A Case of Mucormycosis Found in the Breast of a Hemodialysis Patient for Diabetic Nephropathy / 대한신장학회잡지

Mucormycosis, caused by Zygomycetes fungi of the order Mucorales, is a rare opportunistic infection which usually develops in immunosuppressed patients, especially in patients with diabetic acidosis. This infection, associated with the presence of broad, nonseparate hyphae in tissue, originates usually in the perinasal sinuses and nose, orbit, central nervous system, lung, skin, soft tissue, or gastrointestinal tract, but is occasionally disseminated from the primary location to other areas. Recently we experienced a case of Mucormycosis found in the breast of a 70-year old woman undergoing hemodialysis for diabetic nephropathy. The patients was very poor in her systemic condition. On physical examination, we found the subcutaneous mass in the left breast. Breast ultrasonography showed a mass with a relatively clear boundary in subcutaneous fatty layer and excisional biopsy confirmed infiltration of breast tissue by fungal hyphae. With improvement of patient's malnutrition via an aggressive hemodialysis, control of blood glucose and total parentral nutrition, the mass was slightly reduced in size and maintained without causing any notable symptom. Since Mucormycosis found in the breast tissue has not been reported in the literature yet, we report its case observed in a hemodialysis patient for diabetic nephropathy with the review of the literatures.

A Case of Immunoglobulin Deficiency with increased IgM / 대한내과학회지

Immunoglobulin deficiency with increased IgM, as defined by World Health Organization classification of primary immunodeficiency, is characterized by normal or increased concentrations of serum IgM and, in some cases, IgD, but decreased or absent IgG, IgA, and IgE. Patients with these disorders have a high incidence of recurrent pyogenic infections, including otitis media, pneumonia, and septisemia. We recently experienced a case of immunoglobulin deficiency with increased IgM in a 25-year old man. He had been suffered from recurrent pyogenic infections-pneumonia, otitis media-since about 6 months of his age. He was admitted due to pneumonia, and Haemophilus influenza was isolated from the sputum culture. Also chest X-ray showed bronchiectasis. His serum immunoglobulin levels revealed increased concentration of IgM and decreased IgG and IgA. He was successfully treated with antibiotics, and now he is being followed-up. So we present this case with the review of literature.