Strategies to Improve Medical Communication
This JAMA Insights summarizes strategies for effective medical communication, with considerations for the message delivered, the messenger source, and the social context.
Medical Knowledge
Anterior Chamber Snowflake After Keratoplasty
A 62-year-old woman presented with painless vision reduction and eye redness in the right eye for a week. Nine months after keratoplasty, she presented with diffuse tiny nodules all over the iris and a dense opacity in the anterior vitreous…
Sudden ST-Segment Changes in a Critically Ill Patient
A patient in his mid-60s underwent bilateral orthotopic lung transplant and is later hospitalized for sepsis from pneumonia complicated by acute transplant rejection, without any cardiac symptoms. He develops severe acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring intubation and paralysis. Electrocardiography shows…
Female Patient Presenting With Increasing Pedal Edema
This case report discusses a diagnosis of congenital bicuspid-tricuspid valve in a female patient in their 20s with a history of heart transplant.
A Painless Right Anterior Neck Mass
A 58-year-old woman presents with a several-week history of a painless right-sided swelling on her anterior neck. What is your diagnosis?
Recurrent Ventricular Fibrillation in an Apparently Healthy Patient
This case report describes a patient in their 50s who collapsed, received chest compressions, and recovered consciousness at home.
A 52-Year-Old With Painful Fingertips
A patient had cold, cyanotic fingertips with small ulcerations. Laboratory testing showed leukocytosis, eosinophilia, and elevated D-dimer level; results of tests for antinuclear antibodies, antiphospholipid antibodies, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies against proteinase 3 and myeloperoxidase, and HIV were negative. What is…
Adenopathy and an Extensive Skin Patch Overlying a Plasmacytoma Syndrome
This case report describes a central cobblestone-like mass and bone lesion on the spinous process of the L3 vertebra underlying the skin mass.
Fourth-Generation HIV Testing
A 72-year-old man presented to the emergency department with fevers, night sweats, and rash 3 days after condomless vaginal intercourse. Results of a fourth-generation HIV test were positive and HIV-1-/2 antibody differentiation testing was negative. How would you interpret these…
Chest Tightness With QR and ST-Segment Elevation in Lead V
This case report describes a patient in their 50s with a 2-month history of worsening chest tightness and dyspnea after COVID-19 infection.
