Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 107 • LITFL • FFFF

Just when you thought your brain could unwind on a Friday, you realise that it would rather be challenged with some good old fashioned medical trivia FFFF, introducing the Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 107

Question 1

What is the connection between the image and the 2010 earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand?

Reveal the funtabulous answer

Takotsubo

The image is of a Japanese octopus pot or trap, known as a “takotsubo”.

The apical ballooning seen in stress cardiomyopathy resembles this, hence the name Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Following the earthquakes in Christchurch a total of 27 presentations to the cardiology department there met the criteria for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Question 2

30 year old male presents with a lesion on his dominant hand. What is his most likely profession?

Reveal the funtabulous answer

Sheep or Goat farmer

The hand lesion is Orf

Orf is a parapox virus that causes (self-limited) contagious pustular lesions that can take up to ten weeks to resolve.

It is most prevalent in persons with frequent close contact with livestock such as sheep

Question 3

18th Century slave traders would check for Winterbottom sign. What is it and what does it signify?

Reveal the funtabulous answer

Neck swelling associated with Trypanosoma infection

Thomas Masterman Winterbottom (1766-1859) noted that slavers would check for a swollen neck – more specifically posterior cervical triangle lymphadenopathy. Known colloquially as ‘nut-disease’, Winterbottom used the term ‘negro lethargy’ but this has thankfully been replaced by Winterbottom sign

This was an indicator of infection with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (sleeping sickness)

Winterbottom TM. An account of the native Africans in the neighbourhood of Sierra Leone : to which is added an account of the present state of medicine among them. Volume II. 1803
Cox FE. History of sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis). Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2004 Jun;18(2):231-45.

Question 4

How is Zoon’s balanitis often treated?

Reveal the funtabulous answer

Circumcision

Zoon’s balanitis is also known as plasma cell balanitis or balanitis circumscripta plasmacellularis. Described in 1952 by Johannes Jacobus Zoon (1902-1958)

It is though to reflect chronic inflammation and while steroids have been used, circumcision is thought to provide along-term solution.

Zoon JJ. [Chronic benign circumscript plasmocytic balanoposthitis]. Dermatologica. 1952;105(1):1-7
Jansen LH. Prof. Dr. J. J. Zoon. AMA Arch Derm. 1958 Oct;78(4):509-10.
Dayal S, Sahu P. Zoon balanitis: A comprehensive review. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2016 Jul-Dec; 37(2): 129–138.

Question 5

It’s National Jamaica day at work and your ever helpful resident has brought in a crate of Ackee fruit, the national fruit of Jamaica, to celebrate. Three delicious hours later, two of your residents are found vomiting, diaphoretic, stuporous and more importantly…unable to work. Why?