Patient: Male, 40-year-old Final Diagnosis: Erasmus syndrome • silicosis • systemic sclerosis Symptoms: Arthralgia • back pain • exertional dyspnea • Raynaud’s phenomenon • skin changes • weight loss Medication: — Clinical Procedure:— Specialty: Pulmonology • Rheumatology Objective: Rare disease Background: Erasmus syndrome is a rare disease entity characterized by the development of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in a background of silica exposure or silicosis. Case Report: We report the case of a 40-year-old Filipino man who previously worked in a silica grind mill for 10 years and eventually developed Erasmus syndrome. The patient initially presented with chronic back pain in 2018 associated with findings of pulmonary tuberculosis on chest X-ray, with notable improvement after 6 months of anti-tuberculosis treatment. However, his back pain recurred in 2021; this time with arthralgia, Raynaud’s phenomenon, thickening of both hands, skin hypopigmentation on the chest, back, and forehead, and exertional dyspnea. Physical examination revealed salt-and-pepper dermopathy and skin tightening over the back, chest, and extremities. Mobility of his hands was limited, associated with sclerodactyly and digital pitting. Antinuclear antibody-immunofluorescence and anti-scleroderma-70 antibodies were strongly positive, confirming the diagnosis of SSc. Chest computed tomography illustrated multiple subcentimeter nodules and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes with eggshell calcifications, consistent with silicosis. Spirometry with body plethysmography was normal but diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide was severely reduced. Histopathology of the skin showed markedly thickened collagen bundles in the dermis. Conclusions: Chronic silica exposure is a risk factor for the development of silicosis. The clinical course of patients with silicosis may be complicated by SSc. Maintaining a high index of suspicion is key to the diagnosis of Erasmus syndrome. The present report emphasizes the importance of preventive measures and surveillance among those with occupational exposure to silica. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of Erasmus syndrome in the Philippines.
Patient: Female, 51-year-old Final Diagnosis: COVID-19 pneumonia • severe • recovered Symptoms: Cough Medication: — Clinical Procedure: None Specialty: Pulmonology Objective: Unusual setting of medical care Background: Physicians worldwide have been reporting many cases of COVID-19-induced pulmonary fibrosis. We report the case of a 51-year-old Filipino asthmatic woman who developed post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis subsequently treated with Nintedanib. Case Report: The patient presented with a 4-day history of flu-like symptoms in September 2020 and was eventually diagnosed with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Despite receiving Dexamethasone, Tocilizumab, Remdesivir, and multiple antibiotics, there was increasing oxygen requirement, necessitating ICU admission and high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC). An additional course of hydrocortisone was given due to asthma exacerbation, gradually liberating her from the HFNC. A chest CT scan showed extensive parenchymal changes, for which she received methylprednisolone and physical rehabilitation with persistence of respiratory symptoms. After 40 days of hospitalization, she was sent home on oxygen support and Nintedanib. The patient initially had severe dyspnea (Borg Scale 7) with 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) of 295 meters. Pulmonary function showed moderately severe restrictive lung defect at 52% predicted total lung capacity (TLC) and severely reduced DLCO (28% predicted). Chest CT scoring indicated severe lung involvement. One month after Nintedanib treatment, her Borg Scale improved to 4. Her 6MWD, TLC, and DLCO increased to 434 meters, 64% predicted, and 36% predicted, respectively. A chest CT scan showed regressing fibrosis. After 6 months of treatment, her pulmonary function normalized. DLCO remained moderately reduced (59% predicted) but her 6MWD (457 meters) and CT scan results continued to improve. Conclusions: Nintedanib, along with other interventions, may have potentially improved pulmonary function and CT scan findings in a COVID-19 survivor with pulmonary fibrosis 6 months after treatment.
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