Multisystemic Beryllium Disease: An Exceptional Case Revealed by a Urinary Tract Granulomatosis.

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD), or berylliosis, is an interstitial lung disease caused by the chronic inhalation of finely particulate beryllium, frequently mistaken for sarcoidosis. It is rarely associated with skin nodular lesions, asymptomatic granulomatous hepatitis or calcium nephrolithiasis. To date, it has never been reported as a diffused multi-organ granulomatous disease. A 60-year-old Pakistani man, a former excavation worker with ancient history of suspected sarcoidosis, underwent a left nephroureterectomy for suspected papillary kidney carcinoma. The histopathological analysis showed a benign non-necrotic granulomatous infiltration of the renal pelvis and ureter. Six months later, he suffered from two consecutive episodes of acute kidney failure. Bladder biopsies found similar noncaseous granulomatosis and kidney biopsies showed interstitial nephritis. Known for suspected asthma, sleep apnea, and usual interstitial pneumonia, the patient would regularly consult for episodes of pyrexia, chills, nocturnal coughing, and wheezing. As kidney function gradually worsened, he ultimately started hemodialysis and was transferred to our facility. A positive blood beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test confirmed the diagnosis of CBD. This original report is the first description of multi-organ berylliosis with diffused urothelial granulomatosis and pseudo-tumor. The patient's pulmonary disease is minimal compared with renal and urinary tract involvement, eventually responsible for end-stage kidney disease. Berylliosis usually responds to glucocorticoids. This case report highlights the importance of evoking the diagnosis of CBD in the presence of any granulomatosis, even extra-thoracic, especially if associated with pulmonary symptoms, however atypical.

Jejunal perforation secondary to blind insertion of peritoneal dialysis catheter: a case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) depends upon a functioning and durable access to the peritoneal cavity. Many techniques exist to insert a peritoneal catheter, showing similar outcomes and benefits. Blind percutaneous insertion represents a bedside intervention predominantly performed by nephrologists requiring only local anesthesia, sedation and minimal transcutaneous access. Although current guidelines recommend insertion techniques allowing visualization of the peritoneal cavity, the blind percutaneous approach is still widely used and has been proven safe and effective to bring durable peritoneal dialysis access. Herein, we described a rare case of jejunal perforation secondary to blind PD catheter placement, and conduct a review of the current medical literature describing early bowel perforations secondary to PD catheter placement, gathering descriptions of symptomatology and outcomes and their relations to the insertion technique. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We herein describe the case of a 48 year-old patient with a history of appendectomy who suffered from triple jejunal perforation after blind percutaneous insertion and subsequent embedment of his peritoneal catheter. Accurate diagnosis was made 1 month after insertion due to atypical clinical presentation and because physicians had no access to the peritoneal cavity after catheter embedment. After surgical repair and broad-spectrum antibiotics, the patient was switched to HD. CONCLUSION: Early catheter-related visceral injury is a rare, yet threatening condition that is almost always causing a switch to hemodialysis or death. Our review highlights that laparoscopic catheter placement might bring better outcomes if perforation occurs, as it allows immediate diagnosis and treatment. On the contrary, catheter embedment may delay clinical diagnosis and therefore bring worse outcomes.

Diagnosis and Management of Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome and the Potential Impact of the 2023 ACR/EULAR Antiphospholipid Syndrome Classification Criteria.

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is a rare and life-threatening condition characterized by the persistence of antiphospholipid antibodies and occurrence of multiple vascular occlusive events. CAPS currently remains a diagnostic challenge and requires urgent treatment. The diagnosis of CAPS is made difficult by classification criteria used as diagnostic criteria in clinical practice, knowledge derived from retrospective data and case reports, confounding clinical and biological features, and its rapid onset and mortality. The absence of prospective studies of CAPS limits the strength of evidence for guideline treatment protocols. This comprehensive review summarizes the current understanding of the disease, and discusses how the 2023 ACR/EULAR Antiphospholipid Syndrome Classification Criteria impact the definition and therapeutic management of CAPS, which is considered the most severe form of APS. The correct integration of 2023 ACR/EULAR APS classification criteria is poised to facilitate CAPS diagnosis, particularly in critical situations, offering a promising avenue for improved outcomes.

