Challenges in the Long-term Management of Patients With Coccidioidal Meningitis: A Retrospective Analysis of Treatment and Outcomes

Background

Coccidioidal meningitis (CM) is the most severe form of disseminated coccidioidomycosis. Despite years of clinical experience, it remains a difficult condition to treat, often requiring surgical procedures, such as placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, in addition to lifelong antifungal therapy.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with CM seen in a large referral center in Central Valley, California, from 2010 to 2020. Data pertinent to CM were collected and analyzed.

Results

Among 133 patients with CM identified in the 10-year period, nonadherence to antifungal therapy was noted in 43% of patients. Of the 80 patients who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for management of intracranial pressure, shunt failure requiring revision surgery occurred in 42 (52.5%). Rehospitalizations due to CM-related reasons occurred in 78 of 133 patients (59%). Twenty-three percent of patients (n = 29) died due to complications from CM, on an average 22 months after the diagnosis of CM. Encephalopathy at presentation was associated with a significantly higher risk of death.

Conclusions

Patients with CM in central California are predominantly rural agricultural workers with elevated levels of poverty and low health literacy and many barriers to care, leading to high rates of medication nonadherence and loss to follow-up outpatient care. Management challenges are frequent, such as failure of antifungal therapy, high rates of rehospitalization, and the need for repeated shunt revision surgeries. In addition to the development of curative new antifungal agents, understanding the barriers to patient adherence to care and antifungal therapy and identifying means to overcome such barriers are of paramount importance.

A functional genomics screen identifying blood cell development genes in Drosophila by undergraduates participating in a course-based research experience

Undergraduate students participating in the UCLA Undergraduate Research Consortium for Functional Genomics (URCFG) have conducted a two-phased screen using RNA interference (RNAi) in combination with fluorescent reporter proteins to identify genes important for hematopoiesis in Drosophila. This screen disrupted the function of approximately 3500 genes and identified 137 candidate genes for which loss of function leads to observable changes in the hematopoietic development. Targeting RNAi to maturing, progenitor, and regulatory cell types identified key subsets that either limit or promote blood cell maturation. Bioinformatic analysis reveals gene enrichment in several previously uncharacterized areas, including RNA processing and export and vesicular trafficking. Lastly, the participation of students in this course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) correlated with increased learning gains across several areas, as well as increased STEM retention, indicating that authentic, student-driven research in the form of a CURE represents an impactful and enriching pedagogical approach.

New insights into an autoimmune mechanism, pharmacological treatment and relationship between multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are autoimmune diseases with a close relationship to their disease pattern and immunologic cascade with considerable morbidity and mortality. This article provides insight of why tumor necrosis factor blockers couldn't work in multiple sclerosis and why interferon-beta doesn't work in inflammatory bowel disease. In this article, we provide a detailed review of the linkage and potential interchangeable medication between IBD and MS in addition to Natalizumab, Trichuris suis egg therapy and vitamin D. Different treatment strategies may have potential in treating both diseases in the future.

The prevalence of celiac disease autoantibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

[corrected] Systemic lupus erythematosus has been associated with false positive autoantibodies for primary biliary cirrhosis, chronic active hepatitis, Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorders, syphilis, and scleroderma. An increased prevalence of autoantibodies are found in celiac disease and systemic lupus erythematosus, which share the human lymphocyte HLA-B8 and HLA-DR3 histocompatibility antigens. This study examines the prevalence of celiac disease autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

METHODS

Patients observed in the Department of Rheumatology at our institutions in San Antonio, Texas with known systemic lupus erythematosus were offered participation in the study. One hundred three of the 130 patients contacted agreed to participate. Patients were excluded if they were pregnant or medically unable to undergo endoscopy. All volunteers were tested for the serological presence of IgA and IgM antigliadin and IgA antiendomysial antibodies. Those with positive serology underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy with duodenal mucosal biopsy.

RESULTS

Twenty-four of 103 (23.3%) systemic lupus erythematosus patients tested positive for either antigliadin antibody, whereas none of the 103 patients tested positive for antiendomysial antibody. None of the 24 antigliadin positive patients were found to have endoscopic or histological evidence of celiac disease, making the false positive rate of antigliadin antibody 23%.

