Bifocal malakoplakia in a patient living with HIV: case report.

BACKGROUND: Malakoplakia is a rare chronic granulomatous disease characterized by the presence of Michaelis-Gutmann bodies (MGBs) within histiocytic aggregates. It predominantly affects immunocompromised individuals, including those living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). CASE PRESENTATION: We present a unique case of bifocal malakoplakia in a 49-year-old man, previously with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and HIV positive, presented with respiratory symptoms, weight loss, and lymphadenopathy. He had various infections including Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Candida, with evolving lung and gastrointestinal issues. Despite treatment attempts, he deteriorated due to respiratory distress, multi-organ failure, and coagulopathy, leading to his unfortunate demise. CONCLUSION: This report presents a distinctive and complex case of malakoplakia in an HIV-positive patient, a rare inflammatory disorder originally described by Michaelis and Gutmann in 1902. The hallmark Michaelis-Gutmann organisms were observed, confirming the diagnosis. While typically affecting the urinary tract, this case demonstrates the exceptional ability of malakoplakia to manifest in various organ systems, including pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and more. Although Escherichia coli is a prevalent associated pathogen, the exact cause remains elusive. Treatment, often involving surgical excision and antibiotic therapy, underscores the challenging nature of managing this condition in immunocompromised individuals.

Clostridioides difficile Bacteraemia and Septic Arthritis in a Sickle Cell Disease Patient.

Extra-colonic Clostridioides difficile infection is rare. Here we describe a sickle cell disease patient with avascular necrosis who presented with persistent bacteraemia due to C. difficile and septic arthritis in a native knee joint, which responded very well to medical and surgical treatment but recurred multiple times within weeks of the cessation of antibiotics. LEARNING POINTS: Clostridioides difficile can rarely have a wide variety of extra-colonic manifestations.Patients with sickle cell disease may have a higher predisposition to extra-colonic C. difficile infection (CDI) with high mortality and recurrence rates.Intravenous metronidazole or vancomycin are the most widely used treatments for extra-colonic CDI.

Efficacy of tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19: Survival and clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 is associated with a severe inflammatory response contributing to respiratory and systemic manifestations, morbidity, and mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Tocilizumab (TCZ) efficacy on mortality and length of hospital stay was retrospectively evaluated in patients who received TCZ and compared with that in controls with a similar severity of COVID-19. The primary endpoint was survival probability on day 28. The secondary endpoints included survival at day 14 and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Of the 148 patients included in the study, 62 received TCZ and standard of care, whereas 86 served as a control group and received only standard of care. The two groups were similar, although TCZ-treated patients were more likely to exhibit hypertension (46.7% vs. 29.8%), chronic kidney disease (14.5% vs. 1.1%), and high Charlson score (1.18 vs. 1.00; p = 0.006) and less likely to receive corticosteroid treatment (48.5% vs. 93.0%). TCZ was associated with lower mortality on both day 28 (16.1% vs. 37.2%, p = 0.004) and day 14 (9.7% vs. 24.4%, p = 0.022). The hospital stay was longer in the TCZ-treated than in the control group (15.6 ± 7.59 vs.17.7 ± 7.8 days, p = 0.103). Ten patients (16.0%) in the TCZ-treated group developed infections. CONCLUSION: TCZ was associated with a lower likelihood of death despite resulting in higher infection rates and a non-significant longer hospital stay.

Longevity of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Antibody Responses in Humans, Saudi Arabia.

Understanding the immune response to Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is crucial for disease prevention and vaccine development. We studied the antibody responses in 48 human MERS-CoV infection survivors who had variable disease severity in Saudi Arabia. MERS-CoV-specific neutralizing antibodies were detected for 6 years postinfection.

Mucormycosis: An 8-year experience of a tertiary care centre in Saudi Arabia.

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection with an extremely high morbidity and mortality. Data on the burden of the disease in the Arab world is lacking. The aim of this study is to highlight the incidence and outcome of this infection in a tertiary care center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In this retrospective study we included all mucormycosis cases admitted to our center between January 2013 and December 2019. A total of 18 proven patients with a median age of 43.5 years (range 13-72 years, 72% males) were identified. The most common presentation was cutaneous and rhino-orbito-cerebral, followed by gastrointestinal mucormycosis. Apophysomyces variabilisRhizopus oryzae) were the main fungal isolates on molecular testing. Trauma was the chief underlying etiology (41.0%) with motor vehicle accident (MVCs) being the predominant type (43.0%). For this reason, most of our patients were young with cutaneous disease and had a better prognosis. All patients received liposomal amphotericin B alone or in combination with other antifungal agents. Repeated aggressive debridement and reversal of the underlying factor was attempted in all patients. This underscores the lower mortality (27.8%) seen in this group. The diagnosis of Mucorales infection is challenging. A high index of suspicion with prompt treatment is required to improve the high mortality of this aggressive disease. Further studies are needed to understand the epidemiology and outcome of this disease in Saudi Arabia.