Isolation of Mycobacterium talmoniae from a patient with diffuse panbronchiolitis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium (M) talmoniae isolated from a patient with cystic fibrosis was first described in 2017, and cases of M. talmoniae remain exceedingly rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old woman had respiratory symptoms for 10 years. Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) was detected at the first visit at our hospital. A cavity lesion in the apex of the left lung was found, and sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear- and culture-positive besides Pseudomonas aeruginosa. M. talmoniae was finally identified, and the standard combination therapy for non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) was administered for 2 y referring to the drug-susceptibility test. Thereafter, the AFB culture was negative, the wall thickness of the lung cavity was ameliorated, and oxygen saturation improved. CONCLUSIONS: We encountered a rare case of M. talmoniae with DPB, for which standard combination therapy was effective. M. talmoniae may be considered a potential pathogen of lung disease, especially in patients with bronchiectatic lesions.

Nationwide surveillance of bacterial respiratory pathogens conducted by the surveillance committee of japanese society of chemotherapy, the japanese association for infectious diseases, and the japanese society for clinical microbiology in 2016: General view of the pathogens' antibacterial susceptibility.

The nationwide surveillance on antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial respiratory pathogens from the patients in Japan was conducted by the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, and the Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology in 2016. The isolates were collected from clinical specimens obtained from well-diagnosed adult patients with respiratory tract infections during the period between February 2016 and August 2016 by three societies. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted at the central reference laboratory according to the method recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute. Susceptibility testing was evaluated in 1062 strains (143 Staphylococcus aureus, 210 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 17 Streptococcus pyogenes, 248 Haemophilus influenzae, 151 Moraxella catarrhalis, 134 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 159 Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Ratio of methicillin-resistant S. aureus was 48.3%, and those of penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae was 99.5%. Among H. influenzae, 14.1% of them were found to be ß-lactamase-producing ampicillin-resistant strains, and 41.1% to be ß-lactamase-non-producing ampicillin-resistant strains. Extended spectrum ß-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae and multi-drug resistant P. aeruginosa with metallo ß-lactamase were 4.5% and 0.6%, respectively.

Brief report on similar mutational changes in neurofibromatosis type 2 gene in minute pulmonary meningothelial-like nodule and meningioma of the central nervous system.

INTRODUCTION: Minute Pulmonary Meningothelial-like Nodules (MPMNs) are usually detected incidentally adjacent to lung cancer tissue. The pathogenesis is unknown. MPMNs reportedly share the status of neurofibromatosis (NF)-2 gene with meningiomas of the central nervous system. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining of two MPMNs revealed they were positive for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), vimentin, CD56, and progesterone. We identified deletion of the NF-2 gene in two MPMNs and one CNS meningioma. CONCLUSIONS: MPMN and CNS meningioma may develop via the same mechanism through NF-2 translocation. Further studies are required to elucidate the genetic similarities between these entities. METHODS: We used fluorescence in situ hybridization to explore the status of the NF-2 gene in MPMNs and compare it with that of CNS meningiomas. We used a commercially available locus-specific probe for the NF-2 region to analyze whole tissue sections of two MPMNs and two CNS meningiomas by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Identification of intestinal abnormalities in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis using small bowel capsule endoscopy.

Background and study aims Mycobacterium tuberculosis is often detected in the feces of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. However, no study has examined the small intestine using small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE). This study aimed to investigate intestinal abnormalities in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Patients and methods SBCE was performed in sputum/feces smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients. From December 2013 to November 2016, 15 patients were enrolled from a dedicated tuberculous ward. The primary outcome was intestinal abnormalities identified by SBCE. Results Fourteen patients (median age 81 years, range 29 - 91; 3 female) underwent SBCE to the terminal ileum. The video was not recorded for one patient who was excluded from the analysis. Intestinal lesions, including 5 annular ulcers in 4 patients, were observed in 64 % (9/14). In subgroup analysis, prevalence tended to be higher in patients undergoing SBCE within 1 month of anti-tuberculous therapy ( P  = 0.051). Distribution of small intestinal lesions tended to be distal. Four of five annular ulcers were located close to the ileocecal valve. Conclusion Prevalence of intestinal lesions in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis is higher than expected before (UMIN 000017292).

Multiple pulmonary Aspergillus fumigatus cysts and cavities that disappeared with anti-fungal agents.

