scholarly journals Favorable outcome of hepatosplenic candidiasis in a patient with acute leukemia

2015 ◽  
Vol 143 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 341-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasa Colovic ◽  
Valentina Arsic-Arsenijevic ◽  
Nada Suvajdzic ◽  
Irena Djunic ◽  
Dragica Tomin

Introduction. Acute leukemias treatment requires strong chemotherapy. Patients that develop bone marrow aplasia become immunocompromised, thus becoming liable to bacterial and fungal infections. Fungal infections caused by Candida are frequent. Hepatosplenic candidiasis (HSC) is a frequent consequence of invasive candidiasis which is clinically presented with prolonged febrility unresponsive to antibiotics. Case Outline. A 53-year-old patient with acute myeloid leukemia was submitted to standard chemotherapy ?3+7? regimen (daunoblastine 80 mg i.v. on days 1 to 3, cytarabine 2?170 mg i.v. during 7 days) and achieved complete remission. However, during remission he developed febrility unresponsive to antibiotics. Computerised tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed multiple hypodense lesions within the liver and spleen. Haemocultures on fungi were negative. However, seroconversion of biomarkers for invasive fungal infection (IFI) (Candida and Aspergillus antigen/Ag and antibody/Ab) indicated possible HSC. Only high positivity of anti-Candida IgG antibodies, positivity of mannan and CT finding we regarded sufficient for the diagnosis and antimycotic therapy. Three months of treatment with different antimycotics were necessary for complete disappearance of both clinical symptoms and CT findings. Conclusion. In patients with prolonged febrile neutropenia IFI has to be strongly suspected. If imaging techniques show multiple hypodense lesions within liver and spleen, HSC has to be taken seriously into consideration. We believe that, along with CT finding, positive laboratory Candida biomarkers (mannan and IgG antibodies) should be considered sufficient for ?probable HSC? and commencement of antifungal therapy, which must be long enough, i.e. until complete disappearance of clinical symptoms and CT findings are achieved.

2021 ◽  
pp. 197140092110269
Author(s):  
Prateek Gupta ◽  
Sameer Vyas ◽  
Teddy Salan ◽  
Chirag Jain ◽  
Sunil Taneja ◽  
...  

Background and purposes Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) has no recognizable clinical symptoms, but patients have cognitive and psychomotor deficits. Hyperammonemia along with neuroinflammation lead to microstructural changes in cerebral parenchyma. Changes at conventional imaging are detected usually at the overt clinical stage, but microstructural alterations by advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques can be detected at an early stage. Materials and methods Whole brain diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) data acquired at 3T was analyzed to investigate microstructural parenchymal changes in 15 patients with MHE and compared with 15 age- and sex-matched controls. DKI parametric maps, namely kurtosis fractional anisotropy (kFA), mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (AK) and radial kurtosis (RK), were evaluated at 64 white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) regions of interest (ROIs) in the whole brain and correlated with the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES). Results The MHE group showed a decrease in kFA and AK across the whole brain, whereas MK and RK decreased in WM ROIs but increased in several cortical and deep GM ROIs. These alterations were consistent with brain regions involved in cognitive function. Significant moderate to strong correlations (–0.52 to –0.66; 0.56) between RK, MK and kFA kurtosis metrics and PHES were observed. Conclusion DKI parameters show extensive microstructural brain abnormalities in MHE with minor correlation between the severity of tissue damage and psychometric scores.


Vaccine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piia Jõgi ◽  
Hiie Soeorg ◽  
Diana Ingerainen ◽  
Mari Soots ◽  
Freddy Lättekivi ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anand I. Rughani ◽  
Bruce I. Tranmer ◽  
Jeffrey E. Florman ◽  
James T. Wilson

Accurate assessment of imaging studies in patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunts can be aided by empirical findings. The authors characterize an objective measurement easily performed on head CT scans with the goal of producing clear evidence of shunt fracture or disconnection in patients with a snap shunt–type system. The authors describe 2 cases of ventriculoperitoneal shunt failure involving a fracture and a disconnection associated with a snap-shunt assembly. In both cases the initial clinical symptoms were not convincing for shunt malfunction, and the interpretation of the CT finding failed to immediately identify the abnormality. As the clinical picture became more convincing for shunt malfunction, each patient subsequently underwent successful shunt revision. The authors reviewed the CT scans of 10 patients with an intact and functioning snap-shunt system to characterize the normal appearance of the snap-shunt connection. On CT scans the distance between the radiopaque portion of the ventricular catheter and the radiopaque portion of the reservoir dome measures an average of 4.72 mm (range 4.6–4.9 mm, 95% CI 4.63–4.81 mm). In the authors' patient with a fractured ventricular catheter, this interval measured 7.8 mm, and in the patient with a disconnection it measured 7.7 mm. In comparison with the range of normal values, a radiolucent interval significantly greater than 4.9 mm should promptly raise concern for a disconnected or fractured shunt in this system. This measurement may prove particularly useful when serial imaging is not readily available.


