Drug-induced sarcoidosis-like reaction three months after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND A 70-year-old man with hepatitis C virus-related recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma was admitted for further diagnosis of a 1 cm iso-hyperechoic nodule in segment(S)5.CASE SUMMARY Gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(EOB-MRI)revealed the nodule in S5 with a defect at the hepatobiliary phase,hyperintensity on diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)and hypointensity on apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)map.Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed hypervascularity at the early phase,and delayed contrast-enhancement was observed at the late phase.Contrast-enhanced ultrasound(US)revealed incomplete defect at the late vascular phase.Inflammatory liver tumor,lymphoproliferative disease,intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(small duct type)and bile duct adenoma were suspected through the imaging studies.US guided biopsy,however,showed a noncaseating hepatic sarcoid-like epithelioid granuloma(HSEG),and histopathological analysis disclosed spindle shaped epithelioid cells harboring Langhans-type multinucleated giant cells.One month after admission,EOB-MRI signaled the disappearance of the defect at the hepatobiliary phase,of hyperintensity on DWI,of hypointensity on ADC map,and no stain at the early phase.CONCLUSION That the patient had received BNT162b2 messenger RNA(mRNA)coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination 3 mo before the occurrence of HSEG,and that its disappearance was confirmed 4 mo after mRNA vaccination suggested that the drug-induced sarcoidosis-like reaction(DISR)might be induced by the mRNA vaccination.Fortunately,rechallenge of drug-induced DISR with the third mRNA vaccination was not confirmed.

Clinical utility of treatment method conversion during single-session endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage

BACKGROUND Although several techniques for endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage(EUS-BD)are available at present,an optimal treatment algorithm of EUS-BD has not yet been established.AIM To evaluate the clinical utility of treatment method conversion during single endoscopic sessions for difficult cases in initially planned EUS-BD.METHODS This was a single-center retrospective analysis using a prospectively accumulated database.Patients with biliary obstruction undergoing EUS-BD between May 2008 and April 2016 were included.The primary outcome was to evaluate the improvement in EUS-BD success rates by converting the treatment methods during a single endoscopic session.Secondary outcomes were clarification of the factors leading to the conversion from the initial EUS-BD and the assessment of efficacy and safety of the conversion as judged by technical success,clinical success,and adverse events(AEs).RESULTS A total of 208 patients underwent EUS-BD during the study period.For 18.8%(39/208)of the patients,the treatment methods were converted to another EUSBD technique from the initial plan.Biliary obstruction was caused by pancreatobiliary malignancies,other malignant lesions,biliary stones,and other benign lesions in 22,11,4,and 2 patients,respectively.The reasons for the difficulty with the initial EUS-BD were classified into the following 3 procedures:Target puncture(n=13),guidewire manipulation(n=18),and puncture tract dilation(n=8).Technical success was achieved in 97.4%(38/39)of the cases and clinical success was achieved in 89.5%of patients(34/38).AEs occurred in 10.3%of patients,including bile leakage(n=2),bleeding(n=1),and cholecystitis(n=1).The puncture target and drainage technique were altered in subsequent EUSBD procedures in 25 and 14 patients,respectively.The final technical success rate with 95%CI for all 208 cases was 97.1%(95%CI:93.8%-98.9%),while that of the initially planned EUS-BD was 78.8%(95%CI:72.6%-84.2%).CONCLUSION Among multi-step procedures in EUS-BD,guidewire manipulation appeared to be the most technically challenging.When initially planned EUS-BD is technically difficult,treatment method conversion in a single endoscopic session may result in successful EUS-BD without leading to severe AEs.