Leukemic Retinopathy: A Diagnostic Clue for Initial Detection and Prognosis of Leukemia.

Leukemia is a systemic malignancy that can compromise various physiological functions, including vision. We report a case of a 37-year-old male presenting with worsening bilateral central vision loss, fatigue, shortness of breath, and ankle edema. Ophthalmic examination revealed extensive retinal hemorrhages, Roth spots, and subhyaloid hemorrhages, consistent with leukemic retinopathy.

Acute Posterior Multifocal Placoid Pigment Epitheliopathy With Associated Papillitis.

The purpose of this study was to report the rare presentation of bilateral acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE) and unilateral papillitis treated successfully with corticosteroid therapy. The methods used in this study include fundus photography and fluorescein angiography. A 40-year-old female presented to the emergency room with decreased vision, headache, and photophobia with fundus examination findings of bilateral creamy placoid lesions in the posterior pole and unilateral papillitis, macular edema, and disc hemorrhages.

A Rare Case of Vomiting-Induced Retrobulbar Hemorrhage.

Retrobulbar hemorrhage may result in sudden accumulation of blood in the retrobulbar space which can lead to an orbital compartment syndrome. This potentially blinding condition is characterized by a rapid increase in intra-orbital pressure. While most commonly associated with orbital trauma, it may rarely occur with Valsalva events in patients on anticoagulants.

[Non-infectious diseases of the aorta and large arteries].

This article describes the various forms of inflammatory lesions of the aorta and large arteries, including chronic periaortitis, as well as the diagnostic methods are considered. Large vessel vasculitis represent the most common entities, however, there is also an association with other rheumatological or inflammatory diseases, drug-induced or paraneoplastic entities. Instrumental imaging modalities play an important role in the diagnosis.

[Possibility of complex medicamental and endovascular treatment of pulmonary hypertension in Takayasu arteritis with predominant pulmonary arteries' lesion].

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a systemic vasculitis with predominatly lesions of aorta and its large branches. In some cases pulmonary arteries (PA) are involved in the pathological inflammatory process and lead to the formation of pulmonary hypertension and significantly worse the prognosis. Timely development of lesion of PA, appointment of adequate therapy and surgical treatment can prevent irreversible damage of blood vessels and improve the prognosis.

[Pulmonary hemorrhage in rheumatic diseases].

In the article, we report the causes of pulmonary hemorrhage (PH) according to the literature data and own experience, with an emphasis on patients suffering from rheumatic diseases. Methods of diagnosis and modern approaches to the treatment of PH are analyzed.

A Novel Proposal of Salivary Lymphocyte Detection and Phenotyping in Patients Affected by Sjogren's Syndrome.

A preliminary evaluation of the parotid secretion cellular composition in patients with Sjogren's Syndrome (SS) and a diagnostic accuracy assessment of salivary lymphocyte detection and immunophenotyping in Sjogren's Syndrome diagnosis and prognosis were performed. The study included 40 consecutive patients, aged 19-60 years, with parenchymal sialadenitis associated with Sjogren's Syndrome, and 20 healthy donors. The exclusion criteria were exacerbation of sialadenitis, chronic infections, malignant neoplasms, and lymphoproliferative diseases.

Diagnostic algorithm for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated systemic vasculitis.

Antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) are rare autoimmune disorders and characterized by severe multiple organ lesions with a potential fatal outcome. AAV comprises granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve the AAV prognosis, but there are can be difficult, largely due to the lack of criteria for the classification MPA, whose main difference is the absence of granulomatous inflammation.

Orbitocerebral Mucormycosis in a Patient With Central Nervous System Lymphoma.

A 61-year-old man with well-controlled diabetes mellitus type 2, cirrhosis from hepatitis C, alcohol abuse, and portal hypertension presented with painful vision loss and left orbital swelling. Imaging showed diffuse orbital, perineural, and pachymeningeal inflammation. He was initially diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis.

Imatinib mesylate use in refractory eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a literature review and a case report.