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e2012018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cengiz Bayram ◽  
Ali Fettah ◽  
Nese Yarali ◽  
Abdurrahman Kara ◽  
Fatih Mehmet Azik ◽  
...  

Hepatosplenic candidiasis (HSC) is a form of invasive fungal infection that occurs most commonly in patients with acute leukemia treated with chemotherapy and requires protracted antifungal therapy. Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is best characterized as a dysregulated inflammatory responses triggered by rapid resolution of immunosuppression.We present a child diagnosed with standard-risk precursor B cell-acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed HSC and Candida-related IRIS during recovery of neutropenia associated with induction chemotherapy. Addition of corticosteroid therapy to antifungal treatment is associated with the resolution of the clinical symptoms and laboratory findings


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asmaa Kouadir ◽  
Abderrahmane El Mazghi ◽  
Khalid Hassouni

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the biliary tract is a rare tumor that commonly arises from the common bile duct. The most common clinical symptoms are obstructive jaundice and abdominal pain. Although diagnosis is often difficult and is frequently made during surgery, diagnostic imaging techniques including ultrasound, computerized tomography scan, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography remain useful in the diagnosis and evaluation of biliary tree anatomy. In order to improve prognosis, different rhabdomyosarcoma study groups have adopted multidisciplinary treatment approach. Herein we describe a case of three-year-old child with Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma originating in the common bile duct who was treated with surgery, chemotherapy according to European soft tissue sarcoma group (EpSSG) protocol and adjuvant postoperative intensity modulated radiotherapy to surgical bed with 6 MV photons to a dose of 41, 4Gy in 23 fractions. One year and a half after the end of therapy, the patient is still disease free. Although Rhabdomyosarcoma of the biliary tract is a rare tumor, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients who have obstructive jaundice and a cystic mass within the common bile duct. Once believed to be an incurable disease, the prognosis of patients with biliary rhabdomyosarcoma has improved with a multidisciplinary treatment approach.


Medicina ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 127
Author(s):  
Francesca Gabriela Paslaru ◽  
Anca Maria Panaitescu ◽  
Elena Nestian ◽  
George Iancu ◽  
Alina Veduta ◽  
...  

Headache is a common complaint during pregnancy and the puerperium. The differentiation between a benign headache and a headache that has an underlying more endangering cause, such as an intracranial tumor, can be difficult and often requires diagnostic procedures and brain imaging techniques. We report the case of an 18-year-old female patient who developed clinical symptoms—persistent headache followed by neurological deficit—in the last part of her pregnancy. A medulloblastoma (MB) was diagnosed and treated after delivery. We review 11 other cases of MB in pregnancy reported in the literature. The most common clinical manifestation at diagnosis was headache followed by neurological deficits. We discuss the association of brain tumor growth with physiological changes during pregnancy. We conclude that clinical features of intracranial tumors can be misinterpreted as pregnancy-related symptoms and should not be dismissed.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Vogels ◽  
Ruben Dammers ◽  
Martine van Bilsen ◽  
Victor Volovici

The anatomic distribution of the deep cerebral perforators is considered either a given or subject to enormous variability. Most published overviews on this topic only report findings from a limited number of anatomic dissections, and no attempt has been made to date to provide a comprehensive overview of all published data. A comprehensive literature search was performed on MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar with the help of an information specialist. Three types of studies were included: (1) articles that described the anatomy and distribution territories of perforator groups arising from the arteries of the circle of Willis; (2) studies that evaluated the anatomy of the deep cerebral perforators using imaging techniques; and (3) studies that evaluated either microsurgically or radiologically confirmed perforator occlusion and reported the (magnetic resonance imaging–confirmed) distribution territory of the infarction together with a description of the clinical symptoms associated as a result of the infarction. A total of 2715 articles were screened and 53 were included. Of these, 40 dealt with the anatomic and imaging anatomy of perforator groups (37 reported results of dissections and 3 results of imaging studies), with a total of 2421 hemispheres investigated. Another 13 articles with 680 patients were included that evaluated perforator infarction territories. The deep cerebral perforator distribution shows large variability with poor concordance rates among reported studies, with the exception of the posterior communicating and anterior choroidal artery perforators. Despite the assumption that cerebral perforator anatomy is a given, studies show large variability in the anatomic distribution of various perforator groups. Perforator anatomy and relationships between perforator groups, as well as potential collateral circulation in these territories should be prioritized as a research topic in cerebrovascular disease in the near future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Signore ◽  
Chiara Lauri ◽  
Sveva Auletta ◽  
Kelly Anzola ◽  
Filippo Galli ◽  
...  

