Kou Hasegawa

Myopathy and Eosinophilic Pneumonia Coincidentally Induced by Treatment with Daptomycin

A 34-year-old man with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DiGeorge syndrome) concurrently suffered from myopathy and eosinophilic pneumonia shortly after receiving daptomycin (DAP) for right-sided infective endocarditis. The simultaneous occurrence of these phenomena in relation to DAP therapy has not been previously well described. An allergic reaction was suspected as a possible etiology of these DAP-related complications. This case highlights the need for close observation in order to detect both musculoskeletal and respiratory disorders from the start of DAP therapy. Physicians should pay more attention to this new drug, which is expected to be frequently used in various clinical settings.

A Nephrostomy-associated Urinary Tract Infection Caused by Elizabethkingia meningoseptica

We report a case of nephrostomy-associated urinary tract infection caused by Elizabethkingia meningoseptica that occurred in a patient with retroperitoneal fibrosis. Though conventional identification methods failed to detect the causative organism, it was identified on the basis of the complete sequencing of 16S rRNA. Four weeks of levofloxacin and minocycline administration successfully eradicated the infection. E. meningoseptica rarely causes urinary tract infections, and we believe that this is the first such case in which the isolate was genetically confirmed. The accurate identification of the organism is necessary for the provision of appropriate treatment and to obtain a better understanding of its epidemiology and pathogenicity.

Infective Internal Iliac Artery Aneurysm Caused by Campylobacter fetus

A 67-year-old man with a persistent high fever was diagnosed to have an infective aneurysm in his left internal iliac artery. A blood culture detected a gram-negative spiral rod that was first identified as Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis based on a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. However, the strain was finally confirmed to be Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus based on a genetic analysis. The infection was successfully treated with emergency resection of the aneurysm, followed by 4 weeks of antibiotic therapy. Involvement of the peripheral artery is uncommon in cases of C. fetus-infective aneurysm. To figure out the epidemiology and pathogenicity of C. fetus infection, the accurate identification of the responsible organisms is essential.

A Case of Juvenile Hypertension Suggestive of Adrenomedullary Hyperplasia

A 29-year-old man with a history of cerebellar stroke was referred due to refractory hypertension. His blood pressure was 162/91 mmHg even with doxazosin, nifedipine and cilnidipine. Urinary excretions of catecholamines (adrenaline, 59.1 μg/day; noradrenaline, 1,043.9 μg/day) were elevated. No tumor was detected in the adrenal gland by computed tomography (Picture A, arrowhead) or magnetic resonance imaging (Picture B, arrow). However, I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) revealed the specific uptake in the bilateral adrenal glands with a tumor/liver (T/L) ratio of 1.83 in the left and 2.10 in the right (Picture C, D), findings suggestive of adrenomedullary hyperplasia (AMH). Clonidine failed to reduce the plasma catecholamine levels. AMH is basically stable under α-blocker treatment but is considered to be a preclinical condition of pheochromocytoma (1). Due to the high sensitivity of I-MIBG SPECT, we were able to detect false-positive AMH; however, combining imaging findings with the T/L ratio may improve the diagnostic performance (2). AMH should be considered as a differential diagnosis of refractory juvenile hypertension.

Enterovaginal and colovesical fistulas as late complications of pelvic radiotherapy

A 72‐year‐old Japanese woman presented with a fever, diarrhea, intermittent spotting, and constant fluid discharge from the vagina. Imaging studies revealed an enterovaginal fistula. She underwent radical hysterectomy and radiotherapy 35 years previously. She also had a surgical history of nephrostomy, nephrectomy, ileoascending anastomosis, and colostomy. As bleeding from the enterovaginal fistula was uncontrollable, ileocecal resection was performed. However, a colovesical fistula with urinary tract infection occurred 3 months later. The present case indicates that fistula formation occurs and causes various symptoms in patients who underwent postpelvic radiotherapy, particularly in those with prior surgeries in the irradiated field.

