1/29. Nonvasculitic autoimmune inflammatory meningoencephalitis (NAIM): a reversible form of encephalopathy.Five patients, age 54 to 80 years, presented between 3 weeks and 18 months after symptomatic onset of progressive cognitive decline, psychosis, and unsteady gait that proved to be due to a steroid-responsive nonvasculitic autoimmune inflammatory meningoencephalitic syndrome. CSF examination showed elevated immunoglobulin (Ig)G index and IgG synthesis rate in all three patients in whom it was checked, and brain biopsy revealed perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates without vessel wall invasion.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/29. A causal role for parvovirus B19 infection in adult dermatomyositis and other autoimmune syndromes.BACKGROUND: infection with parvovirus B19 (B19) has been associated with connective tissue disease (CTD) stigmata, namely, a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like illness, seronegative polyarthritis resembling rheumatoid arthritis, and vasculitis. The dermatopathology and pathogenetic basis of such B19-associated CTD-like syndromes have not been elucidated. OBJECTIVE: We attempted to document persistence of the B19 genome in skin lesions of 7 patients with CTD-like symptomatology following B19 infection and to correlate systemic manifestations to dermatopathological findings. METHOD: In 7 prospectively encountered patients in whom history, clinical signs and/or serology supported a diagnosis of CTD in the setting of B19 infection, dermatopathological and clinical features were correlated. parvovirus B19 viral genome was sought in skin tissue using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Two patients had clinical features diagnostic of myopathic dermatomyositis (DM), 1 of whom is still symptomatic 1.5 years after the onset of her illness, and the other has had typical clinical features of DM for a duration of 3.5 years. A 3rd patient with SLE remains symptomatic 4 years after the onset of her illness. A 4th patient has persistent seronegative symmetrical polyarthritis of 6 years' duration and cutaneous lesions of granuloma annulare (GA). The 5th patient has a 1.5-year history of debilitating polyarthritis and cutaneous lesions with overlap features of DM and subacute cutaneous LE (SCLE). The 6th patient has had a persistent folliculocentric necrotizing vasculitis for 3 years. The 7th patient has a 1-year history of microscopic polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) with cutaneous vasculitis and persistent active renal disease. In 4 patients, exposure to children with fifth disease immediately preceded the onset of their CTD. parvovirus B19 infection was documented serologically in 6 patients with antibodies of IgG subclass in 6 and of IgM subclass in 1. Four of 6 patients questioned had a history of atopy. skin biopsies from patients with clinical features of SLE or DM demonstrated an interface dermatitis with dermal mucinosis. A necrotizing vasculitis with epithelial pustulation was seen in 2 patients. Interstitial GA-like infiltrates were seen in 5 cases. Immunofluorescent (IF) testing revealed a positive lupus band test (LBT) and epidermal nuclear and vascular staining for IgG and C5b-9 in the SLE patient. One DM patient had a negative LBT in concert with C5b-9 deposition along the dermoepidermal junction (DEJ) and within blood vessels while the other showed endomysial vascular Cs5b-9 deposition. In all patients, skin biopsy material contained B19 genome, which was absent in the serum of 4 patients analyzed. Symptomatic relief followed immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapy with agents including prednisone, cyclophosphamide, hydroxychloroquine, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and etanercept, but no patient has had complete symptom resolution. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent B19 infection may be of pathogenetic importance in certain prototypic CTD syndromes, to which underlying immune dysregulation associated with a blunted IgM response to viral antigen may predispose. Anti-viral therapy might be worthy of consideration since traditional immunosuppressive therapy was unsuccessful in our cases.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/29. Autoimmune keratolysis in a patient with leukocytoclastic vasculitis: unusual erythema elevatum diutinum with granulomatous pattern.PURPOSE: Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCCV) is an immune complex-mediated, small vessel disease that is clinically characterized by the presence of palpable purpuric lesions, most often in association with rheumatic diseases. Ocular manifestations of LCCV are rare. methods: We describe a patient with an unusual granulomatous pattern of erythema elevatum diutinum (EED) associated with autoimmune keratolysis. RESULTS: We studied a 64-year-old man with decreased visual acuity and nodular lesions in both hands. Ocular examination revealed bilateral superior corneal melting with perforation in the left eye and conjunctival thickening in both eyes, in association with a severe inflammatory reaction. Histopathologic examination of the conjunctiva revealed granulomatous vasculitis with neutrophilic infiltrate, giant cells, and fibroblastic proliferation. A punch biopsy taken from his skin showed similar characteristics that suggested EED; however, there were no giant cells. