Unexpected condition in a rare disease: encephalopathy in early-onset sarcoidosis

BACKGROUND

Granulomatous autoinflammatory diseases are monogenic syndromes caused by mutations in the region encoding the nucleotide-binding domain of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing 2 gene. Blau syndrome and early-onset sarcoidosis are familial and sporadic forms of the same disease and are very rare. Many organ systems may be involved; however, neurologic involvement is infrequent. We reported a case of encephalitis in a 12-year-old girl followed with a diagnosis of early-onset sarcoidosis.

CASE

The patient was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at 3 years of age. We considered druginduced sarcoidosis at 6 years of age with granulomatous inflammation of liver and kidney. Small joint involvement and camptodactyly developed during follow-up. M315T mutation was detected in the NOD2 gene supporting the diagnosis of early-onset sarcoidosis. The patient suffered from encephalopathy when she was under methotrexate, infliximab, and systemic steroid treatment at 12 years of age. Cerebrospinal fluid limbic encephalitis antibody panel was negative.

CONCLUSION

Encephalopathy is not common in Blau syndrome and early-onset sarcoidosis. The cause of encephalopathy in our patient was interpreted as autoimmune encephalitis.

Sustained Surface ICAM-1 Expression and Transient PDGF-B Production by Phorbol Myristate Acetate-Activated THP-1 Cells Harboring Blau Syndrome-Associated NOD2 Mutations

Objectives: Blau syndrome is a distinct class of autoinflammatory syndrome presenting with early-onset systemic granulomatosis. Blau syndrome-causing NOD2 mutations located in the central nucleotide-oligomerization domain induce ligand-independent basal NF-κB activation in an in vitro reporter assay. However, the precise role of this signaling on granuloma formation has not yet been clarified. Methods: Blau syndrome-causing NOD2 mutations were introduced into human monocytic THP-1 cells, and their morphological and molecular changes from parental cells were analyzed. Identified molecules with altered expression were examined in the patient’s lesional skin by immunostaining. Results: Although the production of proinflammatory cytokines was not altered without stimulation, mutant NOD2-expressing THP-1 cells attached persistently to the culture plate after stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate. Sustained surface ICAM-1 expression was observed in association with this phenomenon, but neither persistent ICAM-1 mRNA expression nor impaired ADAM17 mRNA expression was revealed. However, the transient induction of PDGF-B mRNA expression was specifically observed in stimulated THP-1 derivatives. In the granulomatous skin lesion of a Blau syndrome patient, ICAM-1 and PDGF-B were positively immunostained in NOD2-expressing giant cells. Conclusions: Sustained surface ICAM-1 expression and transient PDGF-B production by newly differentiating macrophages harboring mutant NOD2 might play a role in granuloma formation in Blau syndrome.

Anterior Segment-Optical Coherence Tomography features in Blau syndrome

Blau syndrome (BS) is a rare granulomatous auto-inflammatory disease, characterized by the classic clinical triad of joints, skin and ocular involvements. Ocular manifestation usually consists in a bilateral insidious chronic anterior uveitis with a potential evolution to panuveitis. We describe the case of two siblings, an 8-years old female and a 5-years old male, with a diagnosis of BS, evaluated by Anterior Segment-Optical Coherence Tomography (AS-OCT). In the female patient, slit-lamp examination revealed bilateral anterior granulomatous uveitis and inflammatory sequelae. AS-OCT revealed high intensity reflective layers in the anterior cornea, hyperreflective dots both in the aqueous humor and in the posterior corneal surface. In the male, no signs of inflammation were detected both on slit-lamp examination and AS-OCT scans. AS-OCT is a valuable, non-invasive tool that could improve the diagnosis of ocular involvement, better characterize and follow-up corneal alterations and anterior segment features in pediatric patients with BS.

Blau syndrome with pulmonary nodule in a child

Blau syndrome (BS) is a rare monogenic disease caused by mutation of NOD2/CARD15 gene. A case of Blau syndrome in a 4-year-old Chinese boy c.1001G > A(p.R334Q) mutation in the NOD2 genes reported. Imaging revealed a nodule at the tip of the right lung.

