Medical Specialties Commons^™

A Rare Case Of Coronary Artery Thrombosis In A Patient With Recently Diagnosed Giant Cell Arteritis: Is Anticardiolipin Antibody Involved?, Khine S. Shan, Qian Zhang, Sharmila Bisaria, Anubha Tewary

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an immune-mediated systemic inflammation of large-sized arteries that predominantly affects elderly women. It may be considered as one of the risk factors for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Moreover, patients with GCA may have increased anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL). However, its relationship with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is not clear. We present a case of a unique presentation of GCA with a connection to both ACS and APS. A 76-year-old woman who initially presented to the hospital with a chief complaint of intermittent unilateral headache, blurry vision along with transient aphasia was found to have a biopsy confirmed …

A Rare Presentation Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Induced Viral Myositis With Subsequent Rhabdomyolysis., Qian Zhang, Khine S. Shan, Artem Minalyan, Conor O'Sullivan, Travis Nace

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

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 …

Endorepellin Evokes An Angiostatic Stress Signaling Cascade In Endothelial Cells., Aastha Kapoor, Carolyn G Chen, Renato V Iozzo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Endorepellin, the C-terminal fragment of the heparan sulfate proteoglycan perlecan, influences various signaling pathways in endothelial cells by binding to VEGFR2. In this study, we discovered that soluble endorepellin activates the canonical stress signaling pathway consisting of PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, and GADD45α. Specifically, endorepellin evoked transient activation of VEGFR2, which, in turn, phosphorylated PERK at Thr980 Subsequently, PERK phosphorylated eIF2α at Ser51, upregulating its downstream effector proteins ATF4 and GADD45α. RNAi-mediated knockdown of PERK or eIF2α abrogated the endorepellin-mediated up-regulation of GADD45α, the ultimate effector protein of this stress signaling cascade. To functionally validate these findings, we utilized an ex …

Goals Of Care 101, Alexandra Evans, Do, Adam Pennarola, Md, Elham Siddiqui, Md

Department of Family & Community Medicine Presentations and Grand Rounds

Hospice and Palliative Medicine - Alexandra Evans, DO

Approaching Goals of Care in the Outpatient World - Elham Siddiqui, MD

Inpatient Goals of Care Discussion - Adam Pennarola, MD

Nk Cell-Derived Gm-Csf Potentiates Inflammatory Arthritis And Is Negatively Regulated By Cis, Cynthia Louis, Fernando Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, Yuyan Yang, Damian D'Silva, Tobias Kratina, Laura Dagley, Soroor Hediyeh-Zadeh, Jai Rautela, Seth Lucian Masters, Melissa J Davis, Jeffrey J Babon, Bogoljub Ciric, Eric Vivier, Warren S Alexander, Nicholas D Huntington, Ian P Wicks

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Despite increasing recognition of the importance of GM-CSF in autoimmune disease, it remains unclear how GM-CSF is regulated at sites of tissue inflammation. Using GM-CSF fate reporter mice, we show that synovial NK cells produce GM-CSF in autoantibody-mediated inflammatory arthritis. Synovial NK cells promote a neutrophilic inflammatory cell infiltrate, and persistent arthritis, via GM-CSF production, as deletion of NK cells, or specific ablation of GM-CSF production in NK cells, abrogated disease. Synovial NK cell production of GM-CSF is IL-18–dependent. Furthermore, we show that cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein (CIS) is crucial in limiting GM-CSF signaling not only during inflammatory arthritis but also …

Prospective Study Of Military Special Operations Medical Personnel And Lower Extremity Fracture Immobilization In An Austere Environment, Kevin Martin, Trevor Mcbride, Alicia Unangst, Jaime Chisholm

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Background: Austere fracture immobilization equipment and techniques are often overlooked, with few studies critically evaluating the process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate current austere splinting techniques and equipment used for lower extremity fractures while field testing a new 1-step spray-on foam splint.

