Citations

Primary central nervous system (PCNSL) lymphoma is an aggressive extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and most cases are classified as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) by histology. T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma (TCRLBCL) represents a distinct subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and is characterized by the presence of scattered large neoplastic B-cells in a background of abundant T-cells and histiocytes. This is in contrast to the dense perivascular cuffing of neoplastic B-cells in classic DLBCL. T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma should be considered in PCNSL cases in which neoplastic B-cells are sparse and scattered. Immunohistochemistry will help identify the B-cells and surrounding infiltrate rich in Tlymphocytes and histiocytes. Future studies exploring the biology of TCRLBCL and the crosstalk between the neoplastic cells and the surrounding inflammatory infiltrate may provide exciting prospects for future therapies for TCRLBCL.

Primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type (PCDLBCL-LT) is a rare diffuse large B-cell lymphoma confined to the skin of the legs. The typical presentation is characterized by solitary or multiple growing plaques, usually confined to one leg. We report a case of PCDLBCL-LT of activated B-cell subtype characterized by multiple local relapses in the legs, initially, and systemic relapses about seven years after the diagnosis. Local relapses were sensitive to radiation therapy. Cutaneous and systemic relapses responded well to immunomodulatory therapy with lenalidomide followed by Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibition with ibrutinib. Ibrutinib is the only treatment that resulted in long-lasting complete remission. Lenalidomide and especially ibrutinib appear to have a significant activity against this lymphoma and should be incorporated in the treatment of this resistant and aggressive lymphoma. To our knowledge, this is the first case of PCDLBCL-LT reported in the literature exhibiting a complete response to ibrutinib.

The growing ability to collect and transmit patient-generated health data, also referred to as people-generated health data and patient-reported outcomes, is creating an opportunity to greatly improve how cancer survivors and their providers manage survivors’ health in the months and years following cancer treatment. Although cancer survivors are at higher risk of chronic health problems and early death as a result of cancer treatment, some experience difficulty identifying and receiving the care they need to optimize their health post-treatment. This article describes the challenges that cancer survivors and their providers face in managing survivors’ care and identifies several ways that using patient-generated health data can improve survivors’ and providers’ ability to manage survivorship care at the individual and population levels.

Background: One complication of anteroinferior glenohumeral shoulder dislocation is a critical bone defect that requires surgical repair to prevent recurrent instability. However, controversy exists regarding the surgical management because both open and arthroscopic surgeries have respective advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, it is difficult to determine the patient’s preferred treatment, as factors that influence treatment choice include recurrence rates, morbidity of the procedures, and patient preferences. Hypothesis: Patients who have a higher probability of recurrent instability after arthroscopic surgery will select open surgery whereas patients with a lower probability of recurrent instability after arthroscopic surgery will favor arthroscopy. Study Design: Economic and decision analysis; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A decision tree was constructed to model each hypothetical outcome after open or arthroscopic surgery for glenohumeral instability in patients with bone defects. A literature review was performed to determine the probability of occurrence for each node while utility values for each outcome were obtained via patient-administered surveys given to 50 patients without prior history of shoulder injury or dislocation. Fold-back analysis was then performed to show the optimal treatment strategy. Finally, sensitivity analysis established the thresholds at which open treatment becomes the optimal treatment. Results: The ultimate expected value—the objective evaluation of all potential outcomes after choosing either open or arthroscopic surgery—was found to be greater for arthroscopic surgery than for open surgery (87.17 vs 81.64), indicating it to be the preferred treatment. Results of sensitivity analysis indicated that open surgery becomes the preferred treatment when probability of recurrence after arthroscopic treatment is ≥23.8%, although varying the utility, defined as an aggregate patient preference for a particular outcome, has no effect on the model. When the rate of no complication after open surgery is 97.6%, open surgery becomes the patient’s preferred treatment. Conclusion: Arthroscopic surgery is an acceptable treatment if recurrent instability occurs consistently at ≤23.8%. This has important implications given the technical difficulty of successfully performing arthroscopic fixation to resolve recurrent anteroinferior glenohumeral dislocations associated with critical osseous defects. However, due to a lack of clinical outcomes studies, more research is needed to better predict the optimal operative treatment.

AbstractAimThis study aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors of acute kidney injury (AKI) following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).MethodsWe included all adult patients undergoing TAVR for aortic stenosis from 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2014 at a tertiary referral hospital. AKI was defined based on Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria. We performed a multivariate logistic regression to identify factors associated with post‐procedural AKI occurrence.ResultsThree hundred eighty‐six patients met the inclusion criteria, of which 106 (28%) developed AKI. In multivariate analysis, AKI development was independently associated with a transapical approach (odds ratio (OR), 2.81; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.72–4.65 compared with transfemoral approach) and the need for an intra‐aortic balloon pump (OR, 9.11; 95% CI, 1.77–68.29). Higher baseline renal function (OR, 0.78 per 10 mL/min per 1.73 m2 increment in glomerular filtration rate; 95% CI, 0.68–0.87) was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AKI. After adjustment for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons' risk score, post‐procedural AKI development remained significantly associated with an increased in‐hospital (OR, 4.74; 95% CI, 1.39–18.48) and 6‐month mortality (OR, 4.66; 95% CI, 2.32–9.63).ConclusionIn a cohort of patients undergoing TAVR for aortic stenosis, AKI commonly occurred and was significantly associated with increased mortality. Baseline renal function, procedure approach and the need for circulatory support were important predictive factors for post‐procedural AKI occurrence.

