Micobacteriosis hepato-esplénica, forma inusual de probable tuberculosis extrapulmonar: Caso clínico y revisión bibliográfica / Hepatic-splenic micobacteriosis, unusual form of probable extrapulmonary tuberculosis: Case report and review

Reportamos el caso de un hombre de 42 años, seronegativo para VIH, con fiebre de origen desconocido (FOD), asociada a elevación de transaminasas y fosfatasas alcalinas con patrón colestásico e imágenes hepáticas hipodensas en la tomografía axial computada. La biopsia hepática demostró la presencia de granulomas tuberculosos con visualización de un bacilo con alcohol-ácido resistencia. El cuadro respondió al tratamiento con fármacos antituberculosos presentando caída de curva febril, mejoría del estado general y normalización de parámetros de laboratorio.

We report a 42 years old HIV negative male admitted for fever of unknown origin. Initial laboratory evaluation showed elevated hepatic transaminases and alkaline phosphatase and an hipodense hepatic imagen was visualized in the CT scan. Hepatic biopsy demonstrated tuberculous granulomas and alcohol fast acid rods with Ziehl Neelsen stain. Anti-tuberculous treatment resulted in resolution of fever, improvement of general condition and normalization of laboratory parameters.

Evaluation of the incidence of occult bacteremia among children with fever of unknown origin

We reviewed the incidence of occult bacteremia, to identify the most frequent etiological agents of bacteremias in otherwise healthy children from one month to 10 years old, who had fever of unknown origin attended at the emergency ward of an urban, university-affiliated pediatric referral center. This was a retrospective medical record review, evaluating children with fever. Data were collected from the initial visit, when blood cultures, hematological properties and hemosedimentation rates were examined. Fever was considered as the highest temperature assessed in the hospital or reported by the responsible adult. Occult bacteremia was discovered in 1.4 percent of the 1,051 children evaluated, and the most common etiologic agent was Streptococcus pneumoniae. Total leukocyte count and blood sedimentation rates greater than 30 mm³ were not predictive factors for occult bacteremia. Fever greater than 39°C was the most important factor for predicting occult bacteremia (P<0.001). The presence of occult bacteremia was significantly correlated with patient hospitalization.

Disseminated histoplasmosis with reactive haemophagocytosis presenting as PUO in an immunocompetent host.

Disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) with reactive haemophagocytosis has been described in literature mainly in immunocompromised hosts. Only sporadic case reports exist in immunocompetent hosts. Here, we present a rare case of DH with reactive haemophagocytosis in an immunocompetent host presenting as PUO.

Etiologies of acute undifferentiated febrile illness in Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Acute pyrexia of unknown origin (Acute PUO) was reported to affect approximately 200,000-400,000 patients each year reported by the national Annual Epidemiological Surveillance Report. The patients usually present with fever of less than two-week duration and non-specific symptoms such as malaise, myalgia, headache and loss of appetite. Its mortality rate is less than 0.02 percent. It would be interesting to find the etiologies and propose a management plan if the etiologies are discovered. OBJECTIVE: This prospective epidemiologic study aimed to discover the etiologies of acute undifferentiated febrile illness in a tropical region like Thailand. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Ten community-based hospitals were chosen as representatives in each part of Thailand to enroll patients into the study. Patients aged over two years old who presented with fever at the participating hospitals during year 1991-1993 were eligible for the study. Entry criteria of acute undifferentiated febrile illnesses (AUFI) included oral temperature over 38.3 degrees C within the last 24 hours, duration of fever ranging from 3-14 days, no specific single organ involvement by history taking and physical examination, normal or non-specific results of the following investigations: complete blood count, thick film for malaria, urinalysis and chest roentgenogram. The patients were hospitalized and a preset diagnostic protocol was performed. Other diagnostic procedures deemed necessary by attending physicians were perform. Patients were followed up within one month after hospital discharge. RESULTS: 1,240 patients were enrolled but only 1,137 case records and results of the serological tests were available for analysis. Etiologies could be found in 471 cases (38.7%). Primary bacteremia was detected in 36 cases (3.2%). E. coli, streptococci, salmonella, Enterobacter spp. and S. aureus were the five most common blood isolates. Serological studies revealed positive results for scrub typhus (7.5%), influenza (6.0%), dengue fever (5.7%), murine typhus (5.3%), enteric fever (1.9%), chikunkunya infection (1.1%), leptospirosis (1.1%) and melioidosis (0.9%). Thirteen cases succumbed (1.1%) in this study. CONCLUSION: The etiologies in the majority (61.3%) of AUFI remained unknown. Rickettsial infection, influenza and dengue fever are the most common identifiable diseases in a tropical country like Thailand especially during the rainy season. A management guideline for diagnosis and treatment of the AUFI with emphasis on primary bacteremia and antimicrobial-treatable AUFI was proposed.

Nocardiosis en pediatría: caso clínico y revisión de la literatura / Nocardiosis in pediatrics: case report and brief review

Nocardiosis es una infección poco frecuente en pediatría, que se presenta habitual, pero no exclusivamente, en pacientes inmunocomprometidos, pudiendo producir cuadros localizados o diseminados. El diagnóstico se hace muchas veces mediante estudio histológico por visualización del microorganismo en los tejidos, dada la dificultad de confirmación bacteriológica, estudio que debe ser orientado por la sospecha clinica. Se presenta el caso de una preescolar inmunocompetente que cursó con un síndrome febril prolongado en que se descartaron múltiples causas infecciosas, tumores y mesenquimopatías; la histología de las lesiones nodulares hepato-esplénicas, aparecidas durante su estudio, confirmada con tomografía. Es importante considerar Nocardia sp entre las etiologías a estudiar en un cuadro febril de origen obscuro, ya que es posible su demostración mediante un estudio de laboratorio bien orientado frente a la sospecha clínica