Methods: This is a prospective analysis of austere splinting techniques. A cadaveric model with a distal third tibia-fibula fracture was used for testing. The specimens were placed in an austere environment and participants immobilized the injury with standard equipment (structural aluminum malleable [SAM] splint, 6-in. ACE wrap) while being critically evaluated. The specimens were also …

Characterization Of Adnexal Masses Using Contrast-Enhanced Subharmonic Imaging: A Pilot Study., Lauren J. Delaney, Priscilla Machado, Mehnoosh Torkzaban, Andrej Lyshchik, Corinne Wessner, Christine H. Kim, Md, Norman G Rosenblum, Scott D. Richard, Kirk Wallace, Flemming Forsberg

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: This pilot study evaluated whether contrast-enhanced subharmonic imaging (SHI) could be used to characterize adnexal masses before surgical intervention.

METHODS: Ten women (with 12 lesions) scheduled for surgery of an ovarian mass underwent an SHI examination of their adnexal region using a modified LOGIQ E9 scanner (GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI) with an endocavitary transducer, in which digital clips were acquired by pulse destruction-replenishment SHI across the lesions. Time-intensity curves were created offline to quantitatively evaluate SHI parameters (fractional tumor perfusion, peak contrast intensity, time to peak contrast enhancement, and area under the time-intensity curve), which were compared to pathologic …

Results Of The Adhere Upper Airway Stimulation Registry And Predictors Of Therapy Efficacy., Erica Thaler, Richard Schwab, Joachim Maurer, Ryan Soose, Christopher Larsen, Suzanne Stevens, Damien Stevens, Maurits Boon, Colin Huntley, Karl Doghramji, Tina Waters, Alan Kominsky, Armin Steffen, Eric Kezirian, Benedikt Hofauer, Ulrich Sommer, Kirk Withrow, Kingman Strohl, Clemens Heiser

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: The ADHERE Registry is a multicenter prospective observational study following outcomes of upper airway stimulation (UAS) therapy in patients who have failed continuous positive airway pressure therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The aim of this registry and purpose of this article were to examine the outcomes of patients receiving UAS for treatment of OSA.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort Study.

METHODS: Demographic and sleep study data collection occurred at baseline, implantation visit, post-titration (6 months), and final visit (12 months). Patient and physician reported outcomes were also collected. Post hoc univariate and multivariate analysis was used to identify predictors of …

Anosmia And Ageusia As The Only Indicators Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), Qian Zhang, Khine S. Shan, Shahrzad Abdollahi, Travis C. Nace

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

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 …

Catabolic Degradation Of Endothelial Vegfa Via Autophagy, Thomas Neill, Carolyn Chen, Simone Buraschi, Renato V. Iozzo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Extracellular matrix-evoked angiostasis and autophagy within the tumor microenvironment represent two critical, but unconnected, functions of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan, decorin. Acting as a partial agonist of vascular endothelial growth factor 2 (VEGFR2), soluble decorin signals via the energy sensing protein, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), in the autophagic degradation of intracellular vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA). Here, we discovered that soluble decorin evokes intracellular catabolism of endothelial VEGFA that is mechanistically independent of mTOR, but requires an autophagic regulator, paternally expressed gene 3 (PEG3). We found that administration of autophagic inhibitors such as chloroquine or bafilomycin A1, or depletion …

Dermatologists In The Wild West, 1870-1900: The Early Pioneers From The Mississippi River To The Pacific Coast., Leonard J Hoenig, Lawrence Charles Parish

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

During the Wild West era of American history (approximately 1870-1900), at least 53 dermatologists settled between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Coast. In 1870, two dermatologists began their practice in the city of St Louis, Missouri (William Augustus Hardaway and Solomon Claiborne Martin, Sr) and one dermatologist started his practice in San Francisco, California (George J. Bucknall). By 1900, 50 more dermatologists had settled in 19 cities located in the American West (Tables 1,2). There, they established practices, initiated academic programs, and pioneered dermatology as a medical specialty in the western United States. This contribution provides brief biographic profiles …

Robotic Adrenalectomy For Functional Adenoma In Second Trimester Treats Worsening Hypertension., Courtney E. Capella, Thenappan Chandrasekar, May Jean Counsilman, Christopher Sebastiano, Costas D. Lallas, Huda B. Al-Kouatly

