Discitis with vertebral body destruction in a 28-year-old intravenous drug user

Discitis with vertebral body destruction in a 28-year-old intravenous drug user.

DESCRIPTION A 28-year-old hepatitis C positive, intravenous drug user presented with a 2-month history of sharp pain over the thoracic vertebrae that was referred to the upper epigastrium. There was tenderness over the upper epigastrium and thoracic vertebrae. No neurological deficit was found on examination. The patient's temperaturewas 37.5 °C. Initial blood results showed a white cell count ...

Post-tussive syncope in a 39-year-old intravenous drug user.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES The Clinical Case of the Month is a regular educational feature presented by the Louisiana State University Department of Medicine in New Orleans. Medical students, residents, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty collaborate in the preparation of these discussions. After reading this article, physicians should be able to identify and understand the pathophysiology, clinical ...

A 28-year-old military veteran with nightmares and insomnia.

Given the patient’s military background and the symptoms of insomnia and nightmares, which are consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this diagnosis should be considered. Further inquiry indicates that this patient returned from deployment in Afghanistan two years earlier. Previous exposure to potentially traumatic events in the military (e.g., combat, witnessing injury or death ...

A 28-year-old man with neck ache.

A 28-year-old man with leukocytosis and anemia.

Figure 2. Bone marrow aspirate smear demonstrating blasts of myeloid lineage. Figure 1. Peripheral blood smear showing a myeloblast.