Severe pneumonia caused by Nocardia farcinica and complicated by Staphylococcus haemoliticus superinfection.

It is reported the case of a subject 54 years old, painter, drinker and smoker who after an episode of cooling and the occurrence of widespread pain was taking its own initiative, cortisone and analgesics from approximately 30 days. The symptoms worsened and the patient was hospitalized. Chest X-ray and CT scan showed an extensive opacity in the left upper lobe with excavations in the context and also some nodular opacities excavated in the contralateral lung. In the first eight days after admission, the clinical picture despite empirical antibiotic therapy worsened towards adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). On the ninth day after the admission, strains of Nocardia farcinica and Staphylococcus haemoliticus were isolated from the sputum. The targeted therapy (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, amikacin, etc.) induced a rapid improvement of the clinical picture that was resolved in 6 months. Pneumonia caused by Nocardia farcinica is rare but its identification is necessary to set an appropriate therapy.

Late onset Pneumocystis pneumonia in renal transplantation after long-term immunosuppression with belatacept.

Interference with T-cell function increases the risk of infections, especially during the early post-transplant period. Belatacept, a costimulation blocker, is currently being tested in phase III clinical trials. Here we report a renal transplant recipient who received belatacept and developed severe Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) with fatal superinfections 4 years post transplant. Cytomegalovirus infection preceded PCP, which typically occurs in overimmunosuppressed patients, but has not yet been reported under T-cell costimulation blockade in transplant patients. This case illustrates the possibility of excessive immunosuppression even with a lymphocyte-specific regimen.

Detection and treatment of Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome following lung transplantation.

Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome has not been reported in lung transplant recipients. We describe the case of a 61-year-old Peruvian man, who received bilateral lung transplants for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and subsequently developed persistent fever with pulmonary infiltrates, ventilator dependence, and pneumothoraces. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cultures for bacteria, viruses, and fungi were negative, but testing for ova and parasites from BAL fluid revealed Strongyloides stercoralis larvae on day 16 post transplant. He was successfully treated with albendazole and ivermectin, and immunosuppression was reduced. BAL fluid also grew Mycobacterium kansasii, for which he received combination anti-mycobacterial therapy. This case illustrates the importance of screening for parasitic infections before transplantation in the appropriate clinical setting, and demonstrates the utility of direct diagnostic evaluation for parasitic infections in at-risk post-transplant patients with unexplained illnesses.

Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome and VRE pneumonia.

Immunocompromised patients have high risk of infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. One of these infections is those caused by Strongyloides stercoralis Immunocompromised patients are at risk of hyperinfection syndrome which is characterised with more systemic manifestation and a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. This can be complicated by coinfection with enteric organisms, specifically Gram-negative. Enterococci are Gram-positive cocci which are inhabitants of the human gastrointestinal tract. Even though enterococci can cause serious infections in multiple sites, they are a rare cause of pneumonia. We present a case of disseminated strongyloides with vancomycin-resistant enterococcus causing pneumonia. The patient had a complicated course with respiratory failure and septic shock. He died eventually due to his severe infections. After a literature review, we could not find a similar case of coinfection of disseminated strongyloides with vancomycin-resistant enterococcus pneumonia in immune-compromised patients.

Amebic liver abscess with bacterial superinfection in a patient with no epidemiologic risk factors.

The amebic liver abscess is uncommon in developed countries like Spain, but the incidence is increasing probably due to the migratory movements of the population. We report a case of an amebic abscess, initially unsuspected due to the absence of epidemiologic risk factors and the negative serology for amebiasis, in the early stages of the disease.

A clinico-radiological study of secondary mycoses in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Clinical and radiological differences were compared in Fungus positive (74) and negative (66) cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. Cough, expectoration, dyspnoea, and fever were marked in former group than that of latter. Anaemia, leucocytosis, raised ESR, abnormal radiological shadows and mycetoma in healed cavity were also noted in significant number in fungus positive cases.

Una causa infrecuente de absceso hepático gaseoso / An unusual cause of a gas-forming liver abscess

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[Infected chorionic hematoma as a cause of infection in the 2nd trimester]. / Das infizierte Eihauthämatom als Ursache einer Sepsis im II. Trimenon.

Superinfected subchorionic haematomas are a rare septic focus in the 2nd trimenon. Symptoms being unspecific, the diagnosis has to be made by exclusion, in most cases. As the changes of a successful treatment of the manifest infection is poor, antibiotic prophylaxis as well as close laboratory controls and early antibiotic therapy should be discussed after sonographic diagnosis of an intrauterine haematoma. Two of our three patients reported on having suffered a miscarriage; only one pregnancy could be maintained after spontaneous depletion of the infected haemorrhage.

[Scintigraphic findings in a patient with sickle-cell thalassemia and recurrent pain attacks]. / Szintigraphische Befunde bei einem Patienten mit Sichelzell-Thalassämie und rezidivierenden Schmerzattacken.

The case of an eight years old African boy who suffers from sickle cell-thalassemia is presented. In the course of the disease frequent pain attacks occurred within the abdomen and extremities, recently also within the trunk. Local pain, at some occasions in combination with local swelling and always positive laboratory parameters for inflammation, hindered a solely clinical differentiation between bone infarcts and osteomyelitis. Bone scintigraphy, eventually in combination with bone marrow scintigraphy, can assist the clinician in the differentiation of aseptic bone infarcts versus secondary osteomyelitis. Based on the presented case scintigraphic results for bone infarcts, osteomyelitis and special scintigraphic pattern seen in sickle cell disease are presented. Furthermore, problems regarding the interpretation of the scintigraphies in relation to the delayed time after the beginning of pain attacks are discussed.