A 38-year-old gentleman with no significant past medical history but had recent COVID-19 exposure presented to the hospital with the chief complaints of fever, shortness of breath, and generalized myalgia. He was unfortunately found to be severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positive. Laboratory findings showed creatine kinase (CK) >42,670 U/L along with elevated inflammatory markers and unremarkable creatinine, cardiac troponin level. The cause of his rhabdomyolysis was discovered to be due to COVID-19 as he had no evidence of other viral infections, strenuous exercise, seizure, or other nontraumatic exertional etiologies. He received aggressive fluid resuscitation while we trended his CK levels along with other inflammatory markers throughout his hospitalization course. His diffuse myalgia improved with treatments, and he was found to maintain stable hemodynamics and was subsequently discharged home.
Targeted therapy has become one of the standards of care for advanced lung cancer. More than 10 genetic aberrations have been discovered that are actionable and several tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been approved to target each of them. Among several genetic aberrations that are actionable in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), ROS1 translocations also known as gene fusion proteins, are found in only 1%-2% of the patient population. ROS1 mutations can usually be detected using a combination of techniques such as immunohistochemistry (IHC), Fluorescence in-situ testing (FISH), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and next-generation sequencing (NGS). However, RNA NGS and ctDNA NGS (liquid biopsies) also contribute to the diagnosis. There are currently numerous FDA-approved agents for these tumors, including crizotinib and entrectinib; however, there is in-vitro sensitivity data and clinical data documenting responses to ceritinib and lorlatinib. Clinical responses and survival rates with these agents are frequently among the best compared to other TKIs with genetic aberrations; however, intrinsic or extrinsic mechanisms of resistance may develop, necessitating research for alternative treatment modalities. To combat the mechanisms of resistance, novel agents such as repotrectenib, cabozantinib, talotrectinib, and others are being developed. In this article, we examine the literature pertaining to patients with ROS1 tumors, including epidemiology, clinical outcomes, resistance mechanisms, and treatment options.
The patient is a 60-year-old woman with a history of vertigo and seasonal allergies who presented to the hospital with the chief complaint of headache. Radiological findings were negative for intracranial abnormalities. The headache was due to trigeminal neuralgia. She had concurrent complaints of anosmia and ageusia without fever, respiratory symptoms, or obvious risk factors. However, it was determined to test the patient for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection despite extremely low clinical suspicion. Unfortunately, she was found to be COVID-19 positive after she was discharged from the hospital while she remained asymptomatic. There is currently a lack of published case reports describing COVID-19 patients with the sole symptoms of anosmia and ageusia in the United States of America.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) abuse is common in competitive athletes in order to enhance athletic performances. However, AAS abuse is often associated with deleterious side effects including but not limited to cardiovascular diseases, depression, hormonal abnormalities, and cancer. We present a case of a 31-year-old male with a history of Crohn’s disease on infliximab and chronic AAS use who had persistent retrosternal chest pain found to have an acute myocardial infarction (MI) without obvious cardiovascular risk factors.
Macrocytic anemia is usually associated with vitamin B12 or folate deficiency. However, folate deficiency was rarely reported as a cause of hemolytic anemia. We present a case of a young man with a history of alcohol abuse who initially presented with an acute on chronic abdominal pain and was found to have jaundice and scleral icterus. His liver enzymes were unremarkable, and his abdominal imaging did not reveal any acute pathology. However, he was found to have a severe non-immune hemolytic anemia secondary to folate deficiency.
A 29-year-old caucasian woman who presented to the hospital with an acute onset of right eye visual disturbance and headache was found to have an acute left occipital lobe infarction. Past medical history was significant for iron deficiency anemia (IDA) secondary to menorrhagia. Her initial hemoglobin level was 7.8 G/DL, and her symptoms improved after iron and blood transfusions. Hypercoagulable studies were completed in the outpatient setting, and the results were unremarkable. Her acute stroke was most likely related to IDA as she had low cardiovascular risk factors along with a negative complete stroke workup.