A 26-year-old man with a 10-year history of asthma was admitted to our hospital with a six-week history of dry cough and slight fever. We observed the left pneumothorax with multiple cysts and cavities and performed partial cystectomy of the left upper lung. Y-shaped mycelia were detected in the resected tissue, and Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured. Pulmonary aspergillosis was diagnosed from the histopathological and bacteriological findings, and the patient demonstrated positive immunological reactions to A. fumigatus. After administration of an intravenous antifungal agent for one month and an oral antifungal agent for another three months, all cysts and cavities disappeared. Aspergillus infection usually results from saprophytic growth within pre-existing cavities. In this case, multiple cysts and cavities may have been caused by Aspergillus, possibly through a check-valve mechanism.

Lung parenchymal involvement of primary bone marrow follicular lymphoma: a rare case study.

A 76-year-old man presented with shortness of breath. Computed tomography revealed ground-glass opacity and interlobular thickening in the right lower lobe. Blood examination showed elevated levels of white blood cell count and lymphocytes. Bone marrow aspiration revealed low-grade follicular lymphoma. Histopathological examination of the surgical lung biopsy from the right lower lobe demonstrated usual interstitial pneumonia and scattered aggregation of lymphocytes with poorly formed non-necrotizing granuloma. An 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT) did not show intense uptake in areas other than the right lower lobe. We concluded that the granuloma in the lung was presumed to be a sarcoid reaction associated with bone marrow follicular lymphoma, and the intense 18F-FDG uptake in the right lower lobe might have been due to a sarcoid reaction. Immunohistochemistry or other genetic examinations are important even if 18F-FDG uptake on PET-CT seems to be a false-positive because of the possibility of a sarcoid reaction.

Intestinal perforation due to paradoxical reaction during treatment for miliary tuberculosis.

A 61-year-old man was being treated for poor nutritional status. He had been on weekly methotrexate 6 mg and daily tacrolimus 1 mg and prednisolone 18 mg for 8 years due to dermatomyositis. On further workup, he was initially detected to have ileocecal ulcer with subsequent development of diffuse miliary shadows on chest radiograph. He was diagnosed as having ileocecal with miliary tuberculosis (TB). While receiving anti-tuberculous therapy, there was initial improvement of TB-related symptoms and he had no conditions that interfered with the efficiency of the anti-tuberculous therapy. However, he developed intestinal perforation. Emergency surgery for resection of the ileocecal ulcer and ileocolostomy led to improvement and he was finally discharged. Recently, cases of intestinal TB have been rare and perforation due to TB is extraordinary. In this case, paradoxical reaction and poor nutritional status may have contributed to the intestinal perforation.

[PULMONARY AND INTESTINAL TUBERCULOSIS DEVELOPING ACUTE TUBERCULOUS PERFORATION OF THE INTESTINE DURING ANTITUBERCULOSIS THERAPY].

UNLABELLED: Intestinal tuberculosis (TB) was recognized as the most common complication with a high frequency of active pulmonary TB during the TB epidemic period. However, intestinal TB has become a rare disease, and intestinal perforation due to intestinal TB is extremely rare. We herein report two cases of tuberculous intestinal perforation. CASE 1: A 41-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of persistent cough and anorexia. He was in poor nutritional condition, and his body mass index (BMI) and prognostic nutrition index (PNI) were 13.4 and 36.4, respectively. He was diagnosed with pulmonary TB and received anti-TB therapy. On the 51st day of hospitalization, he developed intestinal perforation. Pathologically caseating epithelioid granulomas were noted at the ulcer lesion. CASE 2: A 61-year-old man was admitted to our hospital due to miliary TB caused by intestinal TB. He had taken oral immunosuppressive drugs and steroids for dermatomyositis over the previous eight years and had a poor nutritional condition, with a BMI of 13.4 and a PNI of 14.4. While receiving anti-TB therapy, he developed intestinal perforation on the 97th day of hospitalization. The patient's poor nutritional condition and immune reconstitution may have contributed to the intestinal perforation.

[Identification of mycobacteria by matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry--using reference strains and clinical isolates of Mycobacterium].

