The patient described here was treated for pneumonia, but a chest wall mass and CT changes suggested that more was going on.
Infectious Disease
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Petting zoos are highly popular: some estimates suggest that millions of human-animal contacts occur at state fairs, animal parks, and a host of other public events each year. A strong word of caution is in order, however.
A 52-year-old woman presented to her primary care physician complaining of a nonproductive cough and dyspnea on exertion. These symptoms had a subacute onset over 4 weeks before her initial visit. She denied fever, sputum production, hemoptysis, chest pain, palpitations, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. She did not have any known sick contacts.
For several months, a 55-year-old white construction worker experienced intense burning of the skin when exposed to direct sunlight. In addition, multiple fragile blisters appeared on the dorsa of his hands and arms; these rapidly developed into crusted, superficial erosions.
A 47-year-old woman who recently completed adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer has painless cervical lymphadenopathy of 1 to 2 cm. She has no fever, sore throat, cough, or unexplained weight loss, and she denies exposure to ill persons or animals.
TUCSON, Ariz. -- For many adults with poor airway function or COPD, the genesis of the problem may have been in the womb, researchers reported.
HOUSTON -- For older patients on dialysis, the phosphate binder sevelamer (Renagel) may be associated with a lower death rate compared with calcium-based phosphate binders, investigators reported.
BETHESDA, Md. -- Emphasizing that asthma affects different patients in different ways, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program has issued new evidence-based guidelines on the disease.
WASHINGTON -- A left-ventricular assist device that provides a steady rather than pulsed blood flow may serve as an effective bridge to transplant, found a multicenter team.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Facial transplantation involves less immunosuppression-related risk than previously estimated, investigators here reported.
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA today allowed a human thrombin (Evithrom) on the market after the risk of transfusion-transmitted viral infection kept it on the sidelines for more than a half-century.
LYON, France -- The severity of precancerous lesions tracks to specific bacterial strains, investigators here reported, strengthening the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer.
HOUSTON -- Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are likely buoying up oropharyngeal cancer rates while other head and neck cancers decline, researchers said.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Even in the rural southeast, a high proportion of gay men are using crystal methamphetamine, a drug that promotes risky sexual behavior, researchers said.
ROCKVILLE. Md. -- Women appear to be particularly vulnerable to head-and-neck cancer from smoking, according to National Cancer Institute researchers.
BRISTOL, England -- For universal vaccination of pre-adolescent girls against human papillomavirus, the development of the vaccine was only the first step to wide-scale cancer prevention.
ATLANTA -- Three recent outbreaks of respiratory illness erroneously attributed to pertussis led CDC investigators to urge diligence in confirming that the pathogen is indeed the culprit.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Children infected with HIV at birth appear to maintain normal behavior and academic performance after 10 years of follow-up, researchers reported here.
ATLANTA -- Two new strains of norovirus may be responsible for a nationwide spike in outbreaks late last year that led to 19 deaths, the CDC said.
More than seven out of 10 respondents to a MedPage Today poll say they would wish patients a "bon voyage" if they want to travel overseas for expensive surgery or treatment not available in the U.S.
SEATTLE -- Breathing nitric oxide during liver transplantation helps kick start the grafted organ, researchers reported.
PITTSBURGH -- Hospital-acquired Legionnaires' disease can be predicted by monitoring water systems for high levels of the bacteria that cause it, researchers here said.
BOSTON -- Obesity may be caused -- at least in some cases -- by a virus, researchers said here.
GALVESTON, Tex. -- Burn-associated morbidity and mortality in children are driven by an increased hypermetabolic and inflammatory reaction and impaired cardiac function related to burn size.
CHICAGO -- For many older patients, sexual activity doesn't abate but it clearly begins to fade away, found a national survey.
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