{"title":"Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis in Adolescence: Two Distinct Presentations.","authors":"Rafael Figueiredo, Inês Pires Duro, António Marinho, Conceição Mota, Margarida Guedes, Carla Zilhão","doi":"10.1155/2021/6642910","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6642910","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Introduction</i>. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a rare disease in pediatric age. We report two cases with distinct presentations. <i>Case Reports</i>. A seventeen-year-old male with prolonged febrile syndrome, cough, and constitutional symptoms. CT-scan showed cavitated lesions of the lung and bronchial biopsy a necrotizing inflammatory process. The remaining investigation revealed hematoproteinuria and positive C-ANCA and anti-PR3. Complications: Bilateral acute pulmonary thromboembolism, splenic infarction, and extensive popliteal and superficial femoral deep vein thrombosis. He was treated with corticosteroids, immunoglobulin, rituximab, and anticoagulation. Rituximab was maintained every six months during the first two years. Control angio-CT was performed with almost complete resolution of previous findings. In a twelve-year-old female with inflammatory signs of the limbs, investigation showed myositis of the thigh and tenosynovitis of the wrist, normocytic normochromic anemia (Hg 9.4 g/dL), mild elevation of inflammatory markers, and high creatine kinase. During hospitalization, she presented an extensive alveolar hemorrhage associated with severe anemia and positive C-ANCA and anti-PR3. Clinical deterioration prompted intravenous methylprednisolone pulses and plasmapheresis. Induction therapy with rituximab and prednisolone showed good results. Rituximab was maintained every six months, for 18 months, with gradual tapering of corticoids. <i>Discussion</i>. GPA is a systemic disease with variable clinical presentation and severity. Pediatric patients have similar clinical manifestations to adults but different frequencies of organ involvement; constitutional symptoms are also more common. We highlight the different presentation of these two cases, as well as the need for an individualized approach. Rituximab has been used for both induction-remission and maintenance therapy, with good results, particularly in young patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":9622,"journal":{"name":"Case Reports in Rheumatology","volume":"2021 ","pages":"6642910"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8235959/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39166682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Case of Effective Mepolizumab Induction Therapy for Severe Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Diagnosed by Eosinophilic Cholecystitis and Interstitial Nephritis.","authors":"Keita Hattori, Yuri Teramachi, Yoshinori Kobayashi, Takeshi Ito, Takatoshi Morinaga, Hirohumi Tamai, Yoshihiro Yamamoto","doi":"10.1155/2021/6678893","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6678893","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A 66-year-old man with a history of bronchial asthma and sinusitis was admitted with cholecystitis and peripheral neuropathy. The histopathological findings of the gallbladder revealed necrotic vasculitis and granulomatous inflammation with marked eosinophilic infiltration. Kidney biopsy also showed marked eosinophilic infiltration in the tubulointerstitial area and eosinophilic tubulitis. He was diagnosed with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) and treated with corticosteroids. However, he showed no response. Therefore, he was administered mepolizumab 300 mg, which resulted in clinical improvement, including normalization of the eosinophil and CRP levels. We herein describe the first case of successful induction therapy of EGPA using mepolizumab.</p>","PeriodicalId":9622,"journal":{"name":"Case Reports in Rheumatology","volume":"2021 ","pages":"6678893"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8235979/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39166683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emily Schildt, Kristen L Sessions, Deirdre De Ranieri
{"title":"Juvenile Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting with Esophagitis and Severe Oral Mucositis.","authors":"Emily Schildt, Kristen L Sessions, Deirdre De Ranieri","doi":"10.1155/2021/5868655","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5868655","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We present a case of a previously healthy adolescent female who developed severe oral mucositis and acute esophagitis as her presenting symptoms of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus. Mucositis involving the lips is infrequently reported in systemic lupus erythematosus, and to our knowledge, this is the first reported case of acute, non-infectious esophagitis as a presenting symptom in a pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus patient.</p>","PeriodicalId":9622,"journal":{"name":"Case Reports in Rheumatology","volume":"2021 ","pages":"5868655"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8189811/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39091592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A Guiga, D Khalifa, W Ben Yahia, N El Amri, A Atig, N Ghannouchi