Recent advances in pharmacology have greatly expanded the drug repertoire for treatment of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a rare multisystemic disorder, a type of the ANCA-associated vasculitis. Important features of this disease are eosinophilia and anti-myeloperoxidase ANCA presence in around 30-70% of patients.

[Hepatitis C virus-associated cryoglobulinemic vasculitis: A 20-year experience with treatment].

Aim: To summarize the experience of a multidisciplinary therapy hospital in treating patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV).

Subjects And Methods: Seventy-two patients (mean age, 49.4±10.

[Current approaches to diagnosing and treating eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: The 2015 international guidelines].

The 2015 international guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, formerly known as the Churg-Strauss syndrome, are detailed and an attempt is made to expand an evidence base, by attracting more recent available publications. The new guidelines should not be regarded as final standards; these are primarily to extend the possibilities of choosing a personified management strategy for patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and to serve as the starting point for further in-depth investigations.

[Microscopic polyangiitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies: clinical features].

Aim: To study the clinical features of early- and extended-stage microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and its outcomes on the basis of a long-term follow-up in a rheumatologist's practice.

Subjects And Methods: The clinical features of early- and extended-stage MPA were studied in detail and the premorbid background and possible precipitating factors were analyzed in 70 patients with MPA and the proven hyperproduction of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (anti-proteinase-3 (anti-PR3) antibodies in 55% and anti-myeloperoxidase (anti-MPO) antibodies in 45%) who had been followed up for more than a year.

Results: There is evidence for the nosological unity of the two immunological types of MPA associated with anti-PR-3 or anti-MPO antibodies.

[The current classification of systemic vasculitides].

Systemic vasculitides (SV) are severe multiorgan diseases whose early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve prognosis. Improving the classification of SV may lead to a significant reduction in the likelihood of diagnostic errors. The presented paper deals with the results of the International Consensus Conference on the Nomenclature of SV (Chappel Hill, USA) in 2012.

[Antibodies to proteinase-3 and myeloperoxidase in systemic vasculitis].

Aim: To investigate occurrence and diagnostic significance of antibodies to proteinase-3 (aPR-3) and myeloperoxidase (aMPO) in systemic vasculitis (SV).

Material And Methods: A total of 98 patients with different forms of SV were examined: nonspecific aortoarteritis (NAA, n = 18), nodular polyarteritis (NP, n = 18), Wegener granulomatosis (WG, n = 20), obliterating thrombangiitis (OT, n = 21), and hemorrhagic vasculitis (HV, n = 21). Eight patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) and 20 donors comprised a control group.

Serum concentrations of neopterin, soluble interleukin 2 receptor, and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor in Wegener's granulomatosis.

Objective: To investigate the possible relationship between serum levels of neopterin, soluble tumor necrosis factor-55 receptor (sTNF-55R), and soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) with disease activity in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG).

Methods: Serum neopterin was measured by radioimmunoassay, sTNF-55R and sIL-2R were measured by ELISA in 26 patients with WG.

Results: Serum neopterin, sTNF-55R, and sIL-2R were significantly elevated in patients with generalized WG compared with healthy controls.

Serum neopterin concentrations in Wegener's granulomatosis correlate with vasculitis activity.

Raised serum neopterin concentrations were found in 13 of 27 patients (47%) with Wegener's granulomatosis. The neopterin concentrations significantly correlated with the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score as well as with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. High serum neopterin levels were also associated with infectious complications.

[The current concepts of microscopic polyarteritis].

Clinical picture, morphological changes, immunological disorders confirm reality and nosological independence of MPA. A clear nosological differentiation of systemic vasculitis is important for decision on an individual choice of treatment.

[Clinical and pathogenetic aspects of kidney damage associated with neutrophilic cytoplasm antibodies].

A retrospective analysis of the authors' own findings and foreign authors' data has demonstrated that neutrophilic cytoplasm antibodies (NCAs) play a definite pathogenetic role in the activation of neutrophils, a central link in the pathogenesis of vascular wall damage in necrotizing vasculitides. The clinical value of NCAs varies with their specificity. Proteinase 3 antibodies whose detection allows one to suppose Wegener's granulomatosis are of greater diagnostic value.