Diagnosis Commons^™

Minimizing Unnecessary Ttes For Pfo Evaluation In Stroke Patients, Jeffrey Lesser, Salman Islam, Aneesha Shaju, Aarohi Parikh, Jonathan Nguyen, Marelle Montanez

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Cold-Sensitive Acral Hand Lesions, Avery H. Seward, Jocelyn H. Larocque

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

[Case description] An otherwise healthy woman in her 60s presented with a 2-year history of a persistent, itchy, and tender rash on the dorsal hands. The rash fluctuated in severity with the seasons, worsening during the colder months. The patient denied joint pain and fatigue, or lesions elsewhere.

Examination revealed partially blanchable violaceous plaques on the dorsal hands with partial sparing of the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints (Fig 1). A few punctate, crusted erosions and purpuric macules were present on the dorsal and volar distal phalanges (Figs 2 and 3).

Association Of Valvular Disease Progression Using Echocardiographic Findings In A Large U.S. Cohort, Abes A. Bautista Neughebauer, Amin Yehya, Raymond L. Benza, Deepak Talreja

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

The prevalence of valvular disease in the US is approximately 2.5%. Given that over 5 million Americans are affected, it is crucial to find those at higher risk of progression. The goal of this paper is to uncover which patients are more likely to have valvular disease progression using demographic factors, EKG and echocardiogram (ECHO) findings.

Methods

This paper utilized the EchoNext Database, which pairs 100,000 electrocardiograms and echocardiograms based on specific structural heart disease labels. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to find risk factors for progression for aortic stenosis (AS), aortic regurgitation (AR), mitral regurgitation (MR), …

Comparison Of Fully Covered Self-Expandable Metal Biliary Stents With Or Without Anchoring Double-Pigtail Plastic Stents: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Samuel Tanner, Fadi Hawa, Alejandra Vargas, Priyata Dutta, Antonio Facciorusso, Jean M. Chalhoub, Jorge D. Machicado

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background and AIMS

Fully covered self-expandable metal stents (FcSEMSs) have become the mainstay of treatment for a variety of biliary pathologies. However, FcSEMSs have been associated with a greater rate of stent migration than other types of stents. A technique of anchoring double-pigtail plastic stents (DPPSs) has been proposed to minimize migration of biliary FcSEMSs. Herein, we evaluated the efficacy of anchoring DPPSs among patients treated with biliary FcSEMSs.

Methods

We performed a systematic review using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science from database inception through August 2023. Full-text articles comparing FcSEMSs with or without anchoring DPPSs were included. We …

Mechanical-Medical Convergence In Heart Failure: Artificial Intelligence, Finite-Element Modeling, And 3d Printing For Diagnosis And Prognosis, Quazi Noor E. Sabrina, Quazi Md Zobaer Shah, Quazi Noor E. Sohela, Md Mahabub Hasan Mousum, Md. Moyeen Uddin Chisty, Quazi Md. Akbar Shah

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Heart failure remains a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, yet routine clinical indices often miss the regional biomechanical disturbances that drive progression and shape treatment response. This State-of-the-Art review examines how finite-element (FE) modeling, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence (AI) are converging to improve the diagnosis, phenotyping, procedural planning, and prognostic assessment of heart failure (HF). Although these technologies have matured in structural heart disease and transcatheter intervention research, their greatest translational potential may lie in HF, where patient-specific ventricular remodeling, myocardial stress–strain heterogeneity, valve-ventricular coupling, and device-tissue interaction are incompletely captured by conventional clinical indices. We synthesize …

An Analysis Of Pediatric Retinoblastoma Medical Malpractice Litigation, Victoria Miller, Alyssa D. Reese, Katherine Foote, Alejandro Navarro, Andrew Galfano, Christian Hietanen

Department Surgery Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the retina that is most commonly diagnosed in the pediatric population. Unfortunately, this cancer can spread, leading to poor outcomes such as enucleation. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of medical malpractice litigation associated with a diagnosis of retinoblastoma in the pediatric population.

