scholarly journals Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy: New Hope for Adult Retinoblastoma Treatment—A Case Report and Brief Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Hamid Riazi-Esfahani ◽  
Babak Masoomian ◽  
Fariba Ghassemi

Background. Adult retinoblastoma (RB) is a rare intraocular tumor, leading to delayed diagnosis and, eventually, enucleation of the involved eyes. Therefore, this diagnosis should be considered if attributable signs and symptoms occurred. Here, the authors report a case of an adult group D RB, treated successfully with intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) as primary treatment followed by cryotherapy. The authors briefly review the literature on the prognosis and management of adult RB. Case Presentation. A 22-year-old man has noticed floaters in his right eye for 2 months. Right eye examination revealed diffuse white spherical calcified vitreous seeds in all quadrants and a large white endophytic mass in the superonasal quadrant with engorged feeding vessels. Based on clinical data, the group D RB tumor was classified and the IAC was started with 2 medications, melphalan (5 mg) and topotecan (1 mg), for 3 cycles. Trans-scleral triple freeze-thaw cryotherapy was used as an adjunctive treatment at the latest hospital visit. Thirteen months after the last treatment, the RB tumor showed type 4 regression (flat chorioretinal scar) and no evidence of recurrence was identified. Conclusion. It seems that IAC, as the first line of treatment, either alone or in conjunction with adjuvant therapies may allow us to salvage the globe of adult patients involved with RB.

Author(s):  
Maria Enrica Miscia ◽  
Giuseppe Lauriti ◽  
Dacia Di Renzo ◽  
Angela Riccio ◽  
Gabriele Lisi ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Esophageal atresia (EA) is associated with duodenal atresia (DA) in 3 to 6% of cases. The management of this association is controversial and literature is scarce on the topic. Materials and Methods We aimed to (1) review the patients with EA + DA treated at our institution and (2) systematically review the English literature, including case series of three or more patients. Results Cohort study: Five of seventy-four patients with EA had an associated DA (6.8%). Four of five cases (80%) underwent primary repair of both atresia, one of them with gastrostomy placement (25%). One of five cases (20%) had a delayed diagnosis of DA. No mortality has occurred. Systematic Review: Six of six-hundred forty-five abstract screened were included (78 patients). Twenty-four of sixty-eight (35.3%) underwent primary correction of EA + DA, and 36/68 (52.9%) underwent staged correction. Nine of thirty-six (25%) had a missed diagnosis of DA. Thirty-six of sixty-eight underwent gastrostomy placement. Complications were observed in 14/36 patients (38.9 ± 8.2%). Overall mortality reported was 41.0 ± 30.1% (32/78 patients), in particular its incidence was 41.7 ± 27.0% after a primary treatment and 37.0 ± 44.1% following a staged approach. Conclusion The management of associated EA and DA remains controversial. It seems that the staged or primary correction does not affect the mortality. Surgeons should not overlook DA when correcting an EA.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Тatiana L. Ushakova ◽  
Igor A. Тrofimov ◽  
Оlga V. Gorovtsova ◽  
Аndrey A. Yarovoy ◽  
Svetlana V. Saakyan ◽  
...  

