A Rare Case of Extracranial Giant Cell Arteritis in a Patient With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs, and its coexistence with Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) is extremely rare. We present, to our knowledge, the first reported case of a 56-year-old woman with SLE and extracranial GCA who presented with chest pain as the cardinal symptom. The diagnosis was subsequently confirmed by imaging studies, ruling out Takayasu arteritis and SLE-related vasculitis.

Reactive Arthritis or HIV-Associated Arthropathy: Is It Important to Differentiate Them?

Although human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated arthropathy is the most frequently described joint syndrome, the spectrum of its clinical manifestations is poorly known, and it is difficult to distinguish it from reactive arthritis (ReA). Knowing how to differentiate these two conditions has major implications regarding their prognosis and treatment. We present the case of an adult patient with a history of HIV infection with adequate virological control and good adherence to antiretroviral treatment, which began with an acute clinical picture consisting of additive asymmetric oligoarthritis with subsequent transition to symmetric polyarthritis predominantly in the upper extremities, initially attributed to ReA.

Bone involvement in non-congenital syphilis.

We documented two stages of bone involvement due to syphilis in two adult patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Bony lesions of secondary versus tertiary syphilis cannot be differentiated on clinical or radiologic grounds alone. Given the rarity of this clinical presentation, there is no consensus on treatment duration and related outcomes.

HIV/AIDS infection in critical care: epidemiological profile and risk factors for mortality in a Colombian cohort.

Introduction: Outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) have improved with antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, whether the outcomes have improved in low- and middle-income countries, paralleling those of high-income countries is unknown. The objective of this study was to describe a cohort of HIV-infected patients admitted to ICU in a middle-income country and identify the risk factors associated with mortality.

Acute Q Fever With Dermatologic Manifestations, Molecular Diagnosis, and No Seroconversion.

We herein described a case of acute infection by (acute Q fever) that started with a short incubation period and showed prominent dermatological manifestations and unusual serological behavior. The infection was confirmed by molecular detection through real-time polymerase chain reaction using genomic DNA collected from peripheral blood.

Genetic Diversity of Multidrug-Resistant Isolates Carrying and Genes That Spread on Different Genetic Environment in Colombia.

is an opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen with an increase in the frequency of infections caused by multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) strains, limiting the available therapeutic options. The most troublesome resistance is the acquisition and production of carbapenemases such as Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamases (VIM), the most frequent and widespread, and the carbapenemases (KPC), which has continuously spread in the last decade. Its dissemination is linked to their location on mobile genetic elements (MGEs).

Rhinosporidiosis in the Americas: A Systematic Review of Native Cases.

Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic mucosal infection caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi, an aquatic protistan parasite. It presents as nasal or ocular polypoidal or vascularized masses. It is endemic in tropical and subtropical areas, especially in South Asia; R.

Outcomes and complications of hospitalised patients with HIV-TB co-infection.

Background: Tuberculosis is one of the most common causes of hospitalisation in patients with HIV. Despite this, hospital outcomes of patients with this co-infection have rarely been described since antiretroviral therapy became widely available.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of HIV-infected adult patients hospitalised with TB in six referral hospitals in Medellin, Colombia, from August 2014 to July 2015.

Rhinosporidiosis in Colombia: case series and literature review.

Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic granulomatous disease that affects mucosal surfaces. Its epidemiology and clinical presentation in Colombia are not well-known. We therefore reviewed all 58 reported cases between 1964 and 2015 to raise awareness among clinicians in a non-endemic area.

[Cervical lymphadenitis caused by no typhoid Salmonella in a diabetic patient].

No Typhoid Salmonella infection is one of the most common and widely spread foodborne diseases worldwide. Although most cases are limited to the gastrointestinal tract, extraintestinal involvement is not uncommon. However, adenitis as an isolated manifestation, is an unusual form of the disease.

[Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients infected with Leptospira spp. treated at four hospitals in Medellín, Colombia, 2008-2013].

Introduction: Leptospirosis remains a significant health problem in tropical regions including Latin America, where its presentation is 100 times higher than that observed in other regions of the world. Mortality reaches 10% in severe cases. Its diagnosis is challenging because clinical manifestations during the initial phase are non-specific and because of limited availability of diagnostic tests.

[Osteomyelitis due to Yokenella regensburgei following craniotomy in an immunocompetent patient].

The gram-negative bacillus Yokenella regensburgei (of the Enterobacteriaceae family) can be found in groundwater and foodstuffs, as well as the digestive tracts of insects and reptiles. Although it has been isolated from humans since its original description, it has rarely been reported as a cause of infection, and then, only in immunosuppressed patients. We report the first case of post-surgical secondary osteomyelitis due to Y.

Malignant Transformation of Hymenolepis nana in a Human Host.

Neoplasms occur naturally in invertebrates but are not known to develop in tapeworms. We observed nests of monomorphic, undifferentiated cells in samples from lymph-node and lung biopsies in a man infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The morphologic features and invasive behavior of the cells were characteristic of cancer, but their small size suggested a nonhuman origin.

