Medical Picks

Deadly Amoebic Encephalitis

2007-09-29T05:40:00Z

6 die from brain-eating amoeba in lakes By CHRIS KAHN, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 12 minutes ago PHOENIX - It sounds like science fiction but it's true: A killer amoeba living in lakes enters the body through the nose and attacks the brain where it feeds until you die. Even though encounters with the microscopic bug are extraordinarily rare, it's killed six boys and young men this year. The spike in cases has health officials concerned, and they are predicting more cases in the future. "This...(read more)

Steve Irwin / Stingrays: A Medical Review of the Subject

2006-09-06T05:16:00Z

In memory of Mr. Irwin's untimely death, I would like to do a brief study of the creature that accidentally killed him- the Stingray , which often have venomous tails. The stingray are bottom-dwelling cartilaginous fish that have a flattened body, 1 or more stout spines on the tail, gill slits on the lower surface of the head, teeth modified into 2 large crushing plates, and no dorsal fin. They are not aggressive toward humans; however, injuries from these animals are very common, and can occasionally...(read more)

The Parasitic Twin

2006-08-20T09:24:00Z

This one is very interesting. This guy was born with a big stomach, which continued to grow. When he finally got operated on, they found his dead twin brother growing inside his belly! The real, the bizarre... URL for video: http://www.acnatsci.org/research/biodiv/images/Saulcandiru3.jpg...(read more)

Urology Consultation: The Amazonian Candiru Fish (known as the "Willie Fish" - Ouch!)

2006-08-20T08:56:00Z

The Candiru fish is a relative of the catfish family. Range - From South America, especially the Amazon and Orinoco river systems. Habitat - Often reside on the muddy bottoms in slow flowing areas. Feeding Habits - Parasitic on the gills of fishes, to which they are attracted by the water flow. Once embedded under the gill cover, spiny protuberances lock the candiru in place and cause minor hemorrhaging, the blood is then consumed. The fish reputedly also are attracted to mammalian urine flows and...(read more)

Pleural Effusions

2006-08-18T07:27:00Z

Now for the serious stuff... I happen to currently have 2 patients in the hospital with pleural effusions. I'll keep you all updated on how they do over the next week. 1) 78 year old male with an atypical bilateral pneumonia pneumonia, on 3 antibiotics. He's on a respirator with persistent respiratory failure, demonstrating sepsis (high WBC, fever, positive blood cultures). He's not doing well. 2) 84 year old female with history of breast cancers s/p radical mastectomies in 1984 and 1988 (no chemo...(read more)

15 Most Bizarre X-Rays

2006-08-18T05:35:00Z

I promised to NOT post anything from youtube.com that is really weird. So Nick- this group is OK. You gotta give me a break, since I didn't post the one with "The World's Largest Tumor (Testicle)". I also held back the one "The World's Largest Zit is Popped .. . " due to the fact that even I got grossed out. My daughter introduced me to this group of xrays, part of a collection that was called the " 15 Most Bizarre X-Rays ". It's from http://www.i-am-bored.com . She agreed that there aren't really...(read more)

Deformed Baby

2006-08-14T08:48:00Z

This clip can be somewhat disturbing, but a real world presentation. Viewer beware! http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vs_LoWaAGb0&mode=related&search =...(read more)

Yellow Fever

2006-08-14T08:33:00Z

There is a great historical video on Yellow Fever... http://youtube.com/watch?v=Mg69fmGiXS4 If you only wish to see the photos, go to this website...(read more)

Systemic Lupus Erythematosis

2006-08-13T20:25:00Z

Systemic Lupus Erythematosis I see these cases all of the time, in both simple walk-ins and when I get a hematological consult for a coagulopathy or things like leukopenia. The round pink cell in the center of the filed is an LE cell. A LE cell is a neutrophil that has phagocytosed nuclear material that is coated with antibody. An LE cell differs from a tart cell which is a neutrophil which has phagocytosed another cell. The pink rash on the cheek represents the "lupus mask" Click here for URL of...(read more)

ER Findings: Rectal Toys (updated with new picks on 9/8/2006)

2006-08-12T08:18:00Z

Updated: Here are 5 presentations of rectal toys as seen by xray studies. I ran into this the other day. This is a really useful article that every emrupdate physician reader should learn. You won't find this in any SNOMED, MEDCIN or other database: Part I: Removal of 100-Watt Electric Bulb from Rectum from Annals of Emergency Medicine, November 1982 To the Editor: In all societies, individuals have introduced foreign bodies into the rectum, penis, and vagina, sometimes for sexual gratification...(read more)

Monster Tumor

2006-08-12T08:17:00Z

Guy in Liberia lets a facial tumor grow in a span of over 10 years... http://www.bofunk.com/video/3298/monster_tumor.html...(read more)

Botfly

2006-08-12T08:07:00Z

Check out this case that will give you the willies... http://i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=18043...(read more)

Hyperparathyroidism

2006-08-12T07:59:00Z

Here's a cool jpg of a positive parathyroid scan showing a right lower neck nodule: GRAHAM: Question for the endocrine guys. How does one distinguish between primary,secondary, and tertiary hyperparathyroidism? I have a couple of cases that have been diagnosed by the endrocrinologist as primary, but I suspect secondary or tertiary. Have you ordered a parathyroid scan to see if there is an adenoma? If positive for an adenoma, then bingo- PRIMARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM . End of story. Of course, you should...(read more)

Eyeball With Leprosy Lesion

2006-08-12T07:46:00Z

Eyeball With Leprosy Lesion...(read more)

Nocardia Sepsis

2006-08-12T07:45:00Z

Hi Chris! Actually it's plain old leprosy... I've seen a few of these over the years. Before emrupdate.com I had to publish my fascinomas in the literature- imagine that ! I published a case in Postgraduate Medicine (1988) of a gram positive rod that caused pus collections in my patient's eye, brain, and abdomen. Answer: Nocardia sepsis. The guy died a miserable death......(read more)