Computerized tomography scan findings of a patient with severe enterocolitis associated with the coronavirus disease 2019: a case report

Abstract Background: Currently, there is no available study about the occurrence of enterocolitis associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among adults. Case presentation: A 56-year-old man had lower abdominal pain, distension, diarrhea, and bloody stool. Moreover, the patient presented with fever and general fatigue. Laboratory examination did not reveal leukocytosis nor neutrophilia. However, the patient’s C-reactive protein level increased to 4.9 (normal range: 0.0–0.3) mg/dL. Both sputum and stool cultures had normal results. However, abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan revealed wall thickness mainly in the submucosal layer of the left part of the large intestine. Thus, real-time polymerase chain reaction test of throat swabs was performed for the diagnosis of COVID-19, and positive results were obtained. Conclusions: We report the first case of enterocolitis correlated to COVID-19, and the patient had positive abdominal CT scan findings. This imaging modality could be effective for the diagnosis of enterocolitis associated with COVID-19.

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Granulocytic anaplasmosis in captive ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) in Poland

BMC Veterinary Research ◽

10.1186/s12917-021-02827-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Łukasz Adaszek ◽

Anna Wilczyńska ◽

Jerzy Ziętek ◽

Marcin Kalinowski ◽

Oliwier Teodorowski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anaplasma Phagocytophilum ◽

Polymerase Chain Reaction Test ◽

Anaplasma Ovis ◽

Case Presentation ◽

Granulocytic Anaplasmosis ◽

Pcr Product ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Obligate Intracellular Bacteria ◽

Chain Reaction Test ◽

Anaplasma Bovis

Abstract Background Anaplasma are obligate intracellular bacteria and aetiological agents of tick-borne diseases of both veterinary and medical interest. The genus Anaplasma comprises six species: Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma centrale, Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma bovis and Anaplasma platys. They can infect humans, carnivores, ruminants, rodents, insectivores, birds and reptiles. The aim of this study was to present the first clinical case of granulocytic anaplasmosis in a captive ring-tailed lemur in Poland. Case presentation A 4-year-old female lemur presented anorexia, epistaxis and tick infestation. The microscopic examination of a blood smear revealed morulae in neutrophils. Polymerase chain reaction test and sequencing of obtained PCR product confirmed infection by the GU183908 Anaplasma phagocytophilum strain. Therapeutic protocol included doxycycline (2.5 mg/kg p.o., b.i.d.) for 3 weeks and the lemur recovered within 24 h. Conclusions This is the first report on granulocytic anaplasmosis in a ring-tailed lemur in Europe, indicating that A. phagocytophilum infection must also be considered in differential diagnosis in this animal species, especially in individuals with thrombocytopenia associated with Ixodes ricinus parasitism.

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AI-Empowered Computational Examination of Chest Imaging for COVID-19 Treatment: A Review

Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence ◽

10.3389/frai.2021.612914 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Author(s):

Hanqiu Deng ◽

Xingyu Li

Keyword(s):

False Negative ◽

Screening Tools ◽

Polymerase Chain Reaction Test ◽

Test Results ◽

First Case ◽

Lung Scan ◽

Screening Efficiency ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Chain Reaction Test ◽

Full Swing

Since the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was discovered in December 2019, COVID-19 swiftly spread over the world. By the end of March 2021, more than 136 million patients have been infected. Since the second and third waves of the COVID-19 outbreak are in full swing, investigating effective and timely solutions for patients’ check-ups and treatment is important. Although the SARS-CoV-2 virus-specific reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test is recommended for the diagnosis of COVID-19, the test results are prone to be false negative in the early course of COVID-19 infection. To enhance the screening efficiency and accessibility, chest images captured via X-ray or computed tomography (CT) provide valuable information when evaluating patients with suspected COVID-19 infection. With advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, AI-driven models training with lung scans emerge as quick diagnostic and screening tools for detecting COVID-19 infection in patients. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art AI-empowered methods for computational examination of COVID-19 patients with lung scans. In this regard, we searched for papers and preprints on bioRxiv, medRxiv, and arXiv published for the period from January 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, using the keywords of COVID, lung scans, and AI. After the quality screening, 96 studies are included in this review. The reviewed studies were grouped into three categories based on their target application scenarios: automatic detection of coronavirus disease, infection segmentation, and severity assessment and prognosis prediction. The latest AI solutions to process and analyze chest images for COVID-19 treatment and their advantages and limitations are presented. In addition to reviewing the rapidly developing techniques, we also summarize publicly accessible lung scan image sets. The article ends with discussions of the challenges in current research and potential directions in designing effective computational solutions to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the future.

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Tuberculous Osteomyelitis of the Hyoid Bone: A Case Report

Case Reports in Otolaryngology ◽

10.1155/2013/549564 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Paul Emerson ◽

Ajay Philip ◽

George M. Varghese ◽

Regi Thomas

Keyword(s):

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Hyoid Bone ◽

Osteolytic Lesion ◽

Polymerase Chain Reaction Test ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Skeletal Tuberculosis ◽

First Case ◽

Tuberculous Osteomyelitis ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Chain Reaction Test

Skeletal tuberculosis is a well-known disease entity. We report the first case involving hyoid bone and the use of polymerase chain reaction-based test in detection and management. A 62-year-old male presented with neck swelling of a 20-day duration along with change of voice and dysphagia. Examination revealed a cystic, osteolytic lesion of the hyoid bone which histopathologically demonstrated features of granulomatous infection. A polymerase chain reaction test confirmed the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

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Tocilizumab and PMX-DHP have efficacy for severe COVID-19 pneumonia

SAGE Open Medical Case Reports ◽

10.1177/2050313x21991063 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 2050313X2199106

Author(s):

Shohei Shinomiya ◽

Keisuke Nakase ◽

Ai Fujii ◽

Yutaka Takahara ◽

Hiroki Adachi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Ventilation ◽

Polymyxin B ◽

Polymerase Chain Reaction Test ◽

Cytokine Storm ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Continuous Hemodiafiltration ◽

Direct Hemoperfusion ◽

Reactive Protein ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Chain Reaction Test

In coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia, a cytokine storm resulting from an excessive inflammatory response to the viral infection is thought to play a role in the exacerbation of the pneumonia and its prognosis. Favipiravir and ciclesonide are not effective in the inhibition of the cytokine storm. In this case report, we describe the experience of tocilizumab administration and polymyxin B immobilized fiber direct hemoperfusion in severe coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia patient. A 52-year-old man presented with fever and dyspnea and was diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia based on a polymerase chain reaction test. Mechanical ventilation and favipiravir administration were started for respiratory failure. However, favipiravir could not be continued due to hepatic dysfunction. Consequently, tocilizumab was administered, and continuous hemodiafiltration and endotoxin adsorption therapy (polymyxin B immobilized fiber direct hemoperfusion) were performed for acute renal failure. C-reactive protein decreased from 44 to 3.52 mg/dL, and the patient’s respiratory status improved over time, enabling mechanical ventilation to be withdrawn. This case indicates that adding polymyxin B immobilized fiber direct hemoperfusion to tocilizumab administration may further increase efficacy in coronavirus disease 2019 treatment; however, more case–control studies are needed.

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