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

A 33-year-old G6P3023 was found to have a 4.2 cm right adrenal incidentaloma during an admission for right pyelonephritis. Computed tomography (CT) was performed to rule out perinephric abscess in the setting of worsening leukocytosis while on antibiotics ( Fig. 1). Initial differential diagnosis from endocrinology included pheochromocytoma and primary aldosteronism. Due to the lack of typical physical exam stigmata, Cushing syndrome was initially of low concern. Of note, her past medical history included hypertension treated with amlodipine 10 mg and hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg. During admission, extensive endocrine laboratory workup demonstrated an elevated aldosterone:plasma renin activity, suppressed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), normal …

Sti & Prep Updates, Marshal Miller, Md, Aahivs, Sunny Lai, Md

Department of Family & Community Medicine Presentations and Grand Rounds

Learning Objectives

• Apply key findings from the DISCOVER trial to PrEP clinical decision-making
• Understand the gaps in PrEP research for cisgender women and adolescents
• Understand the use of on-demand pre-exposure prophylaxis
• Review Current treatment recs and emerging data on Gonococcal and Chlamydial infection
• Discuss diagnostic and management options for non-gonococcal urethritis

Empiric Treatment For Suspected Malaria In The United States: A Case Report., Jonathan C. Li, Emma Lundsmith

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

Malaria in the United States is rare and most commonly presents among returning travelers from endemic areas. Diagnosis is classically dependent on a positive blood smear or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The objective of this case report is to highlight a case of suspected malaria in a high-risk individual with negative diagnostic testing where a trial of empiric treatment was initiated based on clinical presentation after a thorough discussion of risks and benefits. However, empiric treatment based on a single case is limiting. We present a case of a 56-year-old man with extensive travel history throughout Asia, who presented …

Iron Deficiency Anemia: An Unexpected Cause Of An Acute Occipital Lobe Stroke In An Otherwise Healthy Young Woman, Qian Zhang, Khine S. Shan, Conor O'Sullivan, Travis C. Nace

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

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.

Chinese Expert Consensus On Critical Care Ultrasound Applications At Covid-19 Pandemic, Faqin Lv, Md, Jinrui Wang, Md, Xing Yu, Md, Aiping Yang, Md, Ji-Bin Liu, Md, Linxue Qian, Md, Huixiong Xu, Md, Ligang Cui, Md, Mingxing Xie, Md, Xi Liu, Md, Chengzhong Peng, Md, Yi Huang, Md, Haiyan Kou, Md, Shengzheng Wu, Md, Xi Yang, Md, Bin Tu, Md, Huaping Jia, Md, Qingyi Meng, Md, Je Liu, Md, Ruizhong Ye, Md

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

The spread of new coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) follows a different pattern than previous respiratory viruses, posing a serious public health risk worldwide. World Health Organization (WHO) named the disease as COVID-19 and declared it a pandemic. COVID-19 is characterized by highly contagious nature, rapid transmission, swift clinical course, profound worldwide impact, and high mortality among critically ill patients. Chest X-ray, computerized tomography (CT), and ultrasound are commonly used imaging modalities. Among them, ultrasound, due to its portability and non-invasiveness, can be easily moved to the bedside for examination at any time. In addition, with use of 4G or 5G networks, remote …

Critical Care Ultrasonography And Its Application For Covid-19, Xi Liu, Md, Yang Hai, Md, Bin Ma, Md, Weelic Chong, Md, Ji-Bin Liu, Md

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Ultrasound has developed as an invaluable tool in diagnosis and proper management in the intensive care unit (ICU). Application of critical care ultrasonography is quite distinct from the routine comprehensive diagnostic ultrasound exam, because the urgent setting mandates a goal-directed approach. Performing accurate and efficient critical care ultrasound requires ultrasound providers to first understand the pathophysiology of the disease and related imaging findings, and then follow the protocols to perform a focused ultrasound exam. In the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, ultrasound plays an essential role in diagnosing and monitoring critically ill COVID-19 patients in the ICU. Our review …

Diagnosis And Management Of Common Hand Infections., Vivek K. Bilolikar, Daniel A Seigerman, Asif M. Ilyas

Rothman Institute Papers

• While many hand infections are superficial, diligent evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of these infections are central for preventing disability and morbidity.
• Maintaining a wide differential diagnosis is important as some hand infections may mimic others.
• In geographic areas with more than a 10% to 15% prevalence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) hand infections, empiric antibiotics should adequately cover MRSA.
• Once culture results are available, antibiotic regimens should be narrowed to reduce the development of resistant pathogens.

