The American journal of the medical sciences
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To study the difference in patterns of utilization of eye-care services among white and African American senior citizens with eye disease and its impact on visual function. ⋯ African American elderly ambulatory medical patients with eye disease were less likely than their white counterparts to report use of eye-care services. The use of eye-care services in African American but not white subjects was linked to better visual function as assessed by the ADVS.
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A cholesterol embolism presents with various systemic and local manifestations giving rise to a diagnostic dilemma. We report a case of cholesterol embolism of the leg that delayed the healing of a foot ulcer, necessitating a toe amputation. This report points to the potential of cholesterol emboli to cause a significant compromise in the vascular supply.
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Cholesterol embolization syndrome (CES) is an increasingly recognized cause of acute renal insufficiency, which must be differentiated from other forms of systemic vasculitis by histologic examination of biopsies from involved organs. This report describes the optimal methods for detection and biopsy of areas of skin involved with livedo reticularis to confirm the diagnosis of CES. ⋯ Livedo reticularis is a common but often unrecognized finding in CES that may not be evident during routine examination performed in the supine posture. Deep cutaneous biopsy of areas of livedo reticularis can be safely used to confirm the presence of cholesterol emboli, thus avoiding the increased morbidity of biopsy of either pregangrenous skin lesions or visceral organs. Many patients with CES regain renal function during long-term follow-up.
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Erythema gyratum repens is a rare, clinically specific, and distinctive paraneoplastic syndrome. It is associated with internal malignancy in 82% of patients. ⋯ The etiology of erythema gyratum repens is unknown, although an immune response is postulated. Treatment involves treating the underlying malignancy.
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Weight reduction diets may reduce the severity of risk factors for coronary heart disease such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Several case reports and small studies of patients receiving starvation diets have reported hypotension and sudden cardiac death. Myofibrillar damage was documented in 1 case. ⋯ However, low QRS voltage, QT interval prolongation, and both nonsustained ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death have been described in subjects treated with such diets. Orthostatic hypotension may complicate very-low-calorie protein diets because of sodium depletion and depressed sympathetic nervous system activity. Bariatric surgery is associated with disproportionately high mortality rates in both the perioperative and postoperative periods.