Primary Nocardia Infection Causing a Fluorodeoxyglucose-Avid Right Renal Mass in a Redo Lung Transplant Recipient.

Immunosuppression after lung transplantation may increase susceptibility to opportunistic infection and is associated with early and delayed deaths in lung transplant recipients. Factors that may predispose lung transplant recipients to opportunistic bacterial and fungal infections include prolonged corticosteroid use, renal impairment, treatment of acute rejection, and post-transplant diabetes mellitus. We present a unique case of a 63-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus who underwent redo lung transplantation. Three years after her right-sided single redo lung transplant, she presented with right-sided abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Upon examination, computed tomography showed a 4.5 × 3.3 cm heterogeneous, enhancing right renal mass with a patent renal vein. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a T1/T2 hypointense, diffusion-restricting, right mid-renal mass that was fluorodeoxyglucose-avid on positron emission tomography. We initially suspected primary renal cell carcinoma. However, after a right nephrectomy, no evidence of neoplasia was observed; instead, a renal abscess containing filamentous bacteria was noted, raising suspicion for infection of the Nocardia species. Special stains confirmed a diagnosis of Nocardia renal abscess. Computed tomography of the chest and brain revealed no lesions consistent with infection. We initiated a long-term therapeutic regimen of anti-Nocardia therapy with imipenem and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the urinary bladder (SCUB) is a rare and aggressive subtype of bladder cancer that has a poor prognosis. Limited information is available regarding its clinical features and appropriate treatments. A systematic literature search for published reports on SCUB was performed in the MEDLINE database using the key words "bladder cancer," "sarcomatoid carcinoma," and "carcinosarcoma.". The search resulted in the identification of 276 reports published from January 1960 to January 2014, of which 40 were ultimately included in the present review. No prospective study or clinical trial of SCUB was reported in English language studies. Of these studies, 2 cancer registry studies and 13 large case series, which had included ≥ 8 cases were identified. Seven single-institution studies contained adequate clinical follow-up information, and the rest had mainly focused on the pathologic features of the disease. Both the registry and the single-institution studies showed that patients with SCUB presented with a high histologic grade, advanced-stage disease, and a poor prognosis. Comparing the single-institution studies to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cohorts, significant differences were found in the age at diagnosis, male-to-female ratio, tumor stage, treatment pattern (cystectomy, radiation, and chemotherapy), and outcomes, likely reflecting differences in referral and practice patterns. The tumor stage was identified as a significant predictor for cancer-specific survival. The results of the present study suggest that SCUB is not as rare as previously thought. Patients with SCUB should be referred to specialists or centers with extensive experience with this rare and serious disease.