Abstract Small vessel vasculitis with anti-proteinase antibodies 3 is an atypical clinical presentation of tuberculosis. The authors present the case of a 47-year-old male patient, with palpable purpura and palmoplantar hemorrhagic blisters, with subsequent dissemination. He presented severe pulmonary symptoms with cavitation, fever, hemoptysis, and high levels of anti-proteinase 3. Histopathological assessment of the skin revealed small vessel vasculitis; pulmonary histopathology showed granulomas with caseation. Bronchoalveolar lavage was positive for alcohol-acid-fast bacilli. In countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, the presence of autoantibodies in a patient with vasculitis, fever, and pulmonary cavitation requires investigation of infectious causes.

Resumo Fundamentos: Disfunção do ventrículo direito (VD) é observada em 30-50% dos pacientes com infarto do miocárdio na parede inferior (IM-I) e é fator preditor de mortalidade precoce. A fibrose miocárdica está associada com disfunção ventricular progressiva e prognóstico grave. Nesses pacientes, a ressonância magnética cardíaca (RMC) é um importante método de estratificação de risco. Objetivos: Avaliar a associação entre disfunção do VD e fibrose miocárdica em pacientes com IM-I por RMC. Métodos: Estudo coorte realizado em um centro de cardiologia de referência. Quarenta indivíduos com IM-I foram incluídos no estudo. RMC foi realizada durante a internação para estimar função do VD e quantificar fibrose miocárdica pela técnica de realce tardio com gadolínio (TRT). Os pacientes foram estratificados quanto à função ventricular, e características clínicas foram comparadas entre os grupos. Resultados: Quarenta pacientes foram incluídos no estudo, 75% eram homens e 43% idosos (idade ≥ 60 anos). Entre os fatores de risco cardiovasculares, hipertensão (45%) e tabagismo (33%) foram os mais prevalentes. A disfunção do VD estava presente em 33% dos pacientes. A massa de fibrose média foi 22 ± 12g nos pacientes com disfunção do VD e 15 ± 8 g nos pacientes com função ventricular preservada (p = 0,051). Conclusões: Os resultados deste estudo indicam uma possível associação entre disfunção do VD e fibrose miocárdica nos pacientes com IM-I. No entanto, outros estudos envolvendo um maior número de pacientes são necessários para confirmar nossos achados.

Abstract Background: Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) can be found in 30-50% of patients with inferior wall myocardial infarction (I-MI) and predicts early mortality. Myocardial fibrosis is associated with progressive ventricular dysfunction and severe prognosis. In these patients, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is an important risk stratification method. Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the association between RVD and myocardial fibrosis in patients with I-MI, using CMR. Methods: Cohort study conducted in a prominent center of cardiology. Forty individuals with I-MI were included in the study. CMR was performed during hospitalization to estimate parameters of right ventricle function and to quantify myocardial fibrosis through late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) technique. Patients were stratified by ventricular function, and clinical characteristics were compared between study groups. Results: Forty patients were included in the study, 75% were male and 43% elderly (age ≥ 60 years). Hypertension (45%) and smoking (33%) were the most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors. RVD was found in 33% of patients. Mean fibrosis mass was 22 ± 12 g in patients with RVD compared with 15 ± 8 g in patients with preserved ventricular function (p = 0.051). Conclusions: The findings of our study indicate a possible association between RVD and myocardial fibrosis in patients with I-MI. However, further studies with larger series are needed to confirm our findings.