Gallbladder and biliary tract candidiasis: nine cases and review.

We review biliary tract and gallbladder candidiasis and define patient demographics, risk factors, prognostic factors, and treatment strategies for this infection. This is a 3-year retrospective review of our experience with this disease and a review of the English-language literature. Thirty-one cases of biliary tract and gallbladder candidiasis, including nine in our series, have been examined.

Recurrent aseptic meningitis followed by transverse myelitis as a presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Recurrent aseptic meningitis as a manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has most often been reported as an adverse reaction to the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. We present a case of recurrent aseptic meningitis and transverse myelitis as the initial manifestation of SLE.

Pneumococcal arthritis in a prosthetic knee. A case report and review of the literature.

Prosthetic joint infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is a rare condition. An 86-year-old woman with a S. pneumoniae-infected total knee arthroplasty was successfully treated by a combined medical-surgical approach.

Streptococcus pneumoniae endocarditis.

We have reported a case of Streptococcus pneumoniae endocarditis involving the aortic valve of a 61-year-old alcoholic man. Antibiotic therapy with vancomycin sterilized the blood and valve, but aortic valve replacement was required for progressive congestive heart failure resulting from a ruptured valve leaflet.

Difficulties in diagnosing trichinella encephalitis.

Trichinella encephalitis remains a rare but life-threatening illness. Although well known to clinicians of another era, this disease currently may represent a diagnostic dilemma because of its infrequent occurrence and varied presentations. This report of trichinella encephalitis, presenting as quadriplegia, demonstrates that technological advances such as CAT scan, angiogram, and EEG are of no diagnostic assistance and add nothing to traditional diagnostic modalities, i.