scholarly journals Sarcoidosis presenting as facial and scalp ulceration with secondary bacterial infection of the skin

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. e231769
Author(s):  
Georgi Fram ◽  
Smita Kohli ◽  
Angela Jiang ◽  
Scott Kaatz

A 67-year-old man with a medical history of multiorgan sarcoidosis was admitted to the hospital with skin ulceration and a superimposed polymicrobial infection that had failed outpatient management. The patient’s outpatient regimen included doxycycline, ciprofloxacin and moderate-dose prednisone therapy for a coinfection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. The patient presented after a syncopal episode initially thought to be due to severe dehydration. Owing to concern for cardiac sarcoidosis as well as worsening skin lesions, he was admitted to the hospital for cardiac monitoring and intravenous antibiotics. On admission, we broadened antibiotic coverage and initiated high-dose steroids at 1 mg/kg/day of prednisone. He was discharged on intravenous antibiotics and a slow steroid taper 3 days later. At the patient’s 1-month and 5-month follow-up clinic visits, he demonstrated remarkable improvement of his scalp and facial wounds.

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. e75-e77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Smaranda Gliga ◽  
Mathilde Devaux ◽  
Marine Gosset Woimant ◽  
Dominique Mompoint ◽  
Christian Perronne ◽  
...  

Pulmonary actinomycosis is a rare disease that is often misdiag-nosed as tuberculosis or lung cancer.Actinomyces graevenitziiis a relatively new recognizedActinomycesspecies isolated from various clinical samples. The authors report a case of pulmonary actinomycosis caused byA graevenitzii. A computed tomography examination revealed an excavated consolidation in the middle right lobe of a previously healthy young man who presented with a long history of moderate cough. Cultures of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary abscess caused byA gravenitzii. At the three-month follow-up consultation and, after six weeks of high-dose amoxicillin, the pulmonary lesion had completely disappeared.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 665-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard A. Mattano ◽  
Meenakshi Devidas ◽  
Naomi Winick ◽  
Elizabeth Raetz ◽  
Stephen P. Hunger ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 665 Improved treatment outcomes for HR-ALL are associated with a significant risk of symptomatic ON, particularly in adolescents. Causes are multifactorial, including exposure to DEX, MTX and ASNase. This was first noted on CCG-1882 (1991–1995), which showed more ON in slow early responders (SER) given 2 vs 1 interim maintenance/delayed intensification (IM/DI) phases as part of therapy that included C-MTX/ASNase during IM and continuous DEX (d1-21) during DI (Mattano, JCO 2000). Since 1996 the COG has prospectively monitored the occurrence of symptomatic ON in HR ALL trials. CCG-1961 (1996–2002) showed that alternate-week DEX (AWD) (d1-7, 15–21) during 2 DIs reduced ON compared with continuous DEX during 1 DI in rapid early responders (RER) (Mattano, Lancet Oncol 2012). AALL0232 (2003–2011) enrolled a total of 3154 HR-ALL patients (pts) 1–30 yr and included COG augmented therapy with a 2×2 randomization to DEX (10 mg/M2 d1-14) vs PDN (60 mg/M2 d1-28) during induction (IND) and HD-MTX vs escalating-dose C-MTX plus pegaspargase during IM. RER pts received 1 IM/DI, SER pts received 2 IM/DI; all initially received monthly DEX maintenance (MTC) pulses (6 mg/M2 d1-5). To limit ON, pts 13+ yr received AWD during 1 or 2 DI, while pts <13 yr received continuous DEX. Based on interim analyses, the study was amended twice to address unexpectedly high ON rates. After 10/2006 all pts 10+ yr received AWD during DI; after 6/2008 all pts 10+ yr were non-randomly assigned to PDN during IND, and pts of all ages received