RESUMO
Alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT) is a common genetic disease caused by a mutation in the SERPINA1 gene, predisposing patients to severe premature lung and liver disease. Higher expression of SERPINA1 has been associated with a poor prognosis in patients with high-grade glioblastoma. We present a woman in her 70s with a history of A1AT deficiency treated with weekly plasma-purified A1AT infusions, who presented with metabolic encephalopathy. A CT scan of the brain obtained during admission revealed a left frontal lobe mass measuring 1.1 cm. A craniotomy and resection of the lesion were performed, and the pathology studies revealed a glioblastoma multiforme, WHO grade IV. She is currently healing and awaiting treatment with temozolomide with concomitant radiation and tolerating treatment well.
RESUMO
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has evolved to become a standard management modality for high-risk, moderate, and even low-risk patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis. Infective endocarditis (IE) after a TAVR is rare and difficult to diagnose. Typical sonographic characteristics observed with an echocardiogram in native valve endocarditis may not be present in TAVR-IE cases. Enterococcal species are identified to be the most frequent causative agents. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) can infrequently lead to a fatal course of endocarditis in the TAVR population. There are only seven previously reported cases of Staphylococcus capitis (S. capitis) prosthetic valve endocarditis noted in the literature. Here we present a man in his 60s who presented to our facility for evaluation of fever and shortness of breath. He was subsequently diagnosed with S. capitis TAVR-IE. He was not considered a surgical candidate and was treated medically for IE with a fatal outcome.
