Mycobacterium fortuitum-related lymphadenitis associated with the varicella-zoster virus

Lymphadenitis caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria is an uncommon manifestation in immunocompetent individuals. Here, we report a case of Mycobacterium fortuitum infection in a previously healthy 9-year-old patient who developed cervical lymphadenitis evolving to a suppurative ulcer associated with a varicella-zoster virus infection. We discuss the relationship between the varicella-zoster virus and the immune response of the host as an explanation for the unusual progression of the case.

A Report of Cat Scratch Disease in Korea Confirmed by PCR Amplification of the 16S-23S rRNA Intergenic Region of Bartonella henselae / 대한진단검사의학회지

We report a case of cat scratch disease in an 8-yr-old girl who presented with fever and enlargement of both axillary lymph nodes. Both aerobic and anaerobic cultures of the lymph node aspirate were negative for microbial growth. Gram staining and Warthin-Starry silver staining did not reveal any organism. Purified DNA from the PCR-amplicon of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic region was sequenced and showed 99.7% identity with the corresponding sequence of Bartonella henselae strain Houston-1. Our findings suggest that the internal transcribed spacer is a reliable region for PCR identification of Bartonella species. In patients with lymphadenitis, a history of contact with cats or dogs necessitates the use of diagnostic approaches that employ not only the conventional staining and culture but also molecular methods to detect B. henselae.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology findings in human immunodeficiency virus lymphadenopathy.

Thirty-six human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients with lymphadenopathy were subjected to fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) over a period of 2 years. The maximum number of cases was reported in the age group of 21 to 30 years. Majority of the patients were males. The maximum number of cases had tuberculosis (58.3%) followed by reactive lymphadenitis (36.1%), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (2.7%) and acute suppurative lymphadenitis (2.7%). FNAC is an important diagnostic tool in the evaluation of lymphadenopathy in HIV-positive patients.

Reporte de dos casos de linfadenitis supurada causada por bacilo de Calmette-Guerin / Report of two cases of suppurated lymphadenitis caused by Bacillus Calmette-Guerin treated with recombinant ã-interferon

La linfadenitis supurada es una complicación poco frecuente que sigue a la vacunación con bacilo de Calmette-Guerin. Se describen los casos de dos niños con reacciones adversas graves inducidas por esta vacuna, en ambos casos, linfadenitis regional supurada y abscedada, un mes después de nacidos. Después de cursos infructuosos de cirugía y quimioterapia, ambos recibieron interferón gamma recombinante por vía intramuscular, en una dosis inicial de 50 000 UI/kg (máximo: 1 000 000 UI), diariamente durante las primeras 4 semanas, y se disminuyó luego la frecuencia de administración. Esta citoquina fue bien tolerada, solo se presentaron complicaciones con fiebre, que fueron controladas bien con antipiréticos. El interferón gamma recombinante puede constituir una nueva y efectiva alternativa terapéutica para el tratamiento de la linfadenitis supurada causada por este bacilo.

Suppurative lymphadenitis is a non frequent complication following Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination. Two paediatric patients with adverse reactions induced by the BCG vaccine are presented, both with suppurative and abscessed regional lymphadenitis, one month after birth. After failed courses of surgery and chemotherapy, they were treated with 50 000 IU/Kg (maximum: 1 000 000 IU) of recombinant interferon (IFN) gamma, intramuscularly, daily during 4 weeks and 3 or 2 tpw afterwards. The first case, a nursing girl with family history of tuberculosis, had a rapid involution of the lesions since the first month of treatment, with drainage ceasing and gradual disappearance of the inflammatory signs. At the end of the 6 months of treatment, residues of the lesions were imperceptible and new adenopathies or relapses were not detected during 4 years of follow up. The second case, a boy without family history of tuberculosis, presented more lesions. The signs of marked improvement were observed in the whole affected region one year after IFN gamma started. Their treatment was extended for almost 2 years, when the scars took the normal skin pigmentation. The cytokine was well tolerated; few febrile events were recorded, well-controlled with antipyretics. We can conclude that IFN gamma could be a new effective therapeutic alternative for the treatment of the suppurated lymphadenitis caused by BCG vaccination.

