Citations

SummaryThis study evaluated the differences in clinical features of 1077 newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis patients with renal involvement (n = 229, 21%), both cardiac and renal involvement (n = 443, 41%) and cardiac involvement (n = 405, 38%). Significant differences in dFLC (difference in involved and uninvolved light chains) were noted (renal, both, cardiac median: 83, 234 and 349 mg/l, P < 0.001). The proportion of patients with ≥ 10% bone marrow plasma cells (BMPCs) was lowest in renal only patients: 44%, 57%, 64%, respectively, P < 0.001. In a multivariate linear regression model incorporating organ involvement type and BMPCs ≥10%, organ involvement was a significant predictor of dFLC (P < 0.001). Median overall survival (OS) across the three groups was 83 vs. 19 vs. 16 months (P < 0.001) in patients not undergoing transplant and 5‐year OS in patients undergoing transplant was 90% vs. 75% vs. 64% (P = 0.007), respectively. In conclusion, renal involvement alone or renal + cardiac involvement in AL amyloidosis is associated with lower circulating light chain burden, which cannot be fully explained by BMPC burden alone. Increased sensitivity of the kidney to light chains, given significant interactions with the renal tubular system and secretion of modified light chain products may play a role in pathogenesis of renal AL amyloidosis and warrants further investigation.

Abstract We evaluated the impact of achieving a rapid response in 840 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients from 2004 to 2015. Rates of very good partial response (VGPR) or better were 29% (240/840) after 2 cycles of treatment, 42% (350/840) after 4 cycles of treatment, and 66% (552/840) as best response. Early responders after 2 cycles of treatment had higher rates of light chain disease, anemia, renal failure, International Staging System (ISS) stage III disease, and high-risk cytogenetics, especially t(4;14), and were more likely to have received triplet therapy and undergo transplant. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were not different among patients with ≥VGPR and &lt;VGPR after 2 cycles (PFS, 28 vs 30 months, P = .6; OS, 78 vs 96 months, P = .1) and 4 cycles (PFS, 31 vs 29 months; OS, 89 vs 91 months, P = .9), although both were improved, with ≥VGPR as best response (PFS, 33 vs 22 months, P &lt; .001; OS, 102 vs 77 months, P = .003). On multivariate analysis stratified by transplant status, achievement of ≥VGPR after 2 cycles was not associated with improved PFS (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]; transplant cohort, 1.1 [0.7-1.6]; nontransplant cohort, 1.2 [0.8-1.7]) or OS (transplant cohort, 1.6 [0.9-2.9]; nontransplant cohort, 1.5 [1.0-2.4]). Covariates in the model included high-risk cytogenetics, ISS stage III, triplet therapy, creatinine ≥2 mg/dL, light chain disease, and age. Although patients with high-risk disease are more likely to achieve early response, a rapid achievement of a deep response by itself does not affect long-term outcomes.

The authors present the cases of 3 patients with severe injuries affecting the peroneal nerve combined with loss of tibialis posterior function (inversion) despite preservation of other tibial nerve function. Loss of tibialis posterior function is problematic, since transfer of the tibialis posterior tendon is arguably the best reconstructive option for foot drop, when available. Analysis of preoperative imaging studies correlated with operative findings and showed that the injuries, while predominantly to the common peroneal nerve, also affected the lateral portion of the tibial nerve/division near the sciatic nerve bifurcation. Sunderland’s fascicular topographic maps demonstrate the localization of the fascicular bundle subserving the tibialis posterior to the area that corresponds to the injury. This has clinical significance in predicting injury patterns and potentially for treatment of these injuries. The lateral fibers of the tibial division/nerve may be vulnerable with long stretch injuries. Due to the importance of tibialis posterior function, it may be important to perform internal neurolysis of the tibial division/nerve in order to facilitate nerve action potential testing of these fascicles, ultimately performing split nerve graft repair when nerve action potentials are absent in this important portion of the tibial nerve.

OBJECTIVEGastrostomy tube placement can temporarily seed the peritoneal cavity with bacteria and thus theoretically increases the risk of shunt infection when the two procedures are performed contemporaneously. The authors hypothesized that gastrostomy tube placement would not increase the risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection. The object of this study was to test this hypothesis by utilizing a large patient cohort combined from multiple institutions.METHODSA retrospective study of all adult patients admitted to five institutions with a diagnosis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage between January 2005 and January 2015 was performed. The primary outcome of interest was ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection. Variables, including gastrostomy tube placement, were tested for their association with this outcome. Standard statistical methods were utilized.RESULTSThe overall cohort consisted of 432 patients, 47% of whom had undergone placement of a gastrostomy tube. The overall shunt infection rate was 9%. The only variable that predicted shunt infection was gastrostomy tube placement (p = 0.03, OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.07–4.08), which remained significant in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.04, OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.04–3.97). The greatest proportion of shunts that became infected had been placed more than 2 weeks (25%) and 1–2 weeks (18%) prior to gastrostomy tube placement, but the temporal relationship between shunt and gastrostomy was not a significant predictor of shunt infection.CONCLUSIONSGastrostomy tube placement significantly increases the risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection.