Cranial nerve palsy: an unusual presentation of a fulminant fungal disease.

Mucormycosis is a rare and dramatic fungal disease with a high mortality rate. We report a case of rhino- orbital mucormycosis, which commenced as cranial nerve palsy, in a woman with ignored diabetes mellitus. Mucormycosis should therefore be taken into consideration during the differential diagnosis of cranial nerve palsy, especially in diabetic or immunocompromised patients.

Sorafenib, risk of bleeding and spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma. A clinical case.

Spontaneous rupture is a rare and dramatic complication ofhepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), burdened by a high mortality. Here we describe a case of a 73-year-old man, who arrived at the ER because of syncope, and acute epigastric and right upper quadrant abdominal pain. He had a history of hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis and HCC in treatment with sorafenib.

Mediterranean spotted fever presenting as an acute pancreatitis.

Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is an infectious disease, caused by Rickettsia conorii. It can have a serious course, even deadly, with many types of complications. Described is a case of a 70-year-old man, hospitalized for fever, abdominal pain, amylase and lipase elevation, and ultrasound hypoechoic pancreas.

[Typhoid fever and acute pancreatitis: two cases].

Acute pancreatitis is a pancreatic inflammation that recognises Salmonella typhi among its aetiological agents. In this article the authors describe two cases of acute pancreatitis secondary to typhoid fever, evolving towards complete recovery. These two cases, besides confirming that Salmonella typhi can be responsible for acute pancreatitis, remind us that during typhoid fever, amylase enzyme test should be always assessed.

HCV infection and pericarditis: an extrahepatic manifestation?

The authors describe a clinical case in which they found the unusual combination of acute hepatitis caused by HCV and pericarditis in a young person, resulting in complete recovery from the pericarditis but in a deterioration of the chronic HCV. A close examination of the literature on this subject revealed that, although no similar case was recorded, an aetiological relationship between the hepatitis C virus and pericarditis cannot be excluded since an HCV infection often gives rise to extra-hepatic cardiac problems.