Search results for "Eschar"

Multiple organ failure as onset of Mediterranean spotted fever: a review based on a case

2016

Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is an infectious disease endemic in the southern regions of Italy, with an incidence of about 400 cases/year. The bacteria responsible of the disease is <em>Rickettsia conorii</em>, transmitted to humans by <em>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</em>, the common dog tick. The infection usually manifests with a characteristic symptomatologic triad: fever, exanthema and the so called <em>tache noire</em>, which is the typical eschar at the site of the tick bite. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG enzymelinked immunosorbent assay and the gold standard micro-immunofluorescent assay, allow serological diagnosis. We report the case of a man …

Atrial fibrillation in Mediterranean spotted fever

2008

Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a tick-borne acute febrile disease caused by Rickettsia conorii and characterized by fever, maculo-papular rash and a black eschar at the site of the tick bite (‘tache noir’). We describe the case of a 58-year-old man affected by MSF who developed atrial fibrillation. The patient presented himself to the hospital after 7 days of fever, malaise and severe headache. Cardiac auscultation revealed a chaotic heart rhythm and an electrocardiogram confirmed atrial fibrillation with a fast ventricular response. Diagnosis of MSF was made after the appearance of a maculo-papular skin rash, and treatment with oral doxycycline was started. An immunofluorescence anti…

Scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy caused by Rickettsia massiliae

2013

To the Editor: Scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy is a common clinical entity that most frequently affects women and children during spring and fall. It is usually caused by Rickettsia slovaca and R. raoultii. Typical clinical signs are a scalp lesion at the tick bite site and regional, often painful, lymphadenopathy. Acute disease can be followed by residual alopecia at the bite site (1,2). Two designations have been proposed for this syndrome: tick-borne lymphadenopathy and Dermacentor-borne necrosis-erythema-lymphadenopathy (both have been associated with R. slovaca); however, the most generic and all-inclusive term is scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy. R. massiliae belongs to the…

A severe case of Israeli spotted fever with pleural effusion in Italy

2021

Abstract Background The most common Italian rickettsiosis is Mediterranean Spotted Fever (MSF). MSF is commonly associated with a symptom triad consisting of fever, cutaneous rash, and inoculation eschar. The rash is usually maculopapular but, especially in severe presentations, may be petechial. Other typical findings are arthromyalgia and headache. Herein, we describe for the first time an unusual case of Israeli spotted fever (ISF) associated with interstitial pneumonia and pleural effusion in which R. conorii subsp. israelensis was identified by molecular methods in the blood, as well as in the pleural fluid. Case presentation A 72-year-old male presented with a 10-day history of remitt…

First case of Mediterranean spotted fever-associated rhabdomyolysis leading to fatal acute renal failure and encephalitis

2014

SummaryMediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a tick-borne zoonosis caused by Rickettsia conorii. In Italy, about 400 cases are reported every year and nearly half of them occur in Sicily, which is one of the most endemic regions. Although MSF is mostly a self-limited disease characterized by fever, skin rash, and a dark eschar at the site of the tick bite called a ‘tache noire’, serious complications are described, mainly in adult patients. Nevertheless, severe forms of the disease with major morbidity and a higher mortality risk have been described. We report a fatal case of MSF complicated by rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, and encephalitis in an elderly woman.

Retrospective study comparing escharotomy incidencein the treatment of deep circular burns affecting limbs with traditional treatment or enzymatic de…

2019

Clinical meaning of incompetent perforators in the setting of post-thrombotic syndrome commentary

2015

In this issue of Phlebological Review Zolotukhin et al. [1] present the results of their study on recurrence of venous leg ulcers in post-thrombotic patients after endovenous laser ablation of incompetent lower leg perforators. They have found that not only the recurrence rate of these perforators was very high, but also that the procedure did not reduce the ulcer recurrence. This lack of clinical efficacy in terms of recurrence was different from the results of the well-known ESCHAR study [2]. In the ESCHAR study surgical ablation of incompetent superficial veins resulted in less frequent recurrences. From a hemodynamic and pathophysiological point of view a thermal ablation (such as laser…