Response to therapy in patients with cryptococcosis and AIDS: Association with in vitro susceptibility to fluconazole.

Background: The implications of the Cryptococcus neoformans resistance to fluconazole on patient therapy have not been fully elucidated due to the discordant results found in published studies.

Aims: To establish the influence of C. neoformans resistance to fluconazole in the therapy of individuals with cryptococcosis and AIDS.

Long-term/bioinert labeling of rat mesenchymal stem cells with PVA-Gd conjugates and MRI monitoring of the labeled cell survival after intramuscular transplantation.

Noninvasive in vivo imaging of transplanted stem cells is an effective method to clarify the mechanisms involved in stem cell transplantation therapy. We labeled rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with water-soluble magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent poly(vinyl alcohol)-gadolinium (PVA-Gd) in order to ascertain the fate of transplanted MSCs in vivo. PVA-Gd was retained and localized in the cytosolic compartment of MSCs for a longer period of time.

Magnetic resonance imaging detection of an uncommon granuloma formation after endothelial progenitor cells transplantation.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been recognized as a non-invasive technique for visualizing the ultrastructure of a tissue at high resolution. The work reported here showed the utility of MRI for visualizing the fate of EPCs, and demonstrate how it can be used to further our understanding of angiogenesis mechanisms.The recently developed contrast agent dextran mono-N-succinimidyl 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetate-gadolinium³⁺ (Dex-DOTA-Gd³⁺) was used to label endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).

Tuberculosis and histoplasmosis co-infection in AIDS patients.

Abstract. Coinfection with tuberculosis in some countries occurs in 8-15% of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) -infected patients who have histoplasmosis. This coinfection interferes with prompt diagnosis, and treatment is difficult because of drug interactions.

Synthesis, properties, and endothelial progenitor cells labeling stability of dextranes as polymeric magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.

Magnetic resonance imaging is one of the most important fields for cellular imaging due to its non-invasive capacity, spatial resolution, and sensibility to visualized transplanted cells. An enhanced magnetic resonance image can be achieved by using contrast agents containing paramagnetic gadolinium chelates, which have the widest clinical use. To obtain a better contrast-enhancement and reduce the concentration of Gd for payload, one strategy is to conjugate the gadolinium(III) chelate to polymeric materials that will lead into an increase in the rotational correlation time and therefore improve the relaxivity.

Histoplasmosis: results of the Colombian national survey, 1992-2008.

Introduction: Histoplasmosis, a fungal disorder characterized by a wide spectrum of manifestations that range from subclinical infections to disseminated processes, affects both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed individuals. Histoplasmosis is not a reportable disease in Colombia and consequently, a survey was designed to collect histoplasmosis cases diagnosed in the country.

Objective: The aim of this work was to analyze the data collected from 1992 to 2008.

The use of magnetic resonance cell tracking to monitor endothelial progenitor cells in a rat hindlimb ischemic model.

A water-soluble magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent, Dextran mono-N-succinimidyl 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetate-gadolinium(3+) (Dex-DOTA-Gd(3+)), was shown to enable monitoring of the anatomical migration and the survival period of transplanted stem cells for up to 1 month. Gadolinium molecules in the cells were rapidly eliminated from the site and excreted upon cell death. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) transplanted into the inguinal femoral muscle of rats migrated distally through the knee in rats after hindlimb ischemia but did not migrate in non-ischemic rats.

[Perception of epidemiological competencies by public health students in Mexico and Colombia during the influenza A (H1N1) epidemic].

Objective: Learn about the perception of public health students in Mexico and Colombia regarding the management of the influenza A (H1N1) epidemic to determine which curriculum contents in epidemiological education can be improved.

Methods: Survey administered to graduate students during the epidemic, from June to August 2009. The 30 epidemiological competencies for "intermediate epidemiologists" of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists were evaluated.

Long-term in vivo magnetic resonance imaging tracking of endothelial progenitor cells transplanted in rat ischemic limbs and their angiogenic potential.

Stem cell therapy has been used to repair ischemic tissues in the limbs, in myocardial infarctions, and in the brain. To understand the mechanisms of healing, a contrast agent capable of inducing sufficient magnetic resonance (MR) contrast would be useful in providing fundamental information about the cell migration and incorporation into the ischemic tissue. A magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent composed of dextran and gadolinium chelate was synthesized.

Adrenal function status in patients with paracoccidioidomycosis after prolonged post-therapy follow-up.

This study assessed adrenal function in patients with paracoccididioidomycosis who had been treated to determine a possible connection between high antibody titers and adrenal dysfunction attributable to persistence of the fungus in adrenal gland. Adrenal gland function was studied in 28 previously treated patients, 2 (7.1%) of whom were shown to have adrenal insufficiency and 7 (259%) who showed a below normal response to stimuli by adrenocorticotropic hormone.