Background.Retinoblastoma (RB) is a life threatening cancer disease. A breakthrough in the treatment of children with RB is associated with the improvement of conservative treatment that was administered in at least one of the two tumor-affected eyes in most bilateral cases, that was chemotherapy both systemic and local (selective intra-arterial and intravitreal) in most cases combined with laser therapy, cryotherapy, or brachytherapy. The development of such techniques as local chemotherapy is focused on preservation of visual functions, reducing the number of enucleations and radiotherapy (RT) course. The success of the healing of RB is closely associated with a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment, as well as specialized longterm follow-up clinical examination.Objective.eye and vision preservation against large intraocular tumors with different growth types and localization without the course of remote radiation therapy was the main purpose.Methods.In the period from September 2012 to January 2016, the study enrolled 45 patients with RB when at least one eye had intraocular tumor spread corresponding to the group C or D. According to the ABC international classification, patients have a relatively good prognosis for organ-preserving treatment. 4 of 18 children with bilateral RB had undergone primary enucleation of worse eye the worst eye, group E; 49 (77.8%) of the 63 affected eyes had features for groups C and D. In this study, no patient received local chemotherapy initially, only after prior systemic chemotherapy. Selective intra-arterial chemotherapy (SIAC) was applied to 41 patients (45 eyes; mean course number was 2), and 32 patients (34 eyes) had undergone intravitreal chemo therapy (IViC) (mean course number was 2). Focal therapy and local chemotherapy were the main methods of treatment for progression (new lesions on the retina) in 8 (16.3%) of 49 eyes with tumors of group C (n=1) and D (n=7); the relapse in 14 of 49 (new lesions on the retina) in eyes with tumors of group C (n=5) and D (n=6) and (new lesions on the retina and the vitreous) in eyes with tumors of group D (n=3) (28.5%), and stabilization of disease n=23 (46.9%). We should note that 2 patients underwent repeated course of in case of systemic chemotherapy, 1 patient — a Gamma Knife procedure due to registered disease stabilization, progression or relapse.Results.10 (20.4%) of 49 eyes saved due to the combined chemotherapy. In 45 patients diseasefree survival rate was 56.1±8.9 % (with mean follow-up period 26.9±2.5 months). 1 of 45 patients died from leukemia. 44 of 45 patients are alive without metastasis. The mean follow-up was 20 months (3 to 43 months). Eye salvage rate in group C — 14 (93.3%) of 15, in group D — 31 (91.2%) of 34.Conclusion.These methods: second line of systemic chemotherapy, RT, and a Gamma Knife procedure should be considered as a failure of primary treatment. Our study demonstrated a high efficacy of local chemotherapy with promissing techniques of conservation therapy, which safety increases due to experience.


Author(s):  
Josué Saúl Almaraz Lira ◽  
Alfredo Luis Chávez Haro ◽  
Cristian Alfredo López López ◽  
Remedios del Pilar González Jiménez

Introduction. Scorpion stings occur mainly in spring and summer, with an estimate of 1.2 million cases per year worldwide. About 300,000 poisonings occur within a year, primarily affecting children and adults older than 65 years. In 2019, Guanajuato (Mexico) ranked third in poisoning by scorpion sting with a total of 43,913 cases. The intoxication grades are three where the signs and symptoms are varied. There are two types of antivenom in the Mexican market, and we use Alacramyn® in our case. Case presentation. A 70-year-old female —with grade 1 scorpion sting poisoning, 30 minutes of evolution, with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure— received two vials of antivenom according to current regulations. She presented transient vagal reaction and subsequent transient pain in the cervical region that radiates to the sacral region. At discharge, there are no data compatible with scorpion sting poisoning. Conclusions. Transient pain in the cervical region to the sacral region may be secondary to an anxiety crisis, hypersensitivity to IgG, or secondary reaction to administration in less time than recommended by the provider. The benefit was greater than the reactions that occurred.


2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212199104
Author(s):  
Giuseppe D’Amico Ricci ◽  
Claudia Del Turco ◽  
Elena Belcastro ◽  
Marco Palisi ◽  
Mario R Romano ◽  
...  

