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)

Q fever is usually a self-limited febrile illness that involves the lungs and the liver. Acute complications are rare. We present the case of a 30-yr-old patient with spontaneous splenic rupture during the course of acute Q fever infection. He was admitted to the hospital with high temperature and the radiological signs of an atypical pneumonia. Forty-eight hours after admission, he developed shock. Because of free intraabdominal liquid, a laparatomy was performed that revealed a tear in the enlarged spleen. A splenectomy was performed. The diagnosis of Q fever was established by a significant titer increase in complement fixation test and IgM-ELISA. Serological investigations into the patient's surroundings revealed evidence of Q fever infection in 10 additional persons. Q fever should be taken into account as a possible differential diagnosis in patients with unexplained febrile illness and symptoms of pneumonia. The acute course of Q fever infection can be complicated by splenic rupture. The diagnosis of an acute infection with Coxiella burnetii often requires serologic testing of a second serum sample obtained at least 10 days after the onset of symptoms. Q fever should be ruled out in cases of unexplained splenic rupture particularly in Q fever endemic areas.
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PMID:Spontaneous splenic rupture complicating acute Q fever. 144 94

Sore throats are most commonly due to infections, many of which are viral and do not require specific treatment. Symptoms and signs of the common cold, influenza or croup, the occurrence of conjunctivitis in some adenoviral infections, generalised lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly in glandular fever or the presence of vesicles characteristic of herpangina (Coxsackie A virus) or of herpes simplex infection, occasionally enable a clinical diagnosis and avoid the need for antibiotic therapy. In the case of treatable conditions a typical membrane may suggest diphtheria, a scarlatiniform rash infection due to Streptococcus pyogenes or to Corynebacterium haemolyticum, and a cherry-red epiglottis Haemophilus influenzae type b. Associated atypical pneumonia suggests infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Chlamydia pneumoniae. Pharyngitis due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae may be accompanied by infection at other sites or by other sexually transmitted diseases. Candidal infection, in the appropriate clinical circumstance, should suggest HIV infection. Surgical drainage is required in the case of peritonsillar or retropharyngeal abscess. Noninfectious cases of sore throat, e.g. thyroiditis, are relatively uncommon considerations in the differential diagnosis of acute febrile pharyngitis. The most common problem is to recognise streptococcal pharyngitis, which requires antibiotic treatment for 10 days to avoid the risk of rheumatic fever.
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PMID:The sore throat. When to investigate and when to prescribe. 207

Spontaneous rupture of the spleen is a rare and life-threatening complication of bacterial pneumonia, only six properly documented cases having been reported to date. A case of spontaneous splenic rupture associated with pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila is presented, together with a review of the literature. Most of the patients were aged over 50, but none had predisposing conditions. Left lung involvement predominated. Legionellosis and Q fever were the most frequent etiologic diagnoses. Empiric antibiotic therapy was adequate in all but two patients. One patient died; he had not undergone laparotomy. Spontaneous rupture of the spleen is an extremely rare complication of bacterial pneumonia that endangers the patient's life if surgery is not performed immediately. This complication should be borne in mind in patients with atypical pneumonia who have left quadrant pain and a falling hematocrit, even in the absence of prior splenomegaly.
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PMID:Spontaneous rupture of the spleen associated with pneumonia. 892 73

Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever, is a Gram-negative bacterium transmitted to humans by inhalation of contaminated aerosols. Acute Q fever is often self-limiting, presenting as a febrile illness that can result in atypical pneumonia. In some cases, Q fever becomes chronic, leading to endocarditis that can be life threatening. The formalin-inactivated whole-cell vaccine (WCV) confers long-term protection but has significant side effects when administered to presensitized individuals. Designing new vaccines against C. burnetii remains a challenge and requires the use of clinically relevant modes of transmission in appropriate animal models. We have developed a safe and reproducible C. burnetii aerosol challenge in three different animal models to evaluate the effects of pulmonary acquired infection. Using a MicroSprayer aerosolizer, BL/6 mice and Hartley guinea pigs were infected intratracheally with C. burnetii Nine Mile phase I (NMI) and demonstrated susceptibility as determined by measuring bacterial growth in the lungs and subsequent dissemination to the spleen. Histological analysis of lung tissue showed significant pathology associated with disease, which was more severe in guinea pigs. Infection using large-particle aerosol (LPA) delivery was further confirmed in nonhuman primates, which developed fever and pneumonia. We also demonstrate that vaccinating mice and guinea pigs with WCV prior to LPA challenge is capable of eliciting protective immunity that significantly reduces splenomegaly and the bacterial burden in spleen and lung tissues. These data suggest that these models can have appreciable value in using the LPA delivery system to study pulmonary Q fever pathogenesis as well as designing vaccine countermeasures to C. burnetii aerosol transmission.
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PMID:Coxiella burnetii Intratracheal Aerosol Infection Model in Mice, Guinea Pigs, and Nonhuman Primates. 3150 Dec 49