Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3397/1410046
Stone Ileus: An Unusual Presentation of Crohn's Disease
Charles Ma, H Tracy Davido
Article Type: Case Report | First Published: September 30, 2016
Stone ileus, also known as enterolith ileus enterolithiaisis, is a rare complication of cholelithiasis and an even rarer symptom of Crohn's disease. Gallstone ileus is secondary to fistula formation between the gallbladder and the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Enterolithiasis of Crohn's disease is thought to arise from the stasis of succus within the small bowel eventually leading to stone formation and growth. Both gallstone ileus and enterolithiasis of Crohn's disease can result in subsequent ...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2572-4045.1510023
B-Cell Targets to Treat Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Transplantation
Manuel Muro, Santiago Llorente, Jose A Galian, Francisco Boix, Jorge Eguia, Gema Gonzalez-Martinez, Maria R Moya-Quiles and Alfredo Minguela
Article Type: Commentary | First Published: October 22, 2016
Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in allograft transplantation can be defined with a rapid increase in the levels of specific serological parameters after organ transplantation, presence of donor specific antibodies (DSAs) against human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules, blood group (ABO) antigens and/or endothelial cell antigens (e.g. MICA, ECA, Vimentin, or ETAR) and also particular histological parameters....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2572-4045.1510022
Complications after Heart Transplantation: Hope for the Best, but Prepare for the Worst
Ana Carolina Alba, Eva Bain, Nicholas Ng, Madeleine Stein, Kathleen O'Brien, Farid Foroutan and Heather Ross
Article Type: Review Article | First Published: October 10, 2016
For selected patients living with the most advanced stages of heart failure, cardiac transplantation is considered the gold-standard treatment, providing substantial improvements in survival and quality of life. However, heart transplantation is not without risk, and almost all transplant recipients will suffer some form of complication, from mild to potentially fatal,and should be informed of this prior to transplant....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2572-4045.1510021
Anonymous Altruistic Living Kidney Donation in the US: Reality and Practice
Abby S Kazley, Raj Amarnath, Arun Palanisamy, David Taber, Kenneth Chavin, Prabhakar Baliga and Wendy Balliet
Article Type: Research Article | First Published: September 21, 2016
Living kidney donors have emerged as the best option to overcome the severe shortage of transplantable kidneys. A growing number of these living donor kidneys come from anonymous altruistic donors who are not related to the recipients according to UNOS data. This study examines the process of anonymous altruistic kidney donation and identifies barriers and variance in transplant center practices. Using a mock patient caller, 73 transplant centers were contacted and asked about the process of alt...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-584X/1510038
Esophago-Pulmonary Fistula Caused by Lung Cancer Treated with a Covered Self-Expandable Metallic Stent
Takashi Abe, Takayuki Nagai and Kazunari Murakami
Article Type: Clinical Image | First Published: December 01, 2016
A 71-year-old man was diagnosed with squamous cell lung cancer in the right lower lobe. He was treated with chemotherapy (first line: TS-1/CDDP; second line: carboplatin/nab-paclitaxel) and radiation therapy (41.4 Gy), but his disease continued to progress. The patient complained of relatively sudden-onset chest pain and high-grade fever. Computed tomography (CT) showed a small volume of air in the lung cancer of the right lower lobe, so the patient was suspected of fistula between the esophagus...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-584X/1510037
Rare Delayed Metastasis of Uveal Melanoma Presenting as Fulminant Liver Failure
Natalia G Vallianou, Charikleia Kouvidou, Eleni Geladari, Kyriakos Trigkidis, Eleni Antypa and Evangelos Kokkinakis
Article Type: Case Report | First Published: November 09, 2016
Uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular malignant tumor in adult. Here, we present a patient who died due to hepatic encephalopathy, which was attributed to liver metastasis, which occurred nine years after the revelation of the uveal melanoma....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2572-4193.1510025
Killian-Jamieson Diverticulum: A Case Report and Argument for Transcervical Diverticulectomy
Susannah Orzell, Todd Falcone and Gregory Grillone
Article Type: Clinical Study | First Published: October 05, 2016
Killian-Jamieson Diverticulum (KJD) is a rare type of cervical esophageal diverticulum. It originates inferior to the cricopharyngeal muscle and lateral to the longitudinal muscle of the esophagus, and is closely associated with the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). We report a case of KJD in a 78-year-old man treated with an open diverticulectomy with a nerve integrity monitor (NIM), and present a comprehensive literature review....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2572-4193.1510024
The MOC Train is off Course
Scott L Lee
Article Type: Perspective | First Published: September 01, 2016
Leaders often use the proverbial departed train to get people on board with unpopular changes, especially ones with little supporting evidence. Most hop on so as to not get left behind, but is the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) train heading in the right direction? In 2000, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) mandated all specialty affiliates to limit board certification (BC) to 10 years, rather than continue the lifetime certificate....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5726/1510043
Relapsing Polychondritis
Jozef Rovensky and Marie Sedlackova
Article Type: Review Article | First Published: October 10, 2016
Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare immune-mediated disease that may affect multiple organs. It is characterised by recurrent episodes of inflammation of cartilaginous structures and other connective tissues, rich in glycosaminoglycan. Clinical symptoms concentrate in auricles, nose, larynx, upper airways, joints, heart, blood vessels, inner ear, cornea and sclera....