AWD during DI and PDN pulses in MTC. Detailed analyses of 2701 pts with reportable data (1405 with 24+ month follow-up) showed ON in 249 pts (228 10+ yr, 21 1–9 yr; 119 males, 130 females). Symptom onset was pre-MTC in 17.7%, during MTC in 77.9%, after therapy completion in 4.4%, and within 36 months from ALL diagnosis in 98.0%. The 36-month cumulative ON incidence was 13.5±1.1%, was higher for pts 10+ yr (19.6±1.6 vs 3.1±0.9%, RHR 6.7, p<0.0001), and increased with age (1–9 yr 3.1±0.9%, 10–12 yr 17.2±2.5%, 13–15 yr 21.9±2.7%, 16+ yr 21.2±3.3%, p<0.0001). For pts 10+ yr, ON incidence was higher in females (22.2±2.5 vs 17.4±2.1%, RHR 1.4, p=0.01). Among randomized RER pts 10+ yr (Table), ON incidence was higher for DEX vs PDN (RHR 1.8); for pts 1–9 yr, rates were similarly low but modestly higher for PDN (borderline significance). There was no difference between C-MTX/ASNase vs HD-MTX overall. However, for pts 10+ yr randomized to PDN, pairwise comparison showed a higher ON rate for C-MTX/ASNase (17.2±3.8 vs 10.3±2.7%, RHR=1.7, p=0.01). Comparison of ON incidences between randomized RER regimens showed significant differences in pts 1–9 yr (DC 1.5±1.4, DH 0.7±1.0, PC 5.6±2.6, PH 1.9±1.6%, p=0.04) and 10+ yr (DC 23.9±4.0, DH 24.7±3.7, PC 20.9±4.0, PH 9.8±2.7%, p=0.0004). Comparison of ON incidences for pts 10–12 yr given continuous DEX vs AWD in DI (pre- vs post-2006 amendment) confirmed a significantly lower rate with AWD (28.9±3.8 vs 10.3±3.1%, RHR 3.1, p<0.0001). Maximum patient ON clinical severity (CTCAE v3.0) reported for 210 of 249 pts: 6.7% grade 1, 63.3% grade 2, 29% grade 3, 1.0% grade 4. The most common sites were knee > hip > ankle. In conclusion, DEX is associated with a higher incidence of ON among pts 10+ yr receiving augmented therapy. Children 1–9 yr appear to tolerate DEX and PDN during IND with similar low ON rates. ON risk can be significantly reduced by using AWD during DI, and by using HD-MTX rather than C-MTX/ASNase with PDN based regimens. Studies are presently underway that include prospective MRI screening to further define the natural history of ON in HR ALL and to identify additional risk factors for this common toxicity. Randomized RER, 36-Month Incidence Rate (% ± SE) DEX PDN P 1-9 yr 1.1 ± 0.9 3.7 ± 1.5 0.05 10+ yr 24.3 ± 2.7 15.1 ± 2.4 0.0007 16+ yr 25.6 ± 6.0 13.7 ± 4.9 0.04 C-MTX HD-MTX P 1-9 yr 3.6 ± 1.4 1.6 ± 0.9 0.09 10+ yr 19.1 ± 2.4 18.3 ± 2.2 0.4 16+ yr 16.4 ± 4.7 24.0 ± 4.5 0.2 Disclosures: Mattano: Pfizer: Employed 2009–2012 Other, Equity Ownership.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haitham A. Abdulla ◽  
Saad K. Alkhalifa

Introduction: Bird attacks are in general an uncommon event. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in Bahrain. There have been very few cases reported worldwide. Mainly, birds attack humans as retaliation to threats surrounding their environment. At certain occasions, bird attack frequency increases especially during mating season or in the presence of a threat toward their young. Methods: A 31-year-old male presented with a history of left-eye trauma, loss of vision, pain and tearing for 2 hours. A left corneal penetrating laceration and traumatic cataract were diagnosed. The corneal laceration was closed surgically, the lens was aspirated and anterior vitrectomy performed. Results: After 4 months of follow-up, penetrating keratoplasty and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation were performed elsewhere. The patient's vision improved from hand motion in his left eye to 20/200 without correction. Conclusion: Corneal perforation secondary to a bird injury can be treated successfully with surgical closure and broad intravenous antibiotic coverage. This rare type of ocular trauma does not require any specific additional measures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (e) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Hafssa Chehab ◽  
Bertrand Richert

