Case Reports in Nephrology最新文献

Foreign bodies such as implanted cardiac devices are susceptible to infections and may be involved in infective endocarditis. Exposure to pathogens, by frequent use of intravascular accesses for hemodialysis (i.e., catheters or fistulas), combined with high rates of degenerative heart valve diseases in hemodialysis patients, both favor the development of infective endocarditis in this population. The mitral and aortic valves are predominantly implicated in endocardial infections. The involvement of both mitral and tricuspid valves is rare in the general population but can occur in hemodialysis patients with implanted cardiac devices. Infective endocarditis is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates among hemodialysis patients, mostly because of the complications of septic emboli. Prevention, prophylaxis, and early diagnosis of endocarditis can be lifesaving in this fragile population. We report a case of right and left heart methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis with cerebral septic emboli in an elderly hemodialysis patient carrier of an arteriovenous fistula and an ipsilateral nonleadless pacemaker.

Background: Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a disease that affects the basement membrane of the glomeruli of the kidney resulting in proteinuria. The concurrent incidence of vasculitic glomerulonephritis and MN in the same patient is unusual. Herein, we report a case with this unusual combination.

Case: Our patient is a 53-year-old Hispanic male with a medical history of tobacco use, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension who presented with hematuria and was found to have nephrotic range proteinuria and renal impairment. Blood workup revealed positive ANCA serology, which led to a renal biopsy that showed crescentic vasculitis in addition to membranous nephropathy. The patient was started on intermittent hemodialysis (HD) and treated initially with intravenous (IV) pulse steroids; subsequently, oral prednisolone and IV cyclophosphamide were initiated. The patient remained HD dependent at the time of discharge with the resolution of hematuria. A follow-up with an outpatient nephrology clinic was arranged.

Conclusion: Membranous nephropathy complicated by crescentic glomerulonephritis has a more aggressive clinical course and decline in renal function compared to MN alone which can lead to initiating renal replacement therapy. However, immunosuppressive drugs can result in significant improvement of renal function if started early enough.

Calciphylaxis is a rare yet potentially fatal condition, resulting from ectopic calcification of the small arterioles of the dermis with resulting necrotic lesions infection, sepsis, and death. In hemodialysis patients, its prevalence ranges between 1 and 4%, while mortality amounts to 30-80%. We present in here a 45-year-old female on chronic dialysis with morbid obesity, who was admitted for painful nodules in the lower abdomen and necrotic lesions at the lower extremities. Severe uremia and uncontrolled secondary hyperparathyroidism were the main characteristics in this patient, and thus, a clinical diagnosis of calciphylaxis was made. Treatment modalities included wound care plus antibiotics and analgesics, daily hemodialysis, and strategies targeting calcification with sodium thiosulfate, cinacalcet, and non-calcium-containing binders. A crucial factor for overcoming the infection-lesion vicious circle is thorough and daily care of the lesions. Nursing attention was focused on the motivation of her self-care, for the prevention of institutionalization and the psychological support of the patient and her family. The most intriguing feature was the fact that she experienced several exacerbations during the follow-up time. During the final relapse, she was prescribed hyperbaric oxygen sessions that actually put the disease under control thereafter. The good outcome for this patient was probably related to the combination of close follow-up along with a multidisciplinary approach.