Severe Scrub Typhus with Enterocolitis by the Ikeda Strain of Orientia tsutsugamushi / 감염과화학요법

Scrub typhus is a mite-borne bacterial infection of humans that is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, which causes generalized vasculitis. The disease may involve the tissues of any organ system but no case with involvement of the lower gastrointestinal tract has been reported. We report a case of a 39-year old Korean male with enterocolitis of severe scrub typhus, of which the serotype was Ikeda strain. The patient was admitted to hospital with fever, abdominal pain and shock. He developed multi organ failure and frequent watery diarrhea. Abdominal computed tomography revealed diffuse edematous thickening of the entire small and colon with inflammation. Three days after admission, the antibody to O. tsutsugamushi was reported to be 1:320. He improved with doxycycline and azithromycin, and the persistent watery diarrhea stopped at 24 hours. This study shows that scrub typhus should be considered when the small and large intestine are affected. For the genotype of O. tsutsugamushi in Korea, additional studies of the impact of changes in the vector distribution on the genotype distribution will be needed.

Acute Visual Loss Caused by Onodi Cell Mucopyocele

Acute visual loss caused by an infected mucocele in an Onodi cell is extremely rare. The Onodi cell is a pneumatized posterior ethmoid cell located laterally and superiorly to the sphenoid sinus and closely related to the optic nerve. Therefore, a mucocele affecting the Onodi cell that has encroached on the adjacent sphenoid bone forming the optic canal can rarely present with visual loss. We describe a rare case of retrobulbar optic neuritis caused by an infected mucocele in the Onodi cell. A 54-year-old male complained of headache and visual loss in his right eye. A computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance image demonstrated a mucocele occupying the Onodi cell on the right side. Surgical treatment with an endoscopic sinus approach was performed, resulting in improvement of visual acuity. A lesion in an Onodi cell may be associated with ocular symptoms even if the lesion is isolated or small. Imaging studies should be considered for the differential diagnosis because early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment for mucocele are needed for recovery of visual function.