Internal Medicine Commons^™

Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Known Disease With An Unknown Presentation, Svenja Schneider, Md, Tudor Sturzoiu, Md, Tanuka Datta, Md, Yevgeniy Brailovsky, Do, Facc, Sung-Hae Cho, Md, Facc, Paulina Gorodin-Kiliddar, Md

The Medicine Forum

Cardiac amyloidosis is an increasingly recognized entity that causes significant morbidity and mortality. Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is present in about 16% of patients with severe aortic stenosis and up to 17% of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction9,10. Though the screening test of choice, echocardiography is not highly sensitive or specific, and it should not be relied upon to rule out cardiac amyloidosis, especially if clinical suspicion is high.

We present a case of a 58-year-old woman with a history of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome who presented with paresthesia and syncope. Extensive workup for neurologic, infectious, and malignant …

Another Case Of Takotsubo Syndrome: Excluded By The Presence Of Significant Coronary Artery Disease, Or Caused By Significant Coronary Artery Disease?, Bharaniabirami Rajaram, Md, Neveda Murugesan, Md, Gregary D. Marhefka, Md

The Medicine Forum

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a reversible condition of abnormal myocardial contraction that was first given this name in Japan by Dr. Sato in 1991. The name comes from the Japanese word for “octopus trap,” which has a similar shape to that of the left ventricle on ventriculography during Takotsubo syndrome. It is also known as broken heart syndrome, stress-induced cardiomyopathy, or apical ballooning syndrome. The first descriptions of this phenomenon date as far back as the 1960s.

TTS typically presents with symptoms and clinical signs suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). It may include ST segment elevations on electrocardiogram (ECG) …

Challenges Of Managing Giant Cell Myocarditis: A Case Report On The Mechanical Support Perspective, Abdul W. Kazi, Md, Mba, Harsh Doshi, Md

The Medicine Forum

Giant cell myocarditis is a rare and fatal disease which may result in heart failure, complete heart block, or ventricular arrhythmias. We describe a patient who previously had been discharged from our institution with a left ventricular assist device and immunosuppressive therapy for management of his giant cell myocarditis. His subsequent course was complicated by further deterioration of heart function which required multiple mechanical circulatory support devices. He successfully received a heart transplant which later had recurrence of giant cell myocarditis. This case highlights the challenges of left and right sided mechanical assist devices in managing giant cell myocarditis.

AG …

From The Chief Residents, Cristina Angelo, Md, Katherine Duffey, Md, Evan Nardone, Md, Michelle Perkons, Md

The Medicine Forum

The four of us have had the unique opportunity to work alongside you and watch you grow throughout the last three years. During an extremely turbulent time at Jefferson, in the city of Philadelphia, and the larger healthcare landscape you all have been the constant presence that has kept the Jefferson IM residency culture alive. Jefferson residents are: Compassionate, intelligent, dedicated, fun, and resilient. But most of all, Jefferson residents look out for each other and have each other’s backs. This is the culture that brings people to our program and the culture that makes residency training which would otherwise …

From The Editors, Shuji Mitsuhashi, Md, Abdul W. Kazi, Md, Matthew Dimeglio, Do, Mba

The Medicine Forum

It is our honor to present the 23rd Annual edition of The Medicine Forum to the Jefferson community. With all the uncertainties and stressors that exist both inside and outside of the hospital walls, it is truly remarkable to see the quality of contributions by our authors. From the multitude of case reports to the collection of artworks, our residents have generated an array of unique and interesting work. We hope that this edition will continue to honor the tradition of The Medicine Forum, which is the celebration of scholarly activity among physicians in training at our institution.

Editorial …

From The Desk Of The Residency Program Director, Emily Stewart, Md, Facp

The Medicine Forum

Our program continues to train the best and brightest residents in the country. As we complete another challenging academic year marred by the ongoing fight against gun violence in Philadelphia and across the United States, the opioid pandemic and the ever present threat of another COVID-19 surge our residents have continued to rise to every challenge and thrive as physicians. During the three years we are fortunate to have them at our program, it is my distinct pleasure to watch them grow into confident, dedicated, compassionate clinicians. The residents are not just outstanding clinicians but excel in all aspects of …

Table Of Contents: The Medicine Forum Volume 23, 2021-2022

The Medicine Forum

Table of Contents: The Medicine Forum Volume 23, 2021-2022

Interobserver Variability Among Expert Readers Quantifying Plaque Volume And Plaque Characteristics On Coronary Ct Angiography: A Clarify Trial Sub-Study, Rebecca Jonas, Shaneke Weerakoon, Rebecca Fisher, William F Griffin, Vishak Kumar, Habib Rahban, Hugo Marques, Ronald P Karlsberg, Robert S Jennings, Tami R Crabtree, Andrew D Choi, James P Earls

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

Background: The difference between expert level (L3) reader and artificial intelligence (AI) performance for quantifying coronary plaque and plaque components is unknown.

