Although the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection mainly affects the lung, its gastrointestinal (GI) involvements are also well-known, especially hepatic involvement presenting as mild to moderate transaminitis. However, COVID-19 infection presenting with gall bladder involvement with acalculous cholecystitis is extremely rare in the medical literature. So far, only two cases have been reported, and herein, we are reporting the third case of a patient who developed COVID-19 presenting as an acute acalculous cholecystitis.
Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a measure of platelet activation, and C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established marker of inflammation. Studies on the correlation between MPV and CRP have produced ambiguous results. We undertook a population study with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010) to investigate the relationship between CRP and MPV. CRP was analyzed both as a continuous variable and as a categorical variable (low, intermediate, or high). Multivariate ordinary least squares regression analysis was used to predict the association. Statistical analyses were performed with Stata MP 15.1. In 16,329 participants, mean MPV was 7.9 fL (standard deviation 0.87). Overall mean CRP in the population was 0.4 mg/dL (standard deviation 0.78). In adjusted regression models with CRP as a continuous measure, individuals with high CRP had significantly lower MPV (b ¼ À0.04; standard error 0.01; 95% confidence interval À0.06 to À0.01; P ¼ 0.002). In adjusted regression models using CRP categories, participants with high CRP (>3 mg/dL) had significantly lower MPV compared with the low CRP group (b ¼ À0.20; standard error 0.09; 95% confidence interval À0.38 to À0.01; P ¼ 0.035). Our study revealed a significant inverse correlation between MPV and CRP in NHANES participants.
Primary pancreatic lymphoma (PPL) is an extremely rare form of extranodal malignant lymphoma. The most common histological subtype of PPL is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Clinical and imaging features of PPL may often overlap with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Therefore, it is very important to obtain a preoperative cytohistology diagnosis of pancreatic tumors to avoid unnecessary surgeries in cases with a diagnosis of PPL. Herein, we report a 71-year-old male who was admitted to our hospital with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis after he presented with complaints of nausea, vomiting, and epigastric abdominal pain. MRI of the abdomen revealed a pancreatic head mass, and histopathology and immunohistochemical assessment of the pancreatic lesion established the diagnosis of DLBCL. The patient achieved remission after six cycles of rituximab-cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin (hydroxydaunomycin), vincristine (oncovin), prednisolone (R-CHOP) chemotherapy.
Pica is an unusual condition in which patients crave and chew substances with no nutritional value. Ice pica (pagophagia) is commonly seen in patient with iron deficiency. People chew ice cubes or add ice to their drinks to cool or refresh themselves, and they may not consider this as an abnormal behavior. Excessive ice chewing/eating can have significant health risks, including electrolyte abnormalities and metabolic disorders. We report a patient admitted to our hospital with severe hyponatremia and seizures due to iron deficiency-associated pagophagia. Ice pica leading to hyponatremia and seizure is not commonly seen in clinical practice. It was a challenging case and the patient was seen and investigated at outpatient clinic for polyuria, though an underlying cause was not identified. Patients may be secretive or reluctant to mention their pica habit. Studies have also shown that most physicians are unaware of pica and most cases can be easily missed.
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