A case report of Paracetamol related pyroglutamic acidosis: mind the gap in a malnourished patient.

BACKGROUND: Pyroglutamic acidosis is a rare cause of high anion gap metabolic acidosis. Most cases of paracetamol related pyroglutamic acidosis are described in malnourished women and patients with kidney/liver failure, alcohol use or severe sepsis. In this report, we describe how pyroglutamic acidosis could be related to the use of chronic therapeutic paracetamol with only malnutrition as an associated risk factor. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 67-year-old male patient developing a pyroglutamic acidosis. The patient was initially admitted to hospital for infectious osteoarthritis and developed a metabolic acidosis during his hospital stay. Analgesics included daily therapeutic doses of paracetamol. What makes our case unusual is that our malnourished male patient did not have renal or hepatic failure. The diagnosis of paracetamol related pyroglutamic acidosis was made after ruling out the main causes of metabolic acidosis. It was further confirmed by urine organic acids measurement showing a markedly elevated level of pyroglutamic aciduria. Paracetamol was discontinued allowing a prompt correction of the anion gap. CONCLUSION: This case is a representative of pyroglutamic acidosis related to chronic therapeutic paracetamol with only malnutrition as an associated risk factor. Physicians should be aware of such unusual cause of metabolic acidosis, which may be more common than expected in hospitalized patients. A high clinical suspicion is needed when urine organic acids analysis is not available.

Cervical osteomyelitis: A new identity of dreaded complication following pharyngeal cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND: Cervical osteomyelitis following the treatment of pharyngeal cancer with laryngectomy and chemoradiotherapy is poorly reported. METHODS: Six cases of cervical osteomyelitis occurring over a 1-year period are described herein. These are reviewed alongside four cases reported previously in the literature. RESULTS: Among the total 10 cases, the average age of the patients was 58.7 years. The period between laryngectomy and the diagnosis of cervical osteomyelitis was on average 3 years and 1 month and the male to female sex ratio was 9:1. Two patients had a history of cervical fistula with an esophageal prosthesis, one had a spontaneous cervical fistula, one had a pharyngeal cutaneous fistula, and one had an esophageal prosthesis without any fistula. At the time of diagnosis, seven had a history of cervical pain (70%) and nine had a neurological deficit (90%). Seven patients (70%) underwent surgery; one (10%) was contraindicated for a general anesthetic and two (20%) died before any intervention. The indication for surgery was a neurological deficit for six patients (60%) and the requirement for lavage and debridement for two patients (20%). The average length of antimicrobial treatment was 12.7 weeks. The outcome was favorable for six patients. Four patients died. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical osteomyelitis is a serious but rarely reported complication following the treatment of pharyngeal cancer with chemoradiotherapy and laryngectomy. Cervical pain was the first sign to appear, sometimes 1year before any other sign. Physicians should be aware of this dreaded complication, which is probably underdiagnosed and is related to an increased mortality rate.