免疫抑制宿主并发肺部感染的临床诊治进展

肺部感染是免疫抑制宿主(immunocompromised host, ICH)中最常见的感染类型之一。由于患者长期使用糖皮质激素、抗代谢物、烷化剂类等免疫抑制剂及生物制剂,其免疫系统处于抑制状态,并发肺部感染后病情较免疫正常宿主更加凶险,其诊治往往更加困难,且病死率高。早期明确感染病原体和及早有效治疗有助于改善患者预后,降低ICH的死亡率。     

Clostridioides difficile-related toxic megacolon after Cryptococcus neoformans cellulitis: A complex of two rare infections in an immunocompromised host

A 76-year-old Japanese woman was admitted due to uncontrolled cellulitis of the right lower leg. She had deep vein thrombosis on the right limb. Moreover, she had a long history of rheumatoid arthritis treated with corticosteroids. Skin biopsy and lumbar puncture were performed to diagnose disseminated cryptococcosis. She was administered antifungal agents (liposomal amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine). On treatment day 14, debridement was performed, and cryptococcosis was controlled. However, she developed toxic megacolon due to Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). On day 32, she was transferred to the intensive care unit due to severe acidosis and acute kidney injury secondary to CDI-related toxic megacolon. Vancomycin, metronidazole, and tigecycline were administered for treatment of CDI.After several weeks of intensive care, toxic megacolon was improved, but renal replacement therapy was discontinued according to the patient's will. On day 73, she died of renal failure.We experienced a complex of rare diseases, Cryptococcus neoformans cellulitis and Clostridioides difficile-related toxic megacolon. Both diseases were presumed to be the result of corticosteroid and methotrexate use. Hence, careful monitoring is required when treating immunocompromised hosts to reduce the risk of developing complications.     

Splenic abscess caused by Lactobacillus paracasei

Splenic abscess is relatively uncommon. Infections caused by lactobacilli, which are usually one of the constituents of normal flora of human gut and vagina, are also very uncommon. Here we report a case of splenic abscess caused by Lactobacillus paracasei. We performed a literature review for this rare entity. Immunocompromised status of the patient, who had uncontrolled diabetes, could have contributed to the pathogenesis of this rare disease.     

Rare case of aspergillus brain abscess in an immunocompromised patient

We present a case of aspergillus brain abscess in a 48‐year‐old woman with a history of kidney transplantation and no underlying central nervous system (CNS) disease. Follow‐up of the patient for 4 years shows normal findings. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment could improve the prognosis of this fatal complication.     

Prolonged shedding of infectious viruses with haplotype switches of SARS-CoV-2 in an immunocompromised patient

A concern has been raised that the persistent COVID-19 infection in an immunocompromised host can be the source of the SARS-CoV-2 variants. This is the case of a 61-year-old man in complete remission of a follicular lymphoma after six cycles of rituximab and bendamustine with additional two cycles of rituximab completed eight months prior to the episode of COVID-19 pneumonia. The patient's respiratory failure was long-lasting, and required mechanical ventilation until day 75. Acquired immunity tested negative throughout the observational period. The viral RNA was detectable until day 100 while the infectious virus was isolated until day 79. Seven haplotypes were identified and the non-synonymous mutations accumulated in the spike gene which included E484Q and S494P. In the management of COVID-19 cases with suppressed immune statuses, initial evaluation of existing immunity and monitoring for infectiousness throughout the clinical course including the convalescent stage may be necessary.     