Objective: This study evaluates the interobserver variability among expert readers for quantifying the volume of coronary plaque and plaque components on coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) using an artificial intelligence enabled quantitative CCTA analysis software as a reference (AI-QCT).

Methods: This study uses CCTA imaging obtained from 232 patients enrolled in the CLARIFY (CT EvaLuation by ARtificial Intelligence For Atherosclerosis, Stenosis and Vascular MorphologY) study. Readers quantified overall plaque volume and the % breakdown of noncalcified plaque (NCP) …

The Medicine Forum: Volume 23

The Medicine Forum

The Journal of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital - Department of Internal Medicine, Volume 23, 2021-2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Case Reports

• Cardiology
• Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Hematology and Oncology
• Pulmonary Medicine

Resident Reflection

Effect Of Wearing Masks In The Hospital On Patient-Provider Interaction: “They (Providers) Need To Stay Safe For Their Family And Keep Us Safe.”, Jana L. Wardian, Mikayla Peralta, Chad Vokoun, Sarah E. Richards

Patient Experience Journal

Since March 2020 when the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic was widespread in the U.S., masks became a primary form of protection for healthcare workers when caring for patients. While wearing masks was not a new phenomenon in the health field, there is little known on how the use of them affects the patient-provider relationship. This study explored the experience of wearing masks on the patient-provider relationship in the hospital. This qualitative study involved interviews with both providers and patients at an academic hospital in the Midwest. At the time of this study, in July 2021, hospital …

Adenosine Metabolized From Extracellular Atp Promotes Type 2 Immunity Through Triggering A, Darine W El-Naccache, Fei Chen, Mark J Palma, Alexander Lemenze, Matthew A Fischer, Wenhui Wu, Pankaj K Mishra, Holger K Eltzschig, Simon C Robson, Francesco Di Virgilio, George S Yap, Karen L Edelblum, György Haskó, William C Gause

Journal Articles

Intestinal nematode parasites can cross the epithelial barrier, causing tissue damage and release of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that may promote host protective type 2 immunity. We investigate whether adenosine binding to the A

Early Colonoscopy In Hospitalized Patients With Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Nationwide Analysis., Kuldeepsinh P Atodaria, Samyak Dhruv, Joseph M Bruno, Brisha Bhikadiya, Shravya R Ginnaram, Shreeja Shah

Internal Medicine Resident Research

Background: Performing colonoscopy within 24 h of presentation to the hospital is the accepted standard of care for patients with an acute lower gastrointestinal bleed (LGIB). Previous studies have failed to demonstrate the benefit of early colonoscopy (EC) on mortality. In this study, we wanted to see if there was a change in inpatient deaths (primary outcome), length of stay (LOS), and hospitalization charges (TOTCHG) (secondary outcomes) with EC compared to previous studies.

Methods: Adults diagnosed with LGIB were identified using the International Classification of Disease 10th Revision codes from the National Inpatient Sample database for 2016 to 2019. EC …

Unusual Presentation Of Multisystemic Inflammatory Syndrome, Farah Ebrahim, George Moturi, Newnex Mongare, Reena Shah

Internal Medicine, East Africa

COVID-19 pneumonia in children presents with very mild symptoms through an entity of multisystem inflammatory syndrome and can result in a life-threatening hyperinflammatory condition, with involvement of at least four organ systems and a marked inflammatory state. We present an 18-year-old high school student who presented with a sore throat, macular rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fevers, and joint pains. He presented with acute kidney injury and confusion with multiple tests and was eventually diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

The Burden And Characteristics Of Hiv-Infected Covid-19 Patients At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Sub-Saharan Africa—A Retrospective Cohort Study, Alok Iyer, Jasmit Shah, Reena Shah

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: After the first case of COVID-19 caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus was discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the disease spread viciously throughout the world. Little is known about the impact of HIV infection on the clinical outcomes of patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2. Studying the characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 among HIV-positive patients is key to characterising the risk of morbidity and mortality of HIV-positive patients from COVID-19.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included patients admitted to Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection and who had consented to HIV screening. We compared …

Statins: Masked Anti-Epileptic Warriors, Govinda Khatri, Priya Kotak, Ayush Kumar, Mohammad Mehedi Hasan

Medical College Documents

No abstract provided.

