[Calciphylaxis, renal failure and gout. A patient with hyperuricemia as a risk factor for death]. / Calcifilaxis, insuficiencia renal y gota. Un paciente con hiperuricemia como factor de riesgo para morir.

BACKGROUND: gout is an inflammatory arthritis that frequently is associated with obesity, alcohol consumption, hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia. The calciphylaxis is characterized by metastatic calcification to small and medium vessels. Both are associated independently with high mortality. When hyperuricemia and the calciphylaxis are present, the death risk is 80 %. CLINICAL CASE: a 51 year old man presented with clinical history of alcoholism and systemic arterial hypertension, and he developed limb ulcers, edema and uremic syndrome. Three week later, the patient died as a consequence of sepsis from Staphylococcus aureus. We emphasize the diagnostic approach of calciphylaxis, metabolic syndrome and comorbidities, cardiovascular and renal failure risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: the hyperuricemia is included in the metabolic syndrome, as the result of genetic and behavioral factors. It is recognized as a cardiovascular risk. For this reason we must consider it in the clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of diseases with high mortality.

Introducción: la gota es una artropatía inflamatoria que frecuentemente se asocia con obesidad, consumo de alcohol, hipertensión e hipertrigliceridemia. La calcifilaxis se caracteriza por la calcificación metastásica de los vasos de mediano y pequeño calibre. En forma independiente ambas se asocian con mortalidad elevada. Cuando la hiperuricemia y la calcifilaxis están presentes, el riesgo de muerte es de 80%. Caso clínico: hombre de 51 años de edad, con antecedentes de alcoholismo e hipertensión arterial sistémica, quien desarrolló úlceras en extremidades, edema generalizado y síndrome urémico. Tres semanas después de su ingreso falleció debido a sepsis ocasionada por Staphylococcus aureus. El diagnóstico fue calcifilaxis asociada con síndrome metabólico, comorbilidades, factores de riesgo cardiovascular y de insuficiencia renal. Conclusiones: la hiperuricemia es parte del complejo que conforma el síndrome metabólico, resultante de factores genéticos y ambientales. Se reconoce que es un factor asociado con la mortalidad cardiovascular, lo que obliga a considerar a la hiperuricemia en las guías de práctica clínica en la prevención y tratamiento de enfermedades con alta mortalidad debido a las complicaciones que se presentan.

Invasive fungal infections in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Invasive fungal infections (IFI) are catastrophic diseases associated with a high mortality. Relatively few cases of IFI have been described in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their related factors have not been completely explored. We evaluated factors associated with IFI in patients with SLE. METHODS: All patients with both IFI and SLE admitted to our hospital in the last 7 years were evaluated and each was compared with 5 hospitalized patients with SLE (controls). Demographic factors, duration of SLE, and treatment in the previous month were compared. RESULTS: Sixty patients with SLE were evaluated (10 with IFI and 50 controls). Median age was 29 years. High C-reactive protein levels were associated with IFI, along with other factors such as high disease activity, mechanical ventilation, treatment with antibiotics, hemodialysis, high doses of glucocorticoids (GC), and treatment with mycophenolate mofetil. Mortality was 4 times more frequent in patients with IFI than in SLE patients without the deep fungal infection. CONCLUSION: IFI is a rare infection observed in patients with rheumatic diseases. We describe factors associated with IFI in patients with SLE. IFI is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and treatment are desirable.