15 years old patient presented with clinical syndrome of fever, fatigue, and diarrhea. Laboratory findings showed severe anemia with findings of microangiopathic hemolysis (schistocytes, hyperbilirubinemia, elevated LDH) and severe thrombocytopenia. He was later documented to have fluctuating ADAMTS13 activity that appeared to correlate with the hematologic abnormalities. He also had urinary findings of hematuria, moderate proteinuria, and creatinine as high as 1.4 mg/dL.
60-year-old patient was diagnosed with Still's disease. He was treated with high doses of corticosteroids (methylprednisolone, 110 mg daily). The dose was gradually lowered to 4 mg daily. In the last 2 years he had two exacerbations of the disease which were successfully treated by the increased dose of methylprednisolone. The expert recommends different complementary treatments that can be helpful to reduce pain , other symptoms and inflammation, reduce the dose of the drugs needed to control the disease, and improve quality of life.
69-year-old male found on colonoscopy to have multiple polyps and a rectal cancer. He underwent preoperative chemoRT, underwent resection and received a single cycle of bolus 5-FU with leucovorin. In early 2007, he had multiple complications and ultimately has a permanent ileostomy. Scans over the next few years have demonstrated nonspecific findings in his thorax however in July 2008 he had a mesenteric mass with adenopathy. These lesions had FDG uptake on PET scan.
