In the latest Case Record of the Massachusetts General Hospital, a 52-year-old man was admitted to this hospital because of weakness, leg swelling, and hypokalemia. During the hospital course, multiple infections were diagnosed and imaging studies revealed enlarged adrenal glands. A diagnostic procedure was performed. Once excess cortisol is suspected, laboratory testing is advisable for… Read More…
COPD sufferers know the symptoms all too well: the phlegmy cough, gasping wheezy breaths, and chest tightness that signal an exacerbation. Guidelines recommend inhaled long-acting bronchodilators—either an anticholinergic or a β2-agonist—to mitigate symptoms and reduce the frequency of these exacerbations in patients with moderate to severe disease. Which one is more effective? Without large head-to-head… Read More…
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, including Wegener’s granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis, is a multisystem autoimmune syndrome characterized by vasculitis predominantly affecting microscopic vessels and circulating autoantibodies to neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens. Jones et al. report that in a randomized trial, standard glucocorticoid regimen plus rituximab was not superior to standard intravenous cyclophosphamide as induction therapy in… Read More…