Epigenomic Profiling Of Neuroblastoma Cell Lines., Kristen Upton, Apexa Modi, Khushbu Patel, Nathan M Kendsersky, Karina L Conkrite, Robyn T Sussman, Gregory P Way, Rebecca N Adams, Gregory I Sacks, Paolo Fortina, Sharon J Diskin, John M Maris, Jo Lynne Rokita

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Understanding the aberrant transcriptional landscape of neuroblastoma is necessary to provide insight to the underlying influences of the initiation, progression and persistence of this developmental cancer. Here, we present chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) data for the oncogenic transcription factors, MYCN and MYC, as well as regulatory histone marks H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K27Ac, and H3K27me3 in ten commonly used human neuroblastoma-derived cell line models. In addition, for all of the profiled cell lines we provide ATAC-Seq as a measure of open chromatin. We validate specificity of global MYCN occupancy in MYCN amplified cell lines and functional redundancy of MYC occupancy in MYCN …

Efficacy Of Ultrasound-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation Of Parathyroid Hyperplasia: Single Session Vs. Two-Session For Effect On Hypocalcemia, Zeng Zeng, Cheng-Zhong Peng, Ji-Bin Liu, Yi-Wen Li, Hong-Feng He, Qiao-Hong Hu, Bo Lin, Xiao-Gang Shen

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

To evaluate safety and efficacy of one- vs. two-session radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of parathyroid hyperplasia for patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) and to compare the outcome of both methods on hypocalcemia. Patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism underwent ultrasound guided RFA of parathyroid hyperplasia. Patients were alternately assigned to either group 1 (n = 28) with RFA of all 4 glands in one session or group 2 (n = 28) with RFA of 2 glands in a first session and other 2 glands in a second session. Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) values were measured at a …

A Crisis Is A Terrible Thing To Waste: Recovering A Sense Of Agency In Coronavirus Times, Steven F. Freeman

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Coronavirus Papers

No abstract provided.

The Lysosomal Diseases Testing Laboratory: A Review Of The Past 47 Years., David A. Wenger, Paola Luzi

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Lysosomal disorders are diseases that involve mutations in genes responsible for the coding of lysosomal enzymes, transport proteins, activator proteins and protein processing enzymes. These defects lead to the storage of specific metabolites within lysosomes resulting in a great variety of clinical features depending on the tissues with the storage, the storage products and the extent of the storage. The methods for rapidly diagnosing patients started in the late 1960's when the enzyme defects were identified eliminating the need for tissue biopsies. The first requests for diagnostic help in this laboratory came in 1973. In that year, patients with Krabbe …

Spider Venom Administration Impairs Glioblastoma Growth And Modulates Immune Response In A Non-Clinical Model., Amanda Pires Bonfanti, Natália Barreto, Jaqueline Munhoz, Marcus Caballero, Gabriel Cordeiro, Thomaz Rocha-E-Silva, Rafael Sutti, Fernanda Moura, Sérgio Brunetto, Celso Dario Ramos, Rodolfo Thome, Liana Verinaud, Catarina Rapôso

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Molecules from animal venoms are promising candidates for the development of new drugs. Previous in vitro studies have shown that the venom of the spider Phoneutria nigriventer (PnV) is a potential source of antineoplastic components with activity in glioblastoma (GB) cell lines. In the present work, the effects of PnV on tumor development were established in vivo using a xenogeneic model. Human GB (NG97, the most responsive line in the previous study) cells were inoculated (s.c.) on the back of RAG-/- mice. PnV (100 µg/Kg) was administrated every 48 h (i.p.) for 14 days and several endpoints were evaluated: tumor …

Novel Coronavirus (2019-Ncov) In Disguise, Qian Zhang, Annyella Douglas, Zain U. Abideen, Shristi Khanal, Stephanie Tzarnas

