Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain differentiates behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia progressors from phenocopy non-progressors

Background: Distinguishing behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) from non-neurodegenerative non-progressor, phenocopy mimics of frontal lobe dysfunction, can be one of the most challenging clinical dilemmas. A biomarker of neuronal injury, neurofilament light chain (NfL), could reduce misdiagnosis and delay. Methods: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NfL, amyloid beta 1-42 (AB42), total and phosphorylated tau (T-tau, P-tau) levels were examined in patients with an initial diagnosis of bvFTD. Based on follow up information, patients were categorised as Progressors. Non-Progressors were subtyped in to Phenocopy Non-Progressors (non-neurological/neurodegenerative final diagnosis), and Static Non-Progressors (static deficits, not fully explained by non-neurological/neurodegenerative causes). Results: Forty-three patients were included: 20 Progressors, 23 Non-Progressors (15 Phenocopy, 8 Static), 20 controls. NfL concentrations were lower in Non-Progressors (Non-Progressors Mean, M=554pg/mL, 95%CI:[461, 675], Phenocopy Non-Progressors M=459pg/mL, 95%CI:[385, 539], Static Non-Progressors M=730pg/mL, 95%CI:[516, 940]), compared to bvFTD Progressors (M=2397pg/mL, 95%CI:[1607, 3332]). NfL distinguished Progressors from Non-Progressors with the highest accuracy (area under the curve 0.92, 90%/87% sensitivity/specificity, 86%/91% positive/negative predictive value, 88% accuracy). Static Non-Progressors tended to have higher T-tau and P-tau levels compared to Phenocopy Non-Progressors. Conclusion: This study demonstrated strong diagnostic utility of CSF NfL to distinguish bvFTD from phenocopy non-progressor variants, at baseline, with high accuracy, in a real-world clinical setting. This has important clinical implications, to improve outcomes for patients and clinicians facing this challenging clinical dilemma, as well as for healthcare services, and clinical trials. Further research is required to investigate heterogeneity within the non-progressor group and potential diagnostic algorithms, and prospective studies are underway assessing plasma NfL

Idiopathic calcinosis cutis of the right iliac region: Common lesion at uncommon

Calcinosis cutis is an uncommon soft tissue lesion characterized by the deposition of calcium salts in the skin or subcutaneous tissue attributed to a wide variety of causes. We present a case of idiopathic calcinosis cutis in an adult male, who presented with a swelling in the right iliac region. Chalky white aspirate and amorphous basophilic granular material on microscopy suggestive of calcium deposits were noted. Histopathological examination of the excised mass coupled with appropriate clinical background led to the final diagnosis of idiopathic calcinosis cutis. We present this case with a complete diagnostic workup to undermine the importance of considering this lesion in the differential diagnoses of a subcutaneous hard lump in an otherwise healthy patient.

Migraine in the Emergency Department: A Prospective Multinational Study of Patient Characteristics, Management, and Outcomes

<b><i>Background and Aim:</i></b> Migraine headache is commonly diagnosed in emergency departments (ED). There is relatively little real-world information about the epidemiology, investigation, management, adherence to therapeutic guidelines and disposition of patients treated in ED with a final diagnosis of migraine. The primary aim of the current study is to get a snapshot of assessment and management patterns of acute migraine presentations to the different settings of EDs with a view to raise awareness. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This is a planned sub-study of a prospective study conducted in 67 health services in 10 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the UK investigating the epidemiology and outcome of adult patients presenting to ED with nontraumatic headache. Outcomes of interest for this study are demographics, clinical features (including severity), patterns of investigation, treatment, disposition, and outcome of patients diagnosed as having migraine as their final ED diagnosis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The cohort comprises 1,101 patients with a mean age of 39 years (SD ± 13.5; 73.7% [811]) were female. Most patients had had migraine diagnosed previously (77.7%). Neuroimaging was performed in 25.9% with a very low diagnostic yield or significant findings (0.07%). Treatment of mild migraine was in accordance with current guidelines, but few patients with moderate or severe symptoms received recommended treatment. Paracetamol (46.3%) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (42.7%) were the most commonly prescribed agents. Metoclopramide (22.8%), ondansetron (19.2%), chlorpromazine (12.8%), and prochlorperazine (12.8%) were also used. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This study suggests that therapeutic practices are not congruent with current guidelines, especially for patients with severe symptoms. Efforts to improve and sustain compliance with existing management best practices are required.

