Mwirigi, Nicola W.

Clostridium septicumaortitis is a rare infection that is highly associated with underlying malignancy. We present a case of an 82-year-old male diagnosed with bothC. septicumaortitis and a high-grade cecal tubulovillous adenoma. The patient was offered aortic resection; however, he opted for only suppressive antibiotic therapy and a right hemicolectomy with ileocolonic anastomosis. He ultimately passed away 75 days following admission. The authors report on the connection betweenC. septicumaortitis and malignancy. The authors also discuss the need for prompt treatment with antibiotics once the infection is identified and the consideration of aortic resection given the risk of aneurysmal change with aortic dissection or rupture.

Prolastin is a commercially available form of alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) that is derived from pooled human plasma and used for treatment of severe alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). We describe a patient with AATD who developed presumed hypersensitivity vasculitis (HV) following a Prolastin infusion. Hypersensitivity vasculitis (HV), or cutaneous vasculitis, is characterized by inflammation of the small vessels of the skin with resultant ischemia to the distally supplied areas. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of presumed hypersensitivity vasculitis following Prolastin infusion.