POPS case: A 30-year-old Filipino woman with fevers, lymphadenopathy, painful scalp lesions, and a neck mass

Allergy Asthma Proc. 2020 Jul 1;41(4):305-308. doi: 10.2500/aap.2020.41.200012.

Abstract

We described a case of a 30-year-old Filipino woman who presented with fevers, night sweats, left hip pain, painful scalp lesions, and a neck mass. Symptoms began 6 months earlier, with nasal drainage, fever, cough, and occasional hemoptysis, which did not resolve with outpatient antibiotics. A further workup revealed lymphadenopathy and several lytic bone lesions. Her hospital course was later further complicated by the development of a tracheoesophageal fistula secondary to an esophageal mass and, then later, aseptic meningitis. Extensive diagnostic workup and immunologic tests were performed and finally led to the diagnosis. Here, we discussed the diagnostic workup and pathophysiology of the underlying condition. This case illustrated the importance of appropriate immunologic workup to make the diagnosis of a rare condition that proves to be clinically significant and presents challenges in management.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Autoantibodies / immunology*
  • Female
  • Fever / etiology
  • Hip
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / complications
  • Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / diagnosis*
  • Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology*
  • Lymphadenitis / diagnosis
  • Lymphadenitis / etiology
  • Meningitis, Aseptic / diagnosis
  • Meningitis, Aseptic / etiology
  • Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / diagnosis*
  • Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / etiology
  • Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / immunology
  • Osteolysis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Osteolysis / etiology
  • Philippines / ethnology
  • Tracheoesophageal Fistula / diagnostic imaging*
  • Tracheoesophageal Fistula / etiology

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • IFNG protein, human
  • Interferon-gamma