Computed tomography findings of primary epiploic appendagitis as an easily misdiagnosed entity: Case series and review of literature

BACKGROUND: Primer epiploic appendagitis (PEA) is an uncommon condition. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records and computed tomography (CT) findings of 45 patients with PEA. RESULTS: On the basis of physical examination and pain localization, presumptive clinical diagnosis was acute appendicitis (n=13), acute cholecystitis (n=2), acute diverticulitis (n=19), renal colic (n=7) and ovarian pathology (n=4). CONCLUSION: Although it has no characteristic clinical and laboratory features, CT is the best modality for accurate diagnosis of PEA

New experimental finding of dangerous autonomic ganglia changes in cardiac injury following subarachnoid hemorrhage; a reciprocal culprit-victim relationship between the brain and heart

Objective: The vagal, stellate, and cardiac ganglia cells changes following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) may occur. This study aimed to investigate if there is any relation between vagal network/stellate ganglion and intrinsic cardiac ganglia insult following SAH. Materials and methods: Twenty-six rabbits were used in this study. Animals were randomly divided as control (GI, n = 5); SHAM 0.75 cc of saline-injected (n = 5) and study with autologous 1.5 cc blood injection into their cisterna magna(GIII, n = 15). All animals were followed for three weeks and then decapitated. Their motor vagal nucleus, nodose, stellate, and intracardiac ganglion cells were estimated by stereological methods and compared statistically. Results: Numerical documents of heart-respiratory rates, vagal nerve- ICG, and stellate neuron densities as follows: 276 ± 32/min-22 ± 3/min-10.643 ± 1.129/mm3-4 ± 1/mm3-12 ± 3/mm3 and 2 ± 1/cm3 in the control group; 221 ± 22/min-16 ± 4/min-8.699 ± 976/mm3-24 ± 9/mm3-103 ± 32/mm3 and 11 ± 3/cm3 in the SHAM group; and 191 ± 23/min-17 ± 4/min-9.719 ± 932/mm3-124 ± 31/mm3-1.542 ± 162/mm3 and 32 ± 9/cm3 in the SAH (study) group. The animals with burned neuro-cardiac web had more neurons of stellate ganglia and a less normal neuron density of nodose ganglia (p < 0.005). Conclusion: Sypathico-parasympathetic imbalance induced vagal nerve-ICG disruption following SAH could be named as Burned Neurocardiac Web syndrome in contrast to broken heart because ICG/parasympathetic network degeneration could not be detected in classic broken heart syndrome. It was noted that cardiac ganglion degeneration is more prominent in animals’ severe degenerated neuron density of nodose ganglia. We concluded that the cardiac ganglia network knitted with vagal-sympathetic-somatosensitive fibers has an important in heart function following SAH. The neurodegeneration of the cardiac may occur in SAH, and cause sudden death

The effect of COVID-19 on development of hair and nail disorders: a Turkish multicenter, controlled study

© 2022 the International Society of Dermatology.Background: A broad spectrum of skin diseases, including hair and nails, can be directly or indirectly triggered by COVID-19. It is aimed to examine the type and frequency of hair and nail disorders after COVID-19 infection. Methods: This is a multicenter study conducted on consecutive 2171 post-COVID-19 patients. Patients who developed hair and nail disorders and did not develop hair and nail disorders were recruited as subject and control groups. The type and frequency of hair and nail disorders were examined. Results: The rate of the previous admission in hospital due to COVID-19 was statistically significantly more common in patients who developed hair loss after getting infected with COVID-19 (P < 0.001). Telogen effluvium (85%) was the most common hair loss type followed by worsening of androgenetic alopecia (7%) after COVID-19 infection. The mean stress scores during and after getting infected with COVID-19 were 6.88 ± 2.77 and 3.64 ± 3.04, respectively, in the hair loss group and were 5.77 ± 3.18 and 2.81 ± 2.84, respectively, in the control group (P < 0.001, P < 0.001). The frequency of recurrent COVID-19 was statistically significantly higher in men with severe androgenetic alopecia (Grades 4–7 HNS) (P = 0.012; Odds ratio: 2.931 [1.222–7.027]). The most common nail disorders were leukonychia, onycholysis, Beau's lines, onychomadesis, and onychoschisis, respectively. The symptoms of COVID-19 were statistically significantly more common in patients having nail disorders after getting infected with COVID-19 when compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The development of both nail and hair disorders after COVID-19 seems to be related to a history of severe COVID-19