[Case of successfully treated acute respiratory distress syndrome complicated by ureteral stones].

We report a case of acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli induced sepsis and treated successfully. A 56-year-old women admitted for high-fever, dyspnea, and disturbance of consciousness on September 11, 2006, was found in chest computed tomography (CT) on admission to have diffuse infiltration with bilateral pleural effusion. Abdominal CT on admission showed left hydronephrosis complicated with ureteral stones. Because of severe hypoxemia, mechanical ventilation was started from hospital day 1. She went into shock soon after admission. Under mechanical ventilation, she was administered several antibiotics and dopamine. Because sera endotoxins were elevated, she was treated by endotoxin adsorption therapy on hospital day 3. A urethral stent was indwelled in the ureter for drainage after endotoxin adsorption therapy. Because Escherichia coli was isolated from urine and blood cultures, she was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by E. coli inducing septic shock. After therapy, her condition improved, and she was extubated on hospital day 9. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was conducted on hospital day 19 and she was discharged.

[A case of bullous pemphigoid associated with Pneumocystis pneumonia and Cytomegalovirus pneumonia].

A 68-year-old man was admitted to our hospital presenting cutaneous pruritic lesions consisting of tense blisters with serous content on his arms and legs. Histological findings of skin biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid in March 2005. After 10 weeks of prednisone therapy for bullous pemphigoid, he presented with increasing breathlessness and high fever. He was admitted to our hospital because of severe hypoxemia on May 29, 2005, and mechanical ventilation was started from the first hospital day. Chest computed tomography showed marked ground-glass opacities in both lungs. The levels of beta-D glucan and KL-6 in his sera were elevated. We suspected Pneumocystis pneumonia and Cytomegalovirus pneumonia. Under mechanical ventilation, he received steroid pulse therapy, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and ganciclovir. A polymerase chain reaction assay of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed Pneumocysitis DNA and Cytomegalovirus DNA. On the 12th hospital day, he was weaned from mechanical ventilation. Follow-up chest computed tomography showed marked resolution of diffuse ground-glass opacity in both lungs. We need to consider the development of Pneumocystis pneumonia and Cytomegalovirus pneumonia during steroid therapy for bullous pemphigoid.