CONCLUSION

The presence of false positive antigliadin antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is common. Despite shared human lymphocyte antigen loci there does not seem to be an association between celiac disease and systemic lupus erythematosus.

How to deal with chronic constipation. A stepwise method of establishing and treating the source of the problem

Chronic constipation is a common medical complaint encountered often in a primary care setting. Most patients can be treated successfully with simple measures, including education, bowel habit training, increased fluid and fiber intake, and use of laxatives. Chronic constipation is usually considered idiopathic, but secondary causes should be excluded. In about 1% of patients with severe, intractable constipation, further diagnostic testing (e.g., endoscopy, colonic transit study) is needed. Patients with colonic inertia can be treated with judicious use of laxatives, but surgery may be necessary in a few cases. Patients with outlet inertia should be referred for biofeedback treatment.

Gilbert's syndrome co-existing with and masking hereditary spherocytosis

An unusual case of co-existing Gilbert's syndrome and hereditary spherocytosis is reported. Diagnostic strategies are presented, and the literature is reviewed for simultaneous presence of these disorders.

Venous complications of midazolam versus diazepam

Although some studies have suggested fewer venous complications are associated with midazolam than with diazepam for endoscopic procedures, this variable has not been well documented. We prospectively evaluated the incidence of venous complications after intravenous injection of diazepam or midazolam in 122 consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Overall, venous complications were more frequent with diazepam (22 of 62 patients) than with midazolam (4 of 60 patients) (p < 0.001). A palpable venous cord was present in 23% (14 of 62) of patients in the diazepam group, compared with 2% (1 of 60 patients) in the midazolam group (p < 0.002). Pain at the injection site occurred in 35% (22 of 62) of patients in the diazepam group compared with 7% (4 of 60 patients) in the midazolam group (p < 0.001). Swelling and warmth at the injection site were not significantly different between the two groups. Smoking, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, intravenous catheter site, dwell time of the needle, alcohol use, and pain during the injection had no effect on the incidence of venous complications.

Value of MRI in pediatric migraine

Twenty four pediatric migraineurs were prospectively evaluated to determine if white matter hyperintensities were present on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). None had white matter findings or brain abnormalities. Five had mucoperiosteal thickening of the paranasal sinuses, which were unrelated to the patients' clinical course. MRI white matter findings are probably not a common occurrence in pediatric migraineurs. In addition, MRI sinus findings are not necessarily related to a child's headache complaints.

Gastric acid secretion in HIV-1 infection

It has been suggested that AIDS patients may have reduced gastric acid output. This is of concern because gastric acid may be required for absorption of oral antifungal agents that are important in AIDS management. The cause as well as the progression of reduced gastric acid output in AIDS patients is unclear. This study investigated gastric acid output in relation to the stage of non-AIDS HIV-1-infected patients. No statistical difference was found between nine control and 26 male HIV-infected subjects in basal acid output, maximal acid output, peak acid output, or fasting serum gastrin, regardless of stage. Likewise, no relationship between stage of HIV infection and gastric acid output was determined. We conclude that there is no impairment in basal and maximally stimulated gastric acid secretion in non-AIDS HIV-1-infected males. In addition, the clinical stage of non-AIDS HIV-1 infection has no effect on gastric acid secretion.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding from Merkel cell carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare small cell carcinoma of the dermis with aggressive clinical features and frequent local recurrence. Intra-abdominal spread of the cancer has previously been noted primarily in the liver and retroperitoneal nodes. We report a patient with previously diagnosed Merkel cell carcinoma of the right buttock with metastases to the stomach and duodenum presenting with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Survival of heart failure patients with preserved versus impaired systolic function: the prognostic implication of blood pressure

The impact of impaired versus preserved systolic function on survival of patients with heart failure was investigated in 78 patients with decompensated heart failure. Patients were classified on the basis of their left ventricular systolic performance, as defined by fractional shortening (FS); group I (n = 56) had impaired systolic function (FS less than 24%) and group II (n = 22) had preserved systolic function (FS greater than or equal to 24%). Mean ejection fraction was 15 +/- 5% and 40 +/- 13% for these groups, respectively. By the end of 48 months, 36 patients in group I had died compared with only 22 patients in group II (p less than 0.05). Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lower in the deceased patients compared with the survivors in group I (p less than 0.05). There was a trend for an opposite direction in the relationship of blood pressure to mortality in group II. We conclude that the prognosis of patients with heart failure and preserved systolic function is more favorable than that of those with impaired function, and that blood pressure may have a differential prognostic meaning in the two groups.