First report of liver transplantation in Blau syndrome: The challenges faced in this rare granulomatous liver disease

Blau syndrome is a rare autoinflammatory granulomatous disease caused by variants in the NOD2 gene, classically presenting in childhood. Hepatic manifestations are recognized including cholestasis and granulomatous liver disease. We describe a novel NOD2 gene variant c.1471A > C, p.(Met491Leu) in an adult who developed cirrhotic complications despite selective immunotherapy, including recurrent esophageal bleeding and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis which resulted in liver transplantation. He required a second liver transplant as his first graft failed due to ischemic cholangiopathy. Disease recurrence has been observed (hitherto unreported). Of 84 patients with Blau syndrome treated with antibody therapy, five hepatic cases responded to anti-TNF therapy, with promising results if instigated before decompensation occurs. We report the first case of liver transplantation for Blau syndrome in an adult with a novel NOD2 variant. Blau related liver disease can reoccur post transplantation and is an important consideration for any future graft. LAY SUMMARY: Blau syndrome is a rare immune disease which presents in childhood. We describe the first liver transplant for this condition following development of progressive liver disease in adulthood. The patient had a newly described variant in the Blau gene (NOD2). We discuss the effectiveness of antibody therapy currently being used to control the disease, and the role of liver transplantation in Blau syndrome.

Distinguishing Blau Syndrome from Systemic Sarcoidosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to provide a framework to distinguish Blau syndrome/Early Onset Sarcoidosis and Sarcoidosis clinically. We also discuss relevant differences in genetics, pathogenesis, and management of these diseases.

RECENT FINDINGS

Blau syndrome and Sarcoidosis share the characteristic histologic finding of noncaseating granulomas as well as some similar clinical characteristics; nevertheless, they are distinct entities with important differences between them. Blau syndrome and Early Onset Sarcoidosis are due to one of numerous possible gain-of-function mutations in NOD2, commonly presenting before age 5 with a triad of skin rash, arthritis, and uveitis. However, as more cases are reported, expanded clinical manifestations have been described. In systemic Sarcoidosis, there are numerous susceptibility genes that have been identified, and disease is thought to result from an environmental exposure in a genetically susceptible host. It most often presents with constitutional symptoms and pulmonary involvement and typically affects adolescents and adults. This paper reviews the similarities and differences between Blau syndrome and Sarcoidosis. We also discuss the importance of distinguishing between them, particularly with regard to prognosis and outcomes.

NOD2 Mutation-Associated Case with Blau Syndrome Triggered by BCG Vaccination

We describe a patient who developed multiple granulomatous skin lesions after Bacille de Calmette et Guérin (BCG) vaccination without significant effect by topical corticosteroid, followed by painless cystic tumors on the bilateral knees and hands and inflammatory changes on ophthalmologic examination. A functional mutation in NOD2 was detected by a genetic analysis, and he was diagnosed as sporadic Blau syndrome. Since NOD2 acts as a sensor for the BCG component, it is possible that BCG vaccination may trigger granuloma formation in Blau syndrome patients with such genetic background.

Systematic Assessment of Mycobacterium avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis Infections from 1911-2019: A Growth Analysis of Association with Human Autoimmune Diseases

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is an understudied pathogen worldwide with continuous implications in human autoimmune diseases (ADs). The awareness of MAP appears to be low in many places and its research is at infant stage in many countries. The lack of worldwide coverage of the MAP research landscape calls for urgent research attention and prioritization. This present study aimed to assess MAP global research productivity with an emphasis on its implications in ADs via bibliometric and growth analytic frameworks from authors, countries, institutions, international, disciplines and collaboration network perspectives. MAP primary articles were retrieved from the Scopus database and the Web of Science from 1911 to 2019 via title-specific algorithm. Analytic results of dataset yielded a total of 3889 articles from 581 journals and 20.65 average citations per documents. The annual growth rate of MAP research for the period was 6.31%. Based on a country’s productivity (articles (%), freq. of publication (%)), the USA (887 (22.81%), 26.72%), and Australia (236 (6.07%), 6.07%) ranked the top 2 countries but Egypt and Germany had the highest average growth rate (AGR, 170%) in the last 3 years. MAP studies are generally limited to Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and few nations in Africa. It had positive growth rate (30%–100%) in relation to type 1 diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis ADs; food science and technology, immunology, agriculture, pathology, and research and experimental medicine, wildlife, environments, virulence, disease resistance, meat and meat products, osteopontin, waste milk and slurry/sludge digestion subjects; but negative growth (−130% to −30%) in ulcerative colitis and Parkinson’s disease and no growth in multiple sclerosis, sarcoidosis, thyroid disorders, psoriasis, and lupus. The mapping revealed a gross lack of collaboration networking in terms of authorship, (intra- and inter-) nationally and institutionally with a generalized collaboration index of 1.82. In conclusion, inadequate resources-, knowledge- and scientific-networking hampered growth and awareness of MAP research globally. The study recommends further research to strengthen evidence of MAP’s epidemiologic prevalence in ADs and proffer practical solution(s) for drug development and point-of-care diagnostics amongst other extended themes.

