Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0016382 (flushing)
 6,387 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A 37-year-old male cocaine user presented with continual, sanguinolent nasal obstruction and persistant pain following a nasal operation one year ago. Examination showed crustae, granulations and exposed septal cartilage in the right nasal passage in addition to a considerable septal deviation to the left. No other physical abnormalities were found. A biopsy of the nasal mucosa showed acute necrotic inflammation. The serological examination revealed markedly elevated anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) titres with positive reactions against proteinase-3, indicating Wegener's disease. Additional testing also showed a positive ANCA reaction for human neutrophil elastase, which made cocaine use a more plausible cause for the nasal abnormalities than Wegener's disease. Treatment consisted of nasal flushing with saline and, for a short period, a nasal tampon with hydrocortisone-oxytetracycline-polymyxin B ointment. However, the patient did, ultimately, develop a septal perforation. Cocaine-induced nasal abnormalities can imitate symptoms that may fit Wegener's disease, including relevant serological ANCA findings.
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PMID:[A patient with both cocaine-induced nasal septum destruction and antibodies against anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA); potential confusion with Wegener's disease]. 1826 4