ABSTRACT
Monkeypox (mpox) is an orthopoxviral zoonotic disease with a similar but less severe clinical presentation as smallpox. However, immunocompromised patients such as solid organ transplant recipients are at higher risk of developing severe forms of the disease. Herein, we describe the case of a 43-year-old female kidney transplant recipient that manifested severe skin ulcers alongside nodular lung opacities and pleural effusion attributed directly to the monkeypox virus. Notwithstanding the initiation of early treatment with tecovirimat, a satisfactory response was not achieved until a reduction in immunosuppression to everolimus monotherapy, coupled with the transition to cidofovir for antiviral treatment. In conclusion, mpox has the potential to produce a severe form of systemic infection in individuals who have undergone solid organ transplantation, demanding a meticulous approach involving sequential antiviral treatment and modifications to immunosuppressive regimens in order to achieve complete healing.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Intravitreal administration of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (anti-VEGF) is the treatment of choice in retinal pathology associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). We aimed to analyze the effect of intravitreal anti-VEGF administration on renal function in patients with DM2. Methods: This is a single-center retrospective and observational study of patients with DM2 with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD). We analyzed the evolution of renal function after anti-VEGF onset, compared with a control group. Results: We included 45 patients (55.6% male) who received anti-VEGF therapy. Mean age was 74.4±11.5 (50-91) years. These were compared with 45 patients with similar characteristics. After 12 months, 76.3% had CKD with a mean reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 19.4%. Nine patients (20%) had a >25% reduction in eGFR, and 3 patients (6.7%) had a >50% reduction in GFR. At 24 months, 80% of patients had CKD with a mean eGFR decrease of 28%. The mean eGFR slope of patients who had received anti-VEGF treatment was 10 ml/min/year compared to 1.5 ml/min/year in the control group (P < 0.05). After the first administration, 5 patients (17.2%) in the CKD group required renal replacement therapy during follow-up (mean time 22±12 months). Main risk factors for need of dialysis were age, presence of previous CKD, and baseline proteinuria. Conclusion: Intravitreal anti-VEGF administration is a risk factor for CKD and rapid progression to end-stage kidney disease in patients with previous CKD. Knowing these drugs' implications is crucial to avoid CKD progression and opportunely limit their use in certain patients.