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Kaiafa G, Pilalas D, Koletsa T, Daios S, Arsos G, Hatzidakis A, Protopapas A, Stamatopoulos K, Savopoulos C. Diagnosing a Patient with Erdheim-Chester Disease during the COVID-19 Pandemic. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 57:medicina57101001. [PMID: 34684037 PMCID: PMC8540257 DOI: 10.3390/medicina57101001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare hematopoietic neoplasm of histiocytic origin characterized by an insidious course. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put an enormous strain on healthcare systems worldwide both directly and indirectly, resulting in the disruption of healthcare services to prevent, diagnose and manage non-COVID-19 disease. Case Presentation: We describe the case of a 58-year-old male patient with sporadic episodes of self-resolving mild fever and anemia of chronic disease with onset two years before the current presentation. Positron emission/computed tomography scan revealed the presence of moderately hypermetabolic perirenal tissue masses. In order to achieve diagnosis, repeated perirenal tissue biopsies were performed, and the diagnostic evaluation was complicated by the strain put on the healthcare system by the COVID-19 pandemic. The patient contracted SARS-CoV-2 and required hospitalization, but recovered fully. No further ECD target organ involvement was documented. Treatment options were presented, but the patient chose to defer treatment for ECD. Conclusion: A high index of suspicion and multidisciplinary team collaboration is paramount to achieve diagnosis in rare conditions such as ECD. Disruptions in healthcare services in the pandemic milieu may disproportionately affect people with rare diseases and further study and effort is required to better meet their needs in the pandemic setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Kaiafa
- First Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (S.D.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-231-099-4779
| | - Dimitrios Pilalas
- First Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (S.D.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Triantafyllia Koletsa
- Department of Pathology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Stylianos Daios
- First Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (S.D.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Georgios Arsos
- 3rd Department of Nuclear Medicine, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Adam Hatzidakis
- Radiology Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Adonis Protopapas
- First Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (S.D.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Kostas Stamatopoulos
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, Center for Research and Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Christos Savopoulos
- First Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (S.D.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
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Cunha BA, Jimada I. Recurrent FUO due to intermittent Enterobacter cloacaebacteremias from an infected pacemaker lead diagnosed by gallium scan. Infect Dis (Lond) 2018; 50:62-66. [DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2017.1355106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Burke A. Cunha
- Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, NY, USA
- School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Ismail Jimada
- Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, NY, USA
- School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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Loizidou A, Aoun M, Klastersky J. Fever of unknown origin in cancer patients. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2016; 101:125-30. [PMID: 26995082 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2016.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Revised: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fever of unknown origin (FUO) remains a challenging clinical problem, namely in patients with cancer. In cancer patients, FUO may be due to the cancer itself, as it is the case of hematological malignancies; digestive tumors (colon cancer, liver metastases) are significantly associated with FUO and infection can be demonstrated in some cases. Prevention with G-CSF and empirical antimicrobial therapy are essential approaches for the management of FUO in cancer patients. New diagnostic approaches, such as PET imaging, should be further evaluated in cancer patients with FUO.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Loizidou
- Medicine Department, Institut Jules Bordet, Centre des Tumeurs de l'Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - M Aoun
- Medicine Department, Institut Jules Bordet, Centre des Tumeurs de l'Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - J Klastersky
- Medicine Department, Institut Jules Bordet, Centre des Tumeurs de l'Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
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Nakhleh A, Slobodin G, Elias N, Bejar J, Odeh M. Rapid progression to cardiac tamponade in Erdheim–Chester disease despite treatment with interferon alpha. Mod Rheumatol 2014; 26:621-4. [DOI: 10.3109/14397595.2014.905235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Afif Nakhleh
- Department of Internal Medicine A, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gleb Slobodin
- Department of Internal Medicine A, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nizar Elias
- Department of Internal Medicine A, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jacob Bejar
- Department of Pathology, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Majed Odeh
- Department of Internal Medicine A, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
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