Faculty Bibliography

The blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome, a rare condition characterized by lesions of the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and other parts of the body, can result in serious gastrointestinal bleeding and other adverse results and be challenging to manage. The clinical features and treatment of this rare disorder are reviewed here

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an uncommon central nervous system demyelinating disease that produces transverse myelitis and optic neuritis. Although commonly misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, a number of features can help differentiate the two entities, including the presence of NMO-IgG. Immunosuppressants are used to treat NMO, but the overall prognosis is poor

Case histories of proposed life insurance are presented to introduce the topic of cardiac valvular tumors. Using fibroelastoma as the prototypical cardiac tumor, pathology, diagnosis, echocardiographic findings and clinical course are reviewed, based on available clinical literature. Although the natural history of benign cardiac tumors is uncertain, because of the risk of adverse outcomes, cases must be underwritten on an individual basis until long-term studies become available