Background and Aims: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an acquired bleeding disorder characterized by autoantibodies against platelets. The clinical presentation is variable; the main symptom is bleeding, and many patients are asymptomatic; others have nonspecific symptoms like fatigue. Uncommonly, ITP can present with paradoxical thrombosis. The risk of thrombosis in ITP may be higher than expected, which makes the management of ITP more challenging. This review aims to evaluate patients with ITP who develop thrombosis and identify potential risk factors related to thrombosis in this category of patients. Materials and Methods: English literature was searched using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for adults above 18 years with primary ITP who had infarctions or thrombotic events. Patients with secondary ITP were excluded. The search included articles published up to 20th October 2021. Results: A total of 73 articles were included. Seventy-seven patients with ITP had developed infarctions and various thrombotic events. Sixty-three patients had arterial events, and 14 patients developed venous thrombotic events. Conclusion: Patients with ITP have low platelets, which predispose them to bleed; despite that, serious thrombotic complications can happen in these patients and are difficult to predict. Therefore, it is critical for physicians to understand that ITP is paradoxically a prothrombotic condition and to address preventive thromboembolic measures whenever possible.
Herpes zoster (shingles) is a common viral infection that results from the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which remains dormant in sensory ganglia after initial infection. The usual presentation is radicular pain followed by eruption of vesicular rash. herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) is defined as the involvement of ophthalmic division (V1) of the trigeminal nerve (V). Extraocular muscle paralysis is a rare complication of HZO. Here, we report a case of HZO that developed abducens nerve (VI) palsy and secondary raised intra-ocular pressure.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a multifactorial condition, with a wide range of clinical presentations from mild to severe anemia and anemia-related neurological deficits. Hemolysis is a unique cause but has increasingly been recognized lately as a possible B12 deficiency presentation. Our patient presented with hemolytic anemia, for which extensive workup has excluded the common hemolysis etiologies. Therefore, it was attributed to B12 deficiency and improved significantly after treatment. Our case highlights the significance of this unusual presentation and its clinical implementation.
Renal infarction is an underdiagnosed condition with multiple possible causes, including atrial fibrillation. The treatment approach includes percutaneous endovascular therapy (PET) to restore blood flow, antiplatelet therapy, anticoagulation, or combination therapy, depending on the patient's status and available modalities. Warfarin is the standard anticoagulation therapy, although direct oral anticoagulation (DOAC) therapy is getting more popular. Here, we present a 60‐year‐old male patient with hyperthyroidism complicated by acute renal infarction, which was successfully treated with dabigatran, evident by non‐recurrence and restoration of blood flow in a follow‐up CT angiogram. This case report may open the door for the use of DOAC in acute renal infarction though more studies are needed to prove the efficacy.
Key Clinical Message: Healthcare workers are prone to very high level of physical as well as emotional stress that lead to devastating health‐related consequences which include but not limited to cardiovascular events that may lead to death. Recognizing the risk of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy among healthcare worker is the main aim of this report. Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TC) is a reversible left ventricular wall motion abnormality that could not be explained by coronary artery disease and is typically precipitated by either emotional or physical stress. There is no sufficient data regarding the incidence of TC among healthcare workers and people with myocardial bridging. Here we are describing a case of an ophthalmologist with myocardial bridging who developed TC while in the operation theater.
Gastric abscess is an important differential diagnosis of gastric mass and even with advanced invasive investigations, differentiating gastric abscess from cancer is very challenging and the need for surgical resection is often necessary to reach the definitive diagnosis.