Clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with liver abscess due to Aspergillus spp: a systematic review of published cases

BACKGROUND

Aspergillus spp liver abscess is a relatively rare entity and thus far no systematic review has been performed examining patients' demographics, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, management, and outcome.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of the literature using MEDLINE and LILACS databases. We searched for articles published in the period from January 1990 to December 24, 2022, to identify patients who developed liver abscesses due to Aspergillus spp.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 21 patients all of whom had invasive aspergillosis confirmed on liver biopsy. Of these patients 81% were adults, and 60% were males. The majority (86%) of patients were immunocompromised and 95% had symptomatic disease at the time of diagnosis. The most common symptoms were fever (79%), abdominal pain (47%), and constitutional symptoms (weight loss, chills, night sweats, fatigue) (38%). Liver enzymes were elevated in 50%, serum galactomannan was positive in 57%, and fungal blood cultures were positive in only 11%. Co-infection with other pathogens preceded development of apsergillosis in one-third of patients, and the majority of the abscesses (43%) were cryptogenic. In the remaining patients with known source, 28% of patients developed liver abscess through dissemination from the lungs, 19% through the portal vein system, and in 10% liver abscess developed through contiguous spread. The most common imaging modality was abdominal computerized tomography done in 86% of patients. Solitary abscess was present in 52% of patients while 48% had multiple abscesses. Inadequate initial empiric therapy was prescribed in 60% of patients and in 44% of patients definite treatment included combination therapy with two or more antifungal agents. Percutaneous drainage of the abscesses was done in 40% of patients, while 20% required liver resection for the treatment of the abscess. Overall mortality was very high at 38%.

CONCLUSION

Further studies are urgently needed for a better understanding of pathophysiology of liver aspergillosis and for developement of newer blood markers in order to expedite diagnosis and decrease mortality.

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in Patients with Tick-Borne Illness: A Scoping Review of 98 Cases

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) secondary to tick-borne infections is a rare but potentially life-threatening syndrome. We performed a scoping review according to PRISMA guidelines to systematically analyze the existing literature on the topic. A total of 98 patients were included, with a mean age of 43.7 years, of which 64% were men. Most cases, 31%, were reported from the USA. Immunosuppression was present in 21.4%, with the most common cause being previous solid organ transplantation. Constitutional symptoms were the most common, observed in 83.7% of the patients, while fever was reported in 70.4% of cases. Sepsis was present in 27.6%. The most common laboratory abnormalities in this cohort were thrombocytopenia in 81.6% of patients, while anemia, leukopenia, and leukocytosis were observed in 75.5%, 55.1%, and 10.2%, respectively. Liver enzyme elevation was noted in 63.3% of cases. The H-score was analyzed in 64 patients, with the mean value being 209, and bone marrow analysis was performed in 61.2% of patients. Ehrlichia spp. was the main isolated agent associated with HLH in 45.9%, followed by Rickettsia spp. in 14.3% and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in 12.2%. Notably, no patient with Powassan virus infection or Lyme borreliosis developed HLH. The most common complications were acute kidney injury (AKI) in 35.7% of patients, shock with multiple organ dysfunction in 22.5%, encephalopathy/seizure in 20.4%, respiratory failure in 16.3%, and cardiac complications in 7.1% of patients. Treatment included antibiotic therapy alone in 43.9%, while 5.1% of patients were treated with immunosuppressants alone. Treatment with both antibiotics and immunosuppressants was used in 51% of patients. Appropriate empiric antibiotics were used in 62.2%. In 43.9% of cases of HLH due to tick-borne disease, patients received only antimicrobial therapy, and 88.4% of those recovered completely without the need for immunosuppressive therapy. The mortality rate in our review was 16.3%, and patients who received inappropriate or delayed empiric therapy had a worse outcome. Hence, we suggest empiric antibiotic treatment in patients who are suspected of having HLH due to tick-borne disease or in whom diagnostic uncertainty persists due to diagnostic delay in order to minimize mortality.

Cardiomyopathy in Celiac Disease: A Systematic Review

(1) Background: Cardiomyopathy in celiac disease or celiac cardiomyopathy (CCM) is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease that can occur in both adults and children. However, data supporting the causal relationship between celiac disease (CD) and cardiomyopathy (CMP) are still inconsistent. The aim of this study was to review and synthesize data from the literature on this topic and potentially reveal a more evidence-based causal relationship. (2) Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to search Medline, Embase, and Scopus databases from database inception until September 2023. A total of 1187 original articles were identified. (3) Results: We identified 28 CCM patients (19 adult and 9 pediatric) with a mean age of 27.4 ± 18.01 years. Adult patients with CCM were predominantly male (84.2%) while pediatric patients were predominantly female (75%). The most common comorbidities associated with CCM were anemia (75%) and pulmonary hemosiderosis (20%). In 35% of patients, CCM occurred before the diagnosis of CD, while in 48% of patients, CCM and CD were diagnosed at the same time. Diagnosis of CD preceded diagnosis of CCM in only 18% of patients. Diagnosis of CCM is often delayed with an average, from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis, of 16 months. All patients were treated with a gluten-free diet in addition to guideline-directed medical therapy. At 11-month follow-up, cardiovascular improvement was seen in 60.7% of patients. Pediatric mortality was 33.3%, while adult mortality was 5.3%. (4) Conclusions: Clinicians should be aware of the possible association between CD and CMP, and we recommend CD work-up in all patients with CMP who have concomitant anemia. While we identified only 28 cases in the literature, many cases might go unreported due to a lack of awareness regarding CCM. A high degree of clinical suspicion and a prompt diagnosis of CCM are essential to minimizing the risks of morbidity and mortality, as the combination of a gluten-free diet and guideline-directed medical therapy can improve clinical outcomes.