Background: Molecular nuclear medicine plays a pivotal role for diagnosis in a preclinical phase, in genetically susceptible patients, for radio-guided surgery, for disease relapse evaluation, and for therapy decision-making and follow-up. This is possible thanks to the development of new radiopharmaceuticals to target specific biomarkers of infection, inflammation and tumour immunology. Methods: In this review, we describe the use of specific radiopharmaceuticals for infectious and inflammatory diseases with the aim of fast and accurate diagnosis and treatment follow-up. Furthermore, we focus on specific oncological indications with an emphasis on tumour immunology and visualizing the tumour environment. Results: Molecular nuclear medicine imaging techniques get a foothold in the diagnosis of a variety of infectious and inflammatory diseases, such as bacterial and fungal infections, rheumatoid arthritis, and large vessel vasculitis, but also for treatment response in cancer immunotherapy. Conclusion: Several specific radiopharmaceuticals can be used to improve diagnosis and staging, but also for therapy decision-making and follow-up in infectious, inflammatory and oncological diseases where immune cells are involved. The identification of these cell subpopulations by nuclear medicine techniques would provide personalized medicine for these patients, avoiding side effects and improving therapeutic approaches.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Xia Wang ◽  
Xiaoyan Tian ◽  
Yongping Cai ◽  
Xingwang Wu

Aim. To improve the identification and computed tomography (CT) diagnostic accuracy of chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated enteritis (CAEAE) by evaluating its CT findings and clinical manifestation. Methods. The data of three patients with pathologically and clinically confirmed CAEAE who underwent CT enterography (CTE) were retrospectively reviewed from January 2018 to October 2019. The following data were evaluated: imaging characteristics (length of involvement, pattern of mural thickening, pattern of attenuation, perienteric abnormalities), clinical symptoms, endoscopic records, laboratory examinations, and pathologic findings. Results. Based on CT findings, two patients demonstrated segmental bowel wall thickening (involvement length >6 cm), asymmetric thickening, layered attenuation, fat stranding, and adenopathy, whereas the remaining one had no positive finding. The endoscopic results of all patients showed numerous irregular ulcers in the colon, and one patient had a focal esophageal ulcer. The major clinical symptoms were abdominal pain (n=3), retrosternal pain (n=1), fever (n=3), diarrhea (n=2), hematochezia (n=1), and adenopathy (n=3). The main laboratory examination indicators were increased serum EBV DNA load (n=1) and increased inflammatory markers (n=3). With regard to the main pathologic findings, all patients showed positive EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) situ hybridization in the colonic biopsy specimen, with one patient being positive in the esophagus. Conclusion. CAEAE is rare and is usually misdiagnosed as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The imaging features of CAEAE overlap with those of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The presence of segmental and asymmetric bowel wall thickening, layered attenuation, and fat stranding in the CTE image may be helpful in differentiating CAEAE from IBD.


Author(s):  
Arvid Rongve ◽  
Dag Aarsland

Dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia belong to the α-synucleinopathies, a family of diseases pathologically characterized by aggregation of α-synuclein in Lewy bodies in the brain. In this chapter we present the epidemiological data for both conditions including new data on MCI. Clinical diagnostic criteria are reviewed and the different neuropathology staging systems for DLB and PDD and the most important genetic findings are considered. Biomarkers in DLB and PDD with particular focus on imaging techniques like CIT-SPECT and MRI are described. Important clinical symptoms in both conditions are presented in detail and the most important clinical differential diagnoses are discussed. Pharmacological and non- pharmacological treatment of different symptoms in both conditions are discussed with particular emphasis on the choline esterase inhibitors and antipsychotic medications.New data on memantine are presented.


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