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, autoimmune keratolysis secondary to cutaneous LCCV (EED) has not been described previously, and there has been no description of granulomatous reaction (in the conjunctiva) in EED.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/29. February 2001: A 74 year old man with a history over 3 months of increasing dyspnea and malaise.The February COM: A man of 78 years with idiopathic late-onset cerebellar ataxia developed renal failure in association with a high ESR and positive pANCA. This was complicated by a subclinical spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage which was related to necrotizing inflammation of small leptomeningeal vessels. Renal cortical infarcts were due to similar inflammation in arcuate and interlobular arteries. Spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage is rare and usually due to rupture of an arteriovenous malformation. However, an immunogenic connective tissue disorder should be considered in the differential diagnosis. In this case, the histology and results of an autoantibody screen support a diagnosis of microscopic polyangiitis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/29. Cogan's syndrome: organ-specific autoimmune disease or systemic vasculitis? A report of two cases and review of the literature.Cogan's syndrome is a rare disorder of unknown origin characterized by inflammatory eye disease and vestibuloauditory symptoms. Typically, young adults suffer from interstitial keratitis and sudden onset of tinnitus and hearing loss. Few cases (around 150) have been published and thus it is difficult to determine the percentage of patients with underlying systemic disorders such as systemic vasculitis. The variety of systemic manifestations is large and includes fever, splenomegaly, lymphadenopath, and musculoskeletal complaints. systemic vasculitis can be seen in around 10% of cases and may involve the large vessels, appearing as Takayasu-like vasculitis with affection of the aortic valve but also the coronary arteries and the small kidney vasculature. Evaluating the exact extension of the systemic features determines the choice of treatment. While corticosteroids have proved to be of short-term benefit, long-term treatment with immunosuppressive drugs is controversial. Auditory function in deaf patients has often been restored successfully with cochlear implants. To illustrate the nature of the syndrome, we present two patients with a wide clinical spectrum of symptoms from local disease restricted to the eyes and ears to a widespread vasculitis affecting arteries of the brain, kidney and the upper and lower extremities. We then review the typical aspects as well as the etiology of the disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/29. Development of histologic features of scleroderma in congenital lesions.BACKGROUND: Localized scleroderma has been reported after radiation therapy, but has never been reported to occur at the site of a congenital lesion. CASE REPORT: We present two patients, both with family histories of autoimmune disease, who reported unilateral hypopigmented areas on the trunk since birth. The areas remained asymptomatic and grew with the patients until adulthood when the areas became indurated then firm and showed hyperpigmentation. histology: Histologically, both lesions showed features of localized scleroderma with diffuse sclerosis of collagen and loss of periadnexal fat. There was a perivascular lymphoplasmocytic infiltrate with occasional eosinophils extending into the subcutaneous fat predominantly along fat septae, and diffuse loss of CD34 stromal cell populations within the lesions. CONCLUSION: We propose that somatic mutations affecting vessels may predispose to increased endothelial cell apoptosis. This could lead to the development of an autoimmune response in some individuals, and the areas of localized scleroderma may be markers of susceptibility to autoimmune disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/29. central nervous system involvement in a child with polyarteritis nodosa and severe atopic dermatitis.polyarteritis nodosa is a diffuse vasculitis of small- and medium-sized muscular arteries that can involve the vessels of one or several organ systems. We report an 11-year-old boy with severe atopic dermatitis further complicated with erythroderma and cerebellar symptoms. Laboratory studies showed negative antinuclear antibodies and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; increased serum complement, IgG cryoglobulins 96.8 mg/dL (0-80) and serum IgG 2,160 mg/dL (613-1,295), and positive alpha-cardiolipin test. The IgE value was high. skin prick tests and RAST were positive for dust mites and casein. The viral profile was negative. Imaging studies disclosed tortuousity in the vessels and ischemic infarction in the cerebellum and thalamus. A diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa with central nervous system involvement was made. The patient improved with immunosuppressive therapy and thalidomide. Currently, the patient is controlled and in a rehabilitation program. Other cases of polyarteritis nodosa associated with atopic dermatitis have not been reported.