Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0038002 (splenomegaly)
 9,873 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Two cases of hepatosplenic candidiasis (HSC) are reported occurring after protracted episodes of neutropenia, induced by chemotherapy for acute leukemia in one case and drug hypersensitivity in the other. The disease presented with persistent or recurrent fever after correction of the neutropenia and with splenomegaly. The alkaline phosphatases were elevated. The diagnosis was strongly suggested by abdominal ultrasonography, CT scan and MRI, which showed multiple hepatosplenic defects. It was confirmed by serologic tests for candidiasis, the presence, in 1 case, of circulating candida antigens, and the rapid response to amphotericin B. The diagnosis of HSC should be considered in patients with persistent fever after an episode of neutropenia. Ideally, histologic confirmation is desirable, but this is often obtainable only by open liver biopsy, an aggressive procedure in such patients. Failing this, our 2 cases stress the diagnostic value of noninvasive imaging techniques, serological testing (in particular the discovery of circulating candida antigens) and the response to amphotericin B.
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PMID:Hepatosplenic candidiasis: an overlooked cause of prolonged fever during recovery from an episode of neutropenia. 264 20

Eight patients with hairy-cell leukaemia (HCL) complicated by pancytopenia were treated with low dose regimens of the adenosine deaminase (ADA) inhibitor 2'-deoxycoformycin (DCF). All patients had significant haematological and clinical improvement. One patient who had been splenectomized and five patients with mild to moderate splenomegaly achieved normal blood counts within 2 months, which have been maintained for up to 18 months. Complete remissions occurred in two patients and four patients had 50-95% marrow clearance of hairy cells. The initial DCF treatments produced a 1-3 g/dl fall in the haemoglobin levels and one patient had a temporary reduction in granulocyte and platelet counts. Five patients had nausea/vomiting, and/or lethargy following DCF, but there was no correlation between the plasma levels of deoxyadenosine and adenosine and the incidence or severity of these side effects. An increased incidence of infection and drug hypersensitivity may reflect the effects of DCF on the immune system. Low dose DCF is a highly effective agent in HCL.
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PMID:The treatment of hairy-cell leukaemia with 2'-deoxycoformycin. 348 71

The term lymphogranulomatosis X (LgX) designates a clinicopathological entity of unknown etiology ("X"), which was first described by Forster and Moeschlin in 1954. LgX includes the "immunoblastic lymphadenopathy" of Lukes and to a large extent the "angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy" of Rappaport (except for the cases with active germinal centers), but in LgX there is another morphologic variant not mentioned either by Lukes or by Rappaport. To establish the morphologic diagnosis of LgX three typical changes of the affected lymph nodes are needed: effacement of the nodal architecture, absence of active germinal centers, and markedly increased proliferation of epithelioid venules. Cases with only partial effacement of nodal architecture, and especially with active germinal centers, were considered hyperimmune reactions (HR). This "hyperimmune reaction" may be an early stage of LgX: 4 of 39 cases showed later transformation into LgX. Based on cytologic aspects, five different variants of LgX are distinguished: immunoblastic predominance, plasma cell predominance, mixed cell type, epithelioid cell predominance and lymphocytic predominance. Case history and clinical picture of the five variants of LgX (172 patients) are reported and compared with HR (37 patients). In LgX the age peak is in the 7th decade; the youngest patient was 16 years old. HR are seen in children as well as in elderly people, the mean age being 49 years. In LgX males predominate and in HR females. In LgX the disorder is usually more generalized than in HR (80% versus 46% with generalized lymph node enlargement, 69% versus 24% with hepatomegaly and 62% versus 27% with splenomegaly). Skin involvement and high sedimentation rate are less frequent in HR. In LgX a Coombs-positive anemia is occasionally found; its origin is "aplastic" rather than hemolytic. Based on the data presented, some reflections relative to the etiology and pathogenesis of LgX are presented. Rubella virus should be considered a possible etiologic agent. In most cases with drug hypersensitivity, allergic reactions to drugs appear only in the course of the illness; in these cases drugs are ruled out as an etiologic factor. Occasionally, an augmented number of azurophil granulated lymphocytes (suppressor T-cells?) is observed in the blood, a fact that could be a pointer to the pathogenesis of LgX and possibly explain the high incidence of infections seen in this disorder.
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PMID:[History and clinical picture of lymphogranulomatosis X (including (angio)immunoblastic lymphadenopathy]. 726 65

Seventeen cases of dapsone syndrome were seen in five years from 1992 onwards. Their mean age was 27.8 years (range 11 to 60 years). Male to female ratio was 1.1:1. Of these cases, seven had confirmed leprosy, nine were cases of suspected leprosy and one case had lichen planus. On an average, they developed the symptoms 27 days after the intake of dapsone. The cutaneous lesions were in the form of erythematous papules and plaques (13 cases), eczematous lesions (four cases) and associated bullous lesions (two cases). The other manifestations were: fever (16 cases), pruritus (15 cases), lymphadenopathy (14 cases), hepatomegaly (10 cases), icterus and oral erosions (five cases each), photosensitivity (four cases) and splenomegaly (two cases). Previous drug allergy was present in four cases. Elevated ESR and liver enzyme levels were invariable findings. Raised bilirubin levels and hemolytic anaemia were seen in eight cases. Apart from one case with hepatic encephalopathy, all other cases had a favourable outcome either on conservative management (eight cases) or on oral corticosteroids (eight cases). Oral provocation test was done in two cases with positive response while intradermal test was not very reliable.
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PMID:Dapsone syndrome--a five year retrospective analysis. 980 99

A 32 year old Asian female on 300 mg per day of phenytoin following meningioma excision developed a fever with a diffuse maculopapular rash, lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly after12 days. A diagnosis of DRESS (Drug Rash Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms) syndrome was made. Patient was started on prednisolone at a dose of 1 mg/kg but since there was further deterioration in her condition, intravenous immunoglobulin was started. Clinical and blood parameters began to improve by the next day with liver functions returning to normal by the third week. DRESS syndrome is a drug hypersensitivity syndrome which can be fatal and therefore needs to be recognized early for the appropriate treatment to be started. The use of Intravenous immunoglobulins is anecdotal and the dramatic improvement noted in this case indicates that it is another treatment choice. The case and a brief review of the literature are discussed.
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PMID:Intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of drug rash eosinophilia and systemic symptoms caused by phenytoin. 2334 5