Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Perfusion abnormalities precede wall motion abnormalities, ECG changes, and angina in the etiology of CAD. myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) can detect perfusion alterations due to pathology at sites such as the endothelium, microvasculature, and epicardial coronary arteries. Thus, it measures the universal burden of ischemic heart disease (IHD). Nuclear medicine MPI is an important noninvasive imaging modality to evaluate the perfusion of the myocardium. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with or without computed tomography (CT) are 2 primary modalities. PET is a highly sensitive modality with an inherent ability to quantify absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF) and variations in MBF due to various stress agents. PET has immense potential to change clinical management, prognosticate, and risk stratify patients presenting with clinical or preclinical CAD. Evidence shows that early PET detection of myocardial perfusion abnormalities, followed by aggressive intervention for cardiovascular risk factors, can reinstate myocardial perfusion. This may reduce morbidity and mortality. We shall be reviewing the clinical impact of PET in CAD and preclinical CAD patients.
Acquired tracheobronchial fistulas are a relatively uncommon complication. Among them, tracheo-mediastinal-parenchymal fistulas are particularly rare. Most of the reported cases are associated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in lung cancer. It has not been reported in lymphomas. These fistulas are associated with high mortality due to infection and bleeding, and there is no consensus on a definitive optimal therapy. Here, we present a case of tracheoparenchymal fistula in a follow-up primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma case. This case highlights the utility of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the initial diagnosis and follow-up of lymphoma. The PET/CT could show demonstrate the residual disease and differentiate it from other therapy-related benign changes.
Pyomyositis is a tropical infection affecting skeletal muscles manifesting as high-grade fever with pain in the affected limbs usually caused by Gram-positive microorganisms. Gram-negative organisms causing pyomyositis is uncommon but has been reported. Burkholderia cepacia is a Gram-negative nonfermenter causing opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients, has been reported to cause pyomyositis only once before. We report a case of B. cepacia pyomyositis in a patient with no history of immunocompromised status, manifesting as disseminated infection with hemophagocytic syndrome presenting to our intensive care unit.
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