METHODS: A search for all available cases associated with "retinoblastoma" in the Westlaw Campus Research Legal Database was conducted. This spanned from database inception to August 2023. Cases were included if there was a complaint of medical malpractice related to retinoblastoma present in a pediatric patient. Demographic …

Accuracy Of Estimated Fetal Weights As You Progress Through Residency, Madison Pearson, Lauren Robertson, Emily Coughlin, James Baron, Mark Sanchez

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Incidence Of False-Positive Tubal Occlusion On Hysterosalpingography (Hsg) Due To Tubal Spasm: A Case Series, Elena Korytnikova, Ben Duplaga, Mark Sanchez

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

A New Conceptual Framework For The Approach To The Emergency Department Patient, Christopher Houston

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

Background

The Emergency Department (ED) is an often chaotic environment where you have little information, little time, and must evaluate for multiple serious conditions. This can be overwhelming for trainees and young physicians. Having a thought process specifically tailored to the ED could be helpful organizing priorities and diagnostic pathways. There are several disease specific core measures that are time sensitive in the ED. Specifically; STEMI, stroke, sepsis, and trauma. Each of these conditions must be rapidly identified, and appropriate pathways initiated.

Trainees are traditionally taught to approach a patient with a wide differential diagnosis for each chief complaint and …

Improving Cord Gas Collection Rates On Labor & Delivery, Sandra Zhi, Diane Gilbertson, Ifeoluwa Adesina-Aina, Sarah Moore, Jack Graham

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

Background: Cord blood gas measurements are helpful to determine the acid-base status of a neonate after delivery and can determine risk for neonatal encephalopathy. Collection usually occurs right after delivery of the infant and after the umbilical cord has been cut and clamped. The OBGYN residents are currently trained to draw cord blood for gas analysis if clinical status of the neonate is subpar, but there exist other indications for drawing cord blood to send for cord gases as recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics. This project will focus …

Operative Localization Of Occult Gastrointestinal Bleeding Using Intraoperative Small Bowel Endoscopy, Shuda Xia, Furrukh Jabbar, Muhammad T. Siddique

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

No abstract provided.

A Practical Phenotyping Framework For Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Using Remote Multi-Day Urinary Diagnostics, Jeremy Watts, Daniel Godelfer, John Knoedler, Ashley Sturdy, Steven Kaplan, Ilya Sobol

Department of Urology Faculty Publications

Objective

To describe the distribution of predefined Index Symptoms and Diagnostic Profiles in a cohort of men undergoing Remote multi-day urinary diagnostics (RMUD) for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 1,047 RMUD performed with CarePath® in men referred for LUTS across 18 sites. RMUD combined multi-day frequency-volume and uroflowmetry data with the IPSS. Six Index Symptoms were operationalized: (1) low flow with elevated IPSS (device trial criteria), (2) overactivity, (3) primary overactivity (overactivity without obstructive RMUD findings), (4) nocturia, (5) nocturnal polyuria (NP) using the ICS NP index, and 6) no qualifying voids. Combinations of the Index …

Advances And Challenges In Digitally Connected Point-Of-Care Biosensing, Abdellatif Ait Lahcen, Jegan Rajendran, Gymama Slaughter

Center for Bioelectronics Publications

Point-of-care (POC) biosensors are undergoing a paradigm shift from isolated diagnostic tools to digitally connected, intelligent platforms that enable continuous and decentralized healthcare delivery. This review critically examines recent advances in wearable, implantable, and portable biosensors, highlighting how integration with wireless communication, the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and artificial intelligence is transforming their functionality and clinical utility. Particular attention is given to innovations such as smartphone-enabled interfaces, cloud-based analytics, and machine learning-assisted analysis, which collectively enhance sensitivity, specificity, and user accessibility across diverse healthcare settings, from personalized home monitoring and bedside diagnostics to deployment in resource-limited regions. The review …

Recent Advances In Triboelectric Nanogenerators For Biomedical And Cardiovascular Monitoring, Amit Sarode, Jegan Rajendran, Gymama Slaughter

Center for Bioelectronics Publications

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as versatile self-powered platforms for wearable and implantable biomedical sensing, offering an alternative to battery-dependent electronic devices. By converting biomechanical energy from physiological motion into electrical signals, TENGs enable simultaneous energy harvesting and active sensing within flexible, lightweight, and biocompatible architectures. This review summarizes recent advances from 2020 to 2025 in triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)-based cardiovascular monitoring. The discussion focuses on material systems, device configurations, sensing mechanisms, and applications including pulse detection and cuffless blood pressure estimation. Representative studies are compared to highlight emerging trends in wearable and self-powered sensing technologies. However, differences in experimental conditions, …

