Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis , Humans , Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis/complications , Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis/diagnosis , Lung Diseases/pathology , Male , Glomerulonephritis/diagnosis , Glomerulonephritis/pathology , Glomerulonephritis/immunology , Female , Middle Aged , Hemorrhage
Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is one of the common presentations of kidney diseases both in children and adults. NS patients, particularly those with membranous nephropathy, have increased risk of thromboembolic events. Heparin and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) continue to be commonly used as prophylactic and therapeutic agents, given the experience of use of these agents in NS and nonrenal indications of anticoagulation. The use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in NS is reported in some case series, conference abstracts, and a few small studies. We report our experience of using DOACs in 11 patients of NS with severe hypoalbuminemia. Out of 11, one patient required change of anticoagulation from DOACs to VKA and the rest of them did well with DOACs. There were no bleeding episodes in our study. We suggest larger studies to be carried out to better understand the use of these agents in NS.
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients particularly presenting as rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) are at extremely high risk of progressing to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD); therefore, timely intervention is important. We describe our experience of managing six AAV patients who were on treatment (induction phase) and developed COVID-19. Cyclophosphamide was stopped till RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 was reported negative and patient had improved symptomatically. Out of our six patients, one died. Subsequently, cyclophosphamide was successfully resumed in all the surviving patients. In patients of AAV with COVID-19, close monitoring and withholding of cytotoxic medication and continuing steroids till active infection subsides is an effective treatment strategy until more and more data from well-conducted largescale studies become available for guidance.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has taken the world by a storm, posing a gruelling challenge to the medical fraternity globally. Besides its very high infectivityinfectivity, significant organ dysfunction occurs in critically ill COVID-19 patients, leading to severe morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary involvement is the leading cause of death in these patients to be followed by the cardiovascular involvement. Kidney involvement due to COVID-19 is becoming more discernible with AKI adversely affecting the outcome. Besides AKI, a few cases of collapsing FSGS in genetically vulnerable patients and thrombotic microangiopathies have been reported as well. We report a case of AA amyloidosis of the kidney with a rapidly progressive renal failure and congestive heart failure with preserved left ventricular functions, which complicated a moderate COVID-19 pneumonia providing some clues to a possible association of this novel virus disease with this complication, which needs to be confirmed in future studies.
Acute Kidney Injury , COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19/complications , SARS-CoV-2 , Acute Kidney Injury/etiology , Kidney
The autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA), also known as Shoenfeld's syndrome, encompasses several autoimmune conditions/phenomena that are triggered following the exposure to materials with an adjuvant activity known to augment an antigen-driven immune response. In some inherently vulnerable patients, they act as second hits to trigger or unmask an autoimmune disorder which ranges from generalized non-specific constitutional symptoms, and autoantibody production, to a new onset, of a fully-fledged autoimmune syndrome. In this manuscript, we present a case of a 37-year-old lady who developed systemic lupus erythematosus characterized by mucocutaneous, musculoskeletal, hematological neurological, and renal involvement a few years after silicone breast implants.
Autoimmune Diseases , Breast Implants , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic , Adjuvants, Immunologic/adverse effects , Adult , Female , Humans , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/complications , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/diagnosis , Silicones/adverse effects , Syndrome
Acute Kidney Injury/etiology , Kidney/diagnostic imaging , Leukemic Infiltration/diagnostic imaging , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/complications , Acute Kidney Injury/drug therapy , Acute Kidney Injury/physiopathology , Adolescent , Biopsy , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Glomerular Filtration Rate , Humans , Kidney/pathology , Leukemic Infiltration/complications , Methylprednisolone/therapeutic use , Organ Size , Pain/etiology , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/diagnosis , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/pathology , Prednisone/therapeutic use , Pressure , Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) encompasses various psychiatric and neurological manifestations that develop in SLE patients, secondary to involvement of central nervous system. Neuropsychiatric SLE, presenting as catatonia is very uncommon, and treatment of this condition is not well defined. Previously the role of benzodiazepines, immunosuppression, plasma exchange, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been described in its management. Here we describe a case of neuropsychiatric lupus presenting as catatonia that did not respond to benzodiazepines or immunosuppression. The symptoms of catatonia showed improvement with ECT. Furthermore, we have discussed the pathology of the disorder and the role of ECT in the treatment of cases of catatonia associated with SLE, who do not respond to benzodiazepines.
