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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Approximately 5% of COVID‐19 patients who suffer from pneumonia develop critical respiratory failure. Here, we report the case of a healthy 52‐year‐old man who had respiratory failure owing to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and was treated using femoro‐femoral veno‐venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV‐ECMO) and prone position ventilation (PPV). After this treatment, his blood oxygen levels, chest high‐resolution computed tomography findings, and clinical parameters significantly improved. He was decannulated from VV‐ECMO on day 6 and finally extubated on day 11. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of SARS‐CoV‐2‐associated acute respiratory distress syndrome that was successfully treated with a combination of femoro‐femoral VV‐ECMO and PPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Strongyloidiasis is a chronic parasitic infection caused by Strongyloides stercoralis. Severe cases such as, hyperinfection syndrome (HS) and disseminated strongyloidiasis (DS), can involve pulmonary manifestations. These manifestations frequently aid the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis. Here, we present the pulmonary manifestations and radiological findings of severe strongyloidiasis.Methods: From January 2004 to December 2014, all patients diagnosed with severe strongyloidiasis at the University of the Ryukyus Hospital or affiliated hospitals in Okinawa, Japan, were included in this retrospective study. All diagnoses were confirmed by the microscopic or histopathological identification of larvae. Severe strongyloidiasis was defined by the presence of any of the following: 1) the identification of S. stercoralis from extra gastrointestinal specimens, 2) sepsis, 3) meningitis, 4) acute respiratory failure, or 5) respiratory tract hemorrhage. Patients were assigned to either HS or DS. Medical records were further reviewed to extract related clinical features and radiological findings.Results: Sixteen severe strongyloidiasis cases were included. Of those, fifteen cases had pulmonary manifestations, eight had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (53%), seven had enteric bacterial pneumonia (46%) and five had pulmonary hemorrhage (33%). Acute respiratory failure was a common indicator for pulmonary manifestation (87%). Chest X-ray findings frequently showed diffuse shadows (71%). Additionally, ileum gas was detected for ten of the sixteen cases in the upper abdomen during assessment with chest X-ray. While, chest CT findings frequently showed ground-glass opacity (GGO) in 89% of patients. Interlobular septal thickening was also frequently shown (67%), always accompanying GGO in upper lobes.Conclusions: In summary, our study described HS/DS cases with pulmonary manifestations including, ARDS, bacterial pneumonia and pulmonary hemorrhage. Chest X-ray findings in HS/DS cases frequently showed diffuse shadows, and the combination of GGO and interlobular septal thickening in chest CT was common in HS/DS, regardless of accompanying pulmonary manifestations. This CT finding suggests alveolar hemorrhage could be used as a potential marker indicating the transition from latent to symptomatic state. Respiratory specimens are especially useful for detecting larvae in cases of HS/DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 71-year-old man noticed that he was producing brown urine in November 2007, and he also experienced dyspnea on exertion, a nonproductive cough and a pruritic eruption on his extremities and trunk in December 2007. He was admitted with suspected interstitial pneumonia (IP). IP was diagnosed based on the findings of blood tests, chest X-rays, computed tomography, bronchoalveolar lavage, and a transbronchial lung biopsy. His hemoglobin (Hb) level was low (6.4 g/dL), and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) was diagnosed based on the presence of reticulocytosis (187%), a low level of haptoglobin (< 10 mg/dL), and positive direct and indirect Coombs tests. His symptoms improved after receiving corticosteroid therapy. To the best of our knowledge there are only 15 reported cases of patients demonstrating the occurrence of these 2 diseases together. Most patients who develop AIHA first have a favorable prognosis, while those who develop IP first tend to have a poor prognosis. The current patient had increased levels of serum IgG, IgA and immunocomplexes. These findings suggest that IgG, IgA and immunocomplexes were associated with the comorbid IP and AIHA.