No abstract

Background: In Canada, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease is two-fold higher among Indigenous than non-Indigenous people. Direct comparisons of clinical characteristics between Indigenous and nonIndigenous end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients have not been previously conducted. We compared demographic and clinical characteristics of Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults with ESKD receiving dialysis at the primary hospital serving a region with 20% Indigenous population. Methods: During 4 years, 186 adults with ESKD were recruited for a clinical trial to analyze the response to pneumococcal immunization. Demographic and clinical data, including age, sex, residency, dialysis characteristics, etiology for chronic kidney disease, comorbidities, history of infections and prior pneumococcal immunization were compared between 91 Indigenous and 94 non-Indigenous individuals.

Involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) is commonly seen in patients with systemic sarcoidosis; however, an isolated case of neurosarcoidosis is a substantially infrequent scenario. Neurosarcoidosis may present with numerous nonspecific clinical manifestations and radiological features, which makes it difficult to diagnose. Correct interpretation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings incorporating sarcoidosis as a possible diagnosis is important for timely management of the disease. We report the unusual case of a 47-year-old female with brain lesions and a sudden appearance of spinal lesions mimicking CNS demyelination and metastases. Biopsy provided a definitive diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis.