RESUMEN
Rhodococcus equi is a well-recognized pathogen in veterinary medicine that can also affect immuno-compromised human subjects. The most common clinical features in humans include necrotizing pneumonia with subacute pulmonary disease, progressive cough, chest pain and fever. We report a case of a 49-year-old kidney transplant patient who developed a Rhodococcus equi infection characterized by multiple abscesses of the soft tissues and muscles without any respiratory manifestation. Combining specific antibiotic therapy and surgical management of the abscesses without immunosuppression discontinuation led to a complete recovery of both patient and graft.
Asunto(s)
Infecciones por Actinomycetales/complicaciones , Enfermedades Renales/complicaciones , Enfermedades Renales/cirugía , Trasplante de Riñón , Absceso , Infecciones por Actinomycetales/fisiopatología , Supervivencia de Injerto , Humanos , Inmunoterapia , Trasplante de Riñón/efectos adversos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Rhodococcus equi , Infecciones de los Tejidos Blandos/complicaciones , Infecciones de los Tejidos Blandos/fisiopatologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Umbilical metastasis is one of the main characteristic signs of extensive neoplastic disease and is universally referred to as Sister Mary Joseph's nodule. CASE PRESENTATION: A 59-years-old Caucasian female underwent liver transplant for end stage liver disease due to hepatitis C with whole graft from cadaveric donor in 2003. After transplantation the patient developed multiple subcutaneous nodules in the umbilical region and bilateral inguinal lymphadenopathy. The excision biopsy of the umbilical mass showed the features of a poorly differentiated papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma. Computed tomographic scan and transvaginal ultrasonography were unable to demonstrate any primary lesion. Chemotherapy was start and the dosage of the immunosuppressive drugs was reduced. To date the patient is doing well and liver function is normal. CONCLUSIONS: The umbilical metastasis can arise from many sites. In some cases, primary tumor may be not identified; nonetheless chemotherapy must be administrated based on patient's history, anatomical and histological findings.
RESUMEN
The Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) provides a score able to predict short-term mortality in patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT). In the early 2002, United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has proposed to replace the conventional statuses 3, 2B, and 2A with a modified MELD score. However, the accuracy of the MELD model to predict post-transplantation outcome is fairly elusive. In the present study we investigated the predictive value of the MELD score for short-term patient and graft mortality in comparison with conventional UNOS status. Sixty-nine patients listed at UNOS status 3 (n = 5), 2B (n = 55) or 2A (n = 9) who underwent LT were enrolled according to strict criteria. No donor-related parameters affected 3-month patient survival. Through univariate Cox regression, pretransplantation international normalized ratio (P = 0.049) and activated partial thromboplastin time (P = 0.032) were significantly associated with 3-month patient survival, although not in the subsequent multivariate analysis. The overall MELD score was 17 +/- 6.63 (median: 16, range: 4-34), increasing from UNOS Status 3 to 2A (r(2) = 0.171, P = 0.0001). No significant difference occurred in the median MELD score between patients who underwent a second LT and those who did not (P =0.458). The inter-rate agreement between UNOS status and MELD score after categorization for clinical urgency showed a fair agreement (kappa = 0.244). The 3-month patient and graft mortality was 15.94% and 20.29% respectively. The concordance statistic did not find significance between UNOS status and MELD score for 3-month patient (P = 0.283) or graft mortality (P = 0.957), although the MELD score revealed a major sensitivity for short-term patient mortality (0.637; 95%CI: 0.513-0.75). These findings suggest the need to implement MELD model accuracy for both inter-rate agreement with UNOS Status and patient outcome.