Whole-exome sequencing in three children with sporadic Blau syndrome, one of them co-presenting with recurrent polyserositis

Blau syndrome (BS) is a rare, chronic autoinflammatory disease with onset before age 4 and mainly characterised by granulomatous arthritis, recurrent uveitis, and skin rash. Sporadic (also known as early-onset sarcoidosis) or familial BS is caused by gain-of-function mutations in the NOD2 gene, which encodes for a multi-task protein that plays a crucial role in the innate immune defense. We report on three Mexican patients clinically diagnosed with BS who exhibited a likely pathogenic variant in NOD2 as revealed by whole-exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing: two variants (c.1000 C > T/p.Arg334Trp and c.1538 T > C/p.Met513Thr) lie in the ATP/Mg2+ binding site, whereas the other (c.3019dupC/p.Leu1007ProfsTer2) introduces a premature stop codon disrupting the last LRR domain (LRR9) formation; all three variants are consistent with gain-of-function changes. Interestingly, all these patients presented concomitant likely pathogenic variants in other inflammatory disease-related genes, i.e. TLR10, PRR12, MEFV and/or SLC22A5. Although the clinical presentation in these patients included the BS diagnostic triad, overall it was rather heterogeneous. It is plausible that this clinical variability depends partly on the patients' genetic background as suggested by our WES results. After this molecular diagnosis and given the absence of NOD2 mutations (demonstrated in two trios) and related symptoms in the respective parents (confirmed in all trios), patients 1 and 2 were considered to have sporadic BS, while patient 3, a sporadic BS-recurrent polyserositis compound phenotype. Altogether, our observations and findings underscore the overlapping among inflammatory diseases and the importance of determining the underlying genetic cause by high-throughput methods. Likewise, this study further reinforces a pathogenic link between the here found NOD2 variants and BS and envisages potential additive effects from other loci in these, and probably other patients.

Blau syndrome: a rare cause of exuberant granulomatous synovitis of the knee

Blau syndrome (BS) is a rare autosomal dominant familial granulomatous inflammatory disease presenting in early childhood with dermatitis, arthritis and uveitis. Early-onset sarcoidosis represents the sporadic form, and both are characterised by mutations in the CARD15/NOD2 gene on chromosome 16. We describe a 38-year-old man with known BS who presented for orthopaedic review following right-sided patellar dislocation. MRI of the injured knee demonstrated diffuse synovitis and prominent fatty tissue resembling lipoma arborescens with evidence of recent patellar dislocation. Synovectomy was performed and confirmed granulomatous synovitis. Knee imaging findings are described for the first time. Combining distinct morphological bone changes with synovitis which resembles lipoma arborescens and histology which includes sarcoidal-type granulomatous synovitis should lead the radiologist and pathologist to consider the diagnosis of BS.

Ophthalmological treatment of early-onset sarcoidosis/Blau syndrome in a Colombian child: A case report

Purpose

To report the ophthalmological approach of a patient with Blau syndrome (BS) in Colombia.

Observations

We describe a 9-year-old Colombian boy with sporadic BS due to a de novo nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 (NOD2) mutation, who presented with joint and dermatologic symptoms. He was referred to the uveitis service with a single functional eye, due to retinal detachment in the other eye. Despite treatment with corticosteroids, methotrexate, and adalimumab, the patient continued to exhibit progressive disease.

Conclusion

BS-related uveitis is characterized by severe ocular morbidity. Appropriate interdisciplinary treatment is necessary for the correct identification and management of the disease, considering the inherent difficulty in its diagnosis due to its diverse clinical manifestations. The severity of BS-related uveitis in this report highlights the need for more effective therapies.

