Pneumocystis pneumonia with respiratory failure in a HIV-negative patient following short course of low-dose to moderate-dose prednisolone for a dermatological condition.

A woman in her 80s was admitted with 5 days of progressive dyspnoea and hypoxic respiratory failure, in the setting of receiving a 3-week course of low-dose to moderate-dose prednisolone for a pruritic skin rash. Her medical history was not significant for major medical comorbidities or any other clear risk factors for secondary immunosuppression apart from advanced age. CT revealed widespread small-airway and parenchymal disease with ground-glass opacities consistent with atypical respiratory infection. Sputum PCR confirmed Pneumocystis jirovecii She was diagnosed with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in the context of her clinical presentation, radiological features and PCR result. Her HIV status was negative. The patient was treated with 4 weeks of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 3 weeks of adjunctive prednisolone. She initially required high-dependency unit support with non-invasive ventilation. In this case report, we review the literature regarding PJP in the dermatology setting.

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) following recent Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination.

This report describes the clinical context and autopsy findings in the first reported fatal case of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), developed after being vaccinated using the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. ADEM is a rare autoimmune disease, causing demyelination in the brain and spinal cord. A wide variety of precipitating factors can trigger ADEM, and it has long been known to be a rare adverse event following some types of vaccinations. Recently, ADEM has also been associated with COVID-19 infection and (very rarely) with COVID-19 vaccination. The reports of the latter however all pertain to living patients. Our case demonstrates that ADEM should be considered in patients developing neurological symptoms post COVID-19 vaccination, although that this adverse reaction is likely to remain extremely rare. Our report further emphasizes the added value of comprehensive post mortem investigation to confirm ante mortem diagnosis and to determine vaccination safety.

Early space-occupying cerebellar oedema requiring decompressive craniectomy following a clinically minor stroke.

We describe a patient presented with clinically a small cerebellar ischaemic stroke but required emergency decompression within 24 hours of symptoms onset after incidental finding of severe mass effect on imaging without any change in her mild clinical symptoms. Her initial multimodal acute stroke imaging, non-contrast CT of the brain and CT angiography from aortic arch to vertex were normal. CT perfusion showed a very small deficit only. The malignant mass effect was picked on an MRI scan performed routinely as part of a clinical trial, 32 hours after stroke. Our case highlights stroke evolution, and mass effect may be insidious and faster than anticipated in the posterior fossa. Cerebellar stroke of any severity diagnosed clinically and radiologically may benefit from routine follow-up imaging at 24 hours from onset.

Liver failure from delayed hepatitis B reactivation in anti-HBc-positive patient following rituximab for B-cell lymphoma.

A 93-year-old man was admitted with 1 week of frank jaundice and abdominal pain. His medical history included diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with rituximab and cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunomycin, oncovin and prednisolone (R-CHOP) chemotherapy 10 months prior. His investigations revealed marked hyperbilirubinemia with a total bilirubin of 355 µmol/L, along with a 17-fold elevation in alanine transaminase and impaired hepatic synthetic function. He tested hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) negative, hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) positive and had elevated hepatitis B virus DNA level at 13 691 IU/L. This was in the setting of radiological evidence of suspected cirrhosis. He was later found to have tested positive for HBcAb and negative for HBsAg and HBsAb prior to chemotherapy, but had not received antiviral prophylaxis. He was diagnosed with fulminant hepatitis secondary to delayed hepatitis B reactivation in the setting of rituximab. Hepatitis B reactivation and the role of screening and antiviral prophylaxis in isolated HBcAb-positive patients is reviewed.