ABSTRACT Alopecia syphilitica is a less common clinical manifestations of secondary syphilis. It is uncommon for hair loss to be the sole or predominant manifestation, as hair loss is the chief clinical and histologic differential diagnosis of. The main difference between alopecia areata and Alopecia syphilitica is the detection of Treponema pallidum in syphilis. We present the case of a 21- year-old belgium man with different patches of non-cicatricial alopecia of his scalp. The patient denied previous history of genital or other skin lesions. Laboratory evaluation was positive for syphilis. The diagnosis of alopecia syphilitica was made and he was treated with single intramuscular injections of benzathine penicillin. The lesions improved with treatment in all the patients who attended follow-up. Dermatologists should maintain a high level of clinical suspicion for this uncommon manifestation of syphilis, particularly when it is the only symptom.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiri Vachtenheim ◽  
Roman Kodet ◽  
Ondrej Fischer ◽  
Vitezslav Kolek ◽  
Zuzana Strizova ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Spitzoid melanocytic lesions represent a heterogeneous group of proliferations with ambiguous and overlapping terminology. The exact distinction of a Spitz nevus from a Spitzoid melanoma can be very difficult or, in some cases, impossible. Among the Spitzoid lesions, there is a lesion termed an atypical Spitz tumour (AST) that has intermediate histopathologic features between those of a Spitz nevus and a Spitzoid melanoma and thus uncertain malignant potential. There are several rare cases of patients with a Spitzoid melanoma initially misdiagnosed as a Spitz nevus or an AST with fatal consequences. It is, therefore, advised to perform a molecular characterization in cases where uncertain skin lesions are presented, as it may provide extended set of information with a possible impact on the treatment options. Furthermore, preventive measures, such as regular physical and skin examinations, as well as thorough scheduling of individual follow-up visits, are essential in patients with potentially malignant skin nevi. Case report We report a case of a young adult female with a history of AST excision with a negative sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and insufficient follow-up. Four years after the primary dermatological diagnosis, she presented with a giant tumour in the right hemithorax. Radical en bloc resection of the tumour with right pneumonectomy and resection of the pericardium with reconstruction of the pericardium using mesh was performed. A definitive histopathological examination revealed a metastatic melanoma. The association of the previously diagnosed AST and subsequent appearance of melanoma metastases led to a retrospective re-evaluation of the initial lesion. The suspected diagnosis of Spitzoid melanoma, however, was not confirmed. Moreover, the molecular examination revealed a major discordance between the initial lesion and the lung tumour, which most likely excluded the possible association of the lung metastasis with the initial skin lesion. The initial skin lesion was a BRAF-mutant melanoma with Spitzoid features and termed as AST, while the giant lung metastasis was NRAS-mutant melanoma. The subsequent postoperative course was complicated by the appearance of brain metastases that were stereotactically irradiated. Nevertheless, despite complex specialised medical care, the patient’s clinical condition rapidly deteriorated. By this time, no active oncological treatment was possible. The patient was delegated to local hospice for palliative care six months after the surgery and died three weeks later. Conclusions Our patient was surgically treated at the age of 20 for AST and died four years later of metastatic NRAS-mutant melanoma most likely of different occult origin. Molecular characterization, as well as the close clinical follow-up should be always precisely performed in patients with uncertain skin lesions, such as AST.


Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 84 (7) ◽  
pp. 2158-2163 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Meloni ◽  
R Foa ◽  
M Vignetti ◽  
A Guarini ◽  
S Fenu ◽  
...  

