We present 2 cases of systemic cryptococcosis with cutaneous involvement in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Both patients were male, intravenous drug abusers, 31 and 35 years old, with severe immunodepression and a CD4+ lymphocyte count of 10/ml and 1/ml, respectively. They both had papular lesions reminiscent of molluscum contagiosum and in one patient with concomitant...

Drug abusers typically consume not just one but several types of drugs, starting from alcohol and marijuana consumption, and then dramatically lapsing into addiction to harder drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, or amphetamine. The brain of drug abusers presents various structural and neurophysiological abnormalities, some of which may predate drug consumption onset. However, how these changes tran...

Pleural tuberculosis occurs in 30% of patients with tuberculosis, and the percentage of patients with tuberculosis pleural effusions is comparable to human immunodeficiency virus HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals, although pleural tuberculosis is rare in HIV-positive patients with CD4+ counts < 200 cells/mm(3). Pleural tuberculosis in HIV-positive patients is likely to happen in young p...

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), is an infection due to obligate intracellular protozoa of the genus Leishmania[1]. Natural transmission of the parasite happens primarilyby way ofthe bite of contaminated female of phlebotome. In the Old World it is represented by the genus Phlebotomous but in the New World it is called Lutzomyia. Another way of transmission may occur among the intravenous drug abus...

TVE is mainly a disease of intravenous drug abusers. Although the infecting organisms are often highly virulent, they frequently respond to medical treatment. The prognosis for patients with TVE is fairly good. About 25% of TVE patients require surgical intervention. Persistent sepsis and intractable congestive heart failure are indications for surgery. Tricuspid valvulectomy without prosthetic...

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of anaphylactic reactions due to opiates during anaesthesia can be difficult, since in most cases various drugs may have been administered. Detection of specific IgE to poppy seed might be a marker for sensitisation to opiates in allergic people and heroin-abusers. This study assessed the clinical value of morphine, pholcodine and poppy seed skin-prick and IgE determina...

BACKGROUND Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteraemia remains a condition associated with considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is a common but little-studied problem outside of Europe and North America. METHODS A single-centre retrospective case series profiling all patients with community onset-MSSA bacteraemia presenting between March 2005 and February 20...

Several studies suggest a high comorbidity of substance abuse and schizophrenia, associated with higher frequency of relapse, more positive symptoms and depression, cognitive impairment, poorer outcome and treatment response. A high incidence of substance abuse is also observed in first-episode patients. Among patients with substance abuse, the onset precedes the onset of psychosis of several y...

background: hepatitis c (hcv) is increasing worldwide including iran. hcv is more prevalent among intravenous drug abusers (idu), especially if imprisoned, mostly due to needle sharing. we determined the rate of hcv seropositivity among idu prisoners and compared it with those of non prisoners. materials and methods: a cross-sectional survey was done on consenting idu inhabiting two prisons and...