Toxoplasmic encephalitis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Cerebral toxoplasmosis is a rare but often life-threatening infection after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In such cases, early diagnosis and initiation of treatment are vital. We describe a case of cerebral toxoplasmosis in a patient who underwent HSCT for acute myeloid leukemia. Infection was diagnosed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test of cerebrospinal fluid and cranial magnetic resonance imaging scan. The patient treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and clindamycin combination. However, she died from nosocomial infection after 15 days of treatment. This life-threatening infection should be considered in a patient who is post-HSCT present with neurologic symptoms and brain lesions. PCR is an important and rapid diagnostic tool for toxoplasmosis. Cranial imaging scan and PCR should be used together to diagnosed.

Fasciola hepatica in the Differential Diagnosis of a Patient with Obstructive Jaundice and Eosinophilia.

Fasciola hepatica is a trematode that is visible to the naked eye. The diagnosis can be made by serology or by clinical improvement and decrease of eosinophilia after triclabendazole treatment or by finding parasite eggs in the stool. Sometimes the diagnosis is possible during unnecessary surgery, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). F. hepatica infection should be considered in patients with typical clinical findings; the elevation of liver enzymes indicating cholestasis, eosinophilia, and characteristic computed tomography (CT) or ultrasonography (USG) findings. Here, we presented a case with the preliminary diagnosis of choledocholithiasis and diagnosed with F. hepatica infection by ERCP procedure.

Prevalence of COVID-19 in 10,000 samples from 7853 patients in Eastern Turkey by positive real-time PCR.

Aim: COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, started in December 2019 and has spread across the world. Materials & methods: We analyzed real-time PCR results of 10,000 samples from 2 April to 30 May 2020 in three neighbor cities located in the East of Turkey. The final study population was 7853 cases, after excluding screening tests. Results: Real-time PCR was performed to detect the SARS-CoV-2-specific RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase gene fragment. The number of total positive samples out of 7853 were 487; however, the number of nonrepeating positive patient was 373 (4.8%). Cough and fever were the most common symptoms in positive cases. Conclusion: Epidemiologic studies should be performed about the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection to better understand the effect of the virus across the world.

Cutaneous ulcerations caused by Paecilomyces variotii in a renal transplant recipient.

Skin infections caused by Paecilomyces species have been rarely described in patients with solid organ transplantation. Cutaneous manifestations are highly variable and include erythematous macules, nodules, pustules, and vesicular and necrotic lesions. The diagnosis of these infections is generally made by examination of a skin biopsy. Management of these fungal infections is difficult due to the immunocompromised state of the patients. Moreover, antifungal therapy and immunosuppressive drug interactions should be considered during treatment management. Herein, we reported a case of cellulitis caused by Paecilomyces variotii in a 56-year-old man who had undergone a kidney transplantation. Erythematous macular and nodular lesions on the left hand and left foot appeared first; within 2 months the skin lesions became ulcerated, hemorrhagic, and progressively painful and the patient was admitted to our hospital. The diagnosis was made by skin biopsy and tissue culture. The skin lesions resolved by the sixth week of the treatment with voriconazole.

A Case Series of Imported Malaria Caused by Plasmodium falciparum in Kayseri and Review of Literature.

Malaria is a major worldwide public health problem. In the last years, no domestic cases of malaria have been detected and cases of imported malaria exist only in Turkey. In this study, clinical and laboratory findings of five Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) malaria patients who were admitted to the emergency department between January 2013 and December 2015 were retrospectively presented. One of the patients was an African student, and the other patients had a history of travelling to Africa. Ring formation was observed when Giemsa staining was performed on the blood smears of all patients, and in three patients, P. falciparum was also detected using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Bio-Rad, United States of America). P. falciparum was not detected by PCR in the other two patients. Malaria should be primarily considered in febrile patients who have a history of travelling to endemic regions, and peripheral blood smears should definitely be examined.