Far East Scarlet-like Fever Masquerading as Adult-onset Kawasaki Disease

A previously healthy 31-year-old man was referred to us with refractory septic shock accompanied by bilateral conjunctival congestion and erythema of his right lower limb. Nine days after admission, he had bilateral desquamation of the fingertips, and his presentation satisfied the criteria for Kawasaki disease. A serological examination was positive for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, and he was diagnosed with Far East scarlet-like fever (FESLF). Interestingly, his 11-month-old baby boy had similar symptoms around the same time, indicating the intrafamilial transmission of the pathogen. We should consider FESLF when we encounter a familial occurrence of systemic manifestations of Kawasaki disease.

Successful treatment with glucocorticoid for secondary Fanconi syndrome caused by sarcoidosis

A 77-year-old female with renal dysfunction, hypercalcemia, and hypercalciuria was presented. Systemic investigations including renal biopsy showed that the patient had Fanconi syndrome secondary to renal sarcoidosis. Treatment with 25 mg per day of prednisolone was initiated and her condition improved. Complication of Fanconi syndrome in patients with sarcoidosis is extremely rare. Although the pathological mechanism is still unknown, corticosteroid therapy was effective for ameliorating proteinuria, glycosuria, hypercalciuria, and aminoaciduria.

Paroxysmal Hypertension Induced by an Insulinoma

Insulinoma is a rare, usually benign, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. The clinical features of an insulinoma are fasting hypoglycemia with neuroglycopenic symptoms including confusion and unusual behavior, while hypertension is usually not associated with the disease. We herein report a patient with insulinoma who manifested paroxysmal hypertension and neuroglycopenic symptoms. The possible etiology of hypertension induced by an insulinoma is catecholamine release in response to hypoglycemia, which may cause acute hypertension through activation of the sympatho-adrenal system. This case implies that sustained hyperinsulinemia due to insulinoma can be functionally linked to the induction of paroxysmal hypertension.

Colonoscopy examination requires a longer time in patients with acromegaly than in other individuals

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of colorectal neoplasms and to investigate the rate of and time required for cecal intubation in patients with acromegaly. A database search performed at our institution identified 29 patients with acromegaly who underwent colonoscopy. Data regarding the endoscopic, biological, and pathological examinations performed were retrospectively reviewed from the clinical records. Subsequently, the rate of and time required for cecal intubation were investigated in 23 patients with acromegaly and compared with the corresponding data of the control group. Control subjects were selected from a 2:1 matched historical control cohort, according to baseline characteristics. The mean age of the acromegaly group (17 female and 12 male) was 60.4 ± 12.6 years. Twelve patients had adenoma (41.4%), eight patients had hyperplastic polyps (27.6%), three patients had sessile serrated adenoma/polyps (10.3%), and three patients had colon cancer (10.3%). Successful cecal intubation was achieved in all patients in both groups. The difference in the time required for successful intubation between the acromegaly group (15.7 ± 9.8 minutes) and the control group (8.7 ± 6.0 minutes) was statistically significant. Linear regression analysis revealed that increased patient age was significantly related to longer colonoscope insertion times. In conclusion, although cecal intubation during colonoscopy was successful in all participants, it required a longer time in patients with acromegaly. Our results underscore the importance of and certain technical difficulties involved in colonoscopy procedures in patients with acromegaly, especially in older patients.

Pheochromocytoma Manifesting Persistent Right Shoulder Pain and Hypochondralgia

We report a 42‐year‐old female who initially complained of sub‐acute onset of right upper quadrant abdominal pain with right shoulder pain. A CT scan incidentally revealed an adrenal tumor, and a final diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was made on the basis of endocrinological examinations. Symptomatically, the pheochromocytoma in our patient mimicked a hepato‐biliary disease by presenting abdominal pain accompanying right shoulder pain that was assumed to be referred pain via the right phrenic nerve. Physicians may need to consider the possibility of pheochromocytoma in patients with abdominal symptoms.