RESUMEN
Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes, causing blistering and erosions. Identifying and effectively managing atypical presentations of pemphigus vulgaris can be challenging due to its rarity. We describe a 32-year-old male patient with a medical history including prediabetes, moderate asthma, hyperlipidemia, coccidioidomycosis, and respiratory infections. He was evaluated via telehealth in the allergy and immunology clinic for uncontrolled asthma. Initially, he complained of a whitish film in the mouth while on treatment with fluticasone and salmeterol. He also noted new vesicular lesions on his scalp and body. When evaluated later in the clinic, he was found to have oral and periungual erosions as well as paronychia. After promptly referring to dermatology, histopathological examination and direct immunofluorescence testing were performed on the patient's lesions, revealing changes consistent with PV. Treatment with prednisone and rituximab resulted in the complete resolution of the patient's bullae and nail deformities over several months. This case highlights the importance of a thorough evaluation of complex medical histories and diagnostic testing in managing asthma and allergy symptoms. It also emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary approach involving specialists such as immunologists, dermatologists, and infectious disease experts in the diagnosis and management of complex cases.
RESUMEN
Post-traumatic epilepsy is a complicated disease that remains challenging to treat even for patients who are able to access care regularly. People experiencing homelessness (PEH) represent a vulnerable demographic for neurologic disorders, especially due to gaps in care, limited resources, and low health literacy. This is a case of a 53-year-old male experiencing homelessness who was encountered by low-resource medical providers in an extra-clinical setting. His medical history was pertinent for a traumatic brain injury at a construction site a few years prior. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic epilepsy but was lost to follow-up due to being homeless and lacking health insurance. He also had a history of multiple hospitalizations secondary to seizures and did not consistently take his anti-epileptic medications. He was noted to have multiple facial wounds of unclear etiology. Upon further investigation, he complained of episodes of waking up on the sidewalk with facial injuries. The high-risk characteristics of his seizures prompted street medicine providers to quickly arrange an appointment with a primary care doctor. The process was further expedited by petitioning other local charitable organizations. He was later connected to a physician and re-prescribed levetiracetam 1000 mg twice daily for his post-traumatic epilepsy. After taking his medication regularly, his facial wounds were noted to have dramatic improvement. In this way, his medication adherence was measured as a function of his healing wounds since a lack of fresh wounds implied a lack of spontaneous seizures and subsequent reinjury. Low-resource medical providers caring for PEH in extra-clinical settings may necessitate using unconventional indicators to assess disease status.
