The American journal of emergency medicine
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Case Reports
Acute psychosis presenting as a sole manifestation of left atrial myxoma: a new paradigm.
Atrial myxomas are the most common benign cardiac tumors. Neurological manifestations associated with left atrial myxoma are seen infrequently in the form of embolic stroke of intracranial hemorrhage. Psychiatric manifestations are however exceedingly rare. We hereby present a case who presented with acute psychosis as a sole manifestation of an underlying left atrial myxoma.
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Dislocation is one of the most common complications of total hip arthroplasty (THA). Because of the growing number of patients undergoing THA annually and the immense number of patients who have previously undergone the procedure, familiarity with the diagnosis and treatment of this complication is critical. ⋯ We present the current case of an anterior hip dislocation that was unable to be closed reduced as the direction of dislocation was presumed to be posterior. Although a shoot through lateral is recommended in all cases to confirm the direction of dislocation, we highlight how the physician can differentiate the direction of dislocation based on the position of the foot and location of the lesser trochanter on the anteroposterior radiograph.
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Alexia without agraphia (pure alexia) was the first of the disconnection syndromes to be described by Dejerine who reported a patient of alexia without agraphia secondary to an embolic occipital lobe infarct. We herein report a 55-year-old man who presented with alexia without agraphia with magnetic resonance imaging suggestive of left posterior cerebral artery infarct involving left occipital lobe and splenium of corpus callosum. ⋯ Ophthalmologists should also be aware of this disconnection syndrome as many patients initially take their advice due to predominant visual complaints. Early diagnosis and treatment of this condition help in ensuring the patient and attendants about nonprogressive nature of the disease and may prevent further episodes of stroke.
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Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a rare clinical condition, which is commonly associated with mesenteric vascular ischemia, bowel obstruction, and chemotherapy. Although the pathophysiology of PI remains unclear, 2 theories, one mechanical and the other bacterial, have been proposed. Nonoperative medical treatment and observation should be considered in mild cases, but occasionally, the situation requires emergency surgical intervention. In cases of suspectful complicated PI, the clinician should not avoid performing diagnostic laparoscopy to rule out bowel ischemia and perforation.