A Rare Presentation of Sarcoidosis in a Young Male With Acute Renal Failure: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Sarcoidosis presents in a variety of ways, but historically, renal involvement has been considered rare with an incidence of 0.7% and is seldom the presenting feature of the illness. Concomitant involvement of kidney and bone marrow is extremely rare. Atypical forms of presentation, such as in this case, may pose a true diagnostic challenge. A 20-year-old African-American male presented to the emergency department with vague symptoms including fatigue, malaise, anorexia, right-sided lower back pain, and nausea. Acute kidney injury was clearly evident, creatinine was 19.78 mg/dL (normal range 0.60-1.20 mg/dL), and BUN was 124.0 mg/dL (normal range 5.0-25.0 mg/dL). Laboratory results were also remarkable for leukopenia, microcytic anemia, hyperkalemia, anion gap metabolic acidosis, and non-PTH dependent hypercalcemia. Interestingly, urinalysis was equivocal and both chest x-ray (CXR) and abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scan were unrevealing. The patient was admitted to the hospital and required renal replacement therapy to stabilize his clinical condition while planning for a renal biopsy that was later performed. While awaiting pathological results, pancytopenia developed, and a bone marrow biopsy was then obtained. On further investigation, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) turned out to be significantly elevated suggesting sarcoidosis. Renal biopsy showed moderate acute tubular injury, tubulitis, extensive interstitial edema, and infiltration by numerous non-caseating granulomas, which confirmed the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Bone marrow histopathology revealed hypocellularity but no granulomatous infiltration. The patient remained largely asymptomatic throughout his hospital stay, with no signs or symptoms suggesting the involvement of other organs. High-dose corticosteroids were started and continued outpatient after discharge while still on hemodialysis. Pancytopenia resolved while on glucocorticoids and improvement in renal function was such that after roughly two months of steroids, renal replacement therapy was no longer necessary. Overall, kidney injury severe enough to require hemodialysis associated with pancytopenia in a previously healthy 20-year-old constitutes a rather rare sarcoidosis presentation. This highlights the importance of considering sarcoidosis as a possible cause of kidney and bone marrow dysfunction and emphasizes the need for timely biopsy to facilitate accurate diagnosis and early initiation of appropriate therapy to avoid delayed or inadequate care, especially considering that even severe damage is potentially reversible when identified early and treated promptly.

An Unusual Case of Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Neck in an Adult Patient.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue malignancy in adolescents. It is extremely rare for sarcomas to occur in patients more than 18 years of age. We present a case of rhabdomyosarcoma originating in skeletal muscles on the right side of the neck. Our case demonstrates the importance of considering an extensive differential diagnosis for a neck mass in adults. Our patient was diagnosed with alveolar variant of rhabdomyosarcoma and underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but eventually due to recurrence opted for palliative therapy.

Idiopathic Lateral Rectus Myositis Without Signs of Orbital Inflammation.

Idiopathic orbital inflammation (IOI), also known as orbital pseudotumor, is a nonspecific term that represents inflammation of unknown etiology that could affect various orbital structures. We report a case of IOI with an atypical presentation mimicking other clinical conditions. Our patient did not show the typical signs of inflammation that are usually seen in patients with orbital pseudotumor and are paramount in its diagnosis. Hence the diagnosis of IOI should be considered in the differential diagnosis of periorbital pain even when clinical signs of orbital inflammation are absent.

Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia Mimicking Osseous Metastases.

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a benign bone disorder, in which normal bone structure is replaced by fibrous connective tissue. Polyostotic FD is also related to McCune-Albright syndrome with possible endocrine disorder and Cafe-au-lait macules. Although FD commonly presents as craniofacial bone abnormality, atypical presentation can be misleading and pose a difficulty in clinical diagnosis. Here we report a case of polyostotic FD, who presented as an accidental finding of multiple spinal osseous lesions, leading to clinic workup for metastatic cancer.

A Rare Case of Severe Idiopathic Stuttering Priapism in a Young Healthy Man.

Priapism, a persistent erection of the penis which has no association with sexual activity and lasts longer than four hours, is a urologic emergency. It can be classified into ischemic, nonischemic, and stuttering categories. The pathophysiology of stuttering priapism is not well understood; however, the dysregulation of nitric oxide and phosophodiesterase-5 (PDE5) has been put forward as a possible mechanism. A 35-year-old male with a history of recurrent priapism presented with continuous penile erection for more than 48 hours. In the emergency room, penile aspiration and an intracavernous phenylephrine injection were attempted which did not help. Subsequently, a distal penile shunt was surgically created; however, the patient's symptoms still persisted. A second round of penile irrigation, aspiration, and an intracavernous phenylephrine injection were attempted, but it was not helpful. Finally, another surgical shunt was created bilaterally between the corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum, which led to complete resolution of symptoms in the next 24 hours. The patient received an injection of lupron, and he was discharged.