Clinical Profile in Genetically Proven Blau Syndrome: A Case Series from South India

Purpose: To report the clinical profile of genetically proven Blau syndrome in seven cases from a single center in South India.Materials & Methods: Retrospective case seriesResults: There were four females and three males. All cases had a history of skin and joint involvement of varying severity. Flexion contractures of the proximal interphalangeal joints were seen in all cases except Case 2. Ocular involvement was bilateral and included keratoconjunctivitis sicca (six cases), granulomatous panuveitis (three cases), granulomatous anterior uveitis (three cases), conjunctival granulomas (three cases), subepithelial corneal opacities (one case), and subretinal granuloma (one case). Other ocular findings included band-shaped keratopathy (five cases) and cataract (three cases). All cases received oral steroids and methotrexate with an addition of mycophenolate mofetil in one case. Visual prognosis was good in all cases.Conclusions: Blau syndrome is underreported in India. This is the largest case series of genetically proven Blau syndrome from South India and highlights the clinical profile of Blau syndrome seen in India.

Mutual alteration of NOD2-associated Blau syndrome and IFNγR1 deficiency

Blau syndrome (BS) is an auto-inflammatory granulomatous disease that possibly involves abnormal response to interferon gamma (IFNγ) due to exaggerated nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 (NOD2) activity. Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMD) is an infectious granulomatous disease that is caused by impaired production of or response to IFNγ. We report a mother and daughter who are both heterozygous for NOD2c.2264C˃T variant and dominant-negative IFNGR1818del4 mutation. The 17-year-old patient displayed an altered form of BS and milder form of MSMD, whereas the 44-year-old mother was completely asymptomatic. This experiment of nature supports the notion that IFNγ is an important driver of at least some BS manifestations and that elucidation of its involvement in the disease immunopathogenesis may identify novel therapeutic targets.

Effective treatment of TNFα inhibitors in Chinese patients with Blau syndrome

Objectives

Blau syndrome (BS) is a rare dominantly inherited autoinflammatory disorder associated with mutations in the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 (NOD2) gene. Biologic therapy of BS yielded diverse results. We aimed to evaluate clinical features and outcomes of Chinese patients with BS who were treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α inhibitors.

Methods

A total of four patients with BS were diagnosed and treated with infliximab (IFX) at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital during 2015 to 2018 and were followed up for 18 months. All patients were systematically studied for treatment outcomes including the clinical manifestations and inflammatory markers. We also conducted a comprehensive literature review about TNFα inhibitor therapy in BS.

Results

Four BS patients were all Chinese Han, and three were women. The mean age of disease onset was 4 ± 3.5 years, and the mean time of diagnosis delay was 19 ± 11 years. All patients received IFX plus methotrexate, and all achieved clinical remission of skin lesions and polyarthritis rapidly, as well as normalization of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein and improvements in inflammatory cytokines, patient visual analogue scale, physician global assessment, and Short Form (SF)-36, at the first follow-up of 6 months. The disease relapsed in two patients after they lengthened the interval of IFX and discontinued methotrexate. According to the 38 English-language publications, 62 patients with BS were reported who underwent TNFα inhibitor therapy, including IFX used in 31, adalimumab in 24, and etanercept in 7. IFX was well tolerated in 27 patients, while 2 still had uveitis, and the other 2 experienced an adverse drug reaction.

Conclusions

Early recognition and effective treatment of BS are very important to avoid irreversible organ damage. TNFα inhibitors such as IFX may be a promising approach for BS patients who have unsatisfactory response to corticosteroids and traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Blau Syndrome and Early-Onset Sarcoidosis: A Six Case Series and Review of the Literature

Objectives

This study aims to discuss the clinical, laboratory and genetic findings, and treatment options for six patients who were diagnosed with Blau syndrome (BS)/early-onset sarcoidosis (EOS).

Patients and methods

The study included four patients (2 males,2 females; mean age 7 years; range 4 to 10 years) with EOS and two siblings (1 male, 1 female; mean age 10 years; range, 9 to 11 years) with BS. Age, age of initial symptoms, age of diagnosis; articular involvement, presence of uveitis, dermatitis, or fever, other organ involvement, laboratory findings, results of metabolic tests for mucopolysaccharidosis and mucolipidosis, results of genetic, pathologic, and immunologic tests, radiologic findings to evaluate skeletal dysplasia, and treatment options were collected.

Results

The median age at diagnosis of all patients was 6 years (range, 1 to 10 years). Five patients had camptodactyly and bilateral boggy synovitis in the wrists and ankles, one had granulomatous inflammatory changes in the liver and kidney biopsy, and one had attacks of fever and granulomatous dermatitis. None had uveitis. The detected mutations in nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 (NOD2) were P268S (rs2066842), M513T (rs104895473), R702W (rs2066844), V955I (rs5743291), H343Y (rs199858111), and M491L (16:50745293). The treatments of patients included corticosteroids, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, methotrexate, infliximab, adalimumab, anakinra, and canacinumab.

