The Clinical Case of the month is a regular educational feature presented by the Louisiana State University Department of Medicine. Medical students, residents, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty collaborate in the preparation of these manuscripts. After reading this article, physicians should be better able to: 1) Increase awareness of the incidence and types of opportunistic infections which m...

Aspergillosis may complicate the course of a patient in an immunocompromised state. However, Aspergillus infection is rarely encountered in an immunocompetent host. We present an extremely rare case of Aspergillus chest wall involvement associated with extensive mediastinal lymphadenopathy in an immunocompetent host. A chest wall lesion was the initial indication of underlying nodal disease. We...

A 4 year old boy with Hodgkin's lymphoma was admitted to the paediatric ward with meningoencephalitis dominated by generalised seizures and motor aphasia. Serum IgM specific antibodies to West Nile virus were positive. In view of ongoing neurological deterioration and immunocompromised state he was treated with oral ribavirin for 14 days. A gradual improvement was noted within two weeks of ther...

Pasteurella multocida is a rare cause of infective endocarditis with only a few cases described. This report involves a 38-year-old penicillin-allergic patient in an immunocompromised state with several co-morbidities. Two molecular microbiological techniques, 16S rRNA sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to confirm the species id...

A spectrum of oncologic treatments including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and molecular targeted therapies is available to combat cancer. These treatments are associated with adverse effects in several organ systems including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The immunocompromised state induced by oncologic therapy is also an important contributing factor underlying GI complications. This review ...

We report a case study on a patient who presented with low back and thigh pain of one month duration. He was eventually diagnosed with left thigh pyomyositis. Tissue from thigh grew Staphylococcus aureus. With commencement of antibiotics and surgical drainage, patient made recovery despite prolonged hospital stay. The underlying mechanism of the extensive abscess accompanied by lack of systemic...

Any illness associated with possible immune dysfunction during childhood requires a decision on the start and/or continuation of ongoing vaccination program according to national guidelines, as well as the decision on possible booster vaccination and vaccination with additional, registered vaccines. It is widely accepted that if a child with presumed or proven immune disorder might benefit from...

Three patients in their 20s suffered from chickenpox while in an immunocompromised state: one in pregnancy, one during a long course of corticosteroid for severe nephrotic syndrome, and the third with repeated upper airway infection due to bronchiectasis. They developed acute retinal necrosis about three weeks after the onset of chickenpox. Since acute retinal necrosis threatens sight, this unu...

The present report describes a case of cutaneous protothecosis caused by Prototheca wickerhamii in a non-immunocompromised female from the state of Bahia, Brazil. This is the second case described in Brazil. Dermatological examination revealed diffusely infiltrated erythematous plaques on the flexor aspect of the right arm and forearm. The authors emphasize the pathological aspects that can lea...