ABSTRACT
Opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients are common. We report the case of a 63 year old female patient with dermatomyositis who while on oral steroids developed nocardial infection of the lung and pseudomonas infection of the tongue simultaneously. Nocardial infections are not very commonly seen in patients with dermatomyositis. Pseudomonas infection of the tongue is a rarity. We report this case for its rarity as regards the type and site of infections and review the relevant literature.
Subject(s)
Dermatomyositis/complications , Female , Humans , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Middle Aged , Nocardia Infections/etiology , Pseudomonas Infections/etiology , Respiratory Tract Infections/etiology , Tongue/microbiologyABSTRACT
Of head and neck malignancies extramedullary plasmacytoma occurs in less than 1% cases. It is the rarest primary laryngeal malignancy. A 65-year-old man presented with dry cough and breathlessness for last 6 months. Direct laryngoscopic examination showed a gray-white submucosal mass in the subglottic region. Histopathological examination showed presence of pseudostratified columnar epithelium with underlying stroma having mature and immature plasma cells. The cells were mono to bi-nucleated having eccentric nuclei and condensed spoke like chromatin. Few cells had centrally placed nuclei with small but conspicuous nucleoli. Some cells resembling Reed-Sternberg cells were also seen. The patient was successfully treated with primary radical radiotherapy and showed no signs of local recurrence after a 12-month follow-up.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Laryngeal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Male , Plasmacytoma/diagnosisABSTRACT
The case of a research worker who accidentally injected herself with Freund's Complete Adjuvant (FCA) in the right forearm is reported. This resulted in a serious granulomatous inflammation of the hand an forearm. She was treated with corticosteroids and chloroquine with good result. The course of this reaction and the hazards of injection with FCA are emphasised and the relevant literature reviewed.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Occupational , Adult , Female , Freund's Adjuvant/adverse effects , Granuloma/chemically induced , Humans , Inflammation/chemically induced , Steroids/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Opportunistic infections are common in patients with AIDS. There is an increasing incidence of tuberculosis, especially extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Splenic abscesses is one such, though rare, extrapulmonary manifestation. We report such a case discuss the diagnosis and treatment in these cases.
Subject(s)
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/diagnosis , Abscess/diagnosis , Adult , Humans , Male , Tuberculosis, Splenic/diagnosisABSTRACT
Frontal X-ray pictures of 210 healthy children from birth to twelve years of age with radio-opaque markers at sternal ends and both nipples were reviewed. The position of centre of cardiac silhouette was correlated with sternal areas and internipple line. The heart was found to descend with age, its centre lying beneath mid-sternum during first six months of life and beneath lower sternum after infancy (p less than 0.001). The position did not vary with age in relation to internipple line (p greater than 0.05). In 77.6% of all children, it was below the internipple line and in 22.4% above or at the internipple line. Because of the erratic relationship of cardiac centre with internipple line, the latter should not be considered a landmark for cardiac position. External cardiac massage should be applied in relation to sternum and at different locations according to the age. Sites for optimal compression have been suggested. No sexual dimorphism was observed.