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Biomedical subjects

B Varkey

Publications and source records attributed to B Varkey.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Epidural abscess, vertebral destruction, and paraplegia caused by extending infection from an aspergilloma.

An aspergilloma developed in a lung cyst in a 53-year-old man. Aspergillus infection then contiguously spread to the epidural space, causing an abscess, vertebral destruction, and paraplegia at the level of T4. Chronic alcoholism, liver cirrhosis, and corticosteroid treatment may have been predisposing factors in this patient. Although Aspergillus epidural abscess has been described infrequently, this complication has not been described in association with an aspergilloma. Symptoms, signs, or roentgenographic or laboratory findings suggestive of vertebral or meningeal pathologic lesions in patients with aspergilloma should alert the physician to the possibility of contiguous spread of infection.

Abscess↗
PubMed1985

Blastomycotic osteomyelitis of the mandible: successful treatment with ketoconazole.

Blastomycotic osteomyelitis of the mandible in a 40-year-old man was treated with ketoconazole for 26 months. Clinical, roentgenographic, and scintigraphic improvement was observed, and 13 months after cessation of treatment he remains free of disease. This case and three other previously reported cases indicate that ketoconazole is effective in the treatment of blastomycotic osteomyelitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Spinal cord aspergillus invasion--complication of an aspergilloma.

Acute paraplegia developed in a 53-year-old man with pulmonary aspergilloma because of contiguous extension of Aspergillus infection to the epidural and subdural spaces and spinal cord. Histopathologic findings of the spinal cord showed Aspergillus hyphae penetrating the myelin sheath and myelomalacia, predominantly in the anterior and lateral columns. To the authors' knowledge, there have been no previous descriptions or illustrations of spinal cord involvement and the pathologic changes caused by Aspergillus infection.

Abscess↗
PubMed1984

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma simulating sarcoidosis. Analysis of 12 patients with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy.

Case summaries of four patients with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy (BHL) caused by metastatic renal cell carcinoma are presented, and these and eight similar cases from the literature are analyzed. In nine patients, sarcoidosis was the provisional clinical diagnosis, but four of these patients had a past history of renal cell carcinoma. In the remaining five patients, a distinction from sarcoidosis could not be made by history, physical examination, and chest roentgenogram. This underscores the need for tissue confirmation in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis and alerts the physician to consider metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the differential diagnosis of BHL.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1984

Incidence and distribution of intrathoracic metastases from renal cell carcinoma.

Chest roentgenographic findings in 46 patients with renal cell carcinoma were analyzed and correlated to clinical and pathologic findings. Twenty-five patients (54.3%) had intrathoracic metastasis, 17 (37%) of whom had roentgenographic evidence of intrathoracic metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis. Lung metastasis was present in 14 patients (30%), alone in ten patients and along with mediastinal or pleural metastasis in four patients. Mediastinal lymph node metastasis was present in 13 patients (28.2%) and was distributed in the following locations: bilateral hila, six; right hilum, two; right paratracheal area, two; left hilum, one; left paratracheal area, one; and left hilum and right paratracheal area, one. Mediastinal lymph node enlargement was the sole roentgenographic finding in six patients (13%). Metastasis to the lungs or mediastinum may already be present in more than a third of the patients with renal cell carcinoma at the time of diagnosis. Mediastinal lymph node metastasis from renal cell carcinoma occurs more frequently than previously reported and may be the only chest roentgenographic manifestation of the disease.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1983

Oral antifungal therapy. Current status of ketoconazole.

Ketoconazole, an oral, broad-spectrum antifungal agent with relatively low toxicity, is the preferred drug for treatment of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and an alternative choice for treatment of thrush, vaginitis, histoplasmosis, and coccidioidomycosis. Clinical trials have shown it to be effective also against dermatophytoses. Further testing is necessary to determine its effectiveness for treating blastomycosis, cryptococcosis, sporotrichosis, and aspergillosis.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1983

Asbestos exposure. An update on pleuropulmonary hazards.

Asbestos exposure is causally related to the development of asbestosis, bronchogenic carcinoma, malignant mesothelioma, and nonmalignant pleural disorders. Clinical and roentgenographic manifestations of asbestosis mimic other diffuse fibrotic lung diseases. However, a concomitant finding of pleural plaques strongly suggests the diagnosis. The manifestations of bronchogenic carcinoma related to asbestos exposure are varied and do not differ from those unrelated to asbestos exposure. Malignant mesothelioma signals previous asbestos exposure. Nonmalignant pleural disorders may not cause any symptoms but should alert the physician to other concurrent or potential asbestos-related diseases. To diagnose asbestos-related diseases, physicians should bear in mind the long latent period and should take a careful, comprehensive occupational and environmental history. Cigarette smoking markedly increases the risk for development of bronchogenic carcinoma in asbestos workers and increases the mortality due to asbestosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Sulfur granules.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1982

Sarcoidosis presenting with posterior mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

A young man with exertional dyspnea, maculopapular skin lesions, and generalized lymphadenopathy was found to have a posterior mediastinal density on a chest roentgenogram. Sarcoidosis was diagnosed on the basis of lymph node and skin biopsy findings, and corticosteroid therapy was started. After six months of treatment the patient was free of symptoms and the posterior mediastinal density had resolved. Although posterior mediastinal lymphadenopathy is an infrequent roentgenographic manifestation of sarcoidosis, this possibility should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of a posterior mediastinal density.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Thoracic actinomycosis caused by actinomyces meyeri.

Two patients with chest infections caused by Actinomyces meyeri were seen during a 5-yr period. One patient was ill for 2 yr and had chronic infection manifested by bilateral cavitary and fibrotic changes on chest roentgenogram. A. meyeri was isolated from a chest wall lesion, transtracheal aspirate, and lung tissue. The other patient presented with a subcutaneous abscess of the left hip that yielded A. meyeri on culture. A localized lung infection and empyema were found. Both patients had other aerobes or anaerobes recovered from material haboring A. meyeri, a frequent finding in actinomycosis caused by Actinomyces israelii. To our knowledge, thoracic actinomycosis caused by A. meyeri has not been previously described.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1981

Empyema thoracis during a ten-year period. Analysis of 72 cases and comparison to a previous study (1952 to 1967).

In this series of 72 cases of empyema, 28 patients (38.8) had anaerobes isolated from their pleural fluid cultures. In 22 patients, anaerobes were the only isolates, and in six there were also aerobes. This observed frequency (38.8%) of anaerobic empyema is notably greater than the frequency noted in an earlier study (1952 to 1967) from the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Wood, Wis, while the contribution of various pathogenetic mechanisms was similar. Although closed chest tube drainage was instituted initially in 51 patients, 18 patients (35%) subsequently required additional procedures. The case-fatality ratio was 51.4% in this study compared with 46.6% in the earlier study. Twenty-two patients died during the same hospitalization period while the empyema was an active problem. Six (8.3%) of these empyema-related deaths occurred in patients without underlying disease, while 16 (22.2%) were in patients with underlying diseases.

Adult↗