Preventing Cholesterol-Induced Perk (Protein Kinase Rna-Like Endoplasmic Reticulum Kinase) Signaling In Smooth Muscle Cells Blocks Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation, Abhijnan Chattopadhyay, Pujun Guan, Suravi Majumder, Kaveeta Kaw, Zhen Zhou, Chen Zhang, Siddharth K Prakash, Anita Kaw, L Maximillian Buja, Callie S Kwartler, Dianna M Milewicz

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) undergo complex phenotypic modulation with atherosclerotic plaque formation in hyperlipidemic mice, which is characterized by de-differentiation and heterogeneous increases in the expression of macrophage, fibroblast, osteogenic, and stem cell markers. An increase of cellular cholesterol in SMCs triggers similar phenotypic changes in vitro with exposure to free cholesterol due to cholesterol entering the endoplasmic reticulum, triggering endoplasmic reticulum stress and activating Perk (protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase) signaling.

METHODS: We generated an SMC-specific

RESULTS: SMC-specific deletion of Perk reduces atherosclerotic plaque formation in male hyperlipidemic mice by 80%. Single-cell transcriptomic data identify 2 …

Mir-103-3p Promotes Hepatic Steatosis To Aggravate Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease By Targeting Of Acox1, Jiexia Ding, Caixia Xia, Panpan Cen, Siying Li, Lifei Yu, Jing Zhu, Jie Jin

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma, and alterations in miRNA expression are related to the development of NAFLD. However, the role of miRNAs in regulating the development of NAFLD is still poorly understood.

METHODS: We used qRT-PCR to detect the level of miR-103-3p in both cell and mouse models of NAFLD. Biochemical assays, DCF-DA assays, Oil red O staining and HE staining were used to detect the role of miR-103-3p in NAFLD development. Target genes of miR-103-3p were predicted using the TargetScan database and verified by qRT-PCR, western blot and dual-luciferase assays. …

Geriatric Cardiology: Coming Of Age, Parag Goyal, Min Ji Kwak, Christina Al Malouf, Manish Kumar, Namit Rohant, Abdulla A Damluji, Quin E Denfeld, Kim K Bircher, Ashok Krishnaswami, Karen P Alexander, Daniel E Forman, Michael W Rich, Nanette K Wenger, James N Kirkpatrick, Jerome L Fleg

Journal Articles

Older adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD) contend with deficits across multiple domains of health due to age-related physiological changes and the impact of CVD. Multimorbidity, polypharmacy, cognitive changes, and diminished functional capacity, along with changes in the social environment, result in complexity that makes provision of CVD care to older adults challenging. In this review, we first describe the history of geriatric cardiology, an orientation that acknowledges the unique needs of older adults with CVD. Then, we introduce 5 essential principles for meeting the needs of older adults with CVD: 1) recognize and consider the potential impact of multicomplexity; 2) …

A Case Report Of Successful Physiological Pacing In A Patient With Lamin A/C Cardiomyopathy, Nitin Chandra Mohan, Paul Foley, Badrinathan Chandrasekaran

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Lamin A/C (LMNA) mutations account for 5-8% of familial dilated cardiomyopathies, and can manifest with conduction abnormalities and ventricular arrhythmias in 78% of patients. Therefore, when suspected, it is important to implant the correct type of device.

CASE SUMMARY: A 52-year-old gentleman with a family history of cardiomyopathy, presented with asymptomatic atrial fibrillation and complete atrioventricular block associated with a narrow QRS interval. Investigations confirmed dilated and severely impaired left ventricular systolic function. He underwent successful conduction system pacing in combination with a primary prevention defibrillator. Genetic screening confirmed LMNA cardiomyopathy. During 3 years follow up, his left ventricular …

Ccl4 Functions As A Biomarker Of Type 2 Airway Inflammation, Yoshiki Kobayashi, Hanh Hong Chu, Akira Kanda, Yasutaka Yun, Masami Shimono, Linh Manh Nguyen, Akitoshi Mitani, Kensuke Suzuki, Mikiya Asako, Hiroshi Iwai

Journal Articles

Eosinophilic airway inflammatory disease is associated with bronchial asthma, with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS) typical of refractory type 2 airway inflammation. CCL4 produced at local inflammatory sites is involved in them via the accumulation and activation of type 2 inflammatory cells, including eosinophils. The detailed mechanism of CCL4 production remains unclear, and also the possibility it could function as a biomarker of type 2 airway inflammation remains unresolved. In this study, we evaluated CCL4 mRNA expression and production via the TSLP receptor (TSLPR) and toll-like receptors (TLRs) or proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) in BEAS-2B bronchial epithelial cells co-incubated with purified eosinophils …