Cryptococcal Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient with a Ventriculo-Pleural Shunt.

Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common form of infection caused by Cryptococcus yeast species, followed by pulmonary infection. It is an opportunistic infection seen in patients with impaired cell immunity, most frequently in HIV patients and solid organ transplant recipients; however, it can occur in patients with no apparent immunodeficiency. We describe the case of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis in an immunocompetent patient with aseptic cerebrospinal fluid analysis which highlights the heterogeneity of this disease.

Not your Typical Rash: A Case of IgA Nephropathy in the Setting of HIV.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection presents with a variety of conditions. We describe the case of a 33-year-old Hispanic male with IgA nephropathy and Henoch-Schonlein Purpura in the setting of HIV. The incidence of vasculitis associated with HIV infection is less than 1%. There are few cases reported of IgA nephropathy in the context of HIV. Henoch-Schonlein Purpura usually presents in children. We encountered a patient with rare illnesses while in the setting of immunodeficiency.

Diffused Alveolar Hemorrhage in the Setting of Scleroderma Renal Crisis.

Systemic sclerosis (SS) is a chronic, connective tissue disorder that can affect the skin, subcutaneous tissues, and internal organs. There are two different categories of SS, limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (LCSS) and diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (DCSS). One of the most fearful situations faced in DCSS is scleroderma renal crisis (SRC). This is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication characterized by an acute, usually symptomatic, increase in blood pressure, rise in serum creatinine levels, oliguria, and thrombotic microangiopathic changes. Pulmonary involvement in the setting of SCR is an even more rare combination and usually can progress into acute hypoxic respiratory failure and lead to worse outcomes. We present herein a case of scleroderma renal crisis complicated with diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage.

Septic Shock Due to Clostridium perfringens.

Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium. We present the case of a 75-year-old female presented to the emergency department with progressively worsening acute on chronic left hip pain. It was not until the third day of hospitalization when the initial blood cultures finalized as Clostridium perfringens, antibiotics were changed to piperacillin-tazobactam and clindamycin. Despite the latest measurements, the patient continued getting hypotensive and progressed to multiorgan failure resulting in death by the end of the third day. The recognition of risk factors in addition to gram-positive rod cultures in the setting of septic shock reinforces the importance of appropriate and early empiric antibiotics management and infectious disease consultation to avoid fatal complications.