Silica-associated systemic lupus erythematosus with lupus nephritis and lupus pneumonitis A case report and a systematic review of the literature

Introduction Several epidemiological studies have shown that silica exposure triggers the onset of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, the clinical characteristics of silica-associated SLE have not been well studied. Patient concerns A 67-year-old man with silicosis visited a primary hospital because of a fever and cough. His respiratory condition worsened, regardless of antibiotic medication, and he was referred to our hospital. Diagnosis The patient showed leukopenia, lymphopenia, serum creatinine elevation with proteinuria and hematuria, decreased serum C3 level, and was positive for anti-double stranded DNA antibody, anti-nuclear antibody, and direct Coombs test. He was diagnosed with SLE. Renal biopsy was performed, and the patient was diagnosed with lupus nephritis (class IV-G(A/C) + V defined by the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society classification). Computed tomography revealed acute interstitial pneumonitis, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed elevation of the lymphocyte fraction, and he was diagnosed with lupus pneumonitis. Interventions Prednisolone (50 mg/day) with intravenous cyclophosphamide (500 mg/body) were initiated. Outcomes The patient showed a favorable response to these therapies. He was discharged from our hospital and received outpatient care with prednisolone slowly tapered off. He had cytomegalovirus and herpes zoster virus infections during treatment, which healed with antiviral therapy. Review: We searched for the literature on sSLE, and selected 11 case reports and 2 population-based studies. The prevalence of SLE manifestations in sSLE patients were comparative to that of general SLE, particularly that of elderly-onset SLE. Our renal biopsy report and previous reports indicate that lupus nephritis of sSLE patients show as various histological patterns as those of general SLE patients. Among the twenty sSLE patients reported in the case articles, three patients developed lupus pneumonitis and two of them died of it. Moreover, two patients died of bacterial pneumonia, one developed aspergillus abscesses, one got pulmonary tuberculosis, and one developed lung cancer. Conclusion Close attention is needed, particularly for respiratory system events and infectious diseases, when treating patients with silica-associated SLE using immunosuppressive therapies

A case of successful desensitization treatment with tepotinib after tepotinib-induced rash

Tepotinib is one of the key drugs for MET exon 14-skipping mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The main adverse event of tepotinib treatment is edema. Rash is a rare adverse event, affecting only 0.7% of patients. We report a case of successful desensitization after skin rash caused by tepotinib. A 61-year-old male was treated with tepotinib 500 mg as second-line therapy for NSCLC with MET exon 14-skipping mutation. Treatment was discontinued on day 12 due to grade 3 erythema throughout the body. After improvement of the skin rash, he was started on 250 mg tepotinib with an oral antihistamine and topical steroid. Treatment was discontinued on day 11 due to skin rash exacerbation. One month of treatment-free follow-up showed skin rash improvement but lung carcinoma growth. Tepotinib desensitization therapy was started at a dose of 12.5 mg and gradually increased to 250 mg/day. The patient has since continued tepotinib treatment without skin rashes. Desensitization therapy may be effective for managing skin rash due to tepotinib

Boerhaave syndrome presenting black pleural effusion: A case report

A 55-year-old man experienced nausea and vomiting after brushing his teeth. He experienced back pain after this episode and visited our emergency department. Chest computed tomography (CT) images revealed moderate pleural fluid accumulation and mild left pneumothorax. Thoracentesis showed black pleural effusion. Thoracic drainage included food debris with black pleural effusion, and gastroscopy revealed food debris and perforation of the lower esophagus. Esophageal perforation was surgically repaired using omental implantation and pleuroclysis. Given the high mortality rate associated with black pleural effusion, prompt diagnostic procedures and corresponding management are essential

Silica-associated systemic lupus erythematosus with lupus nephritis and lupus pneumonitis A case report and a systematic review of the literature

Introduction Several epidemiological studies have shown that silica exposure triggers the onset of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, the clinical characteristics of silica-associated SLE have not been well studied. Patient concerns A 67-year-old man with silicosis visited a primary hospital because of a fever and cough. His respiratory condition worsened, regardless of antibiotic medication, and he was referred to our hospital. Diagnosis The patient showed leukopenia, lymphopenia, serum creatinine elevation with proteinuria and hematuria, decreased serum C3 level, and was positive for anti-double stranded DNA antibody, anti-nuclear antibody, and direct Coombs test. He was diagnosed with SLE. Renal biopsy was performed, and the patient was diagnosed with lupus nephritis (class IV-G(A/C) + V defined by the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society classification). Computed tomography revealed acute interstitial pneumonitis, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed elevation of the lymphocyte fraction, and he was diagnosed with lupus pneumonitis. Interventions Prednisolone (50 mg/day) with intravenous cyclophosphamide (500 mg/body) were initiated. Outcomes The patient showed a favorable response to these therapies. He was discharged from our hospital and received outpatient care with prednisolone slowly tapered off. He had cytomegalovirus and herpes zoster virus infections during treatment, which healed with antiviral therapy. Review: We searched for the literature on sSLE, and selected 11 case reports and 2 population-based studies. The prevalence of SLE manifestations in sSLE patients were comparative to that of general SLE, particularly that of elderly-onset SLE. Our renal biopsy report and previous reports indicate that lupus nephritis of sSLE patients show as various histological patterns as those of general SLE patients. Among the twenty sSLE patients reported in the case articles, three patients developed lupus pneumonitis and two of them died of it. Moreover, two patients died of bacterial pneumonia, one developed aspergillus abscesses, one got pulmonary tuberculosis, and one developed lung cancer. Conclusion Close attention is needed, particularly for respiratory system events and infectious diseases, when treating patients with silica-associated SLE using immunosuppressive therapies