Bacillary Angiomatosis by Bartonella Quintana in an HIV-Infected Patient

Bacillary angiomatosis and bacillary peliosis are opportunistic infections caused by Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana, which occur in patients with late-stage infection. We report a case of bacillary angiomatosis in an HIV-infected patient with skin, bone, and probably liver involvement, The identification of the agent (B quintana ) was done by polymerase chain reaction in the skin specimen. The patient had complete regression of all lesions after a 6-month regimen of oral erythromycin.

Norovírus Associated Encephalopathy

clinical presentation is self limited. It is classified into five groups (genogroups I through V). There are numerous reports of neurologic complications, namely afebrile seizures, but only two reports of associated encephalopathy. Case Report: A 12 month old girl with previous history of a pneumonia treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and clarythromycin, presented in our emergency department with strabismus, ataxia for 3 days, later associated with vomiting and diarrhea. On admission she had ataxia and an episode of strabismus, but her later neurologic exam was normal. Laboratory data revealed: 10,9 g/dL hemoglobin, 11.200/μL leukocytes, 29,1% neutrophils and 65,2% lymphocytes, 488.000/μL platelets and negative CRP. The brain MRI showed middle ear, maxillary sinus and ethmoidal opacification, with no other abnormalities. During the first day of admission she had a tonic (?) seizure for 20 minutes. CSF analysis showed 5,6 cells/μL, 100% lymphocytes, 80 mg/dL glucose and 154,1 mg/dL protein. The EEG revealed short duration paroxystic activity located to the vertex. She was treated with acyclovir, ciprofloxacin, cefthriaxone and phenytoin. Her symptoms resolved by the third day of admission. Blood samples were tested for numerous pathogens, including serology for Borrelia, which was positive for IgG but negative for IgM. Fecal sample analysis revealed positive PCR for norovirus, although it was negative in CSF samples. IL-6 was measured in the CSF and was negative (5,8 pg/mL). She had a history of recurrent otitis media and pernieal candidiasis, which led to a detailed immune function study, which showed Immunology tests revealed diminished IgA (< 0,244 g/L) and absent antibody response to vaccinations. Since she was only 13 months old when she was tested, only follow up will determine the relevance of these values. Follow up at two years of age showed no delays and a normal development. Conclusion: Norovirus encephalitis is a rare entity, although gastrointestinal infection with this agent is relatively common. Here we present a case of a probable norovirus associated encephalopathy, although PCR for norovirus was negative in CSF samples and there was no CSF cytokine increase. It was not associated with adverse neurologic outcome and so far her development is normal, unlike the evolution described in previous case reports.

Spectrum of Neurologic Complications in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Neurologic disease is believed to be an unusual complication during the course of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Nevertheless, it has already been proven in autopsy series that the incidence of occult nervous system infiltration is much higher than was previously expected. The advent of more potent drugs to treat this lymphoproliferative disorder has brought a new hope for a possible cure in the future. However, an appropriate systemic treatment for central nervous system infiltration of this disease is still lacking. Also, due to the potent immunosuppressive properties of the agents used in the up-front treatment, for example, the purine nucleoside analogues, we have witnessed an increase in the incidence of opportunistic infections, with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy being one of the most serious. The goal of this review is to summarize the spectrum of neurologic derangements linked to chronic lymphocytic leukemia and to raise clinicians’ awareness to recognize the possibility of such associations.

Thoracic Manifestations of Connective Tissue Diseases

Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) comprise several immunologic systemic disorders, each of which associated with a particular set of clinical manifestations and autoimmune profile. CTDs may cause numerous thoracic abnormalities, which vary in frequency and pattern according to the underlying disorder. The CTDs that most commonly involve the respiratory system are progressive systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren syndrome, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and mixed connective tissue disease. Pulmonary abnormalities in this group of patients may result from CTD-related lung disease or treatment complications, namely drug toxicity and opportunistic infections. The most important thoracic manifestations of CTDs are interstitial lung disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension, with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia being the most common pattern of interstitial lung disease. High-resolution computed tomography is a valuable tool in the initial evaluation and follow-up of patients with CTDs. As such, general knowledge of the most common high-resolution computed tomographic features of CTD-related lung disease allows the radiologist to contribute to better patient management.