Regression of recurrent granulosa cell tumor liver metastases following selective internal radiation therapy

Granulosa cell tumor(GCT)is the most common sex cordstromal tumor,comprising 5%of all ovarian malignancies[1].The disease course is indolent,and the majority of cases present at stage 1.However,metastases may develop with potential sites being peritoneum,lung,brain,liver and bone[2].Due to the rarity of the disease,published evidence for management of granulosa cell tumor liver metastases(GCTLM)is limited.Surgical resection is the optimal treatment in instances where there is a high chance of achieving complete resection[3].With regards to unresectable GCTLM there is a paucity of evidence to guide treatment strategy.

Orientation in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy—the only way is up

BACKGROUND Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy is the gold standard investigation for the upper gastrointestinal(UGI)tract.Orientation during endoscopy is challenging and United Kingdom training focusses on technical competence and procedural safety.The reported location of UGI pathologies is crucial to post-endoscopic planning.AIM To evaluate endoscopists’ability to spatially orientate themselves within the UGI tract.METHODS A cross sectional descriptive