RESUMEN
Myiasis is the infestation of humans with dipterous larvae. Traditionally, myiasis was thought to affect individuals living in tropical regions, however, several cases in temperate zones have been reported. We encountered two patients with histories of malignancies that presented with complaints of myiasis, in Chicago, in the spring and summer of 2016. The first patient, a 54-year-old female with a history of breast cancer, presented with complaints of maggots infesting her postsurgical chest wounds. She was diagnosed with sepsis, cellulitis, and wound myiasis. The second patient, a 63-year-old female with a history of recurrent ovarian cancer, presented with complaints of passing maggots vaginally and seeing worms mixed with her stools. She was diagnosed with internal urogenital myiasis. The first lesson that we learned from these cases is that myiasis can occur in individuals living in any part of the world. Second of all, for patients with accidental myiasis, a sample of the larvae should be sent for analysis to help guide the treatment. Third of all, myiasis has been associated with new or recurrent malignancies, and therefore a biopsy of the affected tissue should be sent for analysis. Finally, we learned that myiasis can serve as a form of tissue debridement; this coinciding benefit should not prevent the treatment of accidental myiasis.
RESUMEN
One of the most common metabolic abnormalities found in patients with malignancy is hypercalcemia. Hypocalcemia is a rare occurrence and is often found to be associated with renal failure and patients taking bisphosphonate therapy for bone metastasis in this patient population. Here, we present two different case reports with hypocalcemia. A 66-year-old female with a recent diagnosis of tonsillar diffuse B-cell lymphoma admitted with complaints of generalized weakness after one cycle of R-CHOP, found to have neutropenia, a low calcium level, high PTH, and low 25-hydroxy Vitamin D levels. She was given calcium gluconate and supplemental 25-hydroxy Vitamin D. On day 2, the patient's symptoms and counts improved. The second patient was a 64-year-old male with recurrent metastatic laryngeal carcinoma, along with a second locally advanced primary rectal adenocarcinoma, presented with severe hypocalcemia and a low PTH level. The patient was on adjuvant chemotherapy and exhibited Chvostek's sign, along with perioral numbness, tingling, and twitching sensations, which eventually led to dysphagia. He was treated with calcium gluconate, calcitriol, and calcium carbonate. Signs and symptoms, along with lab values, improved on day 4. These cases suggest that calcium kinetics and 25-hydroxy Vitamin D levels need to be monitored in these patient populations in a routine manner.