Mucormycosis in systemic autoimmune diseases.

Mucormycosis is an emerging infection in systemic autoimmune diseases. All published cases of systemic autoimmune diseases complicated by mucormycosis were reviewed. The clinical features, diagnostic procedures and the main principles of treatment were analyzed. Twenty-four cases of mucormycosis have been reported in systemic auto-immune diseases, of which 83% in systemic lupus erythematosus, all occurring during immunosuppressants. In most cases, the infection was disseminated or rhinocerebral and it had mimicked a flare of the underlying connective tissue disease. A fatal outcome was reported in 58.3% of these patients. In conclusion, mucormycosis often mimics a flare of the underlying systemic disease and is associated with a high mortality rate. Systemic lupus erythematosus is by far the most common associated systemic autoimmune disease. A high degree of awareness is warranted to rapidly rule out infection, of which mucormycosis, in immunocompromised patients with systemic autoimmune disease before a disease flare is conclusively diagnosed.

Is androgen therapy indicated in men with osteoporosis?

Male osteoporosis is not rare, and its management is a public health issue. The clinical evaluation must include investigations for one or more etiological factors such as hypogonadism, which is found in 5% to 15% of men with osteoporosis. Gradual development of moderate hypogonadism is the most common situation, and the prevalence of hypogonadism increases with advancing age. The wealth of scientific data establishing a major role for sex hormones in growth, bone turnover, and the osteoporotic fracture risk is in striking contrast to the paucity of therapeutic trials. Androgen therapy did not consistently produce bone mass gains, and no data on potential anti-fracture effects are available. Androgen therapy was not associated with significant increases in mortality, prostate disorders, or cardiovascular events, but few data were obtained in patients older than 75 years. In practice, in a male patient with osteoporosis, a diagnosis of marked and persistent hypogonadism requires investigations for treatable causes. In patients younger than 75 years of age, androgen replacement therapy should be started, in collaboration with an endocrinologist. A history of fractures indicates a need for additional osteoporosis pharmacotherapy. The risk/benefit ratio of androgen therapy is unclear in men older than 75 years, in whom a reasonable option consists in combining fall-prevention measures, vitamin D supplementation, and a medication proven to decrease the risk of proximal femoral fractures.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, multiple myeloma, and osteoporosis.

The finding of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is not infrequent during an evaluation for osteoporosis or a fracture. In most cases, the diagnosis is MGUS, whose prevalence increases with age. Although the impact of MGUS on bone mineral density, bone remodeling, and the fracture risk remains unclear, this asymptomatic hematological disorder may constitute a risk factor for osteoporosis. Furthermore, each year, 1% of patients with MGUS progress to multiple myeloma, a disease whose pathophysiology and association with bone loss and pathological fractures are increasingly well understood. Osteoporotic fractures, although probably common in myeloma patients, are less likely to be recognized. Here, we discuss the pathophysiology of myeloma and MGUS and their impact in terms of bone mineral density, osteoporotic fractures, and bone turnover markers.