The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 has emerged in late 2019 infecting millions of people worldwide. Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been associated with severe illness and mortality mainly due to acute respiratory distress syndrome. We report a case of a middle-aged man with DM and COVID-19 who developed seizure and altered mental status, found to have diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), acute kidney injury, hypovolemic shock, and hyperammonemia all contributing to metabolic encephalopathy. He was admitted to the ICU and subsequently intubated for airway protection; with appropriate management his condition improved and was successfully extubated. The patient had no lung involvement throughout the illness. We report this case to highlight that COVID-19 can lead to multi-organ failure in patients with DM even in the absence of lung involvement which all physicians should be mindful of.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a relatively common clinical entity with significant morbidity and mortality. Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is the most significant complication of DVT and warrants immediate attention. The location of the DVT has a substantial impact on its ability to break off and travel to the pulmonary vasculature, causing a PE. Proximal DVT is more likely to cause a PE than a distal DVT. The widely accepted management for proximal DVT is anticoagulation. However, the management of distal DVT is unclear. This review article discusses factors that increase the risk of PE in patients with distal DVT, guidance on how to categorize patients into high and low-risk categories, and the recommended management for each category.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are epithelial neoplasms with predominant neuroendocrine differentiation and the ability to synthesize and secrete variable hormones and monoamines. They are relatively rare, accounting for 2% of all malignancy cases in the United States. The most common system affected by NETs is the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical presentation depends on the organ being involved and the hormone being secreted. It can be variable from asymptomatic incidental findings on imaging to intestinal obstruction, or carcinoid syndrome (CS). Several biochemical testings are developed to help with the diagnosis of NETs including 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and chromogranin A (CgA). Computerized tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the most commonly used modalities to localize the primary tumor and evaluate for metastasis. However, radionuclide imaging using somatostatin receptor-based imaging techniques has improved accuracy to detect smaller neoplasm. Surgical removal is the mainstay of treatment for locoregional tumors. Several medical managements are available for non-respectable NETs which include SSAs, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), and platinum-based chemotherapy agents.

Patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors are predisposed to thromboembolism. This review of the literature explores the high prevalence of venous thromboembolism and its negative impact on patients with brain cancer. It outlines the recommended prophylactic strategies to prevent venous thrombosis and analyzes the benefit versus risk of anticoagulation in this population, with a focus on the risk of intracranial bleeding associated with it. Additionally, it explores the exceedingly high prevalence of venous thromboembolism in the setting of brain cancer surgeries and provides guidance on the best methods used for prophylaxis in this setting and discusses the safety of each method perioperatively. Lastly, this review article provides guidance on how to manage venous thromboembolism in patients with brain cancer and discusses the use of vena cava filters in this population.