HIV - Old Foe with a New Face

We report a case of a middle aged seropositive male, virologically well suppressed on second line ART (Anti-Retroviral therapy) who presented with a subacute history of neurological symptoms. On imaging and CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) evaluation, he was found to have CD8 encephalitis - a new, rare but treatable entity. To the best of our knowledge, no case has been reported from India.

Bullous Pemphigoid as a Harbinger of Metastatic Cholangiocarcinoma - A Rarity

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune blistering disorder of the skin first described in 1953. A decade later, antibodies were described targeting the cutaneous basement membrane zone. The association of Bullous pemphigoid with malignancy is debatable1 but reported in many case reports.2-6 We report a 79 year old male with cholangiocarcinoma that presented with bullous pemphigoid as a paraneoplastic phenomenon.

Refractory anemia in human immunodeficiency virus: Expect the unexpected

Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is an uncommon hematological disorder affecting selectively the erythroid cell lines. PRCA is defined as anemia with normal leukocyte and platelet counts, a corrected reticulocyte count <1%, <5% erythroid precursors in the bone marrow and an absence of hemolysis. We describe a case of Zidovudine (AZT) induced PRCA causing severe anemia in a patient taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) after 4 months of starting therapy and in whom all other causes were excluded. The hematological abnormalities resolved after AZT was replaced with tenofovir and the patient remained transfusion independent thereafter. A slowly progressive normocytic-normochromic anemia and reticulocytopenia, without leukopenia and thrombocytopenia in a patient, should raise the suspicion of PRCA. Search for underlying diseases, infections and drugs may help in the diagnosis and etiology of acquired PRCA. Elimination of potentially causative factors may induce complete recovery. AZT is a well-known cause of anemia and thus should be used with caution in the initiation of ART.

Vitamin B12 and vitamin d deficiencies: an unusual cause of Fever, severe hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia

The array of diagnostic workup for pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) generally revolves in searching for infections, inflammatory/autoimmune, and endocrine etiologies. A differential diagnosis of fever, hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia can have etiologies varying from infections like malaria, dengue, cytomegalovirus, Ebstein barr virus, Parvovirus, infective endocarditis, to autoimmune disorder (systemic lupus erythromatosis), vasculitis, hemolytic uremic syndrome, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), autoimmune hemolytic anemia/Evan's syndrome, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuri (PNH), or drugs. Nutritional deficiencies (especially vitamin B12 deficiency) as a cause of fever, hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia are very rare and therefore rarely thought of. Severe vitamin B12 deficiency may cause fever and if accompanied by concurrent hyper-homocysteinemia and hypophosphatemia can sometimes lead to severe hemolysis mimicking the above-mentioned conditions. We present a case that highlights vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiency as an easily treatable cause of PUO, hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia, which should be actively looked for and treated before proceeding with more complicated and expensive investigation or starting empiric treatments.