Antiphospholipid Antibodies Associated with Native Arteriovenous Fistula Complications in Hemodialysis Patients: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

Antiphospholipid antibody (aPL)-persistent positivity is frequent in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Native arteriovenous fistula (AVF) complications such as stenosis and thrombosis are among the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. The association between aPL positivity and AVF thrombosis seems to now be well established. However, whether aPL positivity is associated with other AVF complications, such as maturation failure or stenosis, is not well known. Given the significant impact of AVF failure on patient's prognosis, it is of interest to further investigate this particular point in order to improve prevention, surveillance and treatment, and, ultimately, the patient's outcome. This literature review aims to report the recent literature on aPL-associated native AVF complications.

Severe Bullous Pemphigoid Onset after Jugular Catheter Placement in a Patient on Hemodialysis.

Pruritus is highly prevalent in the dialysis population. Its etiology however remains often unclear with uremic pruritus primarily suspected unless compelling evidence of another cause. Although bullous pemphigoid (BP) is considered idiopathic, there are growing data in the literature on BP provoked by different factors, such as medications or surgical procedures. These secondary dermatoses are described as rather mild conditions and more frequent in the elderly Caucasian. We herein describe a newly dialyzed African man of 76 years old, treated by a sulfonylurea such as an antidiabetic drug, who developed a severe BP after jugular catheter placement.

[Negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on peritonitis rate in peritoneal dialysis patients: Pleading for a continuous educational training]. / Conséquences de la pandémie de COVID-19 sur le taux de péritonites de dialyse péritonéale : plaidoyer pour une formation continue ininterrompue.

BACKGROUND: Peritonitis is a common complication of chronic peritoneal dialysis treatment contributing to both technique failure and/or death. Little is effectively known about the actual benefits of a continuous training program on peritonitis rates. In the present study, we measured the impact of our patients' training protocol on peritonitis rates. We further studied which consequences the COVID-related disruption of our follow-up program had on peritonitis rates. METHODS: We present our yearly peritonitis rates since our patients' training and retraining program was implemented in 2010. We then focused our study on three consecutive years: 2019, 2020 (emergence of COVID-19), and 2021, collecting microbiological data from each peritonitis episode. Statistical analysis were used to corroborate our findings. RESULTS: Since 2010, peritonitis rates declined linearly (R2=0,6556; df=8; P<0.01) until its nadir in 2019 with 4 peritonitis episodes. The majority of infections were then treated in the outpatient Clinic. In 2020, our continuous technique evaluation decreased by 51% and 28 peritonitis episodes occurred, 47% secondary to strict cutaneous bacteria's, and 31% gastro-intestinal, irrespective of patients' experience or peritoneal dialysis modality. The hospitalization rate reached 71%. Having restored our protocol, we decreased peritonitis rates by 50% in 2021. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for peritonitis are identifiable and modifiable and require sustained intervention, continuous visual monitoring and training. These interventions significantly reduce peritonitis rates. Any brief interruption to patients' technique evaluation may elevate peritonitis rates significantly.

Hemolysis in a Patient during Hemodialysis.

We report a case of hemolysis during a hemodialysis (HD) session in a 71-year-old man. His end-stage kidney disease is secondary to light-chain amyloidosis with renal involvement. Despite immunosuppressive treatment, his renal function continued to decline, and dialysis had to be initiated. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) was started but that had to be converted to HD because of pleural effusion due to PD fluid leakage. On the event day, the patient presented a respiratory distress 2 h after the initiation of HD. He developed a sudden onset of dyspnea with hypoxemia, associated with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. He also presented chest pain with arterial hypertension. The pre-pump arterial and post-pump pressures were, respectively, 40 and 100 mm Hg, with no machine alarm. The blood color in the circuit changed and became darker, so HD was stopped immediately without blood restitution, and then a blood workup was obtained, and the patient was treated with oxygen therapy, IV methylprednisolone 40 mg, and IV furosemide 100 mg. Tubing checkup performed after the incident showed a kinked arterial tube which led to the suspicion of acute hemolysis. Blood transfusion was therefore urgently ordered, and the patient was immediately transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). Artificial ventilation was required for 4 days, with initial massive blood transfusion. A 24-h treatment with extracorporeal cytokine adsorber CytoSorb® was also performed, followed by the regular HD sessions thrice weekly. Evolution was favorable, and the patient was discharged from the ICU 18 days later.

Cognitive impairment in a patient with COVID-19 on hemodialysis: Too dangerous to neglect!

Neurological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) often have tragic repercussions. Although many reports of neurological complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection exist, none of them are of patients on hemodialysis, who have a fivefold greater risk of stroke than the general population. In this report, we emphasize the importance of being vigilant for mild stroke in high risk populations-such as patients on hemodialysis-with COVID-19, since these conditions have overlapping symptoms.