Phlegmonous esophagogastritis is an extremely rare condition characterized by diffuse inflammation of the upper gastrointestinal tract, sparing the mucosa. Patients can present with an acute onset of symptoms, and computed tomography scans can show diffusely edematous wall with intramural low attenuation surrounded by ring enhancement. Here we report such a case of a man who presented with central chest pain and breathing difficulty. The patient developed respiratory distress due to compression of trachea by the edematous esophagus.
Background:
Infections continue to be the leading aetiology of bronchiectasis in developing countries like India. Among non-infectious cases, the majority will have no identifiable cause despite extensive evaluation. Recently, immunodeficiency has been recognized as an important aetiology, but data on its prevalence remain rather sparse.
Objectives:
The objective of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of humoral immunodeficiency in a cohort of adults with bilateral bronchiectasis with no apparent aetiology.
Methods:
This is the single-site study from Christian Medical College (Vellore, India) of adults with HRCT-proven non-infectious bronchiectasis. Humoral immunity was assessed through quantitative analysis of immunoglobulins and IgG subclass levels.
Results:
Among 158 cases, immunoglobulin deficiency was found in 15%. Low IgM was the most predominate finding (7%), followed by common variable immunodeficiency (3%) and low IgA (2.5%). In addition, IgG subclass deficiency was found in 5%. In 53% of cases, no specific aetiology could be identified.
Conclusion:
Humoral immune deficiency is present in a significant proportion of patients with non-infectious bronchiectasis. Routine measurement of serum immunoglobulins should therefore be considered as part of the evaluation.
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