Progressive Left Ventricular Hypertrophy after Heart Transplantation: Insights and Mechanisms Suggested by Multimodal Images.

Immunosuppression is the typical measure to prevent rejection after heart transplantation. Although rejection is the usual cause of cardiac hypertrophy, numerous other factors warrant consideration. Calcineurin inhibitors rarely cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; the few relevant reports have described children after orthotopic kidney or liver transplantation. We present the case of a 73-year-old woman, an asymptomatic orthotopic heart transplantation patient, in whom chronic immunosuppression with prednisone and cyclosporine apparently caused a phenotype of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The natural course of her midapical hypertrophy was revealed by single-photon-emission computed tomography, positron-emission tomography, and 2-dimensional echocardiography. Clinicians and radiographers should be alert to progressive left ventricular hypertrophy and various perfusion patterns in heart transplantation patients even in the absence of underlying coronary artery disease. Toward this end, we recommend that advanced imaging methods be used to their fullest extent.

Síndrome de Tolosa-Hunt / Tolosa-Hunt syndrome

RESUMO A Síndrome de Tolosa Hunt é uma doença rara, cuja etiopatogenia é desconhecida. Apresenta-se como uma oftalmoplegia dolorosa de um ou mais nervos cranianos oculomotores, que regride espontaneamente e responde bem ao tratamento com corticoides. O presente estudo trata-se de um relato de caso de um paciente que apresentou seguidos casos de oftalmoplegias dolorosas, envolvendo o nervo oculomotor e o abducente sendo tratado com corticoesteroides obteve uma resposta dramática. Objetiva-se ainda descrever as características fisiopatológicas, clínicas, o diagnóstico diferencial, visto que é um diagnóstico de exclusão, e medidas terapêuticas instituídas de acordo com o International Headache Society 2004 (ISH-2004) através da apresentação do caso clínico conduzido com as normas do estudo supracitado.

ABSTRACT Tolosa Hunt syndrome is a rare disease, whose etiology is unknown. It presents as a painful ophthalmoplegia of one or more oculomotor cranial nerves, which resolves spontaneously and responds well to treatment with corticosteroids. This study is a case report of a patient who had followed painful oftalmoplegias cases involving the oculomotor and abdcens nerves being treated with corticosteroids, obtaining a dramatic response. Another goal is to describe the pathophysiological, clinical, differential diagnosis, since it is a diagnosis of exclusion, and the therapeutic measures adopted according to the International Headache Society 2004 (ISH-2004) by presenting the case study conducted with the standards the study cited above.

Síndrome DRESS com manifestação renal grave: relato de caso / DRESS syndrome with several renal involvement: case report

Reação a fármacos com eosinofilia e sintomas sistêmicos, também chamada de síndrome DRESS, é uma reação adversa grave a fármacos, idiossincrática e com envolvimento de múltiplos órgãos. Os critérios diagnósticos incluem dermatose induzida por fármaco, anormalidades hematológicas e comprometimento sistêmico. A síndrome pode levar a altas taxas de mortalidades e não identificada precocemente. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever o caso de um paciente que desenvolveu a síndrome DRESS depois do uso de antibiótico para tratamento de úlcera em membro inferior. Paciente do sexo masculino, negro, 70 anos, apresentou síndrome DRESS após o uso de ampicilina +sulbactam para quadro de úlcera venosa infectada em membro inferior direito. O caso compreendia eritrodermia com lesões erosadas e acometimento mucoso, caracterizando eritema multiforme major, eosinofilia >1.500cel./dL e lesão renal aguda. Foi tratado com prednisona oral (1mg/kg/dia), com remissão das lesões cutâneas, melhora da função renal e redução da leucocitose e eosinofilia. Relatou-se um caso clássico, cursando com síndrome DRESS e responsivo à corticoterapia oral. O tratamento com corticoide permanece controverso, devendo-se avaliar orisco-benefício em cada caso.(AU)

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, also calledDRESS syndrome is a severe adverse reaction to medication,idiosyncratic with involvement of multiple organs. Diagnosticcriteria include: drug-induced dermatosis, hematologicalabnormalities and systemic involvement. The syndrome canlead to high mortality rates if not promptly recognized. The aimof this study was to describe the case of a patient who developedDRESS syndrome after antibiotic use for lower limb ulcer. Malepatient, black, 70 years, presented DRESS syndrome after useof ampicillin + sulbactam for infected venous ulcer in the rightlower limb. The case included erythroderma with injuries anderoded mucosal involvement, featuring erythema multiformemajor, eosinophilia greater than 1,500cel/dL and acute kidneyinjury. He was treated with oral prednisone (1mg/kg/day), withremission of skin lesions, improvement in renal function andreduced leukocytosis and eosinophilia. We reported a classiccase of DRESS syndrome coursing with acute kidney injury,responsive to oral steroids. The treatment with corticosteroidsremains controversial and need to evaluate the risk-benefit ratioin each case.(AU)

Therapeutic effects of low-dose prednisone combined with methotrexate and hydroxy-chloroquine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis / 中国医师杂志

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of low-dose prednisone combined with methotrexate (MTX) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods In this 12-week study,150 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis were randomly divided into two groups:prednisone group (70 cases who were received prednisone 5 ～ 10 mg/d + MTX 10 mg/w +HCQ 0.2 g/d) and control group (80 cases who were treated by Meloxicam 7.5 mg/d + MTX 10 mg/w +Leflunomide (LEF) 20 mg/d).The primary end-points were tender and swollen joint counts,visual analogue scales (VAS),and global physician and patients assessments of disease.The secondary end-points were morning stiffness time,C-reactive protein,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ),DAS28 and ACR20,ACR50.Results After 12 weeks,in terms of primary endpoints,tender and swollen joint counts,VAS and global physician assessments in the prednisone group were improved significantly [(4.5 ± 2.5),(3.2 ± 3.36),(21 ± 15),(24.2 ± 16.4),(20.2 ± 10.4) vs (6.4 ±5.84),(6.6±5.5),(46±14),(37.9±19.7),(34.1±12.4),P ＜0.05orP ＜0.01].In terms of secondary end-points,the prednisone group produced higher response rates [HAQ score (0.93 ± 0.52),CRP(10.2 ± 5.8) mg/L,ESR(30 ± 14) mm/h,morning stiffness time (32.0 ± 32.3) min,DAS 28 score (3.1±0.9) vs (1.22 ±0.81),(16.3±10.1)mg/L,(33±29)mm/h,(54.7±45.4)min,(4.9±1.9),P ＜0.05 orP ＜0.01].The incidence of adverse events was similar between two groups (43％ vs 49％,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Low-dose prednisone combined with MTX and HCQ produced rapid and relevant improvements in RA signs and symptoms.

Acute eosinophilic myocarditis mimicking myocardial infarction.

Eosinophilic myocarditis is characterized by progressive myocardial damage that results in heart failure and death. Herein, we present the case of a 54-year-old man who presented with symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. Normal coronary angiographic results and the presence of elevated levels of peripheral-blood eosinophilia prompted an endomyocardial biopsy that revealed acute eosinophilic myocarditis. The early initiation of steroid therapy resulted in the patient's substantial clinical improvement and survival. Early diagnosis of eosinophilic myocarditis and its treatment with steroid agents in some patients can lead to a favorable outcome. We discuss the challenge of diagnosing and identifying the characteristics of this variant of necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis before the condition proves fatal.