suspicion is required to avoid missing such injuries.

A native arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is a gold standard for renal replacement therapy, where regular hemodialysis is the mainstay of survival in the majority of patients suffering from end-stage renal disease. Appropriate vascular clamps are routinely used to occlude an artery and a vein before an arteriotomy or a venotomy is done to prevent blood loss and have a clear field and an ease of anastomosis. The title makes one wonder, is it then possible to create an AVF without using vascular clamps? And through incisions as small as 0.5to 1.0 cm? This is made possible by a very simple new technique, presented here, that helps to occlude vessels to create an AVF through minimal access, and minimize blood loss and postoperative pain.  Total 622 AVFs were created between 1998 and 2019. With regular forceps or an AVF platform (design given), an AVF was created without using a vascular clamp. Total 321 cases were operated with 0.5 to 1.0 cm and 215 cases within 1.5 cm skin incision approach.  There were ~85% successful functional fistulas. The blood loss was negligible, and only one in three required pain killer in postoperative period.  A simple new technique described here makes it possible to create a functional AVF through a small incision, without using vascular clamps.

Immunoglobulin G4-related sclerosing disease (IgG4RD) is an emerging immune-mediated fibro-inflammatory disorder which can involve any organ. We describe the first IgG4-RD spondylitis treated with total en-bloc spondylectomy (TES). A 55-year-old man presented with back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the thoracic spine revealed a pathologic compression fracture on T11 vertebral body and both pedicles suggestive of primary bone tumor or bone metastasis. We conducted TES of T11, because we could not exclude the possibility of primary bone tumor including giant cell tumor. Immunohistochemical examination of the pathology specimens from pleura around the pedicle demonstrated diffuse infiltration of IgG4-bearing plasma cells. Six weeks later from the surgery, a delayed serologic test was done and his serum IgG4 concentration was 45 mg/dL. The final diagnosis was probable IgG4RD on the basis of serological, imaging, histopathological findings. After 6 weeks of oral prednisolone treatment, patient's back pain improved dramatically. IgG4RD is very rare systemic disease and its paraspinal soft tissue like pleura involvement with vertebra body invasion was absent until now. Our experience indicated that surrounding soft tissue biopsy would be helpful when a percutaneous vertebra bone biopsy mismatched with the image studies, even though vertebra body was main pathological lesion considering the possibility of IgG4RD.

False aneurysm of internal carotid artery (ICA) is a rare but serious vascular complication observed after transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. Here, we present a 41-year-old woman with a pseudoaneurysm in the ophthalmic segment of the left ICA after exoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. The initially uneventful procedure was complicated by a subarachnoidal hemorrhage 10 days after the surgery, which was confirmed by cranial computed tomography scan. The emergency angiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm of the ophthalmic part of the left ICA. Despite repeated endovascular treatments with a flow diverter and coiling, the patient experienced a re-bleeding with consecutive vasospasms, occlusion hydrocephalus and finally bifrontal intracerebral hemorrhage with fatal outcome. As a conclusion in irregular post-operative courses with for example headache, a post-operative magnetic resonance imaging with vessel presentation using TOF sequence and contrast-enhanced MRA might be recommended in order to detect a possible pseudoaneurysm in an early stage.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of ultrasound (US) thickness measurements and the muscle contraction ratio (CR) of lumbar multifidus (LM) and transversus abdominis (TA) muscles in participants with and without nonspecific chronic low back pain (NCLBP).

Pneumonia is an acute on chronic infection involving the pulmonary parenchyma. Most cases are caused by microbial pathogens usually bacteria or viruses and less often fungi or parasites. Hyponatraemia on admission is associated with greater risk of death and increased length of hospital stays. Hyponatraemia is usually related to severe disease and specially occur in old aged people. This study is designed to identify proportion of hyponatraemia in patients with pneumonia and to determine the association of hyponatraemia with the severity of pneumonia. The cross sectional descriptive study was carried out at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital during the period of January 2018 to December 2018. Data were collected from purposively selected 73 admitted patients with pneumonia by interview, clinical examination and laboratory investigations using a pre-tested case record form. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 20.0. Quantitative variables were summarized by mean and standard deviation. On the other hand qualitative variables were summarized by percentage. Necessary bivariate analysis was done. Majority (68.5%) of the patients were in the age group of 21 years to 50 years. Mean age of the patients was 41.9 years with a SD of 17.4 years. More than three fourth (57, 78.1%) were male and 16(21.9%) were female. More than two third (51, 69.9%) of the patients were smoker and 45(61.6%) was abuse of chewable tobacco or ghul. All the patients had fever (73, 100.0%); 70(95.9%) had cough, 50(68.5%) had chest pain, 10(13.5%) had respiratory distress and 8(11.0%) had haemoptysis. Vomiting was present in 9(12.3%) patients and 3(4.1%) had impaired level of consciousness. About one third of patients (32, 43.8%) had comorbidities. On chest X-ray consolidation was found in 59(80.8%) of patients with pneumonia. In 35(47.9%) patients serum Na⁺ level was normal and 38(52.1%) had different level of hyponatraemia; 26(35.6%) patients had mild hyponatraemia, 7(9.6%) had moderate hyponatraemia and 5(6.8%) had severe hyponatraemia. Majority (58, 79.5%) had lobar pneumonia and 71(97.3%) had community acquired pneumonia. Severity of pneumonia was assessed according to CURB 65. Less than half (35, 47.9%) of the patients had mild (score 0-1) pneumonia; 33(45.2%) had moderate (score 2) pneumonia and 5(6.8%) patients had severe (score ≥3) pneumonia. Average duration of hospital stay was 6.5±3.2 days. Maximum (69, 94.5%) patients were cured after treatment. In case of 3(4.1%) patients pneumonia was unresolved. One (1.4%) patients died due to pneumonia. In this study hyponatraemia was not associated with the severity of pneumonia (p>0.05) and outcome on discharge from the hospital (p>0.05). Difference in mean duration of hospital stay between patients of pneumonia with or without hyponatraemia was not significant (>0.05). The study results revealed that 52.1% patients with pneumonia developed different level of hyponatraemia. Hyponatraemia was not associated with the severity of pneumonia, duration of hospital stay and outcome of pneumonia.

