ABSTRACT
Abstract Background: Macular lymphocytic arteritis most commonly presents as hyperpigmented macules on the lower limbs. The pathogenesis of this disease is still unclear and there is an ongoing debate regarding whether it represents a new form of cutaneous vasculitis or an indolent form of cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa. Objective: To describe clinical, histopathological, and laboratory findings of patients with the diagnosis of macular lymphocytic arteritis. Methods: A retrospective search was conducted by reviewing cases followed at the Vasculitis Clinic of the Dermatology Department, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, between 2005 and 2017. Seven patients were included. Results: All cases were female, aged 9-46 years, and had hyperpigmented macules mainly on the legs. Three patients reported symptoms. Skin biopsies evidencing a predominantly lymphocytic infiltrate affecting arterioles at the dermal subcutaneous junction were found, as well as a typical luminal fibrin ring. None of the patients developed necrotic ulcers, neurological damage, or systemic manifestations. The follow-up ranged from 18 to 151 months, with a mean duration of 79 months. Study limitations: This study is subject to a number of limitations: small sample of patients, besides having a retrospective and uncontrolled study design. Conclusions: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this series presents the longest duration of follow-up reported to date. During this period, none of the patients showed resolution of the lesions despite treatment, nor did any progress to systemic vasculitis. Similarities between clinical and skin biopsy findings support the hypothesis that macular lymphocytic arteritis is a benign, incomplete, and less aggressive form of cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Child , Adolescent , Adult , Young Adult , Arteritis/pathology , Skin Diseases, Vascular/pathology , Polyarteritis Nodosa/pathology , Biopsy , Immunohistochemistry , Lymphocytes/pathology , Retrospective Studies , Follow-Up Studies , Hyperpigmentation/pathology , Middle AgedABSTRACT
BACKGROUND Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a nematode that causes human abdominal angiostrongyliasis, a disease found mainly in Latin American countries and particularly in Brazil and Costa Rica. Its life cycle involves exploitation of both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. Its natural reservoir is a vertebrate host, the cotton rat Sigmodon hispidus. The adult worms live in the ileo-colic branches of the upper mesenteric artery of S. hispidus, causing periarteritis. However, there is a lack of data on the development of vasculitis in the course of infection. OBJECTIVE To describe the histopathology of vascular lesions in S. hispidus following infection with A. costaricensis. METHODS Twenty-one S. hispidus were euthanised at 30, 50, 90 and 114 days post-infection (dpi), and guts and mesentery (including the cecal artery) were collected. Tissues were fixed in Carson’s Millonig formalin, histologically processed for paraffin embedding, sectioned with a rotary microtome, and stained with hematoxylin-eosin, resorcin-fuchsin, Perls, Sirius Red (pH = 10.2), Congo Red, and Azan trichrome for brightfield microscopy analysis. FINDINGS At 30 and 50 dpi, live eggs and larvae were present inside the vasa vasorum of the cecal artery, leading to eosinophil infiltrates throughout the vessel adventitia and promoting centripetal vasculitis with disruption of the elastic layers. Disease severity increased at 90 and 114 dpi, when many worms had died and the intensity of the vascular lesions was greatest, with intimal alterations, thrombus formation, iron accumulation, and atherosclerosis. CONCLUSION In addition to abdominal angiostrongyliasis, our data suggest that this model could be very useful for autoimune vasculitis and atherosclerosis studies.
Subject(s)
Animals , Arteritis/parasitology , Arteritis/pathology , Strongylida Infections/complications , Strongylida Infections/pathology , Atherosclerosis/pathology , Angiostrongylus , Rodentia , Time Factors , Sigmodontinae , Disease Models, AnimalABSTRACT
Two patients who practice aspiration of recreational or illicit drugs (marijuana and cocaine respectively) were reported. Both patients recognized habit and described improvement in lesions when they interrupted the aspiration, coming back when they returned to the use of these drugs...
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Adolescent , Female , Arteritis/pathology , Cannabis , Diagnosis, Differential , Skin Diseases, Vascular/diagnosis , Marijuana Smoking/pathology , Marijuana Abuse , Cocaine-Related Disorders/diagnosis , Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, CutaneousABSTRACT
A patient with global arterial involvement in Takayashu Arteritis is described with emphasis on early diagnosis
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Aortitis , Arteritis/pathology , Hypertension , Diagnosis, DifferentialSubject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Arteritis/pathology , Giant Cell Arteritis/pathology , Giant Cells , SerologyABSTRACT
En la presente investigación, se ha estudiado la presencia de anticuerpos anticitoplasmáticos de neutrófilos (ANCA) en 101 pacientes con diferentes patologías: Artritis reumatoide, lupus eritematoso sistémico, neutropenia idiopática, síndrome de Down, glomerulonefritis aguda postes-treptocóccica, síndrome nefrótico con cambios mínimos, periodontitis del adulto, calcinosis tumoral, lipodistrofia y monoartritis. Inmunofluorescencia indirecta e inmunoensayo enzimático indirecto(ELISA) fueron las técnicas utilizadas para la detección de estos autoanticuerpos. Nuestros resultados muestran el patrón de distribución de ANCA en estas enfermedades y por primera vez se describe la presencia de estos autoanticuerpos en enfermedades como síndrome de Down, glomerulonefritis aguda postestreptococcica y periodontitis del adulto. El alto grado de positividad para ésta última enfermedad, plantea la posibilidad de que un número de casos positivos para ANCA reportados para ciertas enfermedades sistémicas, correspondan verdaderamente a otra enfermedad concurrente no detectada
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Middle Aged , Adult , Humans , Male , Female , Antibodies/adverse effects , Antibodies/analysis , Arteritis/pathology , Neutrophils/immunology , Neutrophils/pathologyABSTRACT
A 34 year-old male patient suffered an acute anterior wall infarction at age 32. Myocardial ischemia was demonstrated later by stress testing and thallium myocardial scintigraphy. Coronary arteriography revealed a proximal 90 per cent obstruction of the left anterior descending artery. The patient was submitted to percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The procedure was unsuccessful as the catheter could not progress through the obstruction. On follow-up, there was less than ideal adherence to medical treatment and the patient complained of occasional atypical non-effort related chest pain. Two years later the patient suffered a large fatal myocardial infarction. Necropsy disclosed that the cause of myocardial infarction was severe coronary arteritis of left circumflex artery with giant cell granulomas
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Adult , Arteritis/complications , Coronary Vessels , Myocardial Infarction/etiology , Arteritis/pathology , Coronary Vessels/pathology , Granuloma, Giant Cell/pathology , Myocardial Infarction/pathology , Heart Ventricles/pathologySubject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Arteritis/pathology , Cerebrum/pathology , Kidney/pathologyABSTRACT
Em 20 pacientes com arterite periferica foram investigadas 1) a presenca do agente etiologico nos vasos pertencentes as areas isquemicas, 2) a relacao entre o tempo de instalacao e de evolucao das lesoes cutaneas e de extremidades e o processo infeccioso, e 3) a conveniencia da anticoagulacao terapeutica. Dez pacientes eram portadores de doenca meningococica com hemocultura positiva para Neisseria meningitidis. Indetificou-se a presenca de meningococo em vasos das areas isquemico-necroticas, atraves de microscopia eletronica. As lesoes cutaneas tiveram instalacao e evolucao rapidas e no momento do diagnostico clinico da infeccao meningococia, elas ja eram irreversiveis. Por isso, considerou-se que a anticoagulacao terapeutica nao seria eficiente. Cinco pacientes tinham infeccao pulmonar ou gastrointestinal. Nao se encontrou microrganismos nos vasos das areas lesadas. As lesoes cutaneas tiveram instalacao e evolucao ao longo de dois a seis dias apos o momento do diagnostico clinico do quadro infeccioso. Por isso, considerou-se conveniente a heparinizacao visando bloquear o alastramento de coagulacao intravascular secundaria a vasculite disseminada. Cinco pacientes tiveram possivel arterite de sensibilizacao pos-estreptococica (tres) e arterite de sensibilizacao pos-sarampo (dois). Nao se identificou microrganismo nos vasos das areas lesadas. As lesoes cutaneas e de extremidades instalaram-se cinco a 21 dias apos resolucao clinica da infeccao pregressa e evoluiram ate a forma definitiva por um periodo de um a quatro dias. considerou-se conveniente iniciar a heparinizacao no periodo de evolucao das lesoes perifericas, pretendendo-se assim, reduzir a intensidade da isquemia por bloqueio da coagulacao intravascular secundaria a vasculite...
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Adult , Arteritis/drug therapy , Heparin/therapeutic use , Bacterial Infections/drug therapy , Arteritis/microbiology , Arteritis/pathology , Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation , Extremities/blood supply , Gangrene , Ischemia , Necrosis , Platelet CountABSTRACT
Os autores descrevem três casos de pacientes com nódulo subcutâneos em diferentes fases de evoluçäo, com sintomas sistêmicos inespecíficos, PPD positivo e raio-X de tórax normal. O estudo anátomo-patológico dos nódulos antigos mostrou arterite granulomatosa e com raros bacilos álcool-ácido resistentes na parede vascular; os nódulos recentes mostraram peniculite inepecífica com alguns bacilos álcool-ácido resistentes na parede de vasos cutâneos aparentemente normais. Esses achados sugerem que a micobactéria tem um tropismo vascular e pode causar arterite granulomatosa
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Male , Female , Arteritis/etiology , Erythema Nodosum/complications , Arteritis/pathology , Diagnosis, Differential , Erythema Induratum/complications , Erythema Induratum/pathology , Erythema Nodosum/pathologyABSTRACT
Sabe-se que, além da trombose coronária, outras causas podem precipitar infarto agudo do miocárdio em presença de aterosclerose coronária. Um paciente com 48 anos de idade foi internado devido a insuficiência coronária aguda. O eletrocardiograma mostrou necrose ântero-lateral e isquemia lateral. A despeito da medicaçäo o angina persistiu e o paciente faleceu imediatamente após a angiografia coronária. A necrópsia, observou-se necrose de coagulaçäo estabelecida na metade interna e no subendocárdio das paredes lateral e posterior do ventrículo esquerdo, e necrose de coagulaçäo recente nas paredes anterior, posterior e septal. Em todas as artérias coronárias principais havia lesöes ateroscleróticas severas. Observou-se também panarterite difusa, envolvendo rams coronários extra e intramiocárdicos, consistindo de células mononucleares e edema acentuado. Um mecanismo misto pode ser invocado para explicar a extensa necrose miocárdica: infiltrados panarteriais, edema extenso e espasmo coronário induzido por fatores humorais