Abstract The administration of interleukin-2 (IL-2) may induce complete remissions in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients with a low proportion of residual bone marrow (BM) blasts. To confirm this preliminary observation, we treated 14 AML patients with advanced disease and with a residual BM blastosis that ranged between 7% and 24% with repeated 5-day cycles of high-dose recombinant IL-2 administered by daily continuous intravenous infusion. Patients who responded have been subsequently submitted to a monthly maintenance scheme with subcutaneous IL-2 at lower doses. While using this schedule and closely monitoring clinical and laboratory conditions, side effects were acceptable and no toxic deaths recorded. Eight of the 14 patients treated with high-dose IL-2 obtained a complete remission (CR). Five remain in persistent CR (four in third CR and one in fourth CR) after a median follow-up time of 32 months (14, 30, 32, 33, and 68 months, respectively). In all five patients, the IL-2-induced remission is the longest in the natural history of the disease. These findings show that IL-2 displays an antileukemic effect in AML with limited residual disease, and suggest that IL-2 should be considered a therapeutic option for resistant or relapsed AML patients.


2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 322-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith A. Perez ◽  
Richard Rodeheffer

Purpose This review provides an update on the current understanding of the clinical cardiac tolerability of trastuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody effective in the treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer overexpressing or amplifying HER2. Methods and Results We produced a summary of currently available information regarding the incidence and natural history of trastuzumab-associated cardiac dysfunction. Data from new, prospective clinical studies that incorporate close cardiac monitoring and standardized follow-up in patients with either advanced or earlier stages of breast cancer are also presented, and hypotheses regarding potential mechanisms of trastuzumab-related cardiotoxicity are discussed. Patients treated with trastuzumab in the pivotal trials were found to have increased risk for cardiac dysfunction, mostly when used concurrent with anthracyclines. Recent trials have required more stringent and consistent cardiac monitoring criteria and excluded patients with abnormal cardiac function, pre-existing heart disease, and/or high cumulative doses of anthracyclines. Decreases of ejection fraction and a few cases of congestive heart failure (CHF) requiring medical therapy have been detected. Improvements in ejection fraction and the symptoms of CHF have been subsequently noted in a significant number of these patients. Conclusion Trastuzumab is associated with an increased risk of asymptomatic decreases in ejection fraction, and, in a small number of patients, CHF that is almost always responsive to medical management. This risk is greatest in patients receiving concurrent anthracyclines. More data are needed to help elucidate the pathophysiology of this syndrome.


1995 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 198-201
Author(s):  
Michael Luchi ◽  
Curtis Beauregard ◽  
Kevin Ault ◽  
Daniel Hinthorn

Background: A concomitant infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may alter the natural history of other infections. Several reports indicate that syphilis may behave more aggressively when HIV infection is present.Case: A woman presented with a rash involving her hands and feet and progressive loss of the vision in her right eye. Her serologic tests for syphilis and HIV infection were positive. A diagnosis of neurosyphilis was confirmed by an analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). She was treated with high-dose intravenous (IV) penicillin. Her skin lesions resolved, but her vision did not improve.Conclusion: The incidence of HIV infection among women is rising. A patient with HIV and syphilis may develop neurosyphilis in a much shorter time than a patient without HIV infection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. e241391
Author(s):  
Luqman Safwan Fauzi ◽  
Vidhi Unadkat ◽  
Siti Nadhirah Binti Abd Hadi ◽  
Ciro Rinaldi

We present a 47-year-old, South-African origin, woman with a background of stable monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS) who attended A&E with a history of coryzal symptoms associated with persistent fever, lymphadenopathy and a new onset of rash, not responding to antibiotics and paracetamol. A trial of high-dose steroids resolved symptoms. Bone marrow biopsy confirmed a progression of MGUS into multiple myeloma and her axillary lymph node biopsy analysis supported a diagnosis of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD). This is an unusual presentation where KFD has been noted alongside MGUS progression to multiple myeloma. Haematology follow-up is underway.


Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 3774-3774
Author(s):  
Maria Elisa Mancuso ◽  
Kathelijn Fischer ◽  
Elena Santagostino ◽  
Johannes Oldenburg ◽  
Helen Platokouki ◽  
...  

Abstract The development of anti-FVIII antibodies (i.e., inhibitors) is the major side effect of severe hemophilia A treatment. Inhibitors mainly develop in children during the first 50 exposure days and are classified in low-and high-titer (i.e., peak titer < or > 5 UB/ml). High-titer inhibitors have the major clinical impact. At diagnosis however, the real nature of the antibody is not clear in all patients, since some low-titer inhibitors may progress to high-titer. The determinants of the evolution from low- to high-titer inhibitors are still unclear and the aim of the present study was to investigate potential risk factors associated with the progression from low- to high-titer inhibitors. This study is a follow-up study of the PedNet Registry and includes 260 children with severe hemophilia A and clinically relevant inhibitors, born between 1990 and 2009 and consecutively recruited from 31 hemophilia centers in 16 countries. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from the date of first positive inhibitor test and covered a minimum of 3-years follow-up. Factors potentially associated with progression from low- to high-titer inhibitor development were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. F8 mutation type was known in 247 patients (95%), including 202 (82%) null mutations (i.e., large deletions, nonsense mutations and inversions). Positive family history of inhibitors was present in 37 of 99 (37%) with positive family history of hemophilia. At diagnosis 49% (n=127) had low-titer inhibitors, however, upon FVIII re-exposure, 50% of low-titer inhibitors progressed to high-titer and only 25% of patients (n=69) had persistent low-titer inhibitors. Within the first 3 years of follow-up, immune tolerance induction (ITI) was equally implemented in around 80% of low-and high-titer patients but it was started later in children with high-titers (median time to ITI start 4.5 vs 0.3 months; p<0.001) in whom daily regimens and high-dose FVIII were more frequently adopted (89, 67% vs 41, 50% and 98, 74% vs 35, 43%; p=0.01 and <0.001, respectively). Overall high-titer inhibitor development was associated with null F8 mutations (OR 2.8, 95%CI 1.4-5.5) and family history of inhibitors (OR 3.9, 95%CI 1.2-12.6). The progression from low- to high-titer inhibitors during follow up, was associated with the use of high-dose ITI regimens (i.e., >100 IU/kg/day) with an OR of 3.9 (95%CI 1.5-10.0), independent from the effects of F8 mutation type (adjusted OR 3.6, 95%CI 1.4-9.8) and family history of inhibitors (adjusted OR 6.7, 95%CI 1.1-42.6). No difference was found by comparing the use of daily versus non-daily ITI. In conclusion, in a cohort of 260 children with severe hemophilia A and inhibitors, 49% presented with low-titers at diagnosis and 46% of them progressed to high-titers during follow-up. Progression to high-titer inhibitors was associated with the use of high-dose ITI. These results suggest that intensive ITI should be avoided as initial strategy in low-titer inhibitor patients. Disclosures Mancuso: Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Sobi/Biogen Idec: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; CSL Behring: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Baxalta: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Bayer Healthcare: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Kedrion: Consultancy. Fischer:Wyeth/Pfizer: Research Funding; Biogen: Consultancy; NovoNordisk: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Biotest Octapharma: Speakers Bureau; CSL Behring: Speakers Bureau; Baxter: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Freeline: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Santagostino:Octapharma: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy; Kedrion: Consultancy; Sobi: Consultancy; Biogen Idec: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy; Grifols: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Baxalta: Consultancy; CSL Behring: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Escuriola:Baxalta, now part of Shire: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Investigator Clinical Studies, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Biotest: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; CSL Behring: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Grifols: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Octapharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; NovoNordisk: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Liesner:BPL: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Cangene: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Baxalta Innovations GmbH, now a part of Shire: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; SOBI: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Octapharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Biogen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Grifols: Consultancy, Honoraria. Nolan:Sobi: Research Funding; Biogen: Research Funding.


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