Many people admitted to hospital with a provisional diagnosis of nonserious back pain are subsequently found to have serious pathology as the underlying cause

To determine the proportion of patients admitted to the hospital for back pain who have nonserious back pain, serious spinal, or serious other pathology as their final diagnosis. The proportion of nonserious back pain admissions will be used to plan for future ‘virtual hospital’ admissions. Electronic medical record data between January 2016 and September 2020 from three emergency departments (ED) in Sydney, Australia were used to identify inpatient admissions. SNOMED-CT-AU diagnostic codes were used to select ED patients aged 18 and older with an admitting diagnosis related to nonserious back pain. The inpatient discharge diagnosis was determined from the primary ICD-10-AM codes by two independent clinician-researchers. Inpatient admissions were then analysed by sociodemographic and hospital admission variables. A total of 38.1% of patients admitted with a provisional diagnosis of nonserious back pain were subsequently diagnosed with a specific pathology likely unsuitable for virtual care; 14.2% with a serious spinal pathology (e.g., fracture and infection) and 23.9% a serious pathology beyond the lumbar spine (e.g., pathological fracture and neoplasm). A total of 57% of admissions were identified as nonserious back pain, likely suitable for virtual care. A challenge for implementing virtual care in this setting is screening for patients with serious pathology. Protocols need to be developed to reduce the risk of patients being admitted to virtual hospitals with serious pathology as the cause of their back pain. Key Points• Among admitted patients provisionally diagnosed in ED with non-serious back pain, 38.1% were found to have ‘serious spinal pathologies’ or ‘serious pathologies beyond the lumbar spine’ at discharge.• Spinal fractures were the most common serious spinal pathology, accounting for 9% of all provisional ‘non-serious back pain’ admissions from ED.• 57% of back pain admissions were confirmed to be non-serious back pain and may be suitable to virtual hospital care; the challenge is discriminating these patients from those with serious pathology.

Lack of Clinical Utility of Labeled White Blood Cell Scintigraphy in Patients with Fever of Unknown Origin

Background Labeled white blood cell scintigraphy (WBCS) has been used for over 40 years to localize an infection source in patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO). It continues to be in widespread use for such patients in modern times, despite the tremendous advances in modern radiological imaging and laboratory medicine. Methods We critically evaluated the clinical contribution of WBCS performed in 132 patients with FUO at 7 hospitals from mid-2015 to the end of 2019. For each patient, all radiographic and laboratory results, and all electronic clinical notes, were carefully evaluated as many days prior to and following the scan as necessary to arrive at a final diagnosis. Results Although 50 WBCS (38%) showed positive findings, the majority of these were false positive (FP). Of the 19 true positive (TP) scans, most were already known or about to become known by tests already ordered at the time of the scan. Only 2 TP scans (1.5%) contributed to the final diagnosis, and these did so only indirectly. FP scans led to 7 unnecessary procedures. Conclusions In FUO patients for whom an infection source is not discovered following an appropriate radiographic and laboratory workup, WBCS is not a useful procedure.

Accuracy of Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography Findings in the Diagnosis of Biliary System Stones

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and Ultrasound (US) images for the diagnosis of biliary system stones, as well as to assess the consistency between MRCP and US findings. The study sample included 200 cases (90 males and 110 females) with symptomatic biliary system stones between 14 and 82 years. All cases underwent both the US and MRCP imaging for biliary system diagnosis. The study revealed that the most prominent age group with symptoms of biliary system stones was the 33-60-year-old group. It also found that the accuracy of US and MRCP in detecting gallbladder (GB) stones compared with the final diagnosis was 94% and 91%, respectively, with moderate conformity between their results. The accuracy of US and MRCP images in detecting common bile duct (CBD) stones was 61% and 98%, respectively, with fair conformity between their results. In addition, there is a significant agreement between the MRCP and US results in detecting the GB and CBD stones with an agreed percentage of 74% and 71%, respectively. The study concluded that US is the preferred imaging technique for patients with symptomatic gallbladder stones, whereas MRCP is a trustworthy investigation for common bile duct stones.

