title: Two autopsy cases of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in Japan: a pathognomonic histological feature and unique complication of SFTS.
abstract: We report two autopsy cases of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) with a high fatality rate in aged Japanese patients. Both cases were caused by a tick-bite. The pathognomonic histological feature was necrotizing lymphadenitis of systemic lymphoid tissue with SFTS viruses and SFTSV-RNA copies. Marked fungal infections were also observed in the lungs of both patients. Since cellular immune function may be suppressed in SFTS patients, physicians should be aware of possible fungal infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology, Field of Oncology, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsubasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiraki
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimitsu
authors.forename: Tadaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: Seiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tabuchi
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Futatsuki
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saijo
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kakihana
authors.forename: Naomichi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arima
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yonezawa
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016856:Phlebovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology
keywords: SFTS; SFTS virus-nucleoprotein antigen; autopsy cases; fungal infection; necrotizing lymphadenitis