Two Difficult Diagnosis Cases—May 28, 1997

Two Difficult Diagnosis Cases—May 28, 1997

A female patient whose X-ray showed a 5cm×6cm osteolytic lesion at the right pubic symphysis was initially diagnosed as metastatic cancer. She had high fever, pain, functional impairment, and a sedimentation rate of 163mm/h. I believed that the osteolytic phenomenon in this case might be caused by an autoimmune disorder, so I diagnosed it as an autoimmune disease. After thoroughly examining all systems of the body and finding no primary cancer focus, I decisively treated her with large doses of hormones; at the same time, I administered cyclophosphamide 500mg for three consecutive days, and the following week intravenous drip of cyclophosphamide 100mg, five times a week. After three weeks, her pain disappeared, and she could walk normally again.