Journal of medical case reports
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Complications of copper load intrauterine devices, including ectopic pregnancies are well reported. Rates of ectopic pregnancy are 0.6 to 1.1% per year. However, the levonorgestrel intrauterine device has been described as more protective against ectopic pregnancies due to the addition of the hormone levonorgestrel. The hormone released from the intrauterine device causes some systemic effects, but local effects such as glandular atrophy and stromal decidualization, in addition to foreign body reaction, are dominant. Few case reports have described ampullary ectopic pregnancies. However, we report, for the first time, a major complication of levonorgestrel intrauterine device: a cornual pregnancy. ⋯ Many complications have been described, including ectopic pregnancies, using copper intrauterine devices. The levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system is a particularly good choice for adolescents because of associated non-contraceptive benefits such as decreased menstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhea and pain associated with endometriosis [1]. Yet a cornual pregnancy following the use of a levonorgestrel intrauterine device is a complication which, to our knowledge, has not been described before. Physicians prescribing this type of intrauterine device should be aware of this rare event.
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Pleural effusion secondary to ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion is a rare and potentially life-threatening occurrence. ⋯ Testing for beta-2-transferrin protein in pleural fluid may serve as a useful technique for diagnosing cerebrospinal fluid hydrothorax in patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunts.
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Bilateral thalamic infarcts are rare presentations of stroke. They are the result of a complex combination of risk factors and a predisposing vessel distribution. The artery of Percheron, characterized by a single arterial trunk that irrigates both paramedian thalamic regions, can be occluded as a result of embolic diseases leading to bilateral paramedian thalamic infarcts. Clinical and image findings of this uncommon form of posterior circulation infarct are presented along with their anatomic and pathophysiologic correlates. ⋯ Bilateral thalamic infarcts are unusual presentations of posterior circulation stroke; once they are diagnosed by an adequate neuroimaging protocol, a further evaluation to define the cause is necessary. Cardioembolism should always be considered in relatively young patients. A complete evaluation should be conducted by an interdisciplinary team including neurologists, cardiologists and neurosurgeons.
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Nerve damage in leprosy patients leads to deformities and disabilities. Oral corticosteroids are given early to prevent permanent injury. We present a new approach to treat well-established nerve damage with local injection of corticosteroids. ⋯ We report the first case of successful nerve regeneration in neglected neuropathy secondary to leprosy after local injection of corticosteroids. Intraneural extra-fascicular injection of corticosteroids improved the sensory and motor nerve function in our patient with borderline leprosy regardless of the duration of nerve function loss.
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Lemierre's syndrome is septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein leading to metastatic septic complications following an oropharyngeal infection. It is usually caused by the anaerobe, Fusobacterium necrophorum. Of late, meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is increasingly being recognised as a cause of community-acquired skin and soft tissue infections. We report a rare case of Lemierre's syndrome caused by community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. ⋯ Lemierre's syndrome, although rare, is a potentially lethal but treatable complication of head and neck sepsis. Early clinical recognition of Lemierre's syndrome and appropriate antibiotic treatment can be life-saving. One should consider the possibility of community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in patients with suspected Lemierre's syndrome.