Ozone is widely used to relieve chronic pain clinically, but the precise mechanisms governing its action have yet to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the pain‑alleviating effect of ozone in the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of sciatic nerve in rats. Pain behaviours of rats were assessed by mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. The expression of spinal glutamate receptor 6 (GluR6) and NF‑κB/p65 was detected by western blotting and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR. Meanwhile, the expression of spinal IL‑1β, IL‑6 and TNF‑α was detected by ELISA. GluR6 short interfering (si)RNAs were used intrathecally immediately following CCI once per day. Ozone (10, 20 or 30 g/ml) or oxygen was injected intrathecally on day 7 after CCI. The expression level of spinal GluR6 increased on day 3 and reached a peak on day 7 after CCI. The expression level of spinal IL‑1β, IL‑6, TNF‑α and NF‑κB/p65 also increased on day 7 after CCI. In addition, pre‑intrathecal injection of GluR6 siRNAs inhibited pain behaviours and suppressed the expression of spinal GluR6, IL‑1β, IL‑6, TNF‑α and NF‑κB/p65 in CCI rats on day 7. Intrathecal injection of ozone was also observed to inhibit pain behaviours and suppress the expression of spinal GluR6, IL‑1β, IL‑6, TNF‑α and NF‑κB/p65 in CCI rats on day 7. The present study suggested that GluR6 served a pivotal role in neuropathic pain and that intrathecal injection of ozone may alleviate neuropathic pain via the GluR6‑NF‑κB/p65 signalling pathway.

The United States continues to confront an opioid crisis that also affects older adults. Best practices for prescription opioid management in older adults are challenging to implement in this population. We present our experience with a 1-year management of 48 high-risk older patients who received guideline-based best practices for chronic prescription opioid therapy at a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patient aligned care team (PACT) patient-centered medical home.

We report a rare case of an aneurysm originating from the penetrating artery of the distal middle cerebral artery (MCA). A 76-year-old man without a notable past history presented with sudden-onset severe headache, left hemiparesis, and a decreased level of consciousness. Computed tomography (CT) revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in the right temporal lobe extending into the ventricle. Contrast-enhanced CT (CE-CT) demonstrated a focus of contrast enhancement (CE) adjacent to the hematoma in the right frontal lobe. An aneurysm fed by a penetrating artery branching off from the right distal MCA was found on angiography. The patient underwent emergency resection of the aneurysm and hematoma evacuation. Histological analysis revealed that arterial dissection may be an associated factor in the pathogenesis of this peripheral aneurysm formation. A focus of CE within or adjacent to the hematoma may be useful for diagnosing this peripheral aneurysm. ICH can result in a life-threatening situation. Therefore, microsurgery may be the first treatment choice for aneurysms in this location.

The open access to epinephrine autoinjectors has resulted in an increased number of reports related to accidental injection into the digits. The appropriate management after accidental injection remains controversial. This study presents the first case in Saudi Arabia of a young man who accidentally injected epinephrine into the thumb and a literature review of the treatment options available. A 19-year-old man presented with accidental injection of 300 mcg of epinephrine into the volar pulp of his right thumb while treating an allergic reaction. The embedded needle was removed by countertraction and irrigation. The examination results were normal. The patient was discharged with prophylactic antibiotic and analgesia. Later, the puncture wound healed and vascularity and sensation remained intact. Conservative management and observation are advantageous in certain cases if vascular function is uncompromised. This case highlights the importance of education about the correct handling and administration of the epinephrine injection.