Mean platelet volume may not have a predictive value for renal involvement in Henoch-Schönlein purpura secondary to Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection

Clinical Rheumatology -     

Safety and Efficacy of Intravenous Colistin in Neonates With Culture Proven Sepsis

Background:

Although it is well described among adults, intravenous colistin use and its associated toxicities in newborns are poorly understood.

Objectives:

We present our experience of efficacy and safety of intravenous colistin in the treatment of sepsis in term and preterm neonates.

Patients and Methods:

The records of neonates who received colistin between January 2013 and February 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. All neonates with culture proven nosocomial infections due to multidrug resistant organisms and treated continuously with colistin for more than 72 hours were included in the study.

Results:

Patients were evaluated for clinical and microbiological response to the drug and its and side effects. Twelve newborn infants with mean 31.8 ± 3.5 weeks gestational age and median 1482 (810 - 3200) gram birth weight were included. 11/12 (91.7%) patients showed microbiological clearance with intravenous colistin. One patient who had recurrent cerebrospinal fluid positive culture was treated with intraventricular colistin. The major side effects observed was hyponatremia and hypokalemia in 2 (16.6%) patients, all infants required magnesium supplementation.

Conclusions:

Intravenous colistin administration appears to be safe and efficacious for multidrug-resistant gram-negative infections in neonates, including preterm infants. However, we believe that large prospective controlled studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and safety in neonates.     

Sonographic assessment of subacromial bursa distension during arm abduction: establishing a threshold value in the diagnosis of subacromial impingement syndrome

Purpose

In this study, we aimed to establish a quantitative threshold value in the diagnosis of subacromial impingement syndrome by measuring the thickness of the subacromial bursa during abduction and adduction.

Materials and methods

Forty-five patients with subacromial impingement syndrome and 54 healthy individuals underwent dynamic shoulder ultrasonography. The subacromial bursa, between the supraspinatus tendon margin and peribursal adipose tissue, was measured between the acromion and humeral head at its widest part. The subacromial impingement ratio was calculated by dividing the subacromial bursa thickness during abduction to the subacromial bursa thickness during adduction. Shapiro–Wilk test was used in the assessment of normal distribution of parameters.

Results

The mean subacromial bursa thickness in the abduction position was 1.8 ± 1.1 mm in the study group and 0.9 ± 0.3 mm in the control group. The mean subacromial bursa thickness in the adduction position was 0.9 ± 0.5 mm in the study group and 0.8 ± 0.3 mm in the control group. The subacromial impingement ratio showed a statistically significant difference between groups (p < 0.0001), and the ratio being 2.0 ± 0.5 in the study group and 1.2 ± 0.1 in the control group. For measurements performed in the abduction position, the best cut-off value was calculated as 1.3 mm, and sensitivity and specificity were 70.6 and 85.2%, respectively. The best cut-off value was 1.4 for the subacromial impingement ratio, and sensitivity and specificity were 88.2 and 96.3%, respectively.

Conclusion

Subacromial impingement ratio is a very practical and reliable method in subacromial impingement syndrome diagnosis.

     

A case of nodular posterior scleritis mimicking choroidal mass

The aim of this study is to report clinical and imaging findings, and treatment outcomes of a patient with nodular posterior scleritis. A 41-year-old woman was diagnosed as nodular posterior scleritis in the light of clinical and imaging findings. At first admission best corrected visual acuity was 20/50 in her right eye. Fundus examination revealed an amelanotic subretinal mass under the superior temporal arcade associated with subretinal fluid surrounding it. B-scan ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography, and indocyanine green angiography findings confirmed the diagnosis. As treatment, nepafenac eye drops 3 times a day, and flurbiprofen tablet 100 mg twice a day were prescribed. After 4 weeks of treatment, the ocular pain was relieved, BCVA improved to 20/20, and subretinal mass totally regressed. Although the diagnosis of nodular posterior scleritis may be confusing, it has to be kept in mind in patients with a subretinal/choroidal mass. Multimodal fundus imaging may be helpful in differential diagnosis. The condition is usually curable with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or systemic steroids.     

Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm: Single Center Experience on a Rare Hematological Malignancy

PurposeBlastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare and poor prognostic hematological malignancy. There is still no standard treatment established for BPDCN patients. We aim to summarize the main clinical, biological features and treatment of 9 BPDCN patients.MethodsNine patients with BPDCN who had been diagnosed between July 2008 and December 2018 in Ankara University School of Medicine, were retrospectively evaluated.ResultsAll patients (n = 9) were male, median age was 64 (21–80). Five patients (55.6%) had bone marrow infiltration, 5 patients (55.6%) cutaneous lesions, 6 patients (66.7%) lymph node involvement, 2 patients (22.2%) central nervous system involvement and 2 patients (22.2%) spleen involvement at time of diagnosis. Complex karyotype was observed in 2 patients. CHOP was given to 5 patients (55.6%), hyper-CVAD to 2 patients (22.2%), fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and mitoxantrone to 1 patient (11.1%) and cyclophosphamide, etoposide, methylprednisolone to 1 patient (11.1%) as first line chemotherapy. Four patients (44.4%) underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) in complete remission (CR) 1. Venetoclax was given to a transplant ineligible patient who had skin and lymph node involvement, with the off-label use. The median follow-up time was 15.9 months (3–48.6 months). Estimated median overall survival was 15.9 + 1.6 (95% CI 12.7–19.1) months.ConclusionIntensive induction therapies followed by AHSCT in CR seems to be best approaches for patients with BPDCN. Thus, more effective treatment strategies particularly targeted therapies should be warranted to improve the survival of patients with this rare disease.     

An uncommon cause of fever in the elderly: late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus

Infections, tumors and multisystem disease are common causes of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in the elderly. Late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (LO-SLE) is a very rare cause of FUO in elderly patients. Serositis and musculoskeletal manifestations are common, but fever as an initial manifestation in LO-SLE is rare. We present two patients with LO-SLE who manifested fever as an initial symptom. Fever was the only symptom for 2 months in the first case and for 3 months in the second. In conclusion, in geriatric patients who have fever, LO-SLE should be considered in the differential diagnosis.Abbreviations ANA Antinuclear antibody - ESR Erythrocyte sedimentation rate - HBV Hepatitis B - HCV Hepatitis C - CMV Cytomegalovirus - FUO Fever of unknown origin - HIV Human immunodeficiency virus - LO-SLE Late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus - RF Rheumatoid factor     

Surgical treatment of axillary artery aneurysm

Aneurysms of the axillary artery are rare and dangerous lesions that threaten the upper extremities with vascular and neurologic compromise. Most can be treated effectively with surgical excision and vascular grafting. We retrospectively assessed 4 axillary artery aneurysms upon which we operated from February 1998 through March 2004. Three patients were admitted to our clinic for symptomatic axillary masses. The remaining patient was transported to our clinic emergently due to massive hemorrhage of an enlarging axillary mass that occurred during biopsy of the mass at another hospital. In this patient, the ruptured axillary artery aneurysm was diagnosed by means of emergent upper-extremity selective angiography. All patients were treated surgically by means of aneurysmectomy and graft interpositioning--with polytetrafluoroethylene grafts in 2 patients and saphenous vein grafts in the other 2. Surgical treatment of axillary artery aneurysms is of importance in avoiding thromboembolism and ischemia, which in turn can lead to gangrene and amputation of the affected extremity. For this reason, operative management of such cases should not be delayed.     

The spectrum of diseases causing fever of unknown origin in Turkey: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this trial was to determine the spectrum of diseases with fever of unknown origin (FUO) in Turkey. METHODS: A prospective multicenter study of 154 patients with FUO in twelve Turkish tertiary-care hospitals was conducted. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 42+/-17 years (range 17-75). Fifty-three (34.4%) had infectious diseases (ID), 47 (30.5%) had non-infectious inflammatory diseases (NIID), 22 (14.3%) had malignant diseases (MD), and eight (5.2%) had miscellaneous diseases (Mi). In 24 (15.6%) of the cases, the reason for high fever could not be determined despite intensive efforts. The most common ID etiologies were tuberculosis (13.6%) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection (3.2%). Adult Still's disease was the most common NIID (13.6%) and hematological malignancy was the most common MD (7.8%). In patients with NIID, the mean duration of reaching a definite diagnosis (37+/-23 days) was significantly longer compared to the patients with ID (25+/-12 days) (p=0.007). In patients with MD, the mean duration of fever (51+/-35 days) was longer compared to patients with ID (37+/-38 days) (p=0.052). CONCLUSIONS: Although infection remains the most common cause of FUO, with the highest percentage for tuberculosis, non-infectious etiologies seem to have increased when compared with previous studies.