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COVID-19 is a respiratory tract infection caused by the new coronavirus SARS-COV2 that can be complicated by acute distress respiratory syndrome and multiorgan failure. In light of the high rate of mortality associated with COVID-19, pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies to prevent the infection are currently being tested. Among non-pharmacological preventive measures, vaccines represent one of the main resources for public health. It has been suggested that Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine may protect individuals against infection from COVID-19 virus, and two clinical trials addressing this question are underway. Here, we report the case of a 32-year-old woman, vaccinated with BCG when she was 1 year old, who was diagnosed with apical tuberculous pneumonia of the right lung along with COVID 19 pneumonia.

Severe mitral valve regurgitation can be caused by a spectrum of disorders that can influence the management of this entity. Here we describe the diagnostic work-up in the case of a patient presenting with flail mitral valve secondary to Barlow’s disease and concomitant fever, underscoring the difficulty in providing differential diagnosis of the underlying causative etiology and to plan subsequent appropriate treatment. Diagnostic tests leaded to the incidental discovery of concomitant iliac artery aneurysm; hence, we discuss the association between Barlow’s disease and arterial abnormalities, possibly pointing towards a syndromic pattern related to common pathogenic background affecting connective tissue.

Introduction Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common primary headache disorder with a prevalence of up to 78% in general population and huge expenses in terms of health service. Despite its high incidence and impact on life's quality the knowledge on the pathophysiology and efficacious treatment of TTH was still limited. Areas covered In recent years, a series of studies highlighted the heterogeneous nature of this pathology that seems to be determined by a complex interaction between genetic, environmental and neuro-muscular factors, which result in nociceptive system activation. In this setting, alongside the simple analgesic therapies used during the acute attack, a series of therapeutic options based on newly acquired experiences have taken hold. Expert review Not having a single substrate or a typical site of pathophysiology, TTH must be analysed in a global and multidisciplinary way. Herein, the authors perform a narrative review of the most recent advancement stimulating the concept of this disease as the tip of the iceberg of a more complex individual malaise secondary to different alterations. Strategies only based on symptomatic drugs should therefore be avoided by experienced personnel and treatment should aim at taking charge of the patient considering the processes behind this complex pathology.

One of the objectives that the scientific community is setting itself is to understand whether acquired immunity and the presence of antibodies against acute coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies protect against reinfection. Although there are many published papers describing how the re-positivization of nasopharyngeal swab polymerase chain reaction real time (RT-PCR) test and clinical healing of the subject can be justified by numerous reasons and random situations. Our aim is to highlight how there are certain populations more susceptible to re-infection than others. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.