Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of respiratory tract infections and typically causes mild disease. Extrapulmonary manifestations of M. pneumoniae infection are also common, but rhabdomyolysis is a rare complication. Here, we describe the case of a previously healthy 23-year-old male who displayed the simultaneous onset of rhabdomyolysis and severe pneumonia requiring mechanical ventilation. Both conditions were resolved by a 10-day course of antimicrobial treatment and the patient was discharged without complication.
Humans ; Male ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Leprosy is an infectious disease with two polar forms, tuberculoid leprosy (TT) and lepromatous leprosy (LL), that are characterized by strong cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and CMI anergy, respectively. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a family of growth factors involved in essential physiological processes, including development, differentiation, tissue repair, cell growth control and inflammation. Cellular signaling by TGF-beta family members is initiated by the assembly of specific cell surface receptors that activate transcription factors of the Smad family. Deregulation of the TGF-beta-Smad signaling pathway has been implicated in developmental disorders and several human diseases. Recently, ELISA & immunohistochemistry revealed high expression of TGF-beta isoforms in LL. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate TGF-beta-Smad signaling in various forms of leprosy. METHODS: We investigated the involvement of TGF-beta by immunohistochemical staining for Smad 2 and 3 in skin biopsies from six patients of BL and four patients of TT. RESULTS: The inflammatory cells, keratinocytes and fibroblasts in BL showed strong positivity for both Smad 2 and 3, whereas those in TT showed little positivity. CONCLUSION: The high expression of Smad 2/3 in BL could represent high expression of TGF-beta, which possibly contributes to local CMI anergy and other clinical characteristic features of leprosy.
Biopsy ; Communicable Diseases ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammation ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Keratinocytes ; Leprosy* ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Leprosy, Tuberculoid ; Physiological Processes ; Protein Isoforms ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; Skin ; Transcription Factors ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

Adrenal insufficiency during the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis is a troublesome condition and can at times be lifethreatening if untreated. Rifampin is one of the most widely prescribed anti-tuberculosis agents. Furthermore, rifampin has been known to be capable of affecting the metabolism of various medications, including glucocorticoids. In this paper, a case of recurrent adrenal insufficiency induced by rifampin during the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis is reported. The patient was a 63-year-old man who was diagnosed with Addison's disease 17 years earlier and had been undergoing glucocorticoid replacement therapy. Five months before, the patient manifested pulmonary tuberculosis and was immediately given anti-tuberculosis medication that included rifampin. After one week of medication, general weakness and hyponatremia occurred. Despite the increased dose of the glucocorticoid medication, the adrenal insufficiency recurred many times. Since the substitution of levofloxacin for rifampin, the episodes of adrenal insufficiency have not recurred so far.
Addison Disease ; Adrenal Insufficiency ; Glucocorticoids ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; Middle Aged ; Ofloxacin ; Rifampin ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Scrub typhus (tsutusgamushi disease) is an acute febrile illness caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, which is endemic in the Asia-Pacific area. Scrub typhus in pregnant woman is uncommon and some reports have suggested that this disease may be associated with increased fetal loss. An effective and safe treatment regime for scrub typhus on pregnancy has not been established and the clinical outcome on the pregnant woman and fetus is unclear. We report a case of scrub typhus during pregnancy treated with azithromycin, which showed no recurrence and no fetal and neonatal complications.
Azithromycin ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Recurrence ; Scrub Typhus

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) consists of an abnormal connection between artery and vein without any interposed capillary bed, and is usually congenital. However, acquired AVM is quite rare, and is usually caused by injury, which induces direct arteriovenous shunting. Acquired digital AVM is a distinct entity, which was first described by Kadono et al. in 2000, and was thought to result from shunts between an artery and a vein in a finger tip. We report a case of acquired digital AVM in a 44-year-old women. The patient showed punctate hyperketatotic ectasia on the pulp of the right thumb. Histological finding showed dilated venous and arterial vessels in upper and lower dermis, and shunts between arteriols and venules.
Adult ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Capillaries ; Dermis ; Dilatation, Pathologic ; Female ; Fingers ; Humans ; Thumb ; Veins ; Venules

