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Cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis as presenting manifestation of infective endocarditis
- Source :
- Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 61:89-90
- Publication Year :
- 2002
- Publisher :
- BMJ, 2002.
-
Abstract
- Seroimmunological alterations, including antibodies and/or cryoglobulins, are common in infective endocarditis (IE)1; however, specific autoimmune disorders, such as cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis (CV) associated with IE have seldom been described.2–5 CV is related to the vascular deposition of circulating immune complexes, mainly cryoglobulins, and complement5,6; in 70–90% of patients with CV a triggering role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been suggested.7,8 We report the case of two patients who showed a typical CV with severe neurological involvement as the presenting manifestation of underlying IE. In November 1994 a 63 year old woman presented with fever, purpura, paraesthesias, and pseudoataxic gait. Her past clinical history was unremarkable except for a prosthetic implant of the left hip four years previously. Table 1 shows the main clinicoserological features. Repeated blood cultures were negative. Neurological examination showed abnormal tactile sensation in the arms and legs; mild ideomotor slowing down; shaky movements; and unsteady gait. An electrophysiological study recorded a moderate sensorimotor …
- Subjects :
- Pathology
medicine.medical_specialty
Letter
Hepatitis C virus
Immunology
Neurological examination
Cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis
infective endocarditis
medicine.disease_cause
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Cryoglobulins
Rheumatology
Clinical history
medicine
Immunology and Allergy
biology
medicine.diagnostic_test
business.industry
medicine.disease
Dermatology
Purpura
Infective endocarditis
biology.protein
Antibody
medicine.symptom
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00034967
- Volume :
- 61
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....e47c6d9dea3cb0cf1919ab0fa9fd8208