Citations

AbstractColonoscopy is the gold standard for colon cancer screening. It has led to a decrease in the incidence of colorectal cancer mortality. Colon perforation is a feared complication of this procedure with high morbidity and substantial mortality. Due to the high volume of colonoscopies performed, the absolute number of colonoscopic perforations is relatively high. It leads to a substantial cost to the patient and the health system. Understanding the mechanisms and the risk factors may help in preventing perforation. Traditionally, a laparotomy with creation of a stoma was used to address this complication. However, minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopy and endoluminal repairs are being used more commonly now. More surgeons are favoring primary anastomosis (with or without a diverting loop ileostomy) than a Hartmann procedure.

AbstractHairy cell leukemia is an uncommon hematologic malignancy characterized by pancytopenia and marked susceptibility to infection. Tremendous progress in the management of patients with this disease has resulted in high response rates and improved survival, yet relapse and an appropriate approach to re-treatment present continuing areas for research. The disease and its effective treatment are associated with immunosuppression. Because more patients are being treated with alternative programs, comparison of results will require general agreement on definitions of response, relapse, and methods of determining minimal residual disease. The development of internationally accepted, reproducible criteria is of paramount importance in evaluating and comparing clinical trials to provide optimal care. Despite the success achieved in managing these patients, continued participation in available clinical trials in the first-line and particularly in the relapse setting is highly recommended. The Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation convened an international conference to provide common definitions and structure to guide current management. There is substantial opportunity for continued research in this disease. In addition to the importance of optimizing the prevention and management of the serious risk of infection, organized evaluations of minimal residual disease and treatment at relapse offer ample opportunities for clinical research. Finally, a scholarly evaluation of quality of life in the increasing number of survivors of this now manageable chronic illness merits further study. The development of consensus guidelines for this disease offers a framework for continued enhancement of the outcome for patients.

Key Points The expression level of ROR1 on CLL cells varies between patients. High-level CLL-cell expression of ROR1 associates with more aggressive disease.

ObjectiveThe aim of the present case report was to describe the late onset of recurrent mania in a patient after ischemic injury to the cerebellum and dorsolateral medulla.MethodsWe studied an 86‐year‐old male with no prior psychiatric history who developed recurrent episodes of mania following a brain stroke. Additionally, he had neurological symptom constellation typical of Wallenberg syndrome.ResultsMagnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed infarction in the inferomedial right cerebellar hemisphere and the right dorsolateral medulla in the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) distribution. He was successfully managed with a combination of antipsychotic and mood‐stabilizer medications.ConclusionsPost‐stroke mania may be one of the rare manifestations of Wallenberg syndrome. This case adds to the emerging literature on cerebellar involvement in mood regulation and pathology of mania.

SummaryData from the National LymphoCare Study (a prospective, multicentre registry that enrolled follicular lymphoma (FL) patients from 2004 to 2007) were used to determine disease characteristics, treatment patterns, outcomes and prognosis for elderly FL (eFL) patients. Of 2650 FL patients, 209 (8%) were aged >80 years; these eFL patients more commonly had grade 3 disease, less frequently received chemoimmunotherapy and anthracyclines, and had lower response rates when compared to younger patients. With a median follow‐up of 6.9 years, 5‐year overall survival (OS) for eFL patients was 59%; 38% of deaths were lymphoma‐related. No treatment produced superior OS among eFL patients. In multivariate Cox models, anaemia, B‐symptoms and male sex predicted worse OS (P < 0·01); a prognostic index of these factors (0, 1 or ≥2 present) predicted OS [hazard ratio (95% CI): ≥2 vs. 0, 4·72 (2·38–9·33); 1 vs. 0, 2·63 (1·39–4·98)], with a higher concordance index (0·63) versus the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (0·55). The index was validated in an independent cohort. In the largest prospective US‐based eFL cohort, no optimal therapy was identified and nearly 40% of deaths were lymphoma‐related, representing baseline outcomes in the modern era.