Clinical characteristics and evaluation of the incidence of cryptococcosis in Finland 2004-2018.

Background: Cryptococcosis is one of the major causes of mortality among HIV patients worldwide. Though most often associated with late stage HIV infection/AIDS, a significant number of cases occur in other immunocompromised patients such as solid organ transplant recipients and patients with hematological malignancies. Immunocompromised patients are a heterogeneous group and their number increases constantly.

Decreasing trend in the incidence of serious pneumonias in Finnish children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objectives: Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) may be predisposed to serious pneumonia due to modern disease-modifying anti-rheumatic treatment. In this nationwide retrospective study with clinical data, we describe the pneumonia episodes among children with JIA.

Methods: Patients under 18 years of age with JIA and pneumonia during 1998-2014 were identified in the National Hospital Discharge Register in Finland.

Pneumonia in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in Finland 1999-2014: a nationwide retrospective register linkage study.

Objectives: To compare the incidence of pneumonia in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) to the aged-matched general population and to evaluate the use of anti-rheumatic medication among children with JIA and pneumonia.

Methods: The National Hospital Discharge Register collects data on ICD-diagnoses of hospital patients in Finland. From this register, patients with JIA under 18 years of age with pneumonia from 1999 through 2014 were identified.

Bloodstream infections among children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a prospective study from the onset of disease.

Objectives: To describe the incidence and nature of bloodstream infections (BSI) among children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) followed-up prospectively from disease onset.

Methods: The Social Insurance Institution's (SII) national register on individuals with reimbursement for medication of chronic diseases was used to identify children with JIA from 2004 through 2011 and their medications. The National Infectious Disease Register (NIDR) collects data of all blood culture positive samples from all microbiology laboratories in Finland.

Molecular epidemiology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in an immunocompromised host unit.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is increasingly recognized clinically, and repeated isolations from patients on a hematology unit in Turku, Finland, led to an epidemiologic investigation. Isolates were recovered from multiple body sites of 23 patients (n = 180) from 1994 to 1995 and from 29 patients (n = 45) from 1997 to 2002; these plus 2 from the hospital kitchen were identified as S. cerevisiae.

Successful management of cerebral and pulmonary mucormycosis with liposomal amphotericin B in a 28-year-old woman with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

A 28-year-old woman with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed fever and unilateral pleural based pulmonary infiltrate during prolonged chemotherapy induced neutropenia. CT-guided lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary mucormycosis and liposomal amphotericin B therapy was started. A few days after the initial symptoms, the patient developed convulsions and a brain abscess was detected in computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.