Lactococcus garvieae endocarditis presenting with subdural haematoma.

Lactococcus garvieae is a rare cause of infective endocarditis (IE) in humans and the bacterium can easily be misidentified. Intracranial haemorrhage often occurs in conjunction with IE, but subdural haemorrhage (SDH) is very rarely encountered

Cystic pancreatic lesions : current evidence for diagnosis and treatment

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms are detected at an increasing frequency due to an increased use and quality of abdominal imaging. There are well known differential diagnostic difficulties concerning these lesions. The aim is to review current literature on the diagnostic options and the following treatment for cystic lesions in the pancreas focusing on serous cystadenomas, primary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas and mucinous cystadenocarcinomas, as well as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, starting with excluding pseudocysts. A conservative approach is feasible in patients with a clinical presentation suggestive of an asymptomatic serous cystadenoma. Surgical management, as well as follow-up, is discussed for each of the types of neoplastic lesions, including an uncharacterized cyst, based on patient data, symptoms, serum analysis, cyst fluid analysis and morphological features. Aspects for future diagnostics and management of these neoplasia are commented upon

Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas - outcome following different modes of treatment

BACKGROUND: Mucinous cystadenocarcinomas (MCAC) of the pancreas are rare tumors. When localized to the pancreas alone, surgical resection is mostly associated with a favorable prognosis. The potential value of palliative treatment with chemotherapy for irresectable disease is scarcely described though. The aim of this study was to describe a single-center series of patients with MCAC of the pancreas focusing on the outcome following different treatment strategies.METHODS: 15 patients, 10 females and 5 males, with histologically or cytologically verified MCAC, were divided into three groups: surgical resection (n=7), chemotherapy (n=5) and no treatment (n=3).RESULTS: There was no obvious difference in gender distribution between the subgroups. A tendency towards higher age was seen in the group without treatment, as was a larger tumor size as compared to the chemotherapy group. Patients were administered chemotherapy and the group without treatment seemed to present with the same prevalence of metastatic disease (3/5 and 2/3, respectively). All patients in the group without treatment died after in median 1 month following pathological diagnosis. One patient in the chemotherapy group was alive at 9-month follow up, and the others survived a median of 11 months. In the surgically treated group, 4/7 were alive at follow-up of a median of 154 months. Of the three deceased patients who had survived 44, 53 and 151 months, respectively, two had microscopically non-radical resection.CONCLUSIONS: MCAC of the pancreas is, when locally confined and without metastases, associated with fairly good prognosis after surgical resection. In inoperable patients and for metastatic disease, outcome is poor

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas: diagnosis and management.

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), characterized by intraductal papillary growth and thick mucin secretion, have increasingly been recognized. Despite modern preoperative evaluation, major difficulties still remain in distinguishing malignant invasive types from benign IPMNs. Following a PubMed database search, all relevant abstracts and articles on IPMN published in English and Chinese were reviewed. Main-duct and the mixed type IPMNs carry a higher risk of malignancy as compared with branch-duct type IPMNs. Treatment of branch-duct type IPMNs remains controversial. Once operation is indicated, intraoperative frozen section of margins plays an important role in the decision concerning the extent and type of surgery. Pancreatectomy, partly preserving both endocrine and exocrine pancreatic function, is advocated for most patients with IPMN, though total pancreatectomy may be necessary in some. Both for patients subjected to surgery and those only observed, IPMN patients need regular close follow-up to identify recurrence or progressive disease

Childhood tuberous sclerosis complex in southern Sweden: A paradigm shift in diagnosis and treatment.

AimTo investigate the complete clinical spectrum of individuals with paediatric tuberous sclerosis complex in southern Sweden and explore changes over time.MethodsIn this retrospective observational study, 52 individuals aged up to 18 years at the study start were followed-up at regional hospitals and centres for habilitation from 2000 to 2020.ResultsCardiac rhabdomyoma was detected prenatally/neonatally in 69.2% of the subjects born during the latest ten years of the study period. Epilepsy was diagnosed in 82.7% of subjects, and 10 (19%) were treated with everolimus, mainly (80%) for a neurological indication. Renal cysts were detected in 53%, angiomyolipomas in 47%, astrocytic hamartomas in 28% of the individuals. There was a paucity of standardized follow-up of cardiac, renal, and ophthalmological manifestations and no structured transition to adult care.ConclusionOur in-depth analysis shows a clear shift towards an earlier diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis complex in the latter part of the study period, where more than 60% of cases showed evidence of this condition already in utero due to the presence of a cardiac rhabdomyoma. This allows for preventive treatment of epilepsy with vigabatrin and early intervention with everolimus for potential mitigation of other symptoms of tuberous sclerosis complex