Conclusion

Camptodactyly and boggy synovitis are important signs of BS/EOS. Methotrexate and tumor necrosis factor blockers are more effective in patients with predominantly articular symptoms. In patients 5 and 6 and their mother, we determined a novel M491L mutation in the NOD2 gene. Currently, this work is in progress towards identifying the pathogenesis and treatment options for this disease.

Pediatric Sarcoidosis: A Review with Emphasis on Early Onset and High-Risk Sarcoidosis and Diagnostic Challenges

Sarcoidosis is a non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammatory syndrome with multisystemic manifestations. We performed a systematic review of sarcoidosis in the pediatric population with particular emphases on early onset sarcoidosis, high-risk sarcoidosis, and newly reported or unusual sarcoid-related diseases. Blau Syndrome and early onset sarcoidosis/ BS-EOS are seen in children younger than five years old presenting with extra-thoracic manifestations but usually without lymphadenopathy and/or pulmonary involvement. The prevalence of high-risk sarcoidosis is very low in children and is further limited by the difficulty of diagnosis in symptomatic children and underdiagnosis in subclinical or asymptomatic patients. Reports of sarcoidal syndromes in users of E-cigarette/marijuana/other flavorings and their induction in cancer immunotherapies are of interests and may be challenging to differentiate from metastatic malignancy. The diagnostic considerations in pediatric sarcoidosis are to support a compatible clinicoradiographic presentation and the pathologic findings of non-necrotizing granulomas by ruling out granulomas of infective etiology. There is no absolutely reliable diagnostic test for sarcoidosis at present. The use of endoscopic bronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and transbronchial fine needle aspiration (TBNA) sampling of intrathoracic lymph nodes and lung, and for superficially accessible lesions, with cytopathological assessment and pathological confirmations provide fair diagnostic yield and excellent patient safety profile in children.

Cows Get Crohn's Disease and They're Giving Us Diabetes

Increasingly, Johne's disease of ruminants and human Crohn's disease are regarded as the same infectious disease: paratuberculosis. Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the cause of Johne's and is the most commonly linked infectious cause of Crohn's disease. Humans are broadly exposed to MAP in dairy products and in the environment. MAP has been found within granulomas such as Crohn's disease and can stimulate autoantibodies in diseases such as type 1 diabetes (T1D) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Moreover, beyond Crohn's and T1D, MAP is increasingly associated with a host of autoimmune diseases. This article suggests near equivalency between paucibacillary Johne's disease of ruminant animals and human Crohn's disease and implicates MAP zoonosis beyond Crohn's disease to include T1D.

Blau syndrome with a rare mutation in exon 9 of NOD2 gene

Blau syndrome is an autosomal dominant rare disease caused by mutations in NOD2 gene. Less than 200 patients published with Blau Syndrome Worldwide. We reported a 41-year old female Turkish patient diagnosed as Blau syndrome. Granulomatous dermatitis and severe headache, as well as recurrent chest and pelvic pain have been present since she was 8 years old. Arthritis started when she was teenage, hypertension diagnosed when she was 20 and other symptoms also occurred during the lifetime (severe preeclampsia, ischemic stroke, recurrent hemiparesis, recurrent-transient-vision-loss and renal-artery-stenosis). Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood and 12 genes sequenced in Autoinflammatory panel on IonTorrent-S5-NGS platform with Parseq-VariFind™AIPassay. NGS analysis showed 107 variants in in the index case, mainly benign with no strong association with Blau syndrome. Additionally, we identified one very rare missense mutation in NOD2 gene (c2803G>A, p.Val935Met) and in silico assessment of the mutation indicated possible pathogenic significance and strong association with Blau syndrome. In addition, we analyzed family members of the index case and identified the same mutation in NOD2 gene. The segregation analysis shows the presence of the same mutant allele in NOD2 gene in the index case affected sister, as well as in her son with arthralgia, while in her non affecter brother we didn't detect the Val935Met mutation in NOD2 gene. Blau Syndrome is known as a very rare disease, mainly caused by mutations in NOD2 gene. Missense mutation diagnosed in our case could be responsible for the phenotype of the index case. Our results indicate the importance of NGS testing and its major role in the detection of rare mutations that may responsible for the onset of autoinflammatory disorders.

