Internal medicine
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A 63-year-old man with hepatitis C was treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab for unresectable diffuse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). After four cycles of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab, the diffuse HCC markedly shrank; however, he complained of general fatigue, loss of appetite, and slight loss of muscle strength in the lower legs. ⋯ After administration of hydrocortisone, the clinical symptoms rapidly disappeared. Patients with multisystem irAEs can have favorable outcomes; thus, to continue immune-checkpoint inhibitors therapy, a correct diagnosis and management of multisystem irAEs are important.
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Objective Although the absence of a runny nose and sore throat, both ear-nose-throat (ENT) symptoms, suggests community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), the association between ENT symptoms and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia remains unclear. We therefore investigated the association between ENT symptoms and COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods We retrospectively recruited consecutive confirmed COVID-19 inpatients with and without pneumonia admitted to a single institution from April 1, 2020, to July 31, 2021. ⋯ Univariable analyses found mean odds ratios of 0.59 and 0.61 and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of 0.30-1.16 and 0.32-1.17 for runny nose and sore throat, respectively, and multivariable analyses found mean odds ratios of 0.73 and 0.70 and 95% CIs of 0.34-1.56 and 0.34-1.46, respectively. Conclusion Our study found no statistically significant association between ENT symptoms and COVID-19 pneumonia. Clinicians should be aware that, unlike CAP, there is no correlation between ENT symptoms and pneumonia among patients with COVID-19, so it is necessary to consider the possibility of pneumonia even in the presence of ENT symptoms.
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The pathophysiology of unilateral cortical fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR)-hyperintense lesions in anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-associated encephalitis with seizures (FLAMES) is unclear. A 26-year-old man was referred because of a seizure. FLAIR showed an increased signal intensity and swelling of the right frontal cortex. ⋯ Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with FLAMES. Myelin basic protein (MBP) was elevated in CSF. The high MBP value in the CSF in the present case suggested that demyelination as well as inflammation can occur in some FLAMES patients.