Acute Liver Failure and Fever of Unknown Origin

We describe a case of acute liver failure in a woman in whom a diagnosis was initially unable to be established. The patient rapidly deteriorated, requiring admission to the intensive care unit and was placed under consideration for liver transplantation. On consultation with the infectious disease service, thorough history taking was performed which uncovered salient epidemiologic information pointing toward the eventual diagnosis of disseminated histoplasmosis. We discuss aspects of diagnosis and management, including the management of immune reconstitution syndrome which complicated treatment.

Graves’ disease in HIV patient receiving antiretroviral therapy

The article focuses on the clinical case of Graves disease in a patient with HIV infection who is receiving antiretroviral therapy. The number of HIV-infected patients has increased significantly in recent decades all over the world. The currently used highly active antiretroviral therapy can significantly improve the prognosis for these patients. However, its use is associated with a number of complications, in particular the development of immune reconstitution syndrome, under which the development of such autoimmune diseases as Graves disease, polymyositis and Guillain-Barre syndrome may occur. Therefore, we would like to draw the attention of doctors to the possibility of such a complication in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy. Timely diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disorders will help to avoid the complications associated with an excess or deficit of thyroid hormones.

Intractable pleural effusion in Kaposi sarcoma following antiretroviral therapy in a Caucasian female infected with HIV

We report the case of a 57-year-old Caucasian woman with AIDS-related disseminated Kaposi sarcoma (KS) characterised by the combination of several unusual features. The chylous nature of the pleural effusions, the documented parietal pleural involvement at thoracoscopy and the marked clinical worsening through an immune reconstitution syndrome following antiretroviral therapy initiation represent several rare situations that occurred in the same female patient. In addition, the use of indwelling pleural catheters for dyspnoea palliation also represents a rare therapeutic intervention. This case is a reminder of the possibility of AIDS-related pleural KS, now uncommon in the era of antiretroviral therapy.

Cryptococcosis

Cryptococcosis has become an important infection in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. Although Cryptococcus is mainly recognized by its ability to cause meningoencephalitis, it can infect almost any organ of the human body, with pulmonary infection being the second most common disease manifestation. In cases of meningitis, symptom onset may be insidious, but headaches, fevers, or mental status changes should warrant diagnostic testing. Symptoms of pulmonary disease are nonspecific and may include fever, chills, cough, malaise, night sweats, dyspnea, weight loss, and hemoptysis. Due to protean manifestations of infection, diagnosis may be delayed or misdiagnosis may occur. Diagnosis typically is made by antigen testing of serum or cerebrospinal fluid or by culture or histopathology of infected tissues. A lumbar puncture with the measurement of opening pressure is recommended for patients with suspected or proven cryptococcosis. Treatment of cryptococcosis is based on the anatomical site of disease, severity of disease, and underlying immune status of the patient. Amphotericin B preparations plus 5-flucytosine is used as initial treatment of meningitis, disseminated infection, or moderate-to-severe pulmonary infection followed by fluconazole as a consolidation therapy. Fluconazole is effective for mild-to-moderate pulmonary infection. Important complications include elevated intracranial pressure and immune reconstitution syndrome, which may resemble active disease.

Pulmonary cryptococcal immune reconstitution syndrome in a person living with HIV: a case report

Cryptococcal immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (C-IRIS) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection manifests as a clinical worsening or new presentation of cryptococcal disease after initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART). C-IRIS involving the respiratory system has been scarcely reported. Here, we report a case of pulmonary C-IRIS in a person living with HIV after initiating ART, characterized by an exacerbation of a pulmonary nodule and new occurrence of pleural effusions, which responded well to corticosteroid treatment.

Survival of a case of Bacillus cereus meningitis with brain abscess presenting as immune reconstitution syndrome after febrile neutropenia – a case report and literature review-

Background Bacillus cereus sometimes causes central nervous system infection, especially in compromised hosts. In cases of meningitis arising during neutropenia, CSF abnormalities tend to be subtle and can be easily overlooked, and mortality rate is high. We report a survived case of B. cereus meningitis/brain abscess in severe neutropenia, presenting as immune reconstitution syndrome. Case presentation A 54-year-old Japanese female with acute myelogenous leukemia developed B. cereus bacteremia and meningitis during consolidation chemotherapy. At the onset, she presented with mild meningism. She had marked leukocytopenia (WBC <100/μL, neutrophils 0/μL) and lumbar puncture yielded only mild pleocytosis. She was transferred to intensive care unit, and meropenem, linezolid and vancomycin was started. With intensive therapy, she recovered and once became afebrile. On day 19, however, her fever, meningism and consciousness level dramatically worsened despite recovery of bone marrow function. The antimicrobial chemotherapy was continued and finally she was cured with no complications. Conclusions With early diagnosis and prompt initiation and of antibiotics, the case was successfully treated without any sequelae. It is important to remember that, even under optimal antimicrobial therapy, bone marrow recovery can cause transient reaggravation of the disease. In such cases, timely and appropriate evaluation should be done to make the clinical decision to change, continue, or intensify treatment.