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/29. Oligoclonal T-cell populations in an inflammatory pseudotumor of the pancreas possibly related to autoimmune pancreatitis: an immunohistochemical and molecular analysis.Inflammatory pseudotumors (IPT), also known as inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMT), are benign inflammatory processes that may have an infectious etiology and are very rare in the pancreatico-biliary region. Recent studies suggest a biological distinction between IPT and IMT, the latter being a true neoplastic process. We describe a case of pancreatic IPT, originally diagnosed as malignancy, which presumably recurred 4 months after the operation. Histologically, the tumor consisted of a smooth muscle actin and CD68-positive spindle cell population and a more abundant mononuclear inflammatory cell population, primarily composed of macrophages and t-lymphocytes. Inflammatory cells were the source of connective tissue growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta1 and tended to accumulate around nerves and blood vessels, as well as around residual pancreatic parenchymal elements, where an intense angiogenetic response was detected. comparative genomic hybridization analysis of the tumor showed no chromosomal imbalances. polymerase chain reaction-based analysis of T-cell receptor gamma gene rearrangement revealed an oligoclonal pattern. These findings suggest that the pathogenesis of aggressive cases of IPT could be related to the development of an intense and self-maintaining immune response, with the emergence of clonal populations of t-lymphocytes. The relation of the pancreatic IPT to autoimmune pancreatitis is emphasized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/29. Nonvasculitic autoimmune inflammatory meningoencephalitis.Caselli and colleagues described five cases with encephalopathy, progressive cognitive decline, ataxia, abnormal CSF studies and steroid responsiveness, and proposed the term non-vasculitic autoimmune inflammatory meningoencephalitis (NAIM). Many of these cases had brain biopsy showing mild leptomeningeal perivascular lymphocytic inflammation, however, none of the cases had a post-mortem. Nonvasculitic autoimmune mediated meningoencephalitis has been described in patients with sjogren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus and, more recently, with Hashimoto's disease. The present study is the first post-mortem report of a case with a clinical diagnosis of NAIM. Neuropathological examination revealed a panencephalitis with intact vessel walls. T and B immunostaining showed a mixture of T and B cells. The findings were not consistent with other reported findings in collagen vascular diseases including sjogren's syndrome, CNS vasculitis or Hashimoto's encephalopathy. There was no evidence of neoplasia, bacteria, acid-fast bacilli, fungi or atypical infectious agents. This is the first post-mortem report of a case with a clinical diagnosis of NAIM and demonstrates a panencephalitis without evidence of a vasculitis. The pathology seems unique, however, Sjogren and Hashimoto's encephalopathy might be variants of NAIM.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/29. The pseudopapilledema of neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease.PURPOSE: To report a rare case of neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease with serial photographs to characterize the optic nerve findings. DESIGN: Observational case report. methods: A 6-year-old girl with neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease, who had received systemic corticosteroid therapy for 5 years, had bilateral fibrillar opacities that surrounded the optic disks and extended into the peripapillary nerve fiber layer and vessels. A magnetic resonance imaging examination and lumbar puncture revealed elevated intracranial pressure. RESULTS: The elevated intracranial pressure returned to normal following a corticosteroid taper. optic disk photographs, taken 4 years earlier, were subsequently obtained. The optic disk appearance had remained unchanged over the 4-year period, consistent with a pseudopapilledema. CONCLUSION: The optic disk appearance is not consistent with papilledema from increased intracranial pressure. The optic disk findings, in conjunction with the underlying inflammatory syndrome, suggest an infiltrative etiology for the atypical optic nerve findings in neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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