Case Presentation: 57-year-old female patient with no significant past medical history presented to the ER with a chief complaint of progressive dyspnea and lower extremity weakness for the past 3 months. Oxygen saturation was 87% on room air. Physical exam revealed bilateral crackles on lung auscultation. Bilateral lower extremities (BLE) had 3/5 strength with a […]

Case Presentation: A 78-year-old gentleman with a past medical history of scalp melanoma, renal papillary cell carcinoma, Ewing sarcoma, and end-stage renal disease presented to an outpatient Oncology appointment with bilateral ptosis, diplopia, myalgias, and bilateral proximal leg weakness less than one week following pembrolizumab infusion and influenza vaccination. He was sent to outpatient Neurology […]

Case Presentation: A 60-year-old African American male with a recent diagnosis of thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger’s disease) presented with new painful penile and scrotal ulcerations in the setting of digital ischemia, palmar skin lesions, bloody diarrhea, a 50-pound weight loss, and progressive dyspnea over the past six months. No vascular etiology for ischemia was found. Labs […]

Case Presentation: A 71-year-old woman with past medical history of COPD, nicotine dependence, and untreated chronic hepatitis C presented to emergency department with progressive swelling, muscular pain, and weakness of her upper and lower extremities as well as dysphagia. On arrival to the emergency department, exam demonstrated proximal more than distal decreased strength of the […]

Case Presentation: A 79-year-old Caucasian male presented to the hospital with complaints of worsening generalized weakness, difficulty swallowing, and shortness of breath for about 3 weeks. His past medical history was significant for metastatic melanoma (metastasis to brain, lung). He received his first session of immunotherapy with Ipilimumab and Nivolumab one month before his presentation […]

Case Presentation: A 40-year-old male with a biopsy-proven, signal recognition particle (SRP) positive necrotizing autoimmune myositis (NAM) being treated with abatacept, presented to the hospital with a two-day history of worsening shortness of breath. On arrival to the hospital, vital signs were remarkable for a heart rate of 170/ min. The physical exam was unremarkable. […]

Case Presentation: Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 dermatomyositis (MDA5-DM) is a subset of amyopathic dermatomyositis that may present with oral ulcerations, painful palmar papules, arthritis, and panniculitis.1 Unique characteristics of MDA5-DM versus other types of dermatomyositis include a higher incidence of interstitial lung disease (ILD), lower incidence of myositis, and a higher rate of morality. MDA5-DM […]