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The objective was to study the response of cortisol and of prolactin (PRL) to specific stimuli in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We measured the response of cortisol to insulin-induced hypoglycemia and of PRL to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) in seven patients with active untreated SLE and in ten paired control subjects. All were women with regular menstrual cycles. With the exception of two patients, they had never received corticosteroids before the study. The basal serum levels of cortisol (12.5+/-2.4 microg/dl) and PRL (10.7+/-1.0 ng/ml) in the SLE group were not significantly different from those of the control group (12.3+/-1.1 microg/dl and 13.7+/-2.4 ng/ml, respectively). The cortisol response after hypoglycemia was significantly lower in SLE patients compared to the control group at 45 min (P=0.01), at 60 min (P = 0.009), and at 90 min (P = 0.001). The integrated cortisol response to hypoglycemia expressed as area under the response curve (AUC) did not differ significantly in either group (1447+/-187 vs 1828+/-84, P = 0.06). Although the peak of PRL after TRH did not differ significantly in both groups (68.0+/-7.4 ng/ml in SLE vs 66.3+/-77 ng/ml in controls) and the AUC of PRL response after TRH was comparable in both groups (4672+/-537 vs 4128+/-541, P = 0.32), the interval-specific 'delta' response was significantly higher in SLE than the control group at 0-60 min (P=0.02) and 0-90 min (P = 0.01) after TRH injection. These findings suggest that active SLE is associated with some degree of dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-glucocorticoid axis and PRL secretion.

Objective:To determine the frequency of occult macroscopic metastasis detected by preoperative US evaluation of the neck in patients with PTC. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a malignancy with a high rate of lymph node metastasis. The findings of routine thyroid ultrasonography(US)andphysicalexaminationmayunderestimatemetastatic disease. Thus, we propose that patients diagnosed as having PTC undergo preoperative US staging of the neck.Design: This prospective study included 60 patients diagnosed as having PTC from January 1 through June 30, 2006. Patients had undergone previous thyroid US evaluation with no palpable adenopathy. Lymph nodes were deemed suspicious by US findings with a minor axis greater than 10 mm, a minor axis greater than 50% of the major axis, or hyperechogenicity with or without microcalcifications. Metastasis was confirmed by fineneedle aspiration biopsy or frozen section analysis. Patients with confirmed metastasis underwent a neck dissection. The location of adenopathy reported by US was correlated with the pathological report. Results:The US evaluation identified 12 of 60 patients (20%) with adenopathy suggestive of metastasis. Metastasis was confirmed in 11 of 12 patients (92%). Metastasis was found in 1 of 48 patients who had a negative US finding. Overall, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 92%, 98%, 92%, and 98%, respectively. All neck levels with suspicious adenopathy detected by US evaluation, with 1 exception, were confirmed by pathological findings. Nine patients had additional neck levels involved with microscopic disease undetected by the US evaluation. Conclusions:In patients with PTC, preoperative US evaluation of the neck is effective in detecting nonpalpable metastasis. Therefore, routine preoperative neck US evaluation is recommended to optimize primary surgical planning.

Background The FLU-PRO Plus is a patient-reported outcome data collection instrument assessing symptoms of viral respiratory tract infections across eight body systems. This study evaluated the measurement properties of FLU-PRO Plus in a study enrolling individuals with COVID-19. Methods Data from a prospective cohort study (EPICC) in US Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries evaluated for COVID-19 was utilized. Adults with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection with FLU-PRO Plus survey information within one week of symptom onset were included. Reliability of FLU-PRO Plus was estimated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC; 2 days reproducibility). Known-groups validity was assessed using patient global assessments (PGA) of disease severity. Patient report of return to usual health was used to assess responsiveness (day 1-6/7). Results 226 SARS-CoV-2 positive participants were included in the analysis. Reliability among those who reported no change in their symptoms from one day to the next was high for most domains (ICC range 0.68-0.94 for day 1 to day 2). Construct validity was demonstrated by moderate to high correlation between the PGA rating of disease severity and domain and total scores (e.g., total scores correlation: 0.69 (influenza-like illness severity), 0.69 (interference in daily activities), and -0.58 (physical health)). In addition, FLU-PRO Plus demonstrated good known-groups validity, with increasing domain and total scores observed with increasing severity ratings. Conclusions FLU-PRO Plus performs well in measuring signs and symptoms in SARS-CoV-2 infection with excellent construct validity, known-groups validity, and responsiveness to change. Standardized data collection instruments facilitate meta-analyses, vaccine effectiveness studies, and other COVID-19 research activities.

