ABSTRACT
Leptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonosis occurring as large outbreaks throughout the world caused by Leptospira interrogans. The incidence of pulmonary involvement in leptospirosis has been reported to be increasing in the last years, affecting up to 70 percent of the patients. Alveolar hemorrhage presented as dyspnea and hemoptysis is the main pulmonary manifestation. The emergence of massive hemoptysis and acute respiratory distress syndrome has characterized the recent changes reported in the clinical patterns of leptospirosis. The pulmonary involvement has been emerged as a serious life threat, becoming the main cause of death due to leptospirosis in some countries. In this review we present the main clinical and pathological manifestations of pulmonary involvement in leptospirosis, with special focus on recent data concerning the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying lung injury.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Leptospirosis/pathology , Lung Diseases/pathology , Pulmonary Alveoli/pathology , Disease Models, Animal , Hemoptysis/microbiology , Hemoptysis/pathology , Leptospirosis/complications , Lung Diseases/microbiology , Pulmonary Alveoli/microbiology , Respiratory Distress Syndrome/microbiology , Respiratory Distress Syndrome/pathologyABSTRACT
Brazilian spotted fever, caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, has been increasingly reported in Brazil especially in the southeastern states. The severe and fulminant forms of the disease are not unusual but most of the reported fatal cases have shown some typical clinical clue, which leads the attending physician to a correct diagnosis. We report a probable case of atypical fulminant Brazilian spotted fever that presented full-blown septic shock associated with Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and delayed uncharacteristic rash with an over four-fold increase in reciprocal IgM, but not IgG titer against Rickettsia rickettsii. Brazilian practitioners should be aware of the possibility of Brazilian spotted fever as a cause of fulminant primary sepsis with ARDS; improved laboratory methods are necessary for the rapid diagnosis of such cases.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Humans , Male , Shock, Septic/complications , Shock, Septic/microbiology , Rickettsia rickettsii , Rickettsiaceae Infections , Respiratory Distress Syndrome/complications , Respiratory Distress Syndrome/microbiology , Anti-Infective Agents , Shock, Septic/drug therapy , Fatal Outcome , Rickettsia rickettsii , Rickettsiaceae Infections , Serologic Tests , Respiratory Distress Syndrome/drug therapyABSTRACT
A patient of dengue hemorrhagic fever who progressed into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is reported. The patient recovered after mechanical ventilation and supportive treatment.