Osteoblastoma is a rare benign tumor of the calvarium. We present the case of a 20-year-old female with occipital osteoblastoma and discussion of imaging modalities of calvarial osteoblastoma. To our knowledge, this is the ninth reported case of occipital osteoblastoma. Imaging characterization of osteoblastoma may vary. Plain radiograph, CT, MRI, and CT angiography establish osteoblastoma characterization and vascular supply prior to surgical resection.

Patient: Female, 29 Final Diagnosis: Renal arteriovenous malformation Symptoms: Hypertension Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Angiography Specialty: Cardiology Objective: Rare disease Background: Congenital renal vascular anomalies have been classified into 3 categories: cirsoid, angiomatous, and aneurysmal. These classifications are based on the size, location, and number of vessels involved. Aneurysmal malformations, such as the one reported here, have a single (and dilated) feeding and draining vessel. The prevalence of renal AVMs is estimated at less than 0.04%, making them rare causes of secondary hypertension. Case Report: A 29-year-old white woman was seen in the hypertension clinic as a referral from high-risk obstetric clinic for management of hypertension (HTN). A secondary hypertension workup with Doppler waveforms of the renal arteries revealed prominent diastolic flow in the left compared to the right. For confirmation, an MRA was done, which showed a large left renal upper-pole arteriovenous malformation (AVM) with associated vascular shunting and early opacification of the left renal vein. This congenital AVM was identified as the cause of her hypertension. Angiography and coil embolization were performed. The patient’s BP normalized within a few days and she was taken off her antihypertensive medications. Conclusions: This case illustrates that a careful review of duplex waveforms beyond just peak velocity and ratios is important to identify uncommon pathologies. This is important, as renal AVMs respond well to embolization, with resolution of hypertension in 59% of patients treated.

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Inferior vena cava (IVC) stenosis and torsion are well-described rare complications following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). We present a case of inferior vena cava intermittent torsion and stenosis complicated by compressive regional ascites. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case of post-OLT regional ascites related compressive IVC stenosis reported and the first reported case of torsion complicated by regional ascites compression.

Background: Intranasal sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) block has been shown to be an effective treatment for headaches. Multiple therapeutic agents have been studied, although the wide availability and low cost of lidocaine and bupivacaine have made them attractive treatment options. To the authors knowledge, no study has yet demonstrated superiority of one anesthetic over the other. Objective: To determine the efficacy of lidocaine versus bupivacaine when performing intranasal sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) block for the treatment of headaches. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: A single tertiary care academic institution Methods: This retrospective study identified patients who underwent SPG block at a single institution from January 1, 2014 to December 20, 2017. Patients were included if they were treated with either lidocaine or bupivacaine and had both pre- and post-procedure pain scores recorded on a 0-10 scale. Patients were excluded if they were less than 18 years of age. Results: 386 total procedures were performed. 303 (78.5%) were lidocaine delivered via the SphenoCath device, and 83 (21.5%) were bupivacaine delivered via the Tx360 device. 90.2% of treatments (n = 348) decreased the patient’s pain level. Of the treatments performed with lidocaine, 89.1% (n = 270) resulted in improvement of the patient’s pain level with a mean decrease in pain level of 3.1 (SD ± 2.3). Of the treatments performed with bupivacaine, 94.0% (n = 78) resulted in improvement of the patient’s pain level, with a mean decrease in pain level of 3.0 (SD ± 1.9). No statistically significant difference was found between the 2 anesthetics. Limitations: The retrospective study design may introduce selection bias. Both lidocaine and bupivacaine were administered by different devices (Sphenocath and Tx360 respectively) which may account for differences in initial treatment success. There were differences in the size of the two groups, which may also introduce error. Conclusions: This study demonstrates similar efficacy of SPG block performed with lidocaine or bupivacaine. While no difference was found, the particular advantages and disadvantages of the intranasal delivery device may influence physician choice. Key words: Sphenopalatine ganglion nerve block, lidocaine, bupivacaine, sphenocath, Tx360, pain intervetnio, headache, miimally invasive therapy