Purpose: Although acute conjunctivitis has been listed from the beginning as a possible sign of COVID-19, the likelihood of this association remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 and conjunctivitis. Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, we recruited all patients with signs and symptoms of acute conjunctivitis seen at the Eye Emergency Department (ED), Turin Eye Hospital, between 01/01/2020 and 12/05/2020 and cross-checked our data with the Piedmont Region online COVID-19 registry in the same period. Results: Among 10,065 patients seen at our ED during the timespan considered, 88 underwent a nasopharyngeal swab (NS) for SARS-CoV-2 detection within 4 weeks before/after our examination. On average, NS was performed −0.72 ± 1.8 weeks before/after eye examination. Of the 77 patients with a negative NS, 26 (33.8%) had a diagnosis of acute conjunctivitis, whereas the remaining 51 (66.2%) had other eye disorders. Among the 11 patients with COVID-19, 7 (63,6%) had a diagnosis of acute conjunctivitis. We found a non-statistically significant increase in NS positivity rate (21.2%) among cases examined at our ED for acute conjunctivitis, compared to the NS positivity rate (7.3%) in patients examined for all other eye conditions ( p = 0.092). The Odds Ratio of having a positive NS in patients with acute conjunctivitis was 3.43 (95% I.C. = 0.9–12.8, p = 0.06). Considering online-registry data of Turin population during the same time-span, among 2441 positive NS cases only 27 (1.1%) presented with acute conjunctivitis. Conclusion: Our results do not reveal a statistically significant correlation between COVID-19 and acute conjunctivitis. Synopsis The present study analyzes retrospectively data from a tertiary eye referral center to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 infection and conjunctivitis.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Di ◽  
Yue Yin ◽  
Ruxuan Chen ◽  
Yun Zhang ◽  
Jun Ni ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Manifestations of intractable hyponatremia and hypokalemia in autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytopathy have been rarely reported. Case presentation A 75-year-old male patient presented as the case of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) and intractable hypokalemia, showed fever, fatigue, and mental disorders. Signs and symptoms of meningoencephalitis, ataxia, and cognitive abnormalities. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multiple white matter lesions of the central nervous system. He had GFAP-IgG in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). After treatment with corticosteroids, his symptoms were alleviated gradually, and the level of electrolytes was normal. However, head contrast-enhanced MRI + susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) showed a wide afflicted region, and the serum GFAP-IgG turned positive. Considering the relapse of the disease, ha was treated with immunoglobulin and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) to stabilize his condition. Conclusion This case showed a rare disease with uncommon manifestations, suggesting that careful examination and timely diagnosis are essential for disease management and satisfactory prognosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
R E Fraser ◽  
G R Layton ◽  
L L Kuan ◽  
A R Dennison

Abstract Background Cavernous hepatic haemangiomas are benign liver tumours and although common when small, giant haemangiomas (usually accepted as being greater than 10cm) are infrequent. Treatment is indicated in patients who are symptomatic or if diagnosis is unclear, although with giant haemangiomas, many support expectant management of asymptomatic lesions due to the risk of major complications. Traditionally hepatic resection has been the primary treatment option for these lesions, but a variety of other techniques, including enucleation, have been described as safe and effective alternatives. There remains equipoise in respect of the best management of giant haemangiomas above 10cm. Cases of such size are rare and so there is a paucity of data available. Case presentation We present a case of a 65-year-old male who underwent successful anatomical liver resection for a 5kg giant cavernous haemangioma of 26cm diameter following its incidental identification during an ultrasound scan. We also discuss and compare the role of resection and enucleation for the treatment of haemangiomata greater than 20cm in diameter. Conclusions This case demonstrates successful resection of an unusually giant haemangioma which, in contrast to the majority of literature, provides a valuable addition to the limited evidence base for management of this condition by anatomical resection.


Author(s):  
Joel T. Braslow

AbstractOver the last fifty years, American psychiatrists have embraced psychotropic drugs as their primary treatment intervention. This has especially been the case in their treatment of patients suffering from psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. This focus has led to an increasing disregard for patients’ subjective lived-experiences, life histories, and social contexts. This transformation of American psychiatry occurred abruptly beginning in the late 1960s and 1970s. My essay looks the ways these major transformations played themselves out in everyday clinical practices of state hospital psychiatrists from 1950 to 1980. Using clinical case records from California state hospitals, I chronicle the ways institutional and ideological forces shaped the clinical care of patients with psychotic disorders. I show there was an abrupt rupture in the late 1960s, where psychiatrists’ concerns about the subjective and social were replaced by a clinical vision focused on a narrow set of drug-responsive signs and symptoms. Major political, economic, and ideological shifts occurred in American life and social policy that provided the context for this increasingly pharmacocentric clinical psychiatry, a clinical perspective that has largely blinded psychiatrists to their patients’ social and psychological suffering.