{"title":"Acute Q Fever in an Ankylosing Spondyloarthritis Patient Treated with Etanercept.","authors":"A Guiga, D Khalifa, W Ben Yahia, N El Amri, A Atig, N Ghannouchi","doi":"10.1155/2021/9944387","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9944387","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Q fever is a rare zoonotic infection caused by <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-<i>α</i>) has an important role in the early control of this infection. However, TNF-<i>α</i> blockers increase the risk of infectious diseases. We present herein a patient who developed acute Q fever under anti-TNF-<i>α</i> who had a good evolution after anti-TNF stoppage and treatment with doxycycline.</p>","PeriodicalId":9622,"journal":{"name":"Case Reports in Rheumatology","volume":"2021 ","pages":"9944387"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8187044/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39095652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Waleed Hafiz, Ahmedhusam Alahmed, Mohammed Alahmadi, Rakan Alotaibi, Abdullah Alsharif, Safwan Alim, Mohammed Mokhtar, Kholoud Al-Maabdi, Omaima Badr
{"title":"Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.","authors":"Waleed Hafiz, Ahmedhusam Alahmed, Mohammed Alahmadi, Rakan Alotaibi, Abdullah Alsharif, Safwan Alim, Mohammed Mokhtar, Kholoud Al-Maabdi, Omaima Badr","doi":"10.1155/2021/8811507","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8811507","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis is a rare autosomal recessive condition that is characterized by the formation of excessive calcium phosphate microliths in the alveoli. Most patients are diagnosed in adulthood due to the slow progression of the disease. Children with this disease are asymptomatic, and changes in the lung parenchyma are usually discovered incidentally. The diagnosis is made by the combination of a positive chest imaging and histological examination. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic seropositive symmetrical inflammatory polyarthritis with numerous extra-articular manifestations. It targets the lining of the synovial membranes, frequently affects females more than males, and is treated with the disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). If left untreated, it leads to increased morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic burdens. In this case, we report a 19-year-old young man who presented with clinical and radiographic features of PAM associated with RA.</p>","PeriodicalId":9622,"journal":{"name":"Case Reports in Rheumatology","volume":"2021 ","pages":"8811507"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8184319/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39123897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicole Davidson, Hemalatha G Rangarajan, Kyla Driest, Rajinder P S Bajwa, Veronika Polishchuk, Rolla F Abu-Arja
{"title":"Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant for Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Macrophage Activation Syndrome.","authors":"Nicole Davidson, Hemalatha G Rangarajan, Kyla Driest, Rajinder P S Bajwa, Veronika Polishchuk, Rolla F Abu-Arja","doi":"10.1155/2021/9323141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9323141","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is characterized by arthritis, fever, rash, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and serositis. Macrophage activation syndrome is the most feared complication of sJIA with a high risk of mortality. We report a 16-year-old female diagnosed with refractory systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) complicated by recurrent macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), severe joint disease, and lung involvement requiring prolonged immunosuppressive therapy. She received a matched unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (Allo-HCT) using a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen and is now, 3 years after the transplant, with complete resolution of sJIA symptoms, off immunosuppressants, and with significant improvement in the quality of life.</p>","PeriodicalId":9622,"journal":{"name":"Case Reports in Rheumatology","volume":"2021 ","pages":"9323141"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8166505/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39091593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohamed Ahmed Ghassem, Aziza Mounach, Julien H Djossou, Hamza Toufik, Najlae El Ouardi, Lahsen Achemlal, Ahmed Bezza
