Severe Bone Marrow Suppression Accompanying Pulmonary Infection and Hemorrhage of the Digestive Tract Associated with Leflunomide and Low-dose Methotrexate Combination Therapy.

A 60-year-old male patient developed hyperpyrexia, cough, expectoration with blood-stained sputum, mouth ulcers, and suppurative tonsillitis after receiving 35 days of combination treatment with leflunomide (LEF) and low-dose methotrexate (MTX) for active rheumatoid arthritis. On admission, routine blood tests showed severe thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis, and decreased hemoglobin concentration compared with the relatively normal results of 1 month previously during the first hospitalization. Chest radiography revealed inflammation in both lungs, and a fecal occult blood test was positive. Given this presentation, severe bone marrow suppression accompanying pulmonary infection and hemorrhage of the digestive tract associated with LEF and MTX combination therapy was diagnosed. After 28 days of symptomatic treatment, the patient's complications subsided gradually. This case highlighted that bone marrow suppression associated with MTX and LEF combination therapy could be very serious, even at a normal dose or especially at the beginning of treatment. MTX and LEF combination therapy should be used with caution or be limited in those with a history of pulmonary disease, hemorrhage of the digestive tract, or other relevant diseases.

[The preparation and quality control of Solanum lyratum Thunb Extract gel].

OBJECTIVE: To introduce the preparation and quality control of Solanum lyratum Extract Thunb gel. METHODS: The gel was prepared with Solanum lyratum Thunb Extract as main component and carbopol 940 as base material, and Solasodine was determined by TLCS. RESULTS: The preparation of this gel was feasible, its quality was reliable, its detection method was rapid, stable, and could be used to control the quality of Solanum lyratum Thunb Extract gel. CONCLUSIONS: Studies on Solanum lyratum Thunb Extract gel will find a new path for the treatment of eczema with mono traditional Chinese medicine.

A case of chronic hepatitis C patient of myocardial ischemia accompanied with interstitial pneumonia induced by pegylated interferon alpha-2a.

After 3 months of combination treatment using interferon α-2a and Ribavirin, a case of 59-year-old female patient with chronic viral hepatitis C demonstrated symptoms such as headache, dizziness accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dry cough, breathing difficulty, and shortness of breath. Dynamic electrocardiogram showed occasional atrial premature beats, paroxysmal tachycardia, and abnormal ST-T (T wave inversion and prolongation of the QT interval). Ambulatory blood pressure indicated that mean blood pressure was elevated than before. Myocardial radionuclide scan showed focal myocardial ischemia in left ventricular inferior wall. Pulmonary function tests showed that pulmonary diffusion function was decreased, indicating the possibility of interstitial pneumonia. The patient had no history of coronary heart disease or chest X-ray abnormalities before medication, but had hypertensive medical history for 8 years with good blood pressure control. After withdrawal of antiviral drugs, symptoms such as dry cough, breathing difficulty and T wave inversion were gradually relieved. This case indicated that myocardial ischemia and pulmonary lesions were associated with the application of pegylated interferon α-2a.