[Scombroid syndrome with severe and prolonged cardiovascular involvement]. / Sindrome sgombroide con grave e prolungata compromissione cardiovascolare.

Scombroid poisoning is a form of ichthyosarcotoxism caused by eating spoiled fish, mainly of the scombroid family. Inappropriate storage of these fish can lead to the decarboxylation of histidine in the flesh to histamine by enterobacteria. The symptoms of histamine poisoning mimic those of an IgE-mediated food allergy, as well as flushing, headache, diarrhea and palpitations. However, in some cases, the scombroid poisoning can be characterized by very serious symptoms, as well as cardiovascular compromission. We describe two cases of scombroid poisoning with severe hypotension requiring continuous intravenous dopamine with resolution of symptoms only several hours later.

[Pancytopenia caused by ticlopidine treated with filgrastim. Description of a case]. / Pancitopenia da ticlopidina trattata con filgrastim. Descrizione di un caso.

Ticlopidine is an antiplatelet agent that is used to reduce the occurrence of atherothrombotic arterial events, but it can sometime cause severe haematological side-effects. We describe the case of a 79-year old woman suffering from ischaemic cardiopathy and chronic cerebral vasculopathy treated with ticlopidine, who developed a rare pancytopenia on the 26th day of ticlopidine treatment. The patient was successful treated with intravenous antibiotics and with filgrastim, with complete reversion of the pancytopenia.