Lung abscess and pleuritis caused by Lactobacillus rhamnosus in an immunocompetent patient

A 79-year-old man consulted us because of left chest pain and fever ranging from 38.0 to 38.9°C. A chest computed tomography scan showed a mass lesion (φ40 mm) in the left lingular segment, and inflammatory markers were elevated. He was admitted with a diagnosis of lung abscess, and panipenem/betamipron was administered at a dose of 2 g/day, after which the symptoms showed slight transient resolution. However, his body temperature increased again, to more than 39.0°C, on the eighth day of hospitalization, and a chest radiograph suggested pleuritis as a complication. The antibiotics were changed to teicoplanin (TEIC; 400 mg/day) and meropenem (2.0 g/day). Thoracic drainage and pleural lavage were initiated at the same time. Lactobacillus spp. was detected from the pleural effusion by culture and was considered to be the causative organism, and it was resistant to TEIC. Therefore, the antibiotic was changed, to clindamycin, to which the bacteria was susceptible. No subsequent fever or pleural fluid retention was observed. The patient’s course was good, and he was discharged on day 45 of hospitalization. Subsequently, the causative organism was identified as Lactobacillus rhamnosus by the 16s rRNA sequence. Lactobacillus rhamnosus is rarely pathogenic in humans. Lactobacillus rhamnosus infection mostly occurs in immunosuppressed patients, and only a few cases have been reported in immunocompetent patients. In the present case, the patient was not immunodeficient; however, his lung had an impaired local immunosystem, due to emphysema.     

Paecilomyces lilacinus olecranon bursitis in an immunocompromised host: case report and review

Paecilomyces lilacinus is a little-known mold that causes rare cases of invasive infections in humans regardless of their immune status. We present a unique case in an immunocompromised host with olecranon bursitis because of multidrug-resistant P. lilacinus treated with systemic ketoconazole therapy and surgical debridement. Recognition of this fungus is difficult initially because of its appearance, which can be confused with that of other fungi. Once this organism has been identified, it is recommended that antifungal susceptibility testing be obtained to guide appropriate therapy. Combination of therapeutic modalities requires case-by-case assessment. Surgical debridement and removal of prosthesis may be indicated. Although P. lilacinus can be a laboratory contaminant, in our case, causation was established as the organism grew in repeated cultures, sufficient to confirm a fungal origin for his bursitis.     

A case with fistula formation between a perinephric retroperitoneal abscess and the duodenum: successful outcome after conservative management

A 67-year-old woman diagnosed with pyonephrosis and perinephric abscess because of an impacted urinary stone in the pelvicoureteric junction was admitted to the hospital with a high-grade fever. Although construction of a right nephrostomy for drainage of the abscess improved her general condition, she had a fever again 2 weeks after the initial treatment. Computed tomography revealed a persistent perinephric retroperitoneal abscess and a second drainage procedure was performed. Then, imaging examination revealed fistula formation between the cavity of the perinephric retroperitoneal abscess and the duodenum. The patient received conservative management including percutaneous drainage, discontinuation of oral intake, and antimicrobial chemotherapy. Three days after the second drainage and discontinuation of oral intake, imaging examination revealed complete closure of the fistula. Fistula formation between a perinephric abscess and the duodenum is very rare but a favorable outcome was obtained by our conservative management.     

无创正压通气治疗免疫抑制合并急性呼吸衰竭患者的临床分析

目的 探讨免疫抑制(ICH)合并急性呼吸衰竭(ARF)患者接受无创正压通气(NPPV)的疗效及影响NPPV成功的因素。方法 选择2008年3月至2011年3月在本院呼吸重症监护病房(RICU)应用NPPV治疗的ICH合并ARF患者,记录其各项临床资料;采用单因素Logistic回归分析NPPV治疗成功的独立影响因素;按临床转归进行免疫状态评估。结果 33例ICH合并ARF患者初始均接受NPPV治疗;其中9例(27.3％)NPPV失败后改用有创机械通气(IMV,失败组),最终全部死亡;24例(72.7％)仅用NPPV并成功（成功组）,最终死亡7例(29.2％),两组间病死率比较差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01)。除成功组简化急性生理学评分Ⅱ (SAPS Ⅱ,分)显著低于失败组外(33±9比43±5,P＜0.01),两组其他临床资料比较差异无统计学意义。Logistic回归分析显示,SAPS Ⅱ是NPPV治疗成功的独立影响因素[优势比(OR)=0.83,95％可信区间(95％CI)0.709～0.964,P＜0.05],且SAPS Ⅱ≥38分是NPPV失败的高危因素[受试者工作特征曲线(ROC)下面积为0.73]。另外,生存组肺损伤评分(LIS,分)显著低于死亡组(1.95±0.48比2.57±0.52,P＜0.01),CD3+、CD8+T淋巴细胞亚群均高于死亡组(CD3+:0.73±0.16比0.41±0.20;CD8+:0.51±0.18比0.21±0.15,均P＜0.01)。结论 NPPV可用于ICH肺部感染合并ARF的早期治疗,以SAPS Ⅱ ＜38分作为NPPV治疗的选择时机,能有效改善缺氧,避免IMV相关并发症,利于ICH的预后;CD3+、CD8+及LIS评分可以作为评价预后的指标。     

