Endometriosis is a common condition in which endometrial cells and stroma are deposited in extrauterine sites. Its prevalence has been estimated to be 10% of reproductive age females. It is commonly found in the pelvis; however, it may be found in the abdomen, thorax, brain, or skin. Thoracic involvement is a relatively rare presentation of this common disease. Thoracic endometriosis commonly presents as pneumothorax in 73% of patients. A rarer presentation of thoracic endometriosis is hemothorax (<14%) or hemoptysis (7%). Thoracic endometriosis is an uncommon cause of a pleural effusion. We present a case of 28-year-old African American female with no other medical conditions. She presented to the hospital with worsening right-sided pleuritic chest pain, dyspnea, and menorrhagia. She had been complaining of pleuritic chest pain for 5 years, the onset of which corresponds to the start of her menstrual cycle and is relieved with cessation of menses. Initial laboratory studies revealed a severe microcytic anemia with normal coagulation profile. Chest X-ray showed small right pleural effusion and suspicious for airspace disease. A computed tomography (CT) of chest was ordered for further clarification and identified large right pleural effusion. CT-guided thoracentesis removed 500 ml of serosanguinous fluid consisting of blood elements. There can be multiple sites involved with endometriosis and can present with wide range of symptoms that occur periodically with menses in young woman. The history and pleural fluid findings of this case are suggestive of Thoracic Endometriosis Syndrome. The diagnosis of this is often missed or delayed by clinicians, which can result in recurrent hospitalization and other complications. As internists we should be suspicious of atypical presentations of endometriosis and treat them early before complications develop. This case also highlights the importance of suspecting atypical etiologies for pleural effusion.

Congenital defects of the coronary arteries are noted in 0.2–1.4% of the general population. The first case of an anomalous origin of right coronary artery from pulmonary artery (ARCAPA) was described by Brooks in 1885. ARCAPA has an overall incidence of 0.002% in the general population. Most of the cases are asymptomatic; however, it can lead to serious complications such as heart failure, ischemia, and sudden death. A 57-year-old man presented to the cardiologist's office with complaints of shortness of breath and fatigue. The patient also had a previous history of coronary stents and heart failure. Initially, he was evaluated with a stress test which was reported as abnormal. The patient then underwent an invasive coronary angiography that revealed anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) and multivessel disease. Cardiothoracic surgery evaluated the patient and coronary artery bypass graft was performed. During the surgery, the anomalous origin of RCA from the pulmonary artery was identified and was successfully corrected by reimplanting the RCA into the ascending aorta. The anomalous origin of RCA is a rare yet life-threatening condition. The RCA due to its location of origin from the pulmonary artery tends to be a low-pressure vessel with a very thin and fragile wall. It also serves as a retrograde venous conduit from the left coronary circulation into the pulmonary artery. This connection results in a left-to-right shunt that explains the increase in oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery and the high cardiac output which is normally seen in these cases. The clinical presentation can vary from coronary ischemia to heart failure or sudden death. Therefore, surgical correction is recommended even in asymptomatic patients. We present a case of an anomalous origin of RCA from the pulmonary artery which, unlike the origin of left coronary from pulmonary artery, is very rare. Patients with this condition should have early correction even if they are asymptomatic in order to prevent long-term complications.

Patient: Male, 71Final Diagnosis: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpuraSymptoms: Abdominal and/or epigastric painMedication: —Clinical Procedure: —Specialty: General and Internal MedicineObjective:Rare co-existance of disease or pathologyBackground:Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is mostly characterized by symptoms and signs of hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, renal impairment, fever and neurologic dysfunction. It is not always necessary to have all 5 characteristic symptoms, and presentations can vary. It can be congenital or acquired by any etiology that causes deficiency or dysfunction of ADAMST13 enzyme.Case Report:We present a case of a 71-year-old man who presented to our hospital initially with abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with pancreatitis, and conservative management was started with pain control and hydration. During the hospital course, the patient developed anemia that was hemolytic in nature, acute kidney injury and thrombocytopenia. He was then diagnosed as having TTP secondary to pancreatitis with additive effect of clopidogrel, as he had recently been started on clopidogrel due to percutaneous coronary intervention. He was started on prompt treatment with plasma exchange and intermittent dialysis, and he achieved full recovery after that.Conclusions:TTP is a potentially fatal disease with high mortality risk. It is judicious to recognize and have high suspicion of TTP being caused by such rare causes (pancreatitis and clopidogrel), as immediate recognition and treatment can enhance survival.

Objective For more than a century since its introduction, mercury sphygmomanometer (HgS) had been the mainstay for office measurement of blood pressure (BP). In light of the environmental and health hazards associated with mercury, there is a need to replace it with mercury-free alternatives all over the world. We aimed to validate the widely used aneroid sphygmomanometer (AnS) by comparing its BP readings against BP readings taken with an HgS. Methods We compared the BP readings using AnS vs. HgS on a sample of 300 patients of 18 years or older age admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Results The differences between mean HgS and AnS BP readings were found to be statistically significant (P-value <0.01). The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) readings of the two devices were still significantly correlated (r = 0.989; P < 0.01). Similarly, the mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) readings were also significantly correlated (r = 0.988; P < 0.01). The aneroid device identified a higher proportion of hypertensive participants compared to the mercury device. Conclusion The difference in the two devices used was found to be significant; however, the readings were correlated with each other. The AnS significantly overestimated BP readings, thereby identifying a higher proportion of hypertensives as compared to the HgS. There is a considerable room for improvement in the accuracy of the AnS, only then an accurate and a well-calibrated AnS could provide an acceptable alternative to the use of the HgS.

Patient: Male, 34Final Diagnosis: Spontaneous coronary artery dissectionSymptoms: Chest painMedication: —Clinical Procedure: —Specialty: CardiologyObjective:Rare diseaseBackground:Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is primarily found in females. SCAD can have many precipitating factors such as exercise, trauma, pregnancy, drugs, and connective tissue disease. Prognosis is poor for left main stem, left anterior descending (LAD) artery, and multivessel involvement, especially for females.Case Report:We present a case of young African American male with sickle cell disease who presented with chest pain associated with shortness of breath. He was found to have non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). He was diagnosed with SCAD during catheterization with the help of intravascular ultrasound imaging. Three drug-eluting stents were placed to cover the proximal LAD vessel along its whole length until resolution of the lesion. The patients’ hospital course was complicated by an additional finding of left ventricular thrombus, possibly a complication of NSTEMI, which was treated with anticoagulation to complete resolution.Conclusions:SCAD is fatal, it can proceed to cause myocardial infarction as in this particular patient’s case, and sudden death if not recognized early. It can be missed on angiography alone; further intracoronary imaging such as intravascular ultrasound and optical computed tomography should be used to confirm the diagnosis of SCAD so that early and appropriate treatment can ensue.