Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a chronic and the most frequent immune-mediated subepidermal blistering disorder which mainly affects elderly individuals. The autoantibodies produced following T-cell dysregulation are directed against BP180 (BPAg2) and BP230 (BPAg1), hemidesmosomal proteins located in the basement membrane zone (BMZ) of the epidermis. BP may present with polymorphic dermatological features including non-bullous manifestations and blisters. Therefore, a wide range of differential diagnoses such as eczema, urticaria, pemphigus and the differentials for subepidermal blister with eosinophils such as epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) and bullous drug eruptions should be considered in such cases. The associations of solid organ internal malignancies and BP are quite rare and vary between studies. Here, we present a case of paraneoplastic bullous pemphigoid (PNBP) in a patient with underlying renal cell carcinoma who was initially diagnosed with worsening hand-foot syndrome (HFS) which has led to withdrawal of his oral chemotherapy treatment.
Despite pulmonary cryptococcosis showing good response to antifungal treatment, making accurate diagnosis in a timely manner remains a challenge. Tissue for fungal culture is less sensitive, nonspecific, and time-consuming to allow for prompt diagnosis. We herein report a case of 31-year-old woman with no known medical illness but presented with history of cough and haemoptysis for two months. The chest X-ray and bronchoscopy revealed left lung mass. While tuberculosis showed negative result and no growth observed in the tissue culture, the histopathological examination (HPE) finding was suggestive of fungal infection. The formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue was sent for molecular testing, which revealed Cryptococcus neoformans. This report emphasises on the advantages and limitations of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as an alternative method to confirm the diagnosis in cases of culture-negative fungal infection.