{"title":"Achilles Tendon Xanthoma and Cholestanol Revealing Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis: A New Case Report.","authors":"Mohamed Ahmed Ghassem, Aziza Mounach, Julien H Djossou, Hamza Toufik, Najlae El Ouardi, Lahsen Achemlal, Ahmed Bezza","doi":"10.1155/2021/6656584","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6656584","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is an autosomal recessive lipid storage disease rarely reported in Africa. Therefore, we report a Moroccan first case report of CTX. A 20-year-old woman was presented in our department for bilateral swelling of the posterior aspect of ankles and the anterior aspect knees with gait disturbances evolving since the age of 7. The patient was the first child of consanguineous marriage. She had bilateral cataracts and developmental delay. Laboratory findings revealed that the plasma cholestanol level was remarkably elevated, and plasma and urine bile alcohol levels were elevated. MRI of ankles showed a bilateral diffuse thickening of the Achilles tendon with hypointense in T1 and heterogeneous hypersignal in T2 with spots in hypersignal in T1 and T2. Brain MRI revealed bilateral and symmetrical T2 hypersignal of dentate nuclei, without white matter signal alterations or cerebral or cerebellar atrophy. A biopsy obtained of the Achilles swelling with a histological study showed an aspect of tendon xanthoma. Hence, the diagnosis of CTX was made. MRI, especially brain MRI, plays an important role in the diagnosis of CTX.</p>","PeriodicalId":9622,"journal":{"name":"Case Reports in Rheumatology","volume":"2021 ","pages":"6656584"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8159634/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39092990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"POTS and Antiphospholipid Syndrome: An Unlikely Association.","authors":"Kalvin Zee, Shakaib Qureshi","doi":"10.1155/2021/9942668","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9942668","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antiphospholipid syndrome is a rare complication of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Clinically, the presentation has overlapping symptoms of both diseases, with lightheadedness or syncope when moving from a supine to a standing position as well as blood clots, headache, or pregnancy complications in women. This case presentation involves a 39-year-old patient identified as female who has been diagnosed with POTS and elevated anticardiolipin antibodies.</p>","PeriodicalId":9622,"journal":{"name":"Case Reports in Rheumatology","volume":"2021 ","pages":"9942668"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8112930/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39034969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Muhammad Shariq Mukarram, Muhammad Ishaq Ghauri, Sehrish Sethar, Nasir Afsar, Amir Riaz, Khizra Ishaq
{"title":"COVID-19: An Emerging Culprit of Inflammatory Arthritis.","authors":"Muhammad Shariq Mukarram, Muhammad Ishaq Ghauri, Sehrish Sethar, Nasir Afsar, Amir Riaz, Khizra Ishaq","doi":"10.1155/2021/6610340","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6610340","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Arthralgia is one of the most common symptoms that occur in patients with COVID-19. About 15% of patients present with arthralgia at some point. Although COVID-19 seems to attack the musculoskeletal system (muscles and joints) in its infective and postinfective stage causing inflammatory arthritis, not much is known about the rheumatic manifestations of this infection. In this case series of 5 patients, we discuss the occurrence of bilaterally symmetrical polyarthritis in patients, previously free from any rheumatic disease, after encountering COVID-19 infection. The musculoskeletal manifestations in these patients phenotypically resembled rheumatoid arthritis. These patients were treated successfully with low-dose glucocorticoids and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).</p>","PeriodicalId":9622,"journal":{"name":"Case Reports in Rheumatology","volume":"2021 ","pages":"6610340"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8077721/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38910579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matthew Koslow, Mehrnaz Maleki-Fischbach, Rebecca C Keith
{"title":"Diagnosis and Management of Interstitial Lung Disease in Patients with Connective Tissue Diseases.","authors":"Matthew Koslow, Mehrnaz Maleki-Fischbach, Rebecca C Keith","doi":"10.1155/2021/6677353","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6677353","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with connective tissue diseases (CTDs) is highly heterogeneous in its clinical presentation and course. The diagnosis and management of CTD-ILD require a multidisciplinary approach involving, at minimum, a rheumatologist, a pulmonologist, and a radiologist. Close monitoring of patients with CTD-ILD is important to enable early detection of disease progression and inform decisions regarding the initiation or escalation of pharmacotherapy. In the absence of guidelines regarding how CTD-ILDs should be treated, clinicians face difficult decisions on when to use immunosuppressant and anti-fibrotic therapies. The importance of a multidisciplinary and individualized approach to the diagnosis and management of CTD-ILD is highlighted in the three case studies that we describe in this article.</p>","PeriodicalId":9622,"journal":{"name":"Case Reports in Rheumatology","volume":"2021 ","pages":"6677353"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8093052/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38910580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}