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Rare co-existance of disease or pathology Background: Histoplasmosis results from the inhalation of spores from the fungus, Histoplasma capsulatum. A case is presented of pulmonary histoplasmosis associated with altered mental state and hypercalcemia following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Case Report: A 75-year-old man with a five-day history of AML treated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, presented with weakness, fatigue, and slow mentation. Computed tomography (CT) of the brain was unremarkable. Laboratory investigations showed serum albumin of 2.9 g/dL, calcium of 11.6 mg/dL, ionized calcium of 1.55 mmol/L, parathyroid hormone (PTH) <6.3 pg/mL, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D of 14.4 ng/mL. Treatment began with intravenous cefepime 1 gm bid, normal saline, and the bisphosphonate, pamidronate, administered as a single dose. Three days later, his clinical status declined. He developed a dry productive cough, his oxygen saturation (O 2 Sat) was 90%, and his mental status worsened. Chest CT showed diffuse bilateral lung infiltrates with ground glass opacities. Bronchioalveolar lavage and transbronchial biopsy were negative for Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP). The CMV viral load was 195 IU/mL. Urinalysis for Histoplasma antigen and the Fungitell ® assay were positive. Treatment commenced with intravenous voriconazole (250 mg, bid) and ganciclovir (5 mg/kg, bid). A left lower lobe transbronchial lung biopsy was positive for Histoplasma capsulatum and negative for CMV. Conclusions: This case report has highlighted the need for awareness of the diagnosis of histoplasmosis in patients with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation who present with an altered mental state in the setting of hypercalcemia.

Patient: Male, 68Final Diagnosis: Echtyma gangrenosumSymptoms: Abdominal discomfort • fever • genital ulcerMedication: —Clinical Procedure: Antibiotic treatmentSpecialty: Infectious DiseasesObjective:Rare co-existance of disease or pathologyBackground:Ecthyma gangrenosum is an uncommon cutaneous infection commonly caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa affecting typically immunocompromised patients. The presence of ecthyma gangrenosum can be associated with severe systemic infection often with a fatal prognosis. Most cases of ecthyma gangrenosum occur around the axilla, buttocks, and limbs; the scrotum is rarely affected.Case Report:A 68-year-old male with previously diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia, presented with left scrotal pain, fever, and rigors. Physical examination showed 2 ulcerating lesions with central black eschars surrounded by erythematous halos on the superior aspect of the left scrotum. Diagnosis of ecthyma gangrenosum was confirmed as both blood and lesion cultures showed growth of P. aeruginosa. After early empiric antibiotic treatment, the lesions significantly improved, and no sign of recurrence or new lesions was noticed.Conclusions:Ecthyma gangrenosum should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ulcerating lesions of the scrotum. An early diagnosis and aggressive antibiotic treatment are imperative for resolution of this infection.

To investigate the effect of the combination of dexamethasone (Dex) and sodium ipodate (SI) on hyperthyroidism, we studied 24 patients with typical Graves' disease, divided into four groups of six persons each. Three groups (Study I) were studied acutely (24 h) to determine the effects of Dex (5 mg every 12 h intramuscularly), SI (one oral dose of 3 g) and both drugs at the same doses, upon T4, T3, and rT3 at 0900 h before therapy was started and 24 h later. The group on Dex and that on SI had a similar T3 decrement of 25.9 +/- 4.0% and 35.8 +/- 5.0%, respectively, (P less than 0.05), whereas the effect of both drugs combined was greater (64.2 +/- 3.6%; P less than 0.01, Dex, and P less than 0.01, SI, respectively). The increment of rT3 was markedly greater in those patients on SI than in those on Dex (561.3 +/- 149.2% and 58.9 +/- 11%, respectively, P less than 0.025). A fourth group (Study II) was studied for seven days while receiving both Dex (1 mg orally three times per day) and SI (500 mg orally three times per day). Both T4 (from 18.8 +/- 1.1 to 13.1 +/- 1.1 micrograms/dl, P less than 0.02) and T3 (from 593 +/- 41 to 136.3 +/- 12.7 ng/dl, P less than 0.001) decreased at day 8. The initial brisk increment of rT3 at 24 h (808 +/- 149%, P less than 0.005) then diminished concomitantly with the fall of its precursor, T4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)