NAATs can be used to test genital lesions, as well as rectal, pharyngeal, & lymph node specimens for C. trachomatis.
Additional testing is needed to differentiate LGV from non-LGV
Now with some labs: Nml WBC, plts but mild anemia, normal liver function tests, mildly low lab w/nml Gamma gap, & neg HIV.
Not that helpful
We need viral serologies (viruses that cause polyarthritis) HCV, HBV, parvo
Also add autoimmune workup ANA antidsDNA, RF, anti-CCP
A little signal for inflammation as we already suspected given mild normocytic anemia (anemia chronic disease) and low albumin (anti acute phase reactant)
Some more data: RF, anti CCP, and ANA are neg
GC (-), Hep B (-), Hep C ab (+) but viral load (-), RPR (-) but FTA ab (+)
Remember for syphillis there are 2 types of serologic tests: nontreponemal tests and treponemal-specific tests.
The use of only one test is insufficient for diagnosis since serologic testing (especially nontreponemal tests) can be associated with false positive results.
Nontreponemal tests are RPR, VDRL, TRUST
are semi-quantitative in that the amount of antibody present (both IgM and IgG) generally reflects the activity of the infection
Approximately 20 to 30 percent have a nonreactive nontreponemal test
Treponemal tests have historically been more complex and expensive to perform than nontreponemal tests.
These include Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS), (MHA-TP), (TPPA), (TP-EIA), (CIA)
Detection of abs directed against specific treponemal antigens
Once a patient has a positive treponemal test, this test usually remains positive for life.
Add to PR FOBT + for stool and WBC along with fecal calprotectin of 1,831 (N= <120)
Nml xrays of joints: RUQ US showing a hyperechoic left hepatic lobe lesion, mild splenomegaly
Is this e histolytica?
interesting that it’s in the L lobe given blood flow to the liver as 50% of solitary liver abscesses occur in the R lobe (a more significant part with more blood supply), less commonly in the left liver lobe or caudate lobe.
Hematogenous dissemination then can occur typically 4 to 10 weeks later, giving rise to secondary syphilis. <40% of pts w/ syphilis have primary syphilis diagnosed. These “Secondary” lesions last for several weeks before spontaneously resolving. Coined “early, latent infection”
What does late infection mean? When syphilitic lesions recur after 1 year from the initial eruption, or seropositivity is detected more than 1 year after the initial eruption, it is termed late latent syphilis.
Some optics neuritis pearls in a short #Medtweetorial 🧵…. We all know that optic neuritis is frequently associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). But optic nerve inflammation can exist from autoimmunity, infection, granulomatous disease, paraneoplastic disorders, & demyelination
Classical ON from MS is unilateral, moderate, painful color vision loss with an afferent pupillary defect & normal fundus examination.
In those with ON, 95% of patients showed unilateral vision loss & 92% had associated retroorbital pain that frequently worsened w/ eye movement.
If you have not listened to the @CuriousClinPod most recent podcast (Episode 10: Why does metronidazole treat both bacterial and parasitic infections?) then I suggest you tune in.
I'll summarize their show notes here in short #medtweetorial
First a question:
Was metronidazole first used as an antibiotic or as an antiparasitic?
If you guessed antiparasitic, then you would be correct!
It was developed in the 1950s to treat the parasite trichomonas & then was used in the 1960s to treat other parasitic infections, like giardia and amoebiasis.
A 31-year-old M born and raised in Brazil w/ no PMH presented with a 3 mon history of worsening DOE, orthopnea, 7kg weight loss, abdominal distention, dry cough, and syncope
An interesting fact from @3owllearning : Depending on the clinical problems, the studies of disease probability for differential diagnosis often show 10 - 25% of cases are unexplained, even after careful examination and testing.