Cavernous Gastric Hemangioma as an Unusual Cause of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in a Young Woman

Gastric hemangiomas (GHs) are extremely rare vascular lesions of mesodermal origin that may occur in isolation or in conjunction with underlying congenital pathology. Due to the scarcity of these tumors, there is no standardized diagnostic method; however, many have found the combination of endoscopic investigation and radiographic imaging to be most effective, with the presence of phleboliths on computerized tomography as being pathognomonic for GHs. Surgical treatment for symptomatic lesions is curative with no reports of recurrence. We describe a 21-year-old woman who presented with epigastric pain and one episode of 250 mL hematemesis earlier that morning. Under the impression of an upper gastrointestinal bleed due to peptic ulcer disease, esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed which revealed a 5-cm blood clot-like mass similar in appearance to that of a II-b peptic ulcer, but the presence of a bridging fold led to the suspicion of a possible submucosal tumor. Dynamic computerized tomography scan showed similar findings, and the patient was referred for surgical intervention. Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy was performed with the final diagnosis of cavernous GH made via histological evaluation. The patient was discharged 9 days later with no complications. This case puts emphasis on the importance of considering cavernous GH as a potential cause of severe upper GI bleeding especially in those with atypical demographic profile and history.

Pre-hospital transdermal glyceryl trinitrate in patients with stroke mimics: data from the RIGHT-2 randomised-controlled ambulance trial

Background Prehospital stroke trials will inevitably recruit patients with non-stroke conditions, so called stroke mimics. We undertook a pre-specified analysis to determine outcomes in patients with mimics in the second Rapid Intervention with Glyceryl trinitrate in Hypertensive stroke Trial (RIGHT-2). Methods RIGHT-2 was a prospective, multicentre, paramedic-delivered, ambulance-based, sham-controlled, participant-and outcome-blinded, randomised-controlled trial of transdermal glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) in adults with ultra-acute presumed stroke in the UK. Final diagnosis (intracerebral haemorrhage, ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, mimic) was determined by the hospital investigator. This pre-specified subgroup analysis assessed the safety and efficacy of transdermal GTN (5 mg daily for 4 days) versus sham patch among stroke mimic patients. The primary outcome was the 7-level modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days. Results Among 1149 participants in RIGHT-2, 297 (26%) had a final diagnosis of mimic (GTN 134, sham 163). The mimic group were younger, mean age 67 (SD: 18) vs 75 (SD: 13) years, had a longer interval from symptom onset to randomisation, median 75 [95% CI: 47,126] vs 70 [95% CI:45,108] minutes, less atrial fibrillation and a lower systolic blood pressure and Face-Arm-Speech-Time tool score than the stroke group. The three most common mimic diagnoses were seizure (17%), migraine or primary headache disorder (17%) and functional disorders (14%). At 90 days, the GTN group had a better mRS score as compared to the sham group (adjusted common odds ratio 0.54; 95% confidence intervals 0.34, 0.85; p = 0.008), a difference that persisted at 365 days. There was no difference in the proportion of patients who died in hospital, were discharged to a residential care facility, or suffered a serious adverse event. Conclusions One-quarter of patients suspected by paramedics to have an ultra-acute stroke were subsequently diagnosed with a non-stroke condition. GTN was associated with unexplained improved functional outcome observed at 90 days and one year, a finding that may represent an undetected baseline imbalance, chance, or real efficacy. GTN was not associated with harm. Trial registration This trial is registered with International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number ISRCTN 26986053.

Odontogenic-Like Pain in Partial Edentulism: An Unusual Presentation of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma of the Mandible

Primary bone lymphoma is a rare entity and it usually occurs in long bones. Primary mandibular involvement is very rare, and it usually shows unspecific features, mimicking odontogenic inflammatory lesions. We present the unusual case of a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the right mandibular body in a 91-year-old woman, who presented with acute pain in the mandibular region initially suspicious for odontogenic abscess. No significant findings were seen on orthopantomography (OPG) and her almost complete edentulism made the diagnosis of abscess unlikely. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance images showed an expansive mass around the right mandibular body with erosion of cortical bone and involving the right mandibular canal and nerve. Final diagnosis of DLBCL was pathologically proven. The presence of odontogenic-like pain in nearly complete edentulism should be suspicious for malignancy, and it needs further diagnostic workup despite the absence of signs on OPG.