Abstract Objectives Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is one of 3 major types of histiocytic neoplasms, along with Rosai-Dorfman disease and Langerhans cell histiocytosis. It was first recognized as a neoplasm in the 2016 World Health Organization Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours. About 80% to 90% of cases harbor MAPK pathway mutations. Methods We discuss the diagnosis of ECD using 3 illustrative cases, consider interpretative challenges, and present a diagnostic algorithm. Results Erdheim-Chester disease is a systemic disease that shows a characteristic pattern of organ involvement including bone, perinephric soft tissue, skin, heart, and central nervous system. Histologically, ECD shows a spectrum of xanthogranulomatous, lymphohistocytic, or fibrohistiocytic infiltrates. By immunohistochemistry, the neoplastic histiocytes have a macrophage phenotype with expression of CD163, negative to focal S100, and negative CD1a and langerin. These features alone are not specific and thus insufficient for diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry for cyclin D1 and BRAF V600E, correlation with clinical and imaging findings, and mutational analysis for MAPK pathway mutations all play important roles in establishing an ECD diagnosis. Conclusions The diagnosis of ECD is often challenging due to its clinical and histologic overlap with reactive inflammatory processes. Correlation of histology features with clinical findings, immunohistochemistry, and genetic studies is essential for an accurate and timely diagnosis.
Mutational profiling links biologically relevant variants to multisystemic Rosai-Dorfman disease
ABSTRACT Background Gastric emptying (GE) scintigraphy with 4‐h imaging and a radiolabeled chicken egg‐based meal (320 kcal, 30% fat) is the standard test for gastroparesis at Mayo Clinic, with an intraindividual coefficient of variation (COV intra ) of 23.8% for GE half emptying time (T 1/2 ). Alternative meals for patients with dietary restrictions, including egg allergies or vegan diets, are lacking, limiting test accessibility. The study aimed to establish a vegan, lactose‐, nut‐, and gluten‐free meal with similar caloric and fat content to the egg meal and to assess its performance in GE studies. Methods In Vitro: 99m Tc binding to egg meal over 4 h was compared to a calorically and nutritionally similar vegan alternative, JUST Egg, using a validated in vitro model simulating gastric conditions of pH, pepsin, and stirring. In Vivo: 10 healthy participants underwent randomized crossover GE scintigraphy with standard and vegan meals, spaced ≥ 3 days apart to measure GE% at 2 h, 4 h, and GE T 1/2 . Group comparisons and variance analysis included Rank Sum tests and Bland–Altman plots. Key Results In Vitro: A strong correlation ( R = 0.975, p ‐value < 0.01) between 99m Tc binding in the egg and vegan egg models was observed. Minimal variance (< 10%) was recorded at all time points. In Vivo: GE at 4 h and GE T 1/2 showed non‐statistically significant mean differences, < 2% and < 10 min respectively, between both meals. The intra‐individual variability was 18.8%. Conclusions and Inferences The vegan meal demonstrated in vitro stability, in vivo performance comparable to the egg meal, and a COV intra of 18.8%, which was lower than the 23.8% reported in repeat egg meal GE studies. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT06991036 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06991036?term=NCT06991036&rank=1 )
PD-L1 expression and response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in malignant histiocytic neoplasms
Outcomes with MEK Inhibitor Therapy Among Adults with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH): A Multi-Institutional Study from the Adult LCH Working Group for the Histiocyte Society
Purpose: The discovery of MAPK/ERK pathway mutations has led to the approval of MEK-inhibitor (MEKi) cobimetinib in histiocytic neoplasms. However, the pivotal clinical trial that led to the approval of cobimetinib included only 4 patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). Therefore, there is a need to define outcomes with MEKi therapy in patients with LCH. We undertook a multi-center collaboration through the Adult LCH Working Group for the Histiocyte Society to address this gap in knowledge. Methods: Adults with LCH who received MEKi therapy were included from five institutions. Objective response rate (ORR) was evaluated using PET/CT criteria, and CT/MRI if PET scan was not available; response categories were categorized into complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD). Progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from the time of targeted therapy initiation. Risk organ disease was defined as liver, spleen, or bone marrow involvement. Results: 25 adults with LCH were included in this study; median age at MEKi initiation 43y (range, 18-85). Most common systems involved at diagnosis were bone (52%), pituitary (44%), and lung (36%). Risk organ involvement was observed in 7 (28%, 6 liver, 1 liver and spleen) and 2 (8%) patients had intra-axial CNS involvement. Median lines of prior therapy received were 2 (range: 1-5), and 4 (16%) patients received MEKi in first-line. MAPK/ERK pathway status was assessed via target capture next generation sequencing (NGS) in 22 (96%) cases. Amongst those who underwent NGS, alterations identified included: BRAF V600E (2/22, 9%), BRAF deletions (11/22 50%), MAP2K1 or MEK mutations (4/22, 18%), and MAPK1 or ERK2 (n=1, 5%). Overall, 5 patients also received BRAF inhibitors (4 patients as first therapy prior to MEKi and 1 concomitantly due to BRAF V600E positive melanoma). Specific MEKi agents utilized included cobimetinib (n=13) and trametinib (n=12). Among the response evaluable patients (n=23), ORR to MEKi treatment was 78% (9 CR, 9 PR, 4 SD, 1 PD). Among the 7 patients with liver involvement, responses were seen in 2 (29%) cases. ORR did not significantly differ according to mutation status among those with NGS data (78% MAPK mutated vs. 100% unmutated; p=1.0). In this subcohort, all of the 4 cases that did not respond to MEKi had liver involvement; 3 had BRAF deletions (2 SD and 1 PD), and one had MAPK1 mutation (SD). Median follow-up duration after MEKi initiation in the entire cohort was 18 months (95% CI 6 - 30). The median PFS and OS were not reached; 2-year PFS and OS were 78.1% and 79.9%, respectively (Figure 1A). The median PFS was much shorter in those with liver involvement (7 months [95% CI 0 - 14]) compared with those without liver disease (not reached [95% CI 19-not reached] P=0.047; Figure 1B). PFS did not differ significantly between MAPK pathway mutated and unmutated patients (p=0.34) Adverse events (AEs) were reported in 36% (n=9) and most commonly included rash (n=5) and fatigue (n=3). Four patients experienced grade 3-4 AEs including rash, fatigue, and thrombocytopenia. Common causes of MEKi discontinuation included AEs (n=3), progression (n=2), and drug holiday (n=2). At last follow-up, 5 patients died and 18 remained on MEKi. Death was attributable to LCH (n=3), concomitant malignancy (n=1), or unknown causes (n=1). Conclusions: In our multi-institutional study of adults with LCH, we found MEKi therapy to be highly efficacious. However, liver involvement correlated with a lack of response and worse PFS, while mutational status did not. Future studies are needed to evaluate optimum treatment for high-risk subgroups of LCH like liver disease.
