As treatment of HIV has improved, people living with HIV (PLWH) have experienced a decreased risk of AIDS and AIDS-defining cancers (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Kaposi sarcoma, and cervical cancer), but the risk of Kaposi sarcoma in PLWH is still elevated about 500-fold compared with the general population in the United States. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for AIDS-Related Kaposi Sarcoma provide diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance recommendations for PLWH who develop limited cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma and for those with advanced cutaneous, oral, visceral, or nodal disease.
Objectives:
To report a novel case of Epipremnum aureum toxicity masquerading as bilateral infectious keratitis and review the literature on ocular manifestations of Epipremnum exposure.
Methods:
Case report and literature review.
Results:
A 70-year-old man with a history of photorefractive keratectomy presented with a 3-day history of bilateral eye pain. The patient reported exposure to plant debris while performing yard work and also water exposure while cleaning his coral fish tanks. Clinical examination revealed bilateral epitheliopathy progressing to frank epithelial defects with underlying stromal necrosis 6 days after exposure. Empiric topical antibiotic drops were initiated, but multiple cultures, corneal biopsy, and confocal microscopy were all negative for an infectious agent. Over a 2-week period, the epithelial defects worsened and a suspicion for a toxic etiology was raised. The patient later recalled rubbing his eyes after exposure to Epipremnum aureum (Golden Pothos/Devils Ivy) sap. He was thus treated conservatively with artificial tears, topical corticosteroids, and amniotic membrane. After 3 months, the epithelial defects resolved, but with corneal scarring, prominently in the left eye and underwent penetrating keratoplasty. Five years after presentation, best-corrected visual acuity with hard contact lenses was 20/25 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye.
Conclusion:
Epipremnum aureum toxicity is a rare cause of keratitis. It can mimic acanthamoeba keratitis or anesthetic abuse and should be considered in cases of culture negative nonhealing corneal ulcerations. Eliciting a history of plant sap exposure can facilitate appropriate supportive care for this toxic keratitis.
A patient with Schmidt's syndrome and atypical symptoms of Addison's disease is presented. Autoimmune thyroiditis was diagnosed at the age of 12 years and then at 15 years; a diagnosis of migraine was made following 10 days of headache, visual field defects and dysarthria. One week later the patient was admitted to hospital in critical condition. Addison's disease was diagnosed and replacement therapy was introduced which brought about a rapid clinical improvement. Positive adrenal autoantibodies confirmed the diagnosis. We suggest that patients with organ-specific autoimmune disease undergo annual screening for adrenal activity, and in the event of abnormal results, adrenal autoantibody evaluation should be carried out, to avoid a life-threatening crisis caused by Addison's disease, which is often difficult to recognize due to atypical clinical presentation, as in the patient reported here.
KEY WORDSAddison's disease, Schmidt's syndrome, autoimmune thyroiditis, adrenal autoantibodies
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