Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and influenza co-infection in immunocompetent hosts: case reports and review of the literature.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is classically considered an illness of severely immunocompromised patients with limited host defenses. However, IPA has been reported in immunocompetent but critically ill patients. This report describes two fatal cases of pathologically confirmed IPA in patients with influenza in the intensive care unit. One patient had influenza B infection, whereas the other had influenza A H1N1. Both patients died despite broad-spectrum antimicrobials, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressor support. Microscopic and histologic postmortem examination confirmed IPA. Review of the English language and foreign literature indicates that galactomannan antigen testing and classic radiologic findings for IPA may not be reliable in immunocompetent patients. Respiratory cultures which grow Aspergillus species in critically ill patients, particularly those with underlying influenza infection, should not necessarily be disregarded as contaminants or colonizers. Further research is needed to better understand the immunological relationship between influenza and IPA for improved prevention and treatment of influenza and Aspergillus co-infections.

Is reduced myocardial sympathetic innervation associated with clinical symptoms of autonomic impairment in idiopathic Parkinson's disease?

Patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) have a reduced myocardial MIBG uptake in MIBG scintigraphy, indicating myocardial sympathetic denervation. We were interested whether this myocardial sympathetic denervation coincides with clinical symptoms of autonomic impairment in IPD patients. We performed MIBG scintigraphy, the SCOPA-AUT scale, a standardized medical history (developed in our clinic) and autonomic nervous system testing in 47 IPD patients (21 female, 26 male patients). We correlated myocardial MIBG uptake with the results of the SCOPA-AUT scale, the standardized medical history and the autonomic nervous system testing through the use of Spearman's correlation. Myocardial MIBG uptake correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with several items of the SCOPA-AUT scale (in female patients: perspiration during the night, in male patients: sum score, saliva dribbling of the mouth, difficulty swallowing, fainting, constipation), of the standardized medical history (in male patients: swollen ankles) and of the autonomic nervous system testing (all patients: sum score, Ewing orthostasis test). Remarkably, we found more significant correlations in male than in female patients. Reduced myocardial sympathetic innervation-as revealed by MIBG scintigraphy-is associated with clinical symptoms of autonomic impairment. This association is more pronounced in male than in female patients. The cause for this gender-specific phenomenon is unclear.

Evaluation of transcranial sonographic findings and MIBG cardiac scintigraphy in the diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

The diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) is based on clinical criteria. In the last two decades several neuroimaging methods using transcranial sonography (TCS) or radiolabelled tracers such as the myocardial MIBG scintigraphy were applied to support diagnosis of IPD. They have been used independently of each other and their interrelation is not yet clear. In the present study we analyzed the relation between findings of TCS, MIBG scintigraphy, and clinical presentation in 42 patients with IPD who were clinically diagnosed and underwent clinical follow-up over ≥3 years in order to confirm IPD diagnosis throughout the clinical course. The extent of substantia nigra hyperechogenicity (SN+) contralateral to the clinically more affected body side (SN(contra)) was compared to myocardial (123)I-MIBG uptake. SN(contra) did not correlate with the myocardial MIBG uptake (r = -0.10; p = 0.52). Both myocardial MIBG uptake and TCS did not correlate significantly with Hoehn and Yahr stage (r = -0.03; p = 0.87 and r = -0.10; p = 0.54, respectively). Sensitivity of TCS in the diagnosis of IPD was 79%, of MIBG scintigraphy 81%. The combination of both measurements reached a sensitivity of 95%. TCS and MIBG scintigraphy may disclose complementary aspects of IPD. The combined use of both neuroimaging methods might improve the diagnostic sensitivity regarding IPD.

Cerebral and Extracranial Neurodegeneration are Strongly Coupled in Parkinson's Disease.

In idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), a generalized Lewy body type-degeneration in the brain as well as extracranial organs was identified. It is unclear, whether cerebral and extracranial Lewy body type-degeneration in PD are coupled or not. To address this question, cerebral [(123)I]FP-CIT SPECT - to quantify cerebral nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration - and myocardial [(123)I]MIBG scintigraphy - to quantify extracranial myocardial sympathetic degeneration - were performed in 95 PD patients and 20 healthy controls. At each Hoehn and Yahr stage separately, myocardial MIBG uptake correlated significantly with striatal FP-CIT uptake. No such correlation was found in the controls. Cerebral and extracranial Lewy body type-degeneration in PD do not develop independently from each other but develop in a strongly coupled manner. Obviously cerebral and extracranial changes are driven by at least similar pathomechanisms. Our findings in controls contradict a physiological correlation between nigrostriatal dopaminergic and myocardial sympathetic function.

Acute aortoiliac and femoral artery thrombosis complicating diabetic ketoacidosis.

Acute abdominal aortic occlusion is a devastating event with high associated rates of morbidity and mortality even with surgical intervention. This report describes a case of acute aortoiliac and femoral artery occlusion likely resulting from a hypercoagulable state caused by diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Vascular thrombosis is a little-known but potentially devastating complication of DKA that should be considered in every patient treated for DKA and should be added to the differential diagnoses when attempting to determine the etiology of a thrombosed vessel.

Streptococcus bovis septic shock due to contaminated transfused platelets.

Although most physicians and the public are primarily concerned about the risk of transmitting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis virus during a platelet transfusion, bacterial contamination is actually the most common infectious complication. Unlike red blood cells, platelets are stored at room temperature (20-24 degrees C), which raises the risk of bacterial proliferation. The risk of bacterial sepsis is 2.5-fold higher for each unit of transfused platelets compared to each unit of red blood cells. We report an unusual case of Streptococcus bovis septic shock associated with a contaminated platelet transfusion.

Aprotinin inhibits local platelet trapping and improves tissue destruction in hepatic cryosurgery.

BACKGROUND: During the last decade, cryosurgery became an interesting alternative in the treatment of nonresectable liver neoplasms. The freeze-thaw procedure, however, may be associated with life-threatening thrombocytopenia due to local platelet trapping, and success of neoplasm ablation may be compromised by inadequate parenchymal cell destruction. METHODS: Because aprotinin is capable of inhibiting the initiation of both coagulation and fibrinolysis, we studied-by whole body scintigraphy of Indium-111-labeled platelets and histomorphology in a porcine model of hepatic cryosurgery-whether this serine protease inhibitor is effective in attenuating platelet trapping and in improving tissue destruction. RESULTS: Fifteen minutes of cryotherapy (-168 degrees C at the tip of the cryoprobe) induced a 30 +/- 4 cm(3) cryolesion, which presented with massive platelet trapping (14.0 +/- 1.7% cryolesion activity/whole body activity) and incomplete parenchymal cell destruction (0.9 +/- 0.3; score of hepatocyte nuclear destruction within the margin of the cryolesion). Aprotinin treatment with 500,000 IU initial bolus injection and additional 500,000 IU infusion over 3 hours did not affect the size of the cryolesion (29 +/- 3 cm(3)) but reduced local platelet activity (1.9 +/- 1.9%; P<.001) and induced hepatocyte nuclear destruction (3.0 +/- 0.0; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, our study indicates that aprotinin inhibits cryoablation-associated platelet trapping and improves tissue destruction. The serine protease inhibitor may represent a valuable adjunct in cryosurgery of hepatic neoplasms.

Tularemia.

Tularemia is a complex clinical disorder caused by the ubiquitous intracellular parasite Francisella tularensis, which has many mammalian and insect hosts. The peak observed incidence of tularemia occurred in 1939, and most present-day clinicians have never seen a case of this disease. Tularemia manifests several different clinical syndromes, depending on the portal of entry. F. tularensis has been used in biological warfare experimentation and it has been weaponized and stockpiled in the past by the United States and other countries. It is classified as a category A critical biological agent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This article reviews the history, clinical features, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment of this organism with an emphasis placed on its potential role as an agent of biological warfare.