Although endothelial damage has been hypothesized to be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related cerebral infarction based on the specificity of the viral cellular invasion pathway, no case has been reported to date. We herein report a 51-year-old Japanese woman who presented with neck pain one week after COVID-19 infection. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed inflammation of the carotid and vertebral arteries. Ultrasonography revealed multiple flap-like structures that were assumed to be thrombi. Although the patient had no cerebral infarction, this could be an important case of vascular damage and thrombus formation in a COVID-19 patient.

Neuro-Behçet\'s disease (NBD) represents a significant complication of Behçet\'s syndrome, potentially leading to elevated mortality and disability rates. The standard treatment for parenchymal NBD typically entails administering high-dose corticosteroids to prompt rapid-onset effects, coupled with immunosuppressants to prevent subsequent relapses. A 48-year-old male with NBD presented with progressively worsening dysarthria over 9 months. This patient experienced increased intraocular pressure while using glucocorticoids, which worsened his pre-existing glaucoma. The patient had a prior diagnosis of NBD and presented with progressive dysarthria over a period of nine months, leading to a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The brain MRI revealed multifocal punctate high signal intensities in the left frontoparietal area, insula, and basal ganglia. Instead of the standard steroid pulse therapy, the patient received adalimumab-cyclophosphamide combination as an alternative induction therapy. Subsequent serial brain MRI scans exhibited no emergence of new lesions, and the patient remained devoid of clinical relapses even after 17 months from the commencement of induction treatment. Adalimumab-cyclophosphamide combination could be used as a corticosteroid-free induction strategy for NBD. Further investigations are warranted to establish the most suitable combination regimen.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a fairly common association with alcoholic liver disease. However, IgA vasculitis (IgAV) is quite an uncommon association with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and only a handful of cases have been reported in literature. Secondary IgAN usually presents in a docile manner, progressing slowly in about 5-25 years. It is usually responsive to steroid therapy, very rarely progressing to End-Stage Renal Disease. Here, we present a man in his late 50s, a known hypertensive and alcohol related liver-cirrhotic, who presented to our hospital with rash and rapidly progressive renal failure (RPRF). He was diagnosed with IgA nephritis with IgA vasculitis (IgAVN). His diagnosis was confirmed with skin and renal biopsy. He was started on renal replacement therapy for his renal failure and began oral steroid therapy. After administration of steroid therapy for 6 months, the patient recovered and was dialysis independent with stable renal parameters.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease where the body loses tolerance to its own antigens, particularly nuclear antigens. Abnormal responses from T and B cells lead to the production of autoantibodies and the formation of immune complexes in tissues, triggering complement activation, inflammation, and irreversible organ damage. SLE can affect any part of the body, resulting in diverse clinical symptoms. One rare manifestation of SLE is lupus mesenteric vasculitis (LMV), which presents with vague symptoms, abnormal laboratory findings, and specific imaging features. LMV, although uncommon, can progress to severe complications such as bowel perforation, haemorrhage, and even mortality. Here, we report a case of LMV with the involvement of multiple organ systems (including mucocutaneous, musculoskeletal, serosal cavities, and haematological systems), presenting initially with life-threatening intractable gastrointestinal bleeding, and complicated by severe pulmonary infection. By sharing this case, we aim to enhance clinicians\' confidence in managing critical SLE cases and raise awareness about disease surveillance.

VEXAS syndrome is a rare entity secondary to UBA1 gene mutations, located on the X chromosome. This mutation generates, as a consequence, a characteristic vacuolation on haematopoietic stem-cells. It is characterized by multiple autoinflammatory and haematologic manifestations, which respond and end up being dependent on corticosteroid treatment. In this publication we present a 2-case series diagnosed at our hospital and make a brief literature review of the published evidence so far.

This case report details the diagnostic challenge and management of an 88-year-old man who presented to a rural Japanese community hospital with sepsis-like symptoms, initially suspected of acute bacterial cholangitis based on his physical and laboratory findings. Despite the antibiotic treatment of tazobactam and piperacillin, the patient\'s symptoms persisted, leading to further investigations that revealed no signs of infection but notable aortic arch wall thickening on contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans. These findings, combined with the patient\'s clinical presentation and lack of antibiotic response, redirected the diagnosis toward giant cell arteritis (GCA). The administration of prednisolone of 60 mg daily significantly alleviated symptoms and prevented potential severe complications such as blindness and irreversible neurological damage. This case underscores the importance of considering GCA in elderly patients presenting with systemic inflammatory symptoms and the necessity of timely intervention. It also highlights the challenges in managing high-dose steroid therapy in elderly patients and suggests the potential benefits of integrating immunosuppressants to reduce steroid dependency. This report emphasizes the need for heightened awareness and a comprehensive diagnostic approach in atypical presentations of GCA, particularly in geriatric populations within resource-limited healthcare settings.

The efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischemic stroke has been established, but there are few reports on the effectiveness of MT for stroke patients with collagen disease. We report the case of a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patient with cerebral infarction who underwent MT. A 48-year-old woman had been diagnosed with SLE for 30 years. She visited our hospital because of dizziness from the day before, but when she arrived at the hospital parking lot, she developed vomiting and impaired consciousness. An MRI revealed increased cerebellar hemisphere infarction and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) did not visualize the right vertebral artery or basilar artery. Urgent cerebral angiography was performed, and angiography of the right vertebral artery revealed occlusion of the V4 segment of the vertebral artery. In addition to these angiographic findings, the patient also had impaired consciousness and was judged to be in need of emergency revascularization treatment. We performed an MT using a stent retriever. Immediately after the angiography examination, reperfusion to the basilar artery and severe stenosis of the right vertebral artery were noted. Therefore, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stent placement for vertebral artery stenosis were done. This procedure successfully maintained the patency of the vertebral artery and blood flow to the basilar artery. Her consciousness improved; she only had mild nausea and no remarkable neurological findings.

Thiamine is an essential water-soluble vitamin that must be obtained through diet. This vitamin is crucial for various biochemical reactions and is vital for aerobic metabolism. When individuals are deficient in thiamine, which can be due to hypermetabolism (such as in inflammation, ischemia, or malnutrition, among other reasons), anaerobic metabolism may be utilized to maintain energy needs. Such chemical processes produce lactic acid. Excess lactic acid can cause various clinical signs and symptoms, though lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) can typically break down this compound. The following case presents a very unusual instance where a 51-year-old Caucasian woman presented with the chief complaint of ongoing and severe abdominal pain. After an extensive work-up ruling out numerous diagnoses and an eight-day hospital stay, it was believed that she may be suffering from hyperlactatemia secondary to thiamine deficiency, as she improved significantly after administration of this vitamin. It was thought that this was likely due to her previous systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis, vasculitis, chronic inflammation, and a hypermetabolic state, in addition to concurrent LDH malfunction.

Takayasu arteritis is an inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology affecting large vessels. Medium vessel involvement is also well documented; however, neuropathy as a presenting manifestation is rare. In this case report, a young woman in her 20s presented with an 8-month history of intermittent claudication in the right upper limb progressing to rest pain with allodynia in C5-C8 distribution and painless right axillary mass. On examination, she had absent pulses in the right radial, brachial and subclavian artery with audible bruit in the right subclavian and abdominal aorta. CT angiogram showed features suggestive of Takayasu arteritis with a partially thrombosed aneurysm arising from the right axillary artery leading to compression of the right brachial plexus. This patient received treatment with methotrexate and oral corticosteroids. At 3 months follow-up, there was a reduction in the size of the aneurysm, resolution of compressive symptoms and normalisation of inflammatory markers.

A 75-year-old woman, with hypertension and atrial fibrillation but no prior renal history, presented to the hospital for chest discomfort and dyspnea. She was found to be in acute renal failure, with a serum creatinine of 5.1, increased from a baseline of 0.9, and urine analysis revealing proteinuria and hematuria with dysmorphic red blood cells. Subsequent work up was significant for positive perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA) and myeloperoxidase antibodies. She underwent a renal biopsy, which revealed necrotizing crescents in 12 of 14 glomeruli, and she was diagnosed with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis due to microscopic polyangiitis. Despite aggressive treatment with plasmapheresis, high-dose prednisone, and rituximab infusions, renal function worsened, and she required initiation of hemodialysis. She was ultimately discharged after a three-week admission, with plans to continue rituximab infusions and three times weekly hemodialysis in the outpatient setting. Due to her poor response to traditional therapies, initiation of a new targeted immunomodulator known as avacopan, a complement 5a receptor antagonist, was considered. Such targeted immunomodulators are also of particular interest as possible ways to reduce the risk of severe infection associated with current broad immunosuppressive modalities. In addition, when used in place of steroids, they reduce the morbidity associated with cumulative glucocorticoid toxicity. For patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis refractory to standard therapies, targeted immunomodulators such as avacopan should be considered as alternative or adjunct therapy.