Finally got settled in the new house, finished changing offices at work (bigger & better!), and have Internet hooked up. Moved three times in three months. That's what you get with a short sale... Good deal, many headaches!
Anyhow, back to business. This case is tangentially-related to Neuropathology; I have been told that the posts are rather one dimensional, so I thought I'd mix it up. Here it goes...
This patient was a 47-year-old male with a history of post-inflammatory mitral valve stenosis, status-post mitral bioprosthetic valvuloplasty. His post-operative course was characterized by endocarditis requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy. He presented to the hospital with critical mitral stenosis. He died before planned surgical intervention. Examination of the inner aspect of cranium revealed the rather interesting finding demonstrated in the photo below.
Another organ, the thyroid gland, demonstrated a similar abnormality. The gross and microscopic features are demonstrated below.
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| Thyroid, gross |
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| Thyroid, microscopic |
This is another one of those "Aunt Minnie" diagnoses... Easy if seen before, challenging if not. Good luck!
Click here for the diagnosis...