Tuberculosis ganglionar a forma de fiebre de origen desconocido: a propósito de un caso / Ganglionary tuberculosis as fever of unknown origin: apropos of a case

La tuberculosis, tanto en su forma pulmonar como extrapulmonar constituye una enfermedad reemergente al nivel mundial, asociada con insuficiencias de los programas de control sanitario o con el síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida. El modo de presentación de las formas extrapulmonares se relaciona con síntomas constitucionales, que incluyen la fiebre y con signos dependientes del órgano afectado. Se presentó el caso de una adenitis granulomatosa en etapa o categoría 3, grupo integrado por aquellos casos nuevos de formas menos grave de tuberculosis extrapulmonar (TBe) con confirmación histopatológica del bacilo. Se enfatizó sobre la presentación a forma de fiebre de origen desconocido (FOD), al reunir los criterios necesarios por haber estado ingresada en otro centro hospitalario por más de 1 mes, sin haber llegado al diagnóstico a pesar de haber sido estudiada, y se resaltó la necesidad imperiosa de la búsqueda de este diagnóstico ante todo paciente con cuadro adénico febril e historia familiar de TB.

Tuberculosis, both in its pulmonary and extrapulmonary form is a reemerging disease in the world associated with insufficiencies of the health control programs or with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The mode of presentation of the extrapulmonary forms is related to constitutional symptoms that include fever, and to signs depending on the affected organ. The case of a stage III granulomatous adenitis, a group composed of those new cases of less severe forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis with histopathological confirmation of the bacillus, was presented. Emphasis was made on the presentation as a FUO, on having the necessary criteria for having been admitted in another hospital for more than a month without a definitive diagnosis despite having been studied. The pressing need to search this diagnosis in every patient with febrile adenic picture and family history of TB was stressed.

Frequency and effective treatment of ulcers and sinuses in cases of tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis

To investigate the frequency and effective treatment of ulcers and sinuses in cases of tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis [TCL]. Design: Observational cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital [TUTH], Kathmandu, Nepal, during the period of two years from March, 2000 to February, 2002. Patients and A hundred cases of histopathologically confirmed cases of tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis of more than six weeks of duration were included in the study. Overall frequency of the complication as well as the efficacy of treatment regime was considered. Out of 100 patients, 8 [8%] were found to develop ulcers and/or sinuses during the process of development of TCL which were effectively treated [100% cure rate]. Mode of treatment was surgical excision of ulcers/sinuses along with affected underlying lymph nodes, followed by short course of anti-tubercular chemotherapy. Not a single case recurred during their follow-up period. In this series there was a low frequency of formation of ulcers/sinuses during the process of development of TCL. Surgical excision of ulcers/sinuses along with affected underlying lymph nodes, followed by short course of anti-tubercular chemotherapy is the effective methods of their treatment

Doença da arranhadura do gato / Cat-scratch disease

Descriçäo de um caso de doença da arranhadura de gato ou linforreticulose benigna, que envolve gânglios linfáticos que drenam os sítios dérmicos ou conjuntivais primários de inoculaçäo. A doença é autolimitada e benigna, mas pode, por vezes, progredir para infecçäo sistêmica grave e recorrente com encefalite, neuroretinite e osteomielite. Seu agente etiológico é a Rochalimaea benselae, um bacilo Gram-negativo pleomórfico de pequenas dimensöes, membro do subgrupo a-2 das a - proteobactérias

Isolation of anaerobes from clinical chancroid associated with fluctuant bubo in men.

Microbial flora especially anaerobes were studied in 67 patients with genital ulcers due to chancroid (diagnosed clinically) and 53 controls with genital ulcers due to other causes. The aerobic flora was similar in patients of chancroid with or without associated bubo and in controls. Anaerobes were however, isolated with higher frequency from chancroid ulcers associated with fluctuant bubo compared to those without bubo (P less than 0.01) and with non-fluctuant bubo (P less than 0.05). Anaerobic bacteria like Bacteroides melaninogenicus, B. fragilis and anaerobic cocci may play a role in the perpetuation of genital ulcers and development of bubo in chancroid.