Modern Potentiostat Architectures For Electrochemical Sensing: Design, Integration, And Future Directions, Reagan Aviha, Gymama Slaughter

Center for Bioelectronics Publications

Potentiostats are essential to electrochemical sensing, enabling precise control of electrode potentials and measurement of current responses. As demand grows for portable, wearable, and point-of-care systems, potentiostat design has evolved from benchtop instruments to compact, low-power, and wirelessly connected platforms. This review provides a comprehensive, system-level perspective on modern potentiostat architectures, covering operational principles, analog front-end design, signal generation and acquisition, communication protocols, and software integration. Unlike prior reviews that treat these aspects independently, this work integrates electrochemical theory with electronic design and data communication frameworks. Key components, including operational amplifiers, transimpedance amplifiers, DAC/ADC subsystems, and microcontroller-based control, are examined …

Rapid Diagnosis Of Hemorrhagic Shock Due To Upper Gi Bleeding With Point-Of-Care Ultrasound In The Emergency Department, Tamari Ronen, Derrick Huang

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Non-Invasive Detection Of Intracranial Pressure, Andrei V. Nesterenko

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Intracranial pressure is a critical metric used when managing tumors, strokes, TBIs, hydrocephalus, and other operative conditions. Traditional methods for continuous ICP monitoring, intraparenchymal catheters, epidural transducers etc., are invasive and carry a high risk of infection. Previous attempts to create accurate, easy to use, and non-invasive ICP monitoring techniques have been unsuccessful. In this study, we investigated the utility of supraorbital and posterior auricular photoplethysmography to monitor changes in ICP during orthostatic tilt and hyperventilation, which increase and decrease ICP respectively.

Through a continuous 5-minute recording on a tilt-table we characterized SOA and PAA waveforms in 12 participants (ages …

Devising A Protocol For Mri Clearance In Patients With Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (Cied), Sienna Luk, Alvin Mathew, Darshan Bhatty, Kamran Rizvi

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

Background: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in patients with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs) remains a logistical challenge in many clinical settings. At Medical City Denton, the absence of a standardized institutional policy has led to significant inefficiencies, including prolonged hospital stays and increased healthcare costs. The primary objective of this project was to address these barriers by developing a streamlined, evidence-based protocol to improve care coordination and resource utilization for patients with CIEDs requiring diagnostic imaging.

Methods: Launched in 2026, this pilot initiative utilized a multi-stakeholder approach involving hospitalists, EPs, radiology staff, and device representatives. A core component of the …

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Incidentally Detected On Barium Swallow: A Case Report, Muhammad Rubeel Akram, Aditya Rao, Muhammad T. Siddique

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

Background: Esophageal cancer is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis, and has high rates of recurrence despite curative-intent therapy. While endoscopy with biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis, non-diagnostic imaging studies are performed when evaluating for dysphagia, and may bring to light underlying pathology, warranting further workup. Surgical resection following neoadjuvant chemoradiation is often performed, but postoperative complications and disease recurrence are important concerns. This case highlights the crucial role of early detection via imaging and the clinical burden associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Case Presentation: A 76-year-old female presented with dysphagia and underwent a barium esophagogram, …

Prognostic Value Of Systemic Inflammatory Indices For Predicting Mace In Nstemi Patients Undergoing Pci, Boney Lapsiwala, Aditya Sharma, Usman Khan, Jorim Parmar, Justin Soloman, Veeranna Vibhuti, Mehdi Khalafi

North Texas GME Research Forum 2026

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) account for nearly one-third of global mortality, with ischemic heart disease caused by a mismatch between myocardial oxygen supply and demand. Despite advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and contemporary pharmacotherapy, patients with non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) continue to experience substantial residual risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). As traditional risk stratification tools have limited ability to identify high-risk individuals, interest has shifted toward biomarkers reflecting inflammatory pathways central to atherosclerosis and plaque instability. Hematologic inflammatory markers including pan inflammatory value (PIV), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) initially …