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The Pantoea genus of bacteria is a group of Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria in the Enterobacteriaceae family. It is an uncommon cause of infection in humans except in specific settings, including hospital-acquired infections and in immunocompromised patients. In this report, we describe the case of a 12-year-old girl with sickle cell disease who presented with a picture of sepsis and was found to have Pantoea species in her blood culture which was treated with antibiotics with a good response. From our literature review, risk factors were identified in the reported cases, for which further exploration is highly recommended.

Severe, refractory asthma requires a combination of multiple maintenance inhalers and medications including high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and immunomodulators to achieve control of symptoms. The use of inhaled corticosteroids, however, increases the susceptibility of opportunistic bacterial infections, such as Nocardia, resulting in pulmonary nocardiosis. This case describes a 46-year-old patient with a history of severe, refractory asthma who presented with progressively worsening asthma exacerbation symptoms. She was treated with immunomodulators, high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and oral steroids, and several courses of antibiotics. CT imaging revealed bibasilar peri-bronchial thickening and tree-in-bud nodularity in the right lower lobe. Pulmonary cultures collected from bronchoscopy grew Nocardia nova complex. This was a rare case of persistent asthma exacerbation by N. nova complex bronchopulmonary infection. Broad differentials should be considered in patients with severe, refractory asthma who were previously controlled and were found to fail treatment therapies. Immunocompromised patients with chronic lung disease are at higher risk of severe infection with disseminated nocardiosis. These patients have a higher mortality and morbidity risk if early diagnosis of pulmonary nocardiosis does not occur.

Retinal necrosis is a severe condition that threatens visual function. It is caused by viruses that are known to cause acute retinal necrosis (ARN) and progressive outer retinal necrosis (PORN), which are called necrotizing herpetic retinopathies (NHR). ARN causes severe intraocular inflammation, including anterior chamber intravitreal cells, keratic precipitate, vitreous opacity, and retinal vasculitis, whereas intraocular inflammation in PORN is considered mild or virtually absent. In addition, PORN is a disease that manifests in immunosuppressive patients, such as those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Here, we present a case of unilateral retinal necrosis after chemotherapy, allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, and cord blood transplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in a 31-year-old male patient. AML treatment resulted in metabolic remission, and oral steroids and tacrolimus were continued. After two days, the patient visited an ophthalmologist because he noticed a sudden onset of floaters and visual field disturbance in the left eye. The peripheral retina was already necrotic in all layers, causing total retinal detachment. Intraocular inflammation, retinal opacity, or hemorrhagic spots in the fundus were not observed. His previous CD4 count was 43 cells/µL. A polymerase chain reaction test of the anterior chamber fluid revealed varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and vitrectomy was performed four days after disease onset. The excised vitreous demonstrated minimal opacity. The peripheral necrotic retina was excised, photocoagulation was performed on the residual retinal limbus, and silicone oil was injected to maintain retinal attachment. The retinal restoration was maintained under silicone oil tamponade, and corrected visual acuity improved to 20/32 without strong inflammation after vitrectomy. However, two months postoperatively, he contracted coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), his general condition rapidly deteriorated, and he died. This case of retinal necrosis without inflammatory results in an immunocompromised patient and VZV detection in an intraocular sample led us to suspect PORN. However, the patchy or spread retinal whitening characteristic of PORN was completely absent, whereas the well-defined, peripheral, full-layer retinal necrosis characteristic of ARN was present. Thus, this is a rare case of VZV-induced NHR with partial features of PORN and ARN that progressed very silently.

The report delineates the rare occurrence of uterine blastomycosis, an atypical systemic presentation of Blastomyces dermatitidis infection prevalent in North America. Focused on a 51-year-old immunocompetent female displaying abdominal pain and irregular vaginal bleeding, it underscores the intricate diagnostic hurdles posed by symptoms mirroring common gynecological conditions. Despite fewer than 10 recorded cases, the rarity of uterine involvement highlights the imperative for heightened clinical suspicion. The multifaceted diagnostic strategy integrates risk factors, travel history, imaging, and histopathological examinations. Emphasizing a multidisciplinary treatment helmed by gynecologists, pathologists, and infectious disease specialists, the utilization of antifungal agents, notably itraconazole, is pivotal. Addressing the scarcity of literature and the condition\'s clinical resemblance to prevalent ailments, further research becomes paramount in devising tailored diagnostic and treatment protocols for uterine blastomycosis. This study enriches the existing literature by providing critical insights into a scarcely documented condition, contributing novel perspectives essential for clinical understanding and management strategies.

Probiotics are microorganisms, typically bacteria, similar to beneficial microbiota found in the human gut, usually consumed as dietary supplements or fermented foods. Although probiotics are generally safe, several cases of bacteremia, sepsis, and endocarditis associated with probiotics have been reported. Here we report a rare case of Lactobacillus casei endocarditis in a 71-year-old female, immunocompromised due to chronic steroid intake, who presented with a productive cough and low-grade fever. Blood cultures grew L. casei resistant to vancomycin and meropenem. Transesophageal echocardiography showed mitral and aortic vegetations; valve replacement was done after successfully removing vegetations. She was treated with a six-week course of daptomycin and recovered.

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Candida empyema is a rare presentation seen in immunocompromised patients, with a high mortality rate if not treated appropriately. We present a rare case of Candida albicans empyema in a patient with gastric cancer undergoing chemotherapy who recently underwent cholecystectomy, successfully treated with fluconazole and drainage. This case not only highlights an unusual presentation of a common pathogen but stresses the fact that when patients with malignancy, present with pleural effusion, candida should be in the differential. Early detection is key in such cases, as outcomes are poor if diagnosis and treatment are delayed.

Campylobacter are gram-negative bacilli commonly known to cause gastro-intestinal infection; however, species like Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus (C. fetus) have been documented to cause severe systemic illness, especially in immunocompromised hosts. It has been linked with severe sepsis, septic arthritis, endocarditis, and subdural abscess. We report a case of a 65-year-old male with a history of human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) and chronic hepatitis B presenting with high fevers, pain, and swelling in multiple joints. His blood cultures grew C. fetus. Synovial fluid analysis from the knee joint revealed leukocytes of 17,000 with 93% neutrophils, and gram stains and cultures from synovial fluid were negative. The patient improved with piperacillin-tazobactam and vancomycin which were transitioned to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and azithromycin as the patient returned to baseline functional status.

We herein report a case of Behçet\'s disease with renal infarction due to mucormycosis. A 76-year-old man with entero-Behçet\'s disease had been treated with glucocorticoid and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. His entero-Behçet\'s disease was refractory to these treatments, and ileocecal resection was performed. After the operation, renal infarction that was unresponsive to anticoagulation therapy developed. He ultimately died of renal failure due to renal infarction. At the autopsy, histopathology of abundant hyphae in the renal vessel wall revealed mucormycosis. Renal mucormycosis is an important cause of renal failure with renal infarction in immunocompromised patients.