Minimal change nephrotic syndrome in a patient with strongyloidiasis.

Strongyloidiasis, a chronic infection caused by the intestinal parasite Strongyloides stercoralis, is prevalent in the Nansei Islands of Japan. Here, we report our findings on a case of strongyloidiasis complicated with steroid-resistant minimal change nephrotic syndrome in a 69-year-old male resident of Fukuoka Prefecture who had lived in Yakushima, one of the Nansei Islands, until age 15. In October 2006, he developed proteinuria and edema, and was diagnosed with minimal change nephrotic syndrome on the basis of the renal biopsy findings. Following treatment with prednisolone, the level of proteinuria decreased to 0.29 g/day by day 35. However, 5 days later (day 40), the patient developed persistent watery diarrhea and vomiting, leading to dehydration and malnutrition. Pneumonia and bacterial meningitis subsequently developed (day 146); filarial (infectious-type) and rhabditiform (noninfectious-type) S. stercoralis larvae were detected for the first time in the patient's sputum, gastric juice, feces, and urine. Although treatment with ivermectin was started immediately and the parasitosis responded to the treatment, the patient died of sepsis. Consequently, although strongyloidiasis is a rare infection except in endemic regions, it is essential to consider the possibility of this disease and begin treatment early for patients who have lived in endemic areas and who complain of unexplained diarrhea during steroid-induced or other immunosuppression.

Lung cancer associated with diffuse pulmonary fibrosis: CT-pathologic correlation.

The authors reviewed the computed tomographic (CT) scans and pathologic specimens of 57 histologically proved bronchogenic carcinomas (35 squamous cell carcinomas, 12 small cell carcinomas, and 10 adenocarcinomas) in 47 patients with diffuse pulmonary fibrosis. The patients ranged in age from 61 to 87 years (mean age, 72 years; 42 men and 5 women). On radiography and CT, most tumors (82%) were located in peripheral areas of honeycomb lung. In 50 of the 57 lesions, the tumors were round or lobulated with sharp margins. In seven tumors, including six squamous cell carcinomas and one small cell carcinoma, the tumor invaded the adjacent honeycomb lung and lacked distinct margins. Intratumor lucency was seen in 13 tumors (five solitary and eight multiple). The CT findings, including high-resolution CT scans, were compared with the histologic findings in a subgroup of 29 lesions in 25 patients with available surgical or autopsy specimens. Invasive growth of tumors with unclear margins (four lesions), septal thickening of the contiguous/surrounding honeycombed areas (16 lesions), and discrete masses (nine lesions) with solitary (four of nine) or multiple (five of nine) intratumor lucencies. The lucencies in six of nine patients (67%) with intratumor lucencies were found to represent engulfed cystic airspaces histologically. CT revealed that bronchogenic carcinoma associated with diffuse pulmonary fibrosis has distinct morphologic characteristics that correlate histologically with a specific pattern of tumor growth.