Internal medicine
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A 71-year-old woman with recurring stage IV hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was admitted to our hospital while being treated with atezolizumab and bevacizumab and complained of fatigue, vomiting, and appetite loss. The following were noted on admission: serum glucose level, 633 mg/dL; metabolic acidemia (HCO3- of 19.5 mmol/L); remarkably low serum and urinary C-peptide levels (0.16 ng/mL and ≤1.5 μg/day, respectively); and urinary ketone body level, 4,197 μmol/L. She was diagnosed with atezolizumab-induced fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and insulin therapy improved the symptoms. To our knowledge, this a novel report of atezolizumab-induced fulminant T1DM in an HCC patient.
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Observational Study
Antimicrobials in the Hospital are Unevenly Discontinued on Weekdays.
Objective Amid the global spread of antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship should be further promoted in the clinical setting. Our previous study suggested an intra-week disproportion of discontinuation of broad-spectrum antibiotics. We therefore explored the generalization of this prescription trend by investigating the use of all intravenous antibiotics. ⋯ Similarly, antimicrobials were unevenly discontinued on the day after holidays compared to other days (p<0.001), with an approximately 2-fold difference. The use of antimicrobials in the hospital was thus unequally terminated on weekdays. Conclusion To further promote antimicrobial stewardship, clinicians should be aware of the influence of behavioral, environmental, and social factors on antimicrobial prescription, which is seemingly beyond medical indications.
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Case Reports
Lung Adenocarcinoma with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Mimicking Bone Metastasis: A Case Report.
A 77-year-old man was referred to our hospital for abnormal thoracic radiographs. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a 20-mm subpleural ground-glass opacity in the right S6 area. ⋯ A right lower lung lobectomy was performed for the lung adenocarcinoma (cT1bN0M0, stage IA2). An aggressive biopsy of the bone lesion confirmed a rare case of double primary malignancies, which determined the patient's treatment and outcomes.
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Objective Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most critical manifestation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In some cases, ILD may appear before the RA onset. Some patients with an initial diagnosis of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIPs) develop RA; however, few studies have reported on its features, and the details remain unknown. ⋯ Pathological findings showed plasma cell infiltration, bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT), and bronchiolitis in the lobules. Cellular and destructive bronchiolitis was noticeable in many patients with ILD preceding RA and contributed to the destruction and dilation of the bronchiole. Conclusion In ILD patients with IIP, radiological and pathological findings with increased attenuation around the cysts, prominent inflammatory cell infiltration (especially in plasma cells), an increase in the BALT number, and cellular and destructive bronchiolitis might serve as helpful RA development indicators.
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A 38-year-old man was taken to hospital with generalized clonic seizure. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple ring-enhancing lesions centered in the left frontoparietal lobe. ⋯ The lesions worsened after anti-tuberculosis drugs were administered, which we considered to be a paradoxical response and continued treatment. A genetic diagnosis of M. tuberculosis using FFPE specimens is useful for diagnosing tuberculoma.