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) pandemic is currently one of the most influential topics as it not only impacts the field of medicine but most importantly, it affects the lives of many individuals throughout the world. We report an interesting 2019-nCoV case in a tertiary community hospital with the initial concern of acute pyelonephritis without respiratory symptoms that ultimately led to the quarantine of a number of healthcare providers. This case emphasizes the importance of radiological evidence in diagnosing 2019-nCoV in the setting of an initial atypical presentation. It also serves as an example of how healthcare providers may need to increase …

Fatigue In Primary Care: Doctor, Why Am I So Tired?, Nina Mingioni, Md

Clinical Education Teaching Tools

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify top causes of fatigue in women
2. Develop an evidence-based approach to assessing a patient with fatigue
3. Reflect on the evidence for available screening tools for fatigue

Current Strategies In Prevention Of Postoperative Infections In Spine Surgery., Kivanc Atesok, Efstathios Papavassiliou, Michael J Heffernan, Danny Tunmire, Irina Sitnikov, Nobuhiro Tanaka, Sakthivel Rajaram, Jason Pittman, Ziya L Gokaslan, Alexander Vaccaro, Steven Theiss

Rothman Institute Papers

Study Design: Narrative review.

Objectives: Postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common acute complications in spine surgery and have a devastating impact on outcomes. They can lead to increased morbidity and mortality as well as greater economic burden. Hence, preventive strategies to reduce the rate of SSIs after spine surgery have become vitally important. The purpose of this article was to summarize and critically analyze the available evidence related to current strategies in the prevention of SSIs after spine surgery.

Methods: A literature search utilizing Medline database was performed. Relevant studies from all the evidence levels have …

Our Multi-Pandemic, Larry M. Starr

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Coronavirus Papers

Application of systems thinking to identify and understand complex problems and to discover innovative ways to intervene has been advocated separately within public health, education, finance, and many other spheres of society. We need it now for the multi-pandemic.

No Double Trouble: How To Reopen The Economy., Larry Hirschhorn, Phd

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Coronavirus Papers

This policy introduces a measure of choice, consonant with our culture. Those younger than 65 can make their own personal tradeoffs between heath and livelihood, while older people, knowing that the virus will be spreading more quickly through the population will be even more cautious, thus preventing their early deaths. We return decisions to people while ensuring that the sum total of decisions does not overwhelm our hospitals. One felicitous result of this policy is that the virus will spread more quickly through the healthier population. This means that when the elderly re-engage in social life they will encounter fewer …

Systems View Of Coronavirus, Sung Won Paek, Larry M. Starr

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Coronavirus Papers

No one envisioned the kinds of problems that emerged from the novel coronavirus nor had anyone considered its interactive scope. Now is the time to begin to redesign our processes and systems so that when confronted again we can cope and navigate better. Everyone needs to be a partner in these redesigns and each of the health, social, educational, and other systems must be integrated because it is their interconnections that coproduce and give meaning to our lives.

Sustaining The National Spinal Cord Injury Registry Of Iran (Nscir-Ir) In A Regional Center: Challenges And Solutions, Zahra Azadmanjir, Zahra Mohtasham-Amiri, Seyed-Mahdi Ziabari, Leila Kochakinejad, Hamid Haidari, Guilan University Of Medical Sciences, Hadis Sabour, Zahra Khazaeipour, Mahdi Sharif-Alhoseini, Zahra Ghodsi, Abbas Amirjamshidi, Farshad Akbarzadeh, Kazem Zendehdel, Amir Azarhomayouon, Khatereh Naghdi, Gerard Oreilly, Ellen Merete, Alexander Vaccaro, Edward C. Benzel, Seyed Behzad Jazayeri, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Background: The National Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Registry in Iran (NSCIR-IR), was implemented initially in three hospitals as a pilot phase from 11 Oct 2015 to 19 Jun 2016 and has been active in eight centers from 19 Jun 2016. Poursina Hospital, a trauma care referral center in Rasht, Guilan Province of Iran is one of the registry sites, and has been involved in registering eligible patients since 1 Jan 2016. This study aimed to identify the challenges and solutions for sustaining the NSCIR-IR in a regional center.

Methods: This was a mixed-methods study. For the quantitative analysis, a retrospective …