Internal medicine
-
A 66-year-old woman with liver cirrhosis and hemodialysis was referred with a 1-week history of pain and rash on the left lower leg. On an examination, the patient was in shock. She was administered catecholamine support for septic shock and ampicillin/sulbactam for severe cellulitis. ⋯ Despite therapy, the patient died on day 7 of admission. Infective endocarditis (IE) was diagnosed during an autopsy. Clinicians should be aware that overwhelming SDSE-IE can occur even in the absence of necrotizing fasciitis, especially in immunocompromised patients.
-
Thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, renal dysfunction, and organomegaly (TAFRO) syndrome is an inflammatory disorder with an unclear pathogenesis. We herein report a case of TAFRO syndrome in remission in a patient who experienced recurrent intracranial bleeding despite a normal platelet count and coagulation system. ⋯ No new bleeding or relapse of TAFRO syndrome occurred after immunosuppressive therapy was initiated. These findings may help elucidate the autoimmune pathogenesis of TAFRO syndrome.
-
The patient was a 54-year-old woman with familial hypercholesterolemia and remarkable Achilles tendon thickening. At 20 years old, the patient had a total cholesterol level of approximately 300 mg/dL. She started receiving rosuvastatin (5 mg/day) for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) 235 mg/dL at 42 years old, which was increased to 10 mg/day at 54 years old, decreasing her serum LDL-C level to approximately 90 mg/dL. ⋯ A computed tomography coronary angiogram showed no significant stenosis. Next-generation sequencing revealed a frameshift variant in LDL receptor (LDLR) (heterozygous) and a missense variant in proprotein convertase subtilisin/kaxin type 9 (PCSK9) (heterozygous). Continued statin therapy, in addition to low Lp (a) and female sex, can help prevent cardiovascular disease.
-
Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody-positive clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) is a subtype of dermatomyositis without severe myositis but with characteristic cutaneous manifestations and severe interstitial lung disease. Joint symptoms can occur in patients with anti-MDA5 antibody-positive CADM. However, the treatment strategy and utility of ultrasound for treating joint symptoms remain unknown. We herein report an 85-year-old man with anti-MDA5 antibody-positive CADM who presented with ultrasound-confirmed synovitis that improved with medium-dose corticosteroid therapy.