Blau Syndrome Associated with Nucleotide-binding Oligomerization Domain Containing 2 Mutation in a Baby from Malaysia

Blau syndrome (BS) is a very rare autosomal dominant juvenile inflammatory disorder caused by mutation in nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 (NOD2). Usually, dermatitis is the first symptom that appears in the 1^st year of life. About 220 BS cases with confirmed NOD2 mutation have been reported. However, the rarity and lack of awareness of the disease, especially in the regions where genetic tests are very limited, often result in late diagnosis and misdiagnosis. Here, we report a de novo BS case from Malaysia, which may be the first report from southeast Asia. PCR and DNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were performed to screen the entire coding region of NOD2 gene. A heterozygous c.1000C>T transition in exon 4, p. R334W, of the NOD2 gene was identified in the patient. This report further reaffirms the ubiquitousness of the disease and recurrency of p. R334W mutation.

Familial Blau syndrome:First molecularly confirmed report from India

Blau syndrome (BS) is a rare autoinflammatory disorder characterized by the clinical triad of arthritis, uveitis, and dermatitis due to heterozygous gain-of-function mutations in the NOD2 gene. BS can mimic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ocular tuberculosis. We report a family comprising a mother and her two children, all presenting with uveitis and arthritis. A NOD2 mutation was confirmed in all the three patients - the first such molecularly proven case report of familial BS from India.

Characterization of Blau syndrome panuveitis with wide-field fluorescein angiography

Purpose

To describe a case of Blau panuveitis, characterized on both portable and tabletop wide-field fluorescein angiography, which resolved on systemic immunosuppression.

Observations

A 5-year-old female presented with bilateral eye pain, redness, and decreased visual acuity due to panuveitis and had a history of arthritis, tenosynovitis, and dermatitis. Similar ocular and systemic findings in the patient's mother and maternal half-brother prompted genetic testing that confirmed the diagnosis of the rare Blau syndrome. Portable Retcam and tabletop Optos wide-field fluorescein angiography congruently demonstrated retinal vascular and peripapillary leakage. The uveitis dramatically resolved after the addition of adalimumab to methotrexate. Quiescence was maintained with the substitution of infliximab for adalimumab.

Conclusions and Importance

To our knowledge, we are first to characterize Blau panuveitis retinal findings on wide-field fluorescein angiography and with the use of two different photography systems. Additionally, this report underscores the salient clinical findings of a rare disorder and suggests that robust systemic immunosuppression can effectively treat refractory ocular inflammation.

Giant Cell Tumor of Tendon Sheath and Tendinopathy as Early Features of Early Onset Sarcoidosis

Giant cell tumor of tendon sheath (GCTTS) is characterized by diffuse proliferation of synovial-like cells and multinucleated giant cells along tendon sheaths. This benign tumor typically presents in the third to fourth decade of life and is exceeding rare in children. Here we describe a case of a 10-years-old girl with a history of soft tissue swelling involving the third digit of left hand, bilateral wrists and ankles. Pathology of the finger mass revealed abundant multinucleated giant cells consistent with GCTTS. Resection of the tendinous masses from the ankles also showed multinucleated giant cells along with chronic bursitis. She began to show features of polyarticular arthritis by age 7. Due to progression of arthritis, whole exome sequencing was performed and found a de novo heterozygous mutation in NOD2 (p. R334Q). This variant is the most common mutation responsible for early onset sarcoidosis (EOS)/Blau syndrome, an autoinflammatory disease characterized by granulomatous inflammation of joints, skin and eyes. The early onset of symptoms and presence of multinucleated giant cells and granuloma in this case are in keeping with a diagnosis of EOS/Blau syndrome. The patient responded well to treatment with methotrexate and etanercept. This case extends the clinical spectrum of EOS/Blau syndrome, which should be considered for GCTTS and other unusual presentations of tendon inflammation in children, even in the absence of the characteristic triad of arthritis, dermatitis and uveitis.

Uveitis in sporadic Blau syndrome: Long-term follow-up of a refractory case treated successfully with adalimumab

The classic entity of autosomal dominant Blau syndrome (BS) consists of arthritis, dermatitis, and uveitis, occurring as a result of mutations in the NOD2 gene pattern recognition receptor. Sporadic cases are those in which no known gene mutation is identifiable. Uveitis in BS can be refractory to conventional therapy. We report a case of sporadic Blau uveitis managed with adalimumab monotherapy after failing to respond to topical steroids, systemic steroids, methotrexate, and infliximab therapy sequentially. Uveitis resolved completely with adalimumab and the patient has had a disease-free period over a 2-year follow-up with bi-monthly injections for arthritis control.