Medical Case Reports

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, is showing no signs of disappearing. In fact, the scientific community is in broad agreement that it is likely to remain a persistent part of our global health landscape for the foreseeable future. Just yesterday, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin tested positive for COVID-19 , a third time in the last 12 months. While new COVID-19 hospital admissions are at their lowest levels  - with fewer than two people per 100,000 being admitted - and continue to decrease, SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread. Unfortunately, as hospitalizations decrease, test positivity rates have begun to rise, indicating continued community transmission (see orange curve in the plot below). Historically, coronaviruses were relegated to the sidelines of viral research throughout the '80s and '90s. They were viewed as minor players because the common colds they caused seemed relatively insignificant on the grand scale of human health. However, in 2020, with the emergence of...

A person of unidentified gender and age received the second dose of the mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Comirnaty®) against COVID-19. The patient experienced acute complications such as myocarditis and exacerbation of bronchial asthma, as well as long-term complications such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The treatment for the patient included various medications, regimen measures, pharmacotherapy and several nutraceuticals. The pharmacotherapies included metoprolol, ivabradine, corticosteroids, antihistamines, antiphlogistics, and bronchodilators. The nutraceuticals used were maritime pine bark extract, quercetin, vitamins, magnesium, and phosphatidylcholine.  There were no corresponding acute changes seen in the T1 and T2 maps, which are used to assess tissue characteristics. Handwritten note describes polymorphic patient complaints during 24-hour monitoring EKG (Department of Functional Diagnostics, UN - St. Michael's Hospital, a. s.; 29.9.2021) The patient's c...

 The lymphatic system in our body acts as a sewage system, filtering out waste and helping fight infections. Axillary lymphadenopathy is a condition where the lymph nodes (small, bean-shaped structures in the lymphatic system) located in the armpit (axilla) area swell up. This usually happens when the body is trying to fight off an infection or in response to certain medications or vaccines. The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that send signals from your spinal cord to your shoulder, arm, and hand. A plexopathy is a disorder that affects this network of nerves, leading to various symptoms including pain, numbness, and muscle weakness in the affected area.  Multiple case reports described lymphadenopathy after COVID-19 vaccination. Previously we talked about vaccine-triggered  Parsonage-Turner syndrome , a rare idiopathic brachial plexopathy in a 50-year old male. 34-year-old healthy male also developed brachial plexus neuropraxia (a mild nerve injury) after ge...