Current Issue : July - September Volume : 2012 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 7 Articles
Humans are not natural hosts of Dirofilaria; however, pulmonary or subcutaneous infections may occur through mosquitoes\r\ntransmission. Patients presenting with simple subcutaneous nodules may not seek early medical attention, and hence systemic\r\ninvolvement through hematogenous spread may occur. Definitive diagnosis of Dirofilaria infection is made by histopathological\r\nexaminations of the infected tissues. We report a patient with an incidental diagnosis of Dirofilaria infection confirmed by\r\nhistopathological findings of a subcutaneous nodule on the right thigh. The source of infection remains unknown....
Background: The re-emergence of dengue virus 4 (DENV-4) has become a public health concern in South\r\nAmerica, Southeast Asia and South Asia. However, it has not been known to have caused a local outbreak in China\r\nfor the past 20 years. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the epidemiology of one local community\r\noutbreak caused by DENV-4 in Guangzhou city, China, in 2010; and to determine the molecular characteristics of\r\nthe genotype II virus involved.\r\nCase presentations: During September and October of 2010, one imported case, a Guangzhou resident who\r\ntravelled back from Thailand, resulted in 18 secondary autochthonous cases in Guangzhou City, with an incidence\r\nrate of 5.53 per 10,000 residents. In indigenous cases, 14 serum samples tested positive for IgM against DENV and\r\n7 for IgG from a total of 15 submitted serum samples, accompanied by 5 DENV-4 isolates. With identical envelope\r\ngene nucleotide sequences, the two isolates (D10168-GZ from the imported index case and Guangzhou 10660\r\nfrom the first isolate in the autochthonous cases) were grouped into DENV-4 genotype II after comparison to 32\r\nprevious DENV-4 isolates from GenBank that originated from different areas.\r\nConclusions: Based on epidemiological and phylogenetic analyses, the outbreak, which was absent for 20 years\r\nafter the DENV-4 genotype I outbreak in 1990, was confirmed as DENV-4 genotype II and initially traced to the\r\nimported index case, a Guangzhou resident who travelled back from Thailand....
Microbes living in the mammalian gut exist in constant contact with immunity system that prevents infection and\r\nmaintains homeostasis. Enteric alpha defensins play an important role in regulation of bacterial colonization of the\r\ngut, as well as in activation of pro- and anti-inflammatory responses of the adaptive immune system cells in lamina\r\npropria. This review summarizes currently available data on functions of mammalian enteric alpha defensins in the\r\nimmune defense and changes in their secretion in intestinal inflammatory diseases and cancer....
We report the first case of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing E. coli community-acquired meningitis\r\ncomplicated with multiple aortic mycotic aneurysms. Because of the acute aneurysm expansion with possible\r\nimpending rupture on 2 abdominal CT scan, the patient underwent prompt vascular surgery and broad spectrum\r\nantibiotic therapy but he died of a hemorrhagic shock. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing E. coli was\r\nidentified from both blood and cerebrospinal fluid culture before vascular treatment. The present case report does\r\nnot however change the guidelines of Gram negative bacteria meningitis in adults....
Human dirofilariasis is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by the filarial nematodes of dogs Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria\r\nimmitis. Depending on the species involved, human infections usually manifest as one cutaneous or visceral larva migrans that\r\nforms a painless nodule in the later course of disease. Dirofilariae are endemic in the Mediterranean, particularly in Italy. They are\r\nconsidered as emerging pathogens currently increasing their geographical range.We present one of the few known cases of human\r\ndirofilariasis caused by D. repens in Romania. The patient developed unusual and severe clinical manifestations that mimicked\r\npathological conditions like cellulitis or deep venous thrombosis....
Acute confusion and memory loss associated with asymmetrical mesiotemporal hyperintensity on T2-weighted MRI are characteristic\r\nof herpes encephalitis. The authors report the case of a patient with these symptoms and MRI presentation who had\r\nneurosyphilis. Recently clinical and imaging patterns usually associated with herpes simplex encephalitis have been seen in patients\r\nwith neurosyphilis. Because syphilis is ââ?¬Å?The Great Pretenderââ?¬Â not only clinically but also in imaging and because its numbers are\r\nrising, it must be sought as a differential diagnosis....
Purpura fulminans (PF) is a rare skin disorder with extensive areas of blueblack hemorrhagic necrosis. Patients manifest typical laboratory\r\nsigns of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Our case describes a 37-year-old previously healthy man who presented\r\nwith 3 days of generalized malaise, headache, vomiting, photophobia, and an ecchymotic skin rash. Initial laboratory\r\nworkup revealed DIC without obvious infectious trigger including unremarkable cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biochemical analysis.\r\nThere was further progression of the skin ecchymosis and multiorgan damage consistent with PF. Final CSF cultures revealed\r\nStreptococcus pneumoniae. Despite normal initial CSF biochemical analysis, bacterial meningitis should always be considered in patients\r\nwith otherwise unexplained DIC as this may be an early manifestation of infection. PF is a clinical diagnosis that requires\r\nearly recognition and prompt empirical treatment, especially, in patients with progressive altered mental status, ecchymotic skin\r\nrash, and DIC....
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