Impact of left ventricular hypertrophy on ventricular arrhythmias in the absence of coronary artery disease

Left ventricular hypertrophy has a grave prognosis. Ventricular arrhythmias may account for a large portion of this poor prognosis, but the contribution of coronary artery disease has not been excluded. The occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias was investigated by 24 h ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring in 49 hypertensive patients who had normal findings on coronary arteriography. The presence of left ventricular hypertrophy was assessed by both ECG and echocardiography. The frequency and complexity of ventricular arrhythmias were significantly related to the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy whether it was defined by wall thickness (interventricular septum or posterior wall greater than or equal to 1.2 cm) or by left ventricular mass indexed to height (left ventricular mass/height greater than or equal to 163 g/m in men and greater than or equal to 121 g/m in women). The relation between left ventricular mass or wall thickness to ventricular arrhythmia was graded and continuous; for every 1 mm increase in the thickness of interventricular septum or posterior wall there was an associated two- to threefold increase, respectively, in the occurrence and complexity of ventricular arrhythmias. In conclusion, left ventricular hypertrophy is associated with an increase in the frequency and complexity of ventricular arrhythmias in the absence of coronary artery disease, and the relation is graded and continuous.

Bedside diagnosis of preserved versus impaired left ventricular systolic function in heart failure

The importance of recognizing symptomatic heart failure with preserved left ventricular (LV) systolic function has only recently been appreciated. To determine its frequency and identify clinical features that make the bedside diagnosis likely, 82 patients admitted for decompensated heart failure were classified into 2 groups based on their LV systolic performance, as defined by fractional shortening (FS): group I (n = 59), with impaired systolic function (fractional shortening less than 24%), and group II (n = 23) with preserved systolic function (fractional shortening greater than or equal to 24%). Mean fractional shortening was 15 +/- 5% and 39 +/- 1% for groups I and II, respectively. Female gender (p less than 0.05), obesity (p less than 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 105 mm Hg (p less than 0.05) predominated in group II. Jugular venous distention was identified more frequently in group I (p less than 0.05). No statistically significant difference between the 2 groups was noted among various demographic variables (age, duration of symptoms, history of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and heavy alcohol drinking) or physical findings (S3 gallop, edema, cardiomegaly, pulmonary congestion and pulmonary edema). Echocardiographic mean left ventricular dimension measured 6.6 +/- 1 versus 5.0 +/- 1 cm (p less than 0.01) and mean posterior wall thickness 1.1 +/- 0.3 versus 1.4 +/- 0.4 cm (p less than 0.01) in group I and II, respectively. The combination of diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 105 mm Hg and an absence of jugular venous distention had a high specificity and positive predictive value (100%) for identifying group II patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Precipitating factors leading to decompensation of heart failure. Traits among urban blacks

Potential precipitating factors that led to cardiac decompensation and subsequent hospital admission for heart failure were examined in 101 patients in a large public hospital serving a predominantly working-class minority population. Ninety-seven percent of patients were black; their age was 59 +/- 14 years (mean +/- SD); on average, they were hospitalized three times in the preceding year for problems related to their heart failure. Potential precipitating factors for decompensated heart failure were identified in 93% of patients. Lack of adherence to the prescribed medical regimen was the most commonly identified causative factor and was noted in 64% of the cases; noncompliance with diet amounted to 22%, with drugs to 6%, and with the combination of drugs and diet to 37%. Other factors also related to hospitalization were cardiac arrhythmias (29%), emotional/environmental issues (26%), inadequately conceived drug therapy (17%), pulmonary infections (12%), and thyrotoxicosis (1%). Thus, the key preventive measure necessary in at least two thirds of patients centered around better adherence to drug and/or diet regimen, highlighting the precept that better patient education is mandatory if we are to minimize the number of hospital admissions for decompensated heart failure.