An unusual case of pleural effusion.

Case Presentation: A 63-year-old man presented with fever, thoracalgia, weight loss, diffuse lymphadenopathy, and a massive pleural effusion. Extensive laboratory and radiologic investigations for possible autoimmune, infectious, hematologic, and neoplastic conditions all resulted negative. A lymph node biopsy showed a granulomatous necrotizing lymphadenitis, suspicious for tuberculosis.

The environmental cost of unwarranted variation in the use of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans.

Background: Pollution is a major threat to global health, and there is growing interest on strategies to reduce emissions caused by health care systems. Unwarranted clinical variation, i.e.

Choosing Wisely in clinical practice: Embracing critical thinking, striving for safer care.

In recent years, the Choosing Wisely and Less is More campaigns have gained growing attention in the medical scientific community. Several projects have been launched to facilitate confrontation among patients and physicians, to achieve better and harmless patient-centered care. Such initiatives have paved the way to a new "way of thinking.

Effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on cardiovascular autonomic control in health and disease.

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction is a well-known feature of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Studies on heart rate variability (HRV), a non-invasive method useful in investigating the status of cardiovascular autonomic control, have shown that a predominance of sympathetic modulation not only contributes to the progression of CVDs but has a pivotal role in their onset. Current therapies focus more on inhibition of sympathetic activity, but the presence of drug-resistant conditions and the invasiveness of some surgical procedures are an obstacle to complete therapeutic success.