Author(s):  
Alexandros Andrianakis ◽  
Peter Kiss ◽  
Markus Pomberger ◽  
Axel Wolf ◽  
Dietmar Thurnher ◽  
...  

Summary Background Sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM) is a rare disease entity comprising 0.4–1.3% of all melanomas. Surgery with free margins has been the primary treatment over decades. Neither the addition of radiotherapy nor chemotherapy could significantly improve outcome rates of this devastating malignancy. This study presents our clinical experience with SNMM over a 19-year period and summarizes the current body of literature on SNMM. Methods This retrospective analysis included 12 patients with SNMM treated from 2001 to 2019 at an academic center. Additionally, a literature review of the last 29 years on treatment and survival data of SNMM was conducted. Results Main initial symptoms were epistaxis and nasal obstruction. Of the patients 9 underwent endoscopic surgery, 6 received adjuvant therapy. 3 patients who did not undergo surgery, received chemoradiotherapy, radiotherapy alone, and chemotherapy alone, respectively. At the time of diagnosis 2 patients had distant metastases and 4 patients developed distant metastases during the course of the disease. Mean overall survival (OS) was 30.6 months, 3‑year and 5‑year OS were 25%, and 18.2%, respectively. Conclusion Unspecific symptoms and hidden anatomic locations lead to delayed diagnosis and increased rates of metastatic dissemination. Distant metastasis is the main treatment failure in SNMM. Surgery with free margins remains the primary treatment for SNMM. Adjuvant radiotherapy might improve local control in individual cases but efficient systemic therapy is needed to improve outcome rates. To evaluate and define more effective targeted treatment options and improve outcome rates, homogeneous data and prospective multicentric analysis are needed.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuting Wang ◽  
Xiuling Wu ◽  
Baoquan Lu

Abstract Background Anti-IgLON5 antibody-related encephalopathy is a recently discovered and rare autoimmune disease, and its diagnosis and treatment are more challenging than for other autoimmune encephalopathic diseases. Sleep disorder is the most prominent symptom of the disease. It can also present with gait instability, dysarthria, dysphagia, dementia, ataxia, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, chorea, vertical gaze paralysis, and other symptoms. Immunotherapy remains the primary treatment for this disease; however, there is no definitive conclusion regarding the effect of immunotherapy. The clinical symptoms of the reported cases of anti-IgLON5 antibody-related encephalopathy were generally severe. However, the symptoms in our patient were mild and relieved without immunotherapy, unlike the previously reported cases. Case presentation A 62-year-old man presented with behavioural abnormalities and involuntary movements after nearly 2 months of fever and headache. He also had symptoms of mild sleep disorder. Due to the abnormal levels of infection-related indicators, antiviral treatment was started on the day of admission. The serum analysis confirmed the presence of IgLON5 antibody, and the patient was found to be genetically susceptible. The patient’s symptoms resolved rapidly without immunotherapy and did not recur. Conclusions This case demonstrated that IgLON5 antibody-related encephalopathy might have mild manifestations. Infection and a genetic predisposition may be important causes for the disease. Patients with a mild disease may have a better prognosis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiyokazu Fukui ◽  
Ayumi Kaneuji ◽  
Norio Kawahara

Abstract Background A hip joint ganglion is a rare cause of lower-extremity swelling. Case presentation We report a case of a Japanese patient with ganglion of the hip with compression of the external iliac/femoral vein that produced signs and symptoms mimicking those of deep vein thrombosis. Conclusions Needle aspiration of the ganglion was performed, and swelling of the lower extremity promptly decreased. At 7.5 years after aspiration, there was no recurrence of swelling of the leg. Although the recurrence rate for ganglions after needle aspiration is high, it is worthwhile trying aspiration first.


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