AbstractIntroductionThis study investigated the comparability of potential Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers across blood fractions and assay platforms.MethodsNonfasting serum and plasma samples from 300 participants (150 AD patients and 150 controls) were analyzed. Proteomic markers were obtained via electrochemiluminescence or Luminex technology. Comparisons were conducted via Pearson correlations. The relative importance of proteins within an AD diagnostic profile was examined using random forest importance plots.ResultsOn the Meso Scale Discovery multiplex platform, 10 of the 21 markers shared >50% of the variance across blood fractions (serum amyloid A R2 = 0.99, interleukin (IL)10 R2 = 0.95, fatty acid‐binding protein (FABP) R2 = 0.94, I309 R2 = 0.94, IL‐5 R2 = 0.94, IL‐6 R2 = 0.94, eotaxin3 R2 = 0.91, IL‐18 R2 = 0.87, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 R2 = 0.85, and pancreatic polypeptide R2 = 0.81). When examining protein concentrations across platforms, only five markers shared >50% of the variance (beta 2 microglobulin R2 = 0.92, IL‐18 R2 = 0.80, factor VII R2 = 0.78, CRP R2 = 0.74, and FABP R2 = 0.70).DiscussionThe current findings highlight the importance of considering blood fractions and assay platforms when searching for AD relevant biomarkers.

AbstractBackgroundTransoral robotic surgery (TORS) has been shown to be both feasible and oncologically sound for use in early T classification hypopharyngeal cancers. The purpose of this study was to present our surgical technique for performing a transoral robotic hypopharyngectomy.MethodsA 48‐year‐old man with a T2, N2a, M0 squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx underwent a transoral robotic hypopharyngectomy and a left select neck dissection of levels II to IV.ResultsThe hypopharyngeal tumor was removed en bloc after circumferential cuts were made until the tumor was finally amputated from the apex of the piriform sinus. Negative margins were achieved. A left select neck dissection was performed. The patient was tolerating an oral diet and his tracheostomy tube was decannulated before discharge.ConclusionTORS offers improved manual dexterity and tumor manipulation over conventional transoral approaches to hypopharyngeal cancers. It is both a feasible and effective method for certain early‐stage hypopharyngeal cancers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2127–E2129, 2016

Objective To identify predictors of respiratory failure and to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of plasma exchange (PE) and of rituximab versus cyclophosphamide in a cohort of patients with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) secondary to antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis (AAV) with or without respiratory failure. Methods We performed a single‐center historical cohort study of all consecutive patients with AAV‐associated DAH who were evaluated over a 16‐year period. Logistic regression models were developed to examine the predictive role of the baseline clinical characteristics for the development of respiratory failure, and for the effect of PE and remission induction therapy on the main outcome (complete remission at 6 months). Results Seventy‐three patients with DAH were identified, and 34 of them experienced respiratory failure. The degree of hypoxemia upon initial presentation, a higher percentage of neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cell count, and higher C‐reactive protein levels were independently associated with the development of respiratory failure. PE was not associated with achieving complete remission at 6 months, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.49 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.12–1.95) ( P = 0.32). Rituximab treatment was independently associated with achieving complete remission at 6 months (OR 6.45 [95% CI 1.78–29], P = 0.003). Conclusion Our findings indicate that the most important predictor of respiratory failure in patients with DAH secondary to AAV is the degree of hypoxemia upon presentation. No clear benefit of the addition of PE to standard remission induction therapy was demonstrated. Complete remission by 6 months was achieved at a higher rate with rituximab than with cyclophosphamide in patients with DAH secondary to AAV, including those needing mechanical ventilation.

AbstractAutoimmune bullous diseases, such as pemphigus, pemphigoid, and dermatitis herpetiformis, are uniquely associated with vulnerability in the mucocutaneous barrier against infection. The management of immunobullous diseases is complex and may at times require immunosuppressive medications. Iatrogenic immunosuppression may increase susceptibility to vaccine‐preventable illnesses. Currently, there are no guidelines to assist the clinician treating patients with immunobullous disease regarding the delivery of various vaccinations. The aim of this review is to provide recommendations for immunization in the unique setting of immunobullous disease. Recommendations are based on careful review of the literature in other conditions requiring iatrogenic immunosuppression, as well as the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Immunization with nonlive vaccines appears to be a safe and effective strategy for preventing infection in the particularly susceptible patient with immunobullous disease. Opportunities for live vaccine administration may become available at lower levels of immune suppression or during clinical remission when immunosuppressive regimens can be reduced. Anticipatory vaccination before the initiation of iatrogenic immunosuppression is ideal. Although immunologic response to vaccination may be suboptimal during immunosuppression, nonlive vaccination is strongly recommended for this patient population.