Alsibai, Reem

Abstract Introduction Case reports and series are critical to guide initial decision-making in a pandemic, but may have lower rigor because of the need to publish them quickly. This meta-epidemiologic study compares the methodological quality of case series that described the acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 versus those that described long-haul cases. Methods We conducted a systematic review in multiple databases for long-haul case series and reports. We identified early cases of acute COVID-19 synthesized in published systematic reviews. We evaluated the methodological quality by pairs of independent reviewers using a tool dedicated for appraising case series. Results We included 239 original case series (81 published in the first year of the pandemic and 158 published later describing long-haul COVID). The methodological quality of both groups of case series was very good (80–100% of series satisfying quality items) except for two items, the selection approach of cases included in the series and ruling out other causes that can explain the main finding described in the series. The appraisal tool demonstrated high agreement and reliability between reviewers. Conclusion The methodological quality of modern case series is high, except for two quality items that represent an area for potential for improvement for authors of case series describing future pandemics.

Background: Oncocytic adrenal neoplasms, defined by ≥90 % of oncocytic cells, are rare. The significance of oncocytic changes within an adrenal neoplasm remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective study of adults who underwent adrenalectomy at a large center identified pure oncocytic neoplasms on final pathology (1997-2022). Neoplasms were categorized based on Lin-Weiss-Bisceglia system as malignant, benign, or of uncertain malignant potential. Analysis was performed using Fisher exact, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Among a total of 33 patients, 24% had benign, 36% malignant, and 39% neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential. None of the benign neoplasms recurred, while 50% of the malignant neoplasms recurred (median of 40 months). Two of 13 neoplasms initially thought to be of uncertain malignant potential recurred as distant metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma at 11 and 25 months, over a median follow-up duration of 31 months. Ki67% was available for 20 patients: median (IQR) Ki67% was 5 (1, 5) for benign, 10 (6, 15) for malignant, and 6.5 (5, 10) for neoplasms of uncertain behavior, P = 0.05. Recurred neoplasms had higher Ki67% at initial resection compared to cases that did not recur. Conclusion: While oncocytic adrenal neoplasms are rare, a significant proportion are malignant or have malignant potential. Judicious follow-up is required for oncocytic adrenal neoplasms of uncertain malignant potential, as they can recur as metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma. Ki67% should always be obtained in cases of malignancy or uncertain malignant potential as it can predict recurrence. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the appropriate follow-up protocols for these neoplasms.

Since fibroids are known to be hormonally receptive tumors, it is biologically plausible that fibroids decrease in size after menopause. Patients may opt for more conservative therapy or expectant management if fibroid growth could be predicted[1](#ref-0001). Studies assessing fibroid growth in premenopausal patients have shown that individual tumors in a single uterus grow at different rates and can grow consistently or in short bursts 2 . These variations and the unknown effect of natural menopause make patient counseling difficult. Studies that include only symptomatic menopausal patients or those undergoing treatment can result in selection bias towards fibroids that are increasing in size 3,4 . The objective of our study was to estimate fibroid growth course before and after menopause among women not specifically seeking fibroid treatment. Our hypothesis was that fibroid growth would decline after menopause.

e19543 Background: Primary Bone Lymphoma (PBL) is defined as a lymphoma originating in an osseous site with no systemic disease. It is rare, constituting around 1% of all lymphomas. Due to its rarity, ascertaining natural history and standard of care treatments are based primarily on small case series but there have been no systematic reviews, randomized control trials or meta-analysis to establish optimal treatment strategies. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus and other sources, from each database's inception to September 2022. Outcomes of interest included mortality and progression at different time points, as well as complete response and partial response. Meta-analysis was conducted using the random-effects model. Results: The number of studies matching our inquiry was 51 ranging from 1955 to 2019. Total patients studied were 5,847 of which 3,055 were male and the dominant histology was diffuse large B cell lymphoma with 3,816. Treatment primarily consisted of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of the two. Overall mortality at 2, 5 and 10 years was 17%, 29% and 39% respectively. Complete response to initial treatment was noted in 73% of patients. Disease progression at 2 and 5 years was 26% and 29% respectively. Patients aged older than 60 years and multiple sites of disease in the skeleton (such as axial and spine etc.) had worse outcomes with RR 1.76 (P value 0.0027) and 1.133 (P value 0.0167) respectively. Additionally, patients who underwent chemotherapy with radiation vs radiation alone had improved outcomes with a relative risk of 0.38 (P value of 0.0001). Patients who underwent radiation treatment in addition to chemotherapy tended to have improved outcomes with a relative risk of 0.60 but this was not statistically significant with a P value of 0.068. Conclusions: We performed a systematic review to determine the characteristics and current treatment of PBL. The analysis demonstrates the rarity and heterogenicity of the disease. The current standard of care is for chemoradiation, but this is based primarily on old case studies. Our study confirms the utility of multimodal treatment with a tendency for improved outcomes. However, further prospective trials are needed to determine the necessity of multimodal treatment given this hypothesis generating study. [Table: see text]