Retroperitoneal abscess: A presentation of colon carcinoma

Retroperitoneal abscess as an initial manifestation of carcinoma of the colon is unusual. Inappropriate management of an unrecognized lesion is invariably fatal. Awareness of this uncommon presentation can lead to a precise preoperative diagnosis and appropriate therapy. The possibility of a perforated colon carcinoma should be considered in instances of unexplained retroperitoneal mass and infection, and a barium enema performed on all such patients. The authors report 3 cases and illustrate the radiological features of retroperitoneal abscesses due to perforated colon carcinoma.     

Cat scratch disease presenting with a retroperitoneal abscess in a patient without animal contacts

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is usually diagnosed in patients presenting with regional lymphadenopathy and pyrexia that follow contacts with animals. We describe here a young adult male patient who presented with marked pyrexia and a retroperitoneal abscess without relevant medical histories, illustrating that CSD can be a diagnostic challenge on selected occasions.     

Cytokines as adjuvants in immunocompromised hosts

Summary Vaccination of immunocompromised subjects may be ineffective due to the poor immune responses induced. In addition, vaccination with live attenuated organisms may also be dangerous due to the possible lack of control of the infection. This review describes the protection of cytokines in the vaccination of immunocompromised individuals. Cytokines have possible roles as immunological adjuvants, enhancing immune responses to vaccination, and can also have effects on the growth of live vaccines or vaccine vectors.     

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of community-acquired pneumonia in autoimmune disease-induced immunocompromised host: A retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND:Community-acquired pneumonia(CAP)in autoimmune diseases(AID)-induced immunocompromised host(ICH)had a high incidence and poor prognosis.However,only a few studies had determined the clinical characteristics of these patients.Our study was to explore the characteristics and predictors of mortality in CAP patients accompanied with AID-induced ICH.METHODS:From 2013 to 2018,a total of 94 CAP patients accompanied with AID-induced ICH,admitted to Emergency Department of Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University,were enrolled in this study.Clinical data and the risk regression estimates of repeated predictors were evaluated by generalized estimating equations(GEEs)analysis.An open-cohort approach was used to classify patient's outcomes into the survival or non-survival group.RESULTS:The hospital mortality of patients with CAP occurring in AID-induced ICH was 60.64%.No significant differences were found with respect to clinical symptoms and lung images between survival and non-survival groups,while renal insufficiency and dysfunction of coagulation had higher proportions in non-survival patients(P<0.05).Both noninvasive ventilation(NIV)and invasive mechanical ventilation(IMV)were performed more frequently in non-survival group(P<0.05).By the multivariate GEEs analysis,the repeated measured longitudinal indices of neutrophilto-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)(odds ratio[OR]=1.055,95%confidence interval[95%CI]1.025–1.086),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)(OR=1.004,95%CI 1.002–1.006)and serum creatinine(s Cr)(OR=1.018,95%CI 1.008–1.028),were associated with a higher risk of mortality.CONCLUSION:The CAP patients in AID-induced ICH had a high mortality.A significant relationship was demonstrated between the factors of NLR,LDH,s Cr and mortality risk in these patients.     

