Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tickborne infectious disease in China, Korea, and Japan caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV). SFTS has a high mortality rate due to multiorgan failure. Recently, there are several reports on SFTS patients with mycosis. Here, we report a middle-aged Japanese SFTS patient with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) revealed by an autopsy. A 61-year-old man with hypertension working in forestry was bitten by a tick and developed fever, diarrhea, and anorexia in 2 days. On day 4, consciousness disorder was appearing, and the patient was transferred to the University of Miyazaki Hospital. A blood test showed leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, as well as elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase. The SFTSV gene was detected in serum using a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. On day 5, respiratory failure appeared and progressed rapidly, and on day 7, the patient died. An autopsy was performed that revealed hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow and bleeding of several organs. IPA was observed in lung specimens. SFTSV infection may be a risk factor for developing IPA. Early diagnosis and treatment of IPA may be important in patients with SFTS.
A 63-year-old woman presented to our hospital with fever, purpura and pain in both legs and died 4 days after admission. Her blood smear and skin biopsy showed cylinder-like bodies (20×120 μm). She was diagnosed to have monoclonal gammopathy (IgG, lambda type). An autopsy revealed cylinder-like bodies in the vasculature of various organs. We noted a proliferation of atypical plasma cells in her bone marrow, suggesting pre-existing myeloma. Crystalglobulinemia is a rare manifestation of hypergammaglobulinemia that can cause multiple embolisms of the small vessels, and this resulted in the patient's fulminant course. The identification of cylinder-like bodies in the peripheral blood may help in reaching a diagnosis in such cases.
Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a rare disease that can be difficult to diagnose in its early stage. A young woman with a fever and neck pain was thought to have TA, although computed tomographic angiography did not show any specific changes of the arteries. [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ([(18)F]FDG-PET) was performed to detect the source of the inflammation. Specific accumulation of [(18)F]FDG-6-phosphate in the thoracic aorta and its direct branches was observed, leading to a diagnosis of TA. [(18)F]FDG-PET is therefore considered to be useful for the diagnosis of early-stage TA.
Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a rare disease that can be difficult to diagnose in its early stage. A young woman with a fever and neck pain was thought to have TA, although computed tomographic angiography did not show any specific changes of the arteries. [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ([(18)F]FDG-PET) was performed to detect the source of the inflammation. Specific accumulation of [(18)F]FDG-6-phosphate in the thoracic aorta and its direct branches was observed, leading to a diagnosis of TA. [(18)F]FDG-PET is therefore considered to be useful for the diagnosis of early-stage TA.
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