Japanese Spotted Fever Associated with Mild Encephalitis/Encephalopathy with a Reversible Splenial Lesion.

A 58-year-old woman had disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and septic shock caused by Japanese spotted fever (JSF). Following treatment with minocycline, her general condition gradually improved; however, her disorientation persisted. Mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) type II was diagnosed based on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing a hyperintense area in the splenium of the corpus callosum and bilateral cerebral white matter on diffusion-weighted imaging. Thereafter, her consciousness gradually improved, but she continued to experience difficulty concentrating and attention deficits. MERS type II may take longer to improve than type I, and long-term follow-up is required.

[Cerebral sinus thrombosis complicating ulcerative colitis].

A 40-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis (UC) was admitted to our hospital because of diminution of consciousness and left palsy. UC had been diagnosed 6 years before, but had not been treated. MRI revealed complete obstruction of the superior sagittal sinus. Cerebral sinus thrombosis, as a complication of UC, was diagnosed. We started anticoagulant therapy, but she passed away 5 days later. UC has been reported to show hypercoagulation status, leading to deep vein thrombosis within the body which sometimes causes pulmonary infarction, but occurrence of cerebral sinus thrombosis is rare.

Tsukamurella pulmonis central venous catheter infection mimicking proteinase 3-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA)-associated vasculitis.

A 40-year-old Japanese woman, who underwent total thyroidectomy, had suffered from repeated episodes of fever and microscopic hematuria for 3 years, which had started 3 months after central venous port catheter insertion. On admission, she had malaise and low-grade fever, and was found to have microscopic hematuria, urinary red blood cell casts, multiple pulmonary nodules, and positivity of proteinase 3-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA), which were suggestive to the presence of ANCA-associated small vessel vasculitis. However, her blood culture and subsequent gene analysis revealed the positivity of Tsukamurella pulmonis, and she was diagnosed with Tsukamurella pulmonis bacteremia accompanying PR3-ANCA positivity. Her condition improved after the removal of the catheter and antibiotic treatment. Tsukamurella species are categorized to the order Actinomycetales and can be misidentified as other Actinomycetales without genetic analyses. This case illustrates that chronic Tsukamurella pulmonis infection can cause ANCA production and nephritis, which mimics ANCA-associated vasculitis. Thus, it is critical to diagnose these cases correctly to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment, such as immunosuppressive treatment.

Carbon dioxide insufflation is useful for obtaining clear images of the bile duct during peroral cholangioscopy (with video).

BACKGROUND: Peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) is useful for the diagnosis of various bile duct lesions. However, it is often difficult to obtain clear images because of bile or biliary sludge in the bile duct, even after vigorous irrigation of the bile duct with saline solution. Therefore, this study investigated whether inflation with carbon dioxide (CO(2)) yields clearer images of the bile duct than conventional saline solution irrigation during POCS. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical utility and safety of CO(2) insufflation into the bile duct to obtain clear images in POCS observations by comparing this method with conventional saline solution irrigation. SETTING: A single center. DESIGN: Case-control study. PATIENTS: Nineteen patients with suspected biliary diseases. INTERVENTIONS: CO(2) insufflation into the bile duct during POCS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The quality and safety of this method. RESULT: The quality of the images of the bile duct lumen with CO(2) insufflation (10 patients) was significantly superior to those with saline solution irrigation (9 patients) in both clarity (P < .05) and color (P < .05). In particular, extremely clear images could be obtained from the middle part of common bile duct to the right and left hepatic duct. No serious POCS-related complications occurred. There was no significant change in the venous partial pressure of the CO(2) level during the procedure. LIMITATIONS: The number of patients examined was small. CONCLUSIONS: CO(2) insufflation is useful for obtaining clear images of the bile duct during POCS, which makes it possible to determine the qualitative diagnosis and the extent of various bile duct lesions.

[A case of gangliocytic paraganglioma with lymphoid metastasis].

We report a 67-year-old woman who had stiff shoulders and anemia. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a pedunclated nodular submucosal tumor with erosions and surface ulcers in the second portion of the duodenum. These endoscopic findings were thought to be characteristic of gangliocytic paraganglioma. CT scan revealed suspected lymph node metastasis, thus the tumor was resected with pancreaticoduodenectomy and was found to be a gangliocytic paraganglioma associated with lymph nodal metastasis. Due to the rarity of the disease there is no consensus regarding treatment. Although this tumor is considered benign, the possibility exists for regional lymph nodal spread. The treatment should be well planned with continuous careful evaluation.