Postoperative infections in immunocompromised patients after oncological surgery

Immunodeficiency secondary to cancer chemotherapy (chemotherapy for less than 3 months, or intensive chemotherapy with bone marrow transplant) may be responsible for postoperative intections. To estimate the value of this hypothesis, a prospective study was done over a period of 18 months in patients who had undergone pulmonary surgery. Antibiotic prophylaxis was by pefloxacin, one tablet (400 mg) 1 h before surgery then 11 h after. Clinical examination, a chest X-ray and blood cell count were carried out every day for 10 days and on the 15th day. All the dram-tips were cultured. In a case of infection, samples were obtained and cultured. One group comprised 22 immunodeficient patients (group A), and 33 patients (group B) had received no prior chemotherapy (bone-marrow transplantation=36.7%). There were differences between the two groups in age (A:33.5±12.3 years; B:50.8±18.4 years), and type of tumour (A: metastasis=95.5%; B: lung cancer=51.5%). Surgical operation was bilateral for 36.4% of the patients in group A. There was more anatomical resection (pneumonectomy and lobectomy) in group B. Lung function did not differ between the two groups (abnormalities: A=54.6%; B=63.6%). In group A, there were 3 pulmonary infections (13.7%), but in group B 10 infections (30.3%) with 9 pulmonary infections (4 with bacteraemia) and 1 wound infection. The bacteriological finding showed two pathogens in 7 cases and no bacteriological isolates in 2 cases. With broad-spectrum antibiotherapy all the patients were cured except 1. There was one postoperative death in group B. This patients died of respiratory distress after pnenmonectomy complicated by pneumonia and septicaemia (Streptococcus pneumoniae) in the remaining lung. Surgical procedures are performed with increasing frequency on patients with immunocompromised status. Classically the risk of infection is more important for these patients. In this study prior cancer chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation did not seem to be an aggravating factor of the risk of infection. But further methodological analysis would not allow us to distinguish between a real impact of chemotherapy and the influence of group heterogeneity.     

Prolonged viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in an immunocompromised patient

The duration of viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2 is usually less than 10 days. We experienced a COVID-19 case with prolonged viral shedding for 2 months. His cell mediated immunity has been depressed (CD4⁺T cell <100/μl) due to advanced malignant lymphoma and chemotherapy which had been completed 4 months prior to the onset of symptoms of COVID-19. We administered several treatments against COVID-19, however the results of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) from nasopharyngeal specimens remained positive to SARS-CoV-2 for 2 months. Moreover, virus isolation assays performed on Day 59 also remained positive. He was finally discharged on Day 69 with two consecutive negative PCR results for SARS-CoV-2. Immunocompromised status may prolong viral shedding and it is therefore important for the clinician to take into account this when assessing such patients.     

Opportunistic Scopulariopsis pneumonia in an immunocompromised host

We have described a patient with fatal Scopulariopsis pneumonia, a previously unreported infection, complicating immunosuppressive therapy for acute myeloblastic leukemia. This Scopulariopsis isolate was highly resistant to available antifungal agents, in part accounting for our patient's death.     

Diagnosis of a preputial cavity abscess with bedside ultrasound in the emergency department

Bedside ultrasound has become an important diagnostic tool for emergency physicians. Clinical investigators have demonstrated that evaluating soft tissue infections with ultrasound is useful for the detection of subcutaneous abscesses. Bedside ultrasound of a preputial cavity abscess in the Emergency Department has not been previously described in the English medical literature. A preputial cavity abscess, a rare complication of balanoposthitis, is a collection of pus between the foreskin and the distal penis. This case report describes the use of ultrasound to diagnose a penile abscess and reviews the related literature.     

Isolated tuberculosis liver abscess in an immunocompetent patient

Isolated TLA is an extremely rare condition, but should always be considered in a patient presented with liver abscess, especially from an endemic area. Diagnosis depends on histological identification, with treatment being quadruple therapy.     

Nocardial epidural abscess of the thoracic spinal cord and review of the literature

Nocardia is a potential cause of opportunistic infection in organ-transplant recipients. We report an epidural abscess causing acute paraparesis in a patient with a rejected renal transplant and chronic liver disease. Early drainage and treatment with imipenem and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxasole improved the patient’s neurologic status.