Dermatomyositis is a rare disease of unknown origin that combines an inflammatory myopathy with characteristic cutaneous findings. Scalp disease has rarely been considered as a manifestation of dermatomyositis and is often misdiagnosed as being scalp paosiasis or seborrheic dermatitis. We report a case of 27-year-old woman who presented with brownish alopecic patches on the scalp, and chronic proximal muscle weakness.
Adult ; Cicatrix* ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Dermatomyositis* ; Female ; Humans ; Muscle Weakness ; Myositis ; Rare Diseases ; Scalp

Pilomatricoma is a common, benign, cutaneous neoplasm, differentiating towards elements of the hair matrix and shaft. It typically presents as a deep-seated, solitary, firm nodule with overlying normal epidermis. However, pilomatricoma with bullous appearance is very rare. We report two cases of pilomatricoma with bullous appearance. The first case was an 11-year-old male who presented with 6 month history of a soft, erythematous, translucent polypoid mass on the left upper arm. The other case was a 20-year-old female who presented with 12 month history of a soft, slightly-brownish, peduncluated mass with indurated nodules on the left upper arm. In both cases, the histopathologic findings revealed multiple islands of shadow cells, with small foci of basophilic cells at the periphery of the deep dermis. There was dilation of lymphatic vessels in the overlying dermis, which explained the clinical bullous appearance.
Arm ; Basophils ; Child ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Islands ; Lymphatic Vessels ; Male ; Pilomatrixoma* ; Young Adult

Pilomatricoma is a common, benign, cutaneous neoplasm, differentiating towards elements of the hair matrix and shaft. It typically presents as a deep-seated, solitary, firm nodule with overlying normal epidermis. However, pilomatricoma with bullous appearance is very rare. We report two cases of pilomatricoma with bullous appearance. The first case was an 11-year-old male who presented with 6 month history of a soft, erythematous, translucent polypoid mass on the left upper arm. The other case was a 20-year-old female who presented with 12 month history of a soft, slightly-brownish, peduncluated mass with indurated nodules on the left upper arm. In both cases, the histopathologic findings revealed multiple islands of shadow cells, with small foci of basophilic cells at the periphery of the deep dermis. There was dilation of lymphatic vessels in the overlying dermis, which explained the clinical bullous appearance.
Arm ; Basophils ; Child ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Islands ; Lymphatic Vessels ; Male ; Pilomatrixoma* ; Young Adult

Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Because the gastric cancer-related mortality rate is expected to increase, chemo-preventive strategies for gastric cancer are required. Statins inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, the enzyme involved in the rate-limiting step in cholesterol synthesis. Several studies have shown that statins have potential protective effects against gastric cancer; however, other studies have reported contradictory results. Therefore, further studies are needed to clarify the role of statins in the chemoprevention of gastric cancer.
Chemoprevention* ; Cholesterol ; Coenzyme A ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors* ; Mortality ; Oxidoreductases ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Lichenoid drug eruption is a lichenoid skin eruption caused by certain drugs and compounds, and can be similar to lichen planus. A 51-year-old man who had taken antihypertensive drugs (enalapril, dilazep dihydrochloride) and cholesterol lowering drug (atorvastatin) for 4 years had received allopurinol for asymptomatic hyperuricemia for 4 months. He developed pruritic erythematous papules and plaques with silvery scales on the face, trunk and extremities after taking allopurinol for 3 months. He had no fever, no eosinophilia and no systemic abnormalities. Histopathologic findings showed hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, hypergranulosis, band-like lymphohistiocytic infiltration and perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltration in the dermis, which were compatible with lichenoid drug eruption. The skin rashes disappeared after he stopped taking allopurinol and was treated with steroids.
Allopurinol ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Cholesterol ; Dermis ; Dilazep ; Drug Eruptions ; Enalapril ; Eosinophilia ; Exanthema ; Extremities ; Fever ; Humans ; Hyperuricemia ; Lichen Planus ; Middle Aged ; Parakeratosis ; Skin ; Steroids ; Weights and Measures