Publications by authors named "Mary Czech"

Mucormycosis is an aggressive and frequently lethal disease. Most patients with mucormycosis have poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and rhino-orbito-cerebral disease. Patients with hematologic malignancy and transplant recipients mostly present with rhino-orbito-cerebral or pulmonary disease.

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Infectious complications are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Preventing infections could significantly improve both survival and quality of life. Unfortunately, both infections and antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients with MDS are incompletely assessed due to the heterogeneity of disorders included in each publication, changing definitions over time, and lack of standardized prophylaxis practices.

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Article Synopsis
  • VEXAS syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes bone marrow failure and systemic inflammation, which can lead to a higher risk of infections for affected patients.
  • In a study of 94 patients with VEXAS, 6% developed pneumonia (PJP), 15% experienced reactivation of the alphaherpesvirus, and 10% had non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections.
  • The research found that developing PJP or NTM significantly increases the risk of death, while prophylactic treatments for these infections were shown to be highly effective in reducing infection rates.
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We describe an unusual case of posttransplant tuberculosis reactivation in a man who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant. Concomitant with disseminated adenovirus infection, reactivation of tuberculosis manifested as disseminated, nonfollicular pustules on day +49. Skin biopsy was obtained on day +50.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cellulitis is typically a bacterial infection treated with antibiotics, but immunocompromised patients may develop fungal cellulitis, which can be mistaken for bacterial infections and complicate treatment outcomes.
  • The text discusses three cases of fungal cellulitis in immunosuppressed individuals where initial treatments for suspected bacterial infections failed, highlighting the importance of recognizing atypical symptoms.
  • Recognizing fungal pathogens like Fusarium solani and Purpureocillium lilacinum is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment, especially when infections do not respond to standard antibiotic therapies.
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Background: Skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) is an infection of the central cranial bones, most commonly resulting from contiguous spread of infection from adjacent head and neck structures. SBO is a well-recognized complication of treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) that results in significant morbidity.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of HNC patients diagnosed with SBO.

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Background: Multilocular thymic cysts (MTCs) in adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are rarely reported.

Case Presentation: We describe a case of symptomatic MTC in a male with untreated HIV. A presumptive diagnosis was established based on radiographic imaging and biopsy.

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Cefiderocol is a novel injectable siderophore cephalosporin that hijacks the bacterial iron transport machinery to facilitate cell entry and achieve high periplasmic concentrations. It has broad in vitro activity against gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms such as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and nosocomial pneumonia based on clinical trials that demonstrated noninferiority to comparators.

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Article Synopsis
  • Reactivation of Chagas disease has been noted in patients with weakened immune systems, but there is limited research on this topic for those receiving treatments for autoimmune diseases.
  • A case study is presented involving a woman on azathioprine and prednisone who developed skin nodules due to Chagas disease reactivation, confirmed through a biopsy.
  • After treatment with benznidazole, she showed improvement but faced further complications, emphasizing the need for screening for Chagas in patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy when relevant.
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Chagas disease, a multisystem infection caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is primarily found in Latin America. In recent years, prevalence has increased in the United States, where reactivation is the most common clinical scenario. Here, we describe cutaneous reactivation of T.

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Previous work has shown that the steroid hormone estradiol facilitates the release of anticonvulsant neuropeptides from inhibitory neurons in the hippocampus to suppress seizures. Because neuropeptides are packaged in large dense core vesicles, estradiol may facilitate neuropeptide release through regulation of dense core vesicles. In the current study, we used serial section electron microscopy in the hippocampal CA1 region of adult female rats to test three hypotheses about estradiol regulation of dense core vesicles: (1) Estradiol increases the number of dense core vesicles in axonal boutons, (2) Estradiol increases the size of dense core vesicles in axonal boutons, (3) Estradiol shifts the location of dense core vesicles toward the periphery of axonal boutons, potentially lowering the threshold for neuropeptide release during seizures.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Mary Czech"

  • - Mary Czech's recent research primarily focuses on infectious complications in immunocompromised patients, particularly those with conditions like myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and VEXAS syndrome, highlighting the significant morbidity and mortality associated with opportunistic infections and the inadequate assessment of antimicrobial prophylaxis practices.
  • - Her studies also delve into rare and unique cases of infections, such as atypical manifestations of tuberculosis in post-transplant patients and fungal cellulitis mistaken for bacterial infections, underscoring the diagnostic challenges faced in treating immunosuppressed individuals.
  • - Additionally, Czech's work has explored novel treatment options for multidrug-resistant infections, including the use of cefiderocol, showcasing a comprehensive approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance and improving patient outcomes in vulnerable populations.