Mycotic aneurysm due to Salmonella species: clinical experiences and review of the literature

The mortality of patients with mycotic aneurysms is high, especially in East Asia, and infection by Salmonella species is the most common. Our study aimed to improve prognosis of adult mycotic aneurysms with early diagnosis and accurate treatment. Four adult patients with mycotic aneurysm caused by Salmonella were included and analyzed by single-center retrospective analysis. Cases reported in the literature during the past 10 years were also summarized. The average age of the 4 male patients was 61.25 years, while that of the 53 cases reported in the literature was 65.13 years. Hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis were common complications. Most patients presented fever and experienced pain at the corresponding position of the aneurysm. Laboratory examination found an increased number of white blood cells accompanied by an increase in inflammatory markers. Most aneurysms were found in the abdominal aorta, while the rupture of an aneurysm was the most common complication. The mortality rates were 21.43 and 7.14% after open surgery or endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) intervention, respectively. The recurrence rates of infection were 0 and 17.85% for both treatments, respectively. The mortality rate of mycotic aneurysm caused by Salmonella infection was high in middle-aged males with hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. The possibility of a Salmonella-infected aneurysm should be considered in these high-risk groups presenting chills, fever, chest, and back pain. Open surgery was superior to EVAR treatment in the clearance of infected foci and the reduction of postoperative recurrence. The recurrence of postoperative infection can be prevented by intravenous antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks post-surgery.

Comparação da eficiência dos caldos de enriquecimento seletivo no isolamento de Salmonella Dublin / Comparison of the efficiency of selective enrichment broths for Salmonella Dublin isolation

The aim of this study was to compare three different selective enrichment broths: Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV), selenite cystine (SC) and Muller-Kauffmann tetrathionate (MKT) for Salmonella Dublin isolation from faecal samples of calf experimentally infected. The bacteriological procedure involved pre-enrichment stages in Hajna-GN broth (only for the samples inoculated in RV broth), selective enrichment, culture in modified brilliant green agar (BGA), presumptive biochemistry tests (using triple-sugar-iron agar and lysine-agar) and slide agglutination test with poli-O and poli-H Salmonella antiserum. The effects of enrichment temperatures using RV broth were also evaluated (37ºC and 42ºC). SC broth was significantly more efficient in the isolation of Salmonella Dublin (P<0,05), whereas RV broth incubated at 42ºC had a lower efficiency in the microbiological isolation.

Confirmación histopatológica del efecto protector de leche aditada con lactobacilos en un modelo experimental de salmonelosis en ratas / Histopathologic confirmation of the protective effect of lactobacillus - added milk at an experimental pattern of salmonellosis in rats

Una de las cualidades de la leche aditada con Lactobacilos casei y acidophilus, administrada a niños con desnutrición severa y diarrea crónica y otros con Síndrome Postgastroenterítico, es la de provocar inmunopotenciación, inespecífica y sostenida. Nuestro trabajo constituye el análisis histopatológico (paralelo al inmunológico) de un modelo experimental en ratas donde la presunta inmunopotenciación obtenida por la ingesta durante 8 días previos de leche aditada con lactobacilos es desafiada por una inyección con cultivo de salmonela tiphymurium en concentración calculada para producir enfermedad mortal en 30 días del 95 por ciento de los animales. Estos, en lotes de 3, fueron sacrificados a las 24, 48 y 72 hs. y 7 y 10 días postingesta del germen. Como grupo testigo se utilizó a igual número de animales, sacrificados en las mismas fechas, que habían sido previamente alimentados por 8 días con leche sola. En este trabajo se agregó un grupo control de animales obtenidos del mismo bioterio que habían recibido alimentación standard. Los hallazgos histopatológicos más destacados se observaron en el bazo, midiéndose el infiltrado macrofágico por el porcentaje, en relación a la serie linfocitaria, en improntas y la proliferación de megacariocitos en cortes histiológicos. Ambos indicadores patológicos muestran un aumento continuado desde las 48 hs. hasta el décimo día en los animales testigos; mientras que en los que habían recibido lactobacilos ambas alteraciones involucionaban entre las 72 hs. y el décimo día, por lo que se concluye que los lactobacilos previamente ingeridos otorgaron protección contra la enfermedad por potenciación de la defensa inmune, ya que las primeras etapas de la enfermedad se desarrollaron por igual en ambos grupos de animales.