Sternal metastases are not studied extensively in the literature. There is a paucity of information on their role in metastatic disease. The concept of the fourth column was described by Berg in 1993, and has been proven in case report, clinically and biomechanical studies. The role of the sternum as a support to the thoracic spine is well documented in the trauma patients, but not much is know...

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the use of the PSSD (Pressure specified sensory Device) for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. Methods: The PSSD is a tool that incorporates a pressure transducer with two prongs, linked to a computer capable of measuring the cutaneous pressure thresholds. The patients were divided in two groups: Group 1patients neither with superior limb ne...

OBJECTIVES Emergency thoracic surgery in the elderly represents an extreme situation for both the surgeon and patient. The lack of an adequate patient history as well as the inability to optimize any co-morbidities, which are the result of the emergent situation, are the cause of increased morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the outcome and prognostic factors for this selected group of patien...

Neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome is a widely recognized, yet controversial, syndrome. The lack of specific objective diagnostic modalities makes diagnosis difficult. This is compounded by a lack of agreed upon definitive criteria to confirm diagnosis. Recent efforts have been made to more clearly define a set of diagnostic criteria that will bring consistency to the diagnosis of neurogenic t...

Thoracic compartment syndrome has been observed after trauma and after mediastinal and cardiac procedures; however, an adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like presentation has not been described as a part of thoracic compartment syndrome. We describe the case of an obese patient who underwent coronary artery bypass (his third such procedure) and hiatal hernia reduction during the same o...

Hypercalcemia is a rare condition in patients with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS-1), usually characterized by hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia, and it can develop due to simultaneous adrenal insufficiency. We present a case of severe hypercalcemia in a patient with APS-1, found to have adrenal insufficiency secondary to steroid non-compliance.