Long-term outcomes among adults with Langerhans cell histiocytosis
Abstract Advances in the treatment of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) have resulted in a growing survivor population. There is a lack of data on long-term outcomes among adults with LCH. We conducted a retrospective record review of 219 adults (aged ≥18 years) with LCH. Most common presentation was multisystem (34.2%), followed by single-system pulmonary (32%), unifocal (28.3%), and single-system multifocal (5.5%) LCH. Risk organ involvement (the liver, spleen, or bone marrow) was seen in 8.7% of cases, and 40 of 88 (45.5%) tested cases were BRAFV600E. At a median follow-up of 74 months, 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 58.3% and estimated median PFS was 83 months. Median overall survival (OS) was not reached; 5- and 10-year OS rates were 88.7% and 74.5%, respectively. Risk organ involvement was associated with worse PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 4.5) and OS (HR, 10.8). BRAFV600E was not associated with risk organ involvement or survival. When compared with matched unaffected US population, individuals with LCH had a significantly higher risk of overall mortality (standardized mortality ratio [SMR], 2.66), specifically among those aged <55 years at diagnosis (SMR, 5.94) and those with multisystem disease (SMR, 4.12). Second cancers occurred in 16.4% cases, including diverse hematologic and solid organ malignancies. LCH-associated deaths constituted 36.1% of deaths and occurred within 5 years of diagnosis. After 5 years, non-LCH causes of death, including second cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular diseases, predominated. Our study highlights, to our knowledge, for the first time, that adults with LCH experience early and late mortality from non-LCH causes and the need for development of targeted survivorship programs to improve outcomes.
Tolerability of lutetium-177–PSMA-617 in men with prostate cancer and baseline cytopenia.
e17057 Background: Results from the VISION trial (NCT03511664) led to the approval of lutetium-177 (177Lu)–PSMA-617 for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This trial excluded patients with baseline cytopenias, thus safety in this frequently encountered patient population is unknown. We aimed to use real-world data to describe the tolerability of radioligand therapy in those with poorer bone marrow reserve. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients, who received a first dose of 177Lu–PSMA-617 at Mayo Clinic in the interval of April 26, 2022, to December 1, 2022. Patients were categorized as having poor marrow reserve on the basis of pre-treatment hematologic parameters, including: (1) an anemia cohort with hemoglobin (Hg) less than 9 g/dL, (2) a thrombocytopenia cohort with platelets (Plt) less than 100 x 109/L, (3) a leukopenia cohort with white blood cell count (WBC) less than 2.5 x 109/L, and (4) a multiple cytopenia cohort. These were exclusionary parameters from the VISION trial. Longitudinal laboratory data and clinical outcomes were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: At data cutoff, 185 patients had received one or more doses of 177Lu, including 26 (14%) with at least one baseline cytopenia prior to their first cycle of treatment. In total, there were 19 (73%) patients with anemia, 3 (12%) with thrombocytopenia, 2 (8%) with leukopenia, and 2 (8%) with multiple cytopenias at baseline. The median number of cycles received thus far is 3, including 14 (54%) who are still receiving therapy and 12 (46%) who have permanently discontinued treatment. Median longitudinal changes in blood counts for the anemia cohort are presented in Table 1. Reasons for treatment discontinuation include: toxicity (n = 2), disease progression (n = 5), death (n = 4), or other (n = 1). Dose reductions or treatment delays for worsening myelosuppression were utilized in 3 (12%) and 5 (19%) patients, respectively. Transfusions of packed red blood cells or platelets were required for 16 (62%) patients. A total of 6 (23%) received care in the emergency department or were hospitalized. Conclusions: Treatment discontinuation for toxicity was rare among men with mCRPC and baseline cytopenias, while receiving 177Lu; however, these patients have an overall poor prognosis. [Table: see text]
Imaging of Bowel Ischemia: An Update, From the AJR Special Series on Emergency Radiology