SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Multiple Sclerosis

To understand COVID-19 characteristics in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and identify high-risk individuals due to their immunocompromised state resulting from the use of disease-modifying treatments. Retrospective and multicenter registry in patients with MS with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and available disease course (mild = ambulatory; severe = hospitalization; and critical = intensive care unit/death). Cases were analyzed for associations between MS characteristics and COVID-19 course and for identifying risk factors for a fatal outcome. Of the 326 patients analyzed, 120 were cases confirmed by real-time PCR, 34 by a serologic test, and 205 were suspected. Sixty-nine patients (21.3%) developed severe infection, 10 (3%) critical, and 7 (2.1%) died. Ambulatory patients were higher in relapsing MS forms, treated with injectables and oral first-line agents, whereas more severe cases were observed in patients on pulsed immunosuppressors and critical cases among patients with no therapy. Severe and critical infections were more likely to affect older males with comorbidities, with progressive MS forms, a longer disease course, and higher disability. Fifteen of 33 patients treated with rituximab were hospitalized. Four deceased patients have progressive MS, 5 were not receiving MS therapy, and 2 were treated (natalizumab and rituximab). Multivariate analysis showed age (OR 1.09, 95% CI, 1.04-1.17) as the only independent risk factor for a fatal outcome. This study has not demonstrated the presumed critical role of MS therapy in the course of COVID-19 but evidenced that people with MS with advanced age and disease, in progressive course, and those who are more disabled have a higher probability of severe and even fatal diseas

Artritis reumatoide como forma de presentación de un timoma

El timo juega un importante papel en la maduración de los linfocitos T y en la tolerancia inmune, una alteración a dicho nivel podría desencadenar una reacción de linfocitos contra antígenos propios, dando lugar a reacciones autoinmunes. Presentamos el caso de un paciente de 65 años diagnosticado hacía 4 años de artritis reumatoide seropositiva controlada con bajas dosis de corticoide que ingresó en el servicio de Medicina Interna por cuadro sincopal situacional (defecatorio) con recuperación espontánea. En las exploraciones complementarias destacaba la presencia en la radiografía de tórax de una masa mediastínica confirmada en TAC y con biopsia compatible con timoma. Tras el hallazgo casual del timoma y 2 años después de la extirpación del mismo el paciente se encuentra asintomático sin tratamiento corticoideo en lo que respecta a artritis y con negativización en controles posteriores a la cirugía de factor reumatoide y anticuerpos anticitrulinados en descens