The Clinical Problem Solvers Episode 80: Human Dx unknown with Rabih & Indiana residents – fatigue and weight loss
Dr. Anand Patel presents a Human Dx unknown to Rabih and Indiana residents – Drs. Devika Gandhi and Cody Hill.
Dr. Devika Gandhi
Devika Gandhi is a second-year internal medicine resident at Indiana University. She is originally from Dayton, Ohio and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Akron. She earned her medics degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown, Ohio (Go Walking Whales!). After residency, she plans to pursue a career in gastroenterology/hepatology. During her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and going out to trivia with friends.
Dr. Cody Hill
Cody Hill is a second-year Med-Peds resident at Indiana University. He attended Clemson University for his undergraduate/graduate studies and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville for medical school. Although he loves taking care of patients, his true passion lies in medical education, especially when it relates to clinical reasoning and evidence-based medicine. He is also very invested in resident wellness and mentorship, which led him and a fellow classmate to start their own podcast called The Resident Lounge (@resident_lounge). After residency, he plans to pursue a career as a Med-Peds hospitalist and a medical educator with the ultimate goal of one day becoming a program director. Cody also just became a father, so in addition to taking care of his newborn daughter, he and his wife enjoy walking their dog, gardening, cooking and exploring Indianapolis for new craft beers.
Dr. Anand Patel
Dr. Anand Patel is a hematology-oncology fellow at the University of Chicago and the Medical Education Lead at the Human Diagnosis Project. He attended University of Missouri-Columbia for medical school and completed both his internal medicine residency and chief residency at Northwestern. Anand’s academic interests include medical education and clinical reasoning. Specifically within hematology-oncology, he is interested in clinical trial design using targeted therapies for patients with leukemias and myeloid neoplasms.
Case Summary
An 83-year-old woman with acute myeloid leukemia and psoriasis (on immunosuppression) presented with six weeks of fatigue, weight loss, and a dry cough. Her medical history was notable for two indeterminate interferon-gamma release assays. Computed tomography of the chest demonstrated a 3 x 3 cm right lower lobe mass, with subsequent biopsy revealing necrotizing granulomas and acid-fast bacilli. Cultures ultimately grew Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC).
Teaching Points:
Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is a ubiquitous water and soil-based organism. Clinical manifestations include pulmonary infections, lymphadenitis, and disseminated disease in severely immunocompromised patients (e.g., those with HIV and CD4 counts < 50 cells/µL). Pulmonary manifestations of MAC include cavitary upper lobe disease similar to tuberculosis, fibronodular bronchiectasis that often develops in the right middle lobe or lingula, solitary pulmonary nodules, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.