PURPOSE AND METHODS: Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) method is being played an important role for the inspection of clinical microorganism as a rapid and the price reduction. Mass spectra obtained by measuring become points of identification whether the peak pattern match any species mass spectral pattern. We currently use MALDI-TOF MS for rapid and accurate diagnosis of inactivated reference and clinical isolates of Mycobacterium because of the improved pretreatment techniques compared with former inspection methods that pose a higher risk of infection to the operator. The identification matching rate of score value (SV) peak pattern spectra was compared with that of conventional methods such as strain diffusion/amplification. Also, cultures were examined after a fixed number of days. Compared with the initial inspection technique, the pretreatment stage of current MALDI-TOF MS inspection techniques can improve the analysis of inactivated acid-fast bacteria that are often used as inspection criteria strains of clinical isolates. Next, we compared the concordance rate for identification between MALDI-TOF MS and conventional methods such as diffusion/amplification by comparison of peak pattern spectra and evaluated SV spectra to identify differences in the culture media after the retention period. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In examination of 158 strains of clinical isolated Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC), the identification coincidence rate in the genus level in a matching pattern was 99.4%, when the species level was included 94.9%. About 37 strains of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), the identification coincidence rate in the genus level was 94.6%. M. bovis BCG (Tokyo strain) in the reference strain was judged by the matching pattern to be MTC, and it suggested that they are M. tuberculosis and affinity species with high DNA homology. Nontuberculous mycobacterial M. gordonae strain JATA 33-01 shared peak pattern spectra, excluding the isolates, with each clinically isolated strain. However, the mass spectra of six M. gordonae clinical isolates suggested polymorphisms with similar mass-to-charge ratios compared with those of the reference strains. The peak pattern spectra of the clinical isolates and reference strains, excluding the NTM M. gordonae strain JATA33-01, were consistent with the peak pattern characteristics of each isolate. However, a comparison between the peak patterns of the reference strains and those of the six clinically isolated M. gordonae strains revealed a similar mass-to-charge ratio, which may indicate few polymorphisms. The SV spectrum of the improved inspection technique showed no fidelity, but it was acceptable after days of culture as indicated by the decrease in SV (0.3 degree). Also, the reproducibility of this method was good, but no difference was observed from the SV of the improved inspection technique, which decreased by approximately 0.3 because of the number of days of culture storage. In addition, expansion of the database and dissemination of regional specificity by genotype analysis of clinical isolates was relevant to the accumulated data, as expected. In future studies, the relevance and regional specificity of clinical isolates by genotype analysis can be determined by stacking the solid media and database penetration.

Nationwide surveillance of bacterial respiratory pathogens conducted by the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy in 2008: general view of the pathogens' antibacterial susceptibility.

For the purpose of nationwide surveillance of the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial respiratory pathogens collected from patients in Japan, the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy conducted a third year of nationwide surveillance during the period from January to April 2008. A total of 1,097 strains were collected from clinical specimens obtained from well-diagnosed adult patients with respiratory tract infections. Susceptibility testing was evaluable with 987 strains (189 Staphylococcus aureus, 211 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 6 Streptococcus pyogenes, 187 Haemophilus influenzae, 106 Moraxella catarrhalis, 126 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 162 Pseudomonas aeruginosa). A total of 44 antibacterial agents, including 26 ß-lactams (four penicillins, three penicillins in combination with ß-lactamase inhibitors, four oral cephems, eight parenteral cephems, one monobactam, five carbapenems, and one penem), three aminoglycosides, four macrolides (including a ketolide), one lincosamide, one tetracycline, two glycopeptides, six fluoroquinolones, and one oxazolidinone were used for the study. Analysis was conducted at the central reference laboratory according to the method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI). The incidence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was as high as 59.8%, and those of penicillin-intermediate and penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PISP and PRSP) were 35.5 and 11.8%, respectively. Among H. influenzae, 13.9% of them were found to be ß-lactamase-non-producing ampicillin (ABPC)-intermediately resistant (BLNAI), 26.7% to be ß-lactamase-non-producing ABPC-resistant (BLNAR), and 5.3% to be ß-lactamase-producing ABPC-resistant (BLPAR) strains. A high frequency (76.5%) of ß-lactamase-producing strains was suspected in Moraxella catarrhalis isolates. Four (3.2%) extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae were found among 126 strains. Four isolates (2.5%) of P. aeruginosa were found to be metallo ß-lactamase-producing strains, including three (1.9%) suspected multidrug-resistant strains showing resistance to imipenem, amikacin, and ciprofloxacin. Continual national surveillance of the antimicrobial susceptibility of respiratory pathogens is crucial in order to monitor changing patterns of susceptibility and to be able to update treatment recommendations on a regular basis.

[A case of postural hypoxemia with a final diagnosis of myasthenia gravis].

We present a case of postural hypoxemia with a final diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG). A 62-year-old man experienced double vision in his left eye from December 2008 and received a diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy. From mid-December he began to experience breathing difficulties at night when in a supine position and was admitted to our hospital. Bilateral diaphragmatic elevation was observed on a chest X-ray film, and lower lung atelectasis and an anterior mediastinal tumor were observed on chest CT. However, his breathing difficulties only occurred when he was in a supine position. Therefore, we performed blood gas analysis in supine and sitting positions. Hypoxemia, hypercapnia and an increase in A-aDO2 were observed in the supine position, leading to a diagnosis of postural hypoxemia. Due to the exacerbation of his double vision, the patient was referred to the ophthalmology and neurology departments where he tested positive for anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies and also on a tensilon test, resulting in a final diagnosis of MG. During the tensilon test, the patient's breathing difficulties in the supine position improved, and therefore his postural hypoxemia was thought to have resulted from diaphragmatic muscle weakness as a result of MG. MG respiratory failure is typically of the acute fulminating type and is considered to be a critical condition. However, it should be noted that there are cases, such as the present one, in which MG presents as postural hypoxemia.

[A case of pyothorax-associated pleural angiosarcoma diagnosed by autopsy].

A 76-year-old man with a dry cough visited our hospital in June 2006. A chest X-ray showed opacification of the left hemithorax and CT demonstrated a soft tissue mass with pleural calcification. At first, we considered he had acute bronchitis with an old tuberculous pyothorax. But, his condition deteriorated with the additional complaint of a left chest pain and shortness of breath in September 2006. Consequently, he was admitted to our hospital. CT demonstrated that the soft tissue mass was growing and was invading the left rib and submammary tissue. Neither CT nor sonographically guided fine needle biopsies and cytological examinations were helpful in diagnosing this disease. He died of respiratory failure 2 months after admission. Autopsy revealed pyothorax and a hemorrhagic tumor from the left side of the thoracic cavity to the chest wall. Microscopic examination showed that atypical cells had proliferated and formed vascular structures, which were stained positively with anti-factor VIII antibody. Finally, the diagnosis was made of pyothorax-associated pleural Angiosarcoma. Angiosarcoma is rare and difficult to diagnosis, however, we have to keep in mind the presence of disease pyothorax-associated pleural angiosarcoma.

[A case of teratoma with malignant transformation in the anterior mediastinum].

A 32-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital complaining of anterior chest pain for 3 months. Chest radiograph revealed a 30-mm mass in the anterior mediastinum. Contrast-enhanced CT scanning revealed a nonhomogeneous cystic mass with a fat or oil component and a thick wall with calcifications. The mass seemed to have invaded the pericardium and great vessels. Thoracotomy demonstrated hairs in the cystic lesions, with hard components that invaded the pericardium and great vessels. Due to extensive vascular invasion, the mass was incompletely resected. Pathologic examination demonstrated the presence of adenocarcinoma, so we diagnosed this case as teratoma with malignant transformation.

[An outbreak of legionellosis in a nursery].

We experienced an outbreak of legionellosis in infants for the first time in Japan. In Fukushima Prefecture Wakamatsu Nursery, the patients who had respiratory symptoms of cough, wheeze and fever appeared one after another from the middle of June, 2002. We suspected that an outbreak of legionellosis had occurred and then carried out urinary antigen detection of Legionella pneumophila. As a result, 8 patients were positive. They consisted of 5 boys and 3 girls, and ranged in age from 11 months to 1 year 10 months. Underlying disease was observed in one patient, and 6 patients were hospitalized. All 8 patients had rhinorrhea, cough, fever and 7 patients had wheeze. The average duration of cough was 9.9 days and that of fever was 4.5 days. In the admitted 6 patients, WBC ranged in count from 7,500/microliter to 15,300/microliter and CRP ranged from 0.2 mg/dl to 2.5 mg/dl. Chest X-rays showed infiltrative shadows (right lower lobe, left lower lobe) in 2 patients. With regard to the treatment, macrolide or tetracycline antibiotics were administered in 4 of 8 patients, and beta-lactams were administered in others. Water samples were obtained from 12 locations at the nursery, including the shower head of the bathroom, the bathtub, the taps, the laundry and so on. But cultures of water samples failed to grow legionella. We suspected that the source of infection was the humidifiers or the nebulizer used for disinfection. Through this outbreak, it became obvious that the mild case of legionellosis really existed. Furthermore, we suggested that it was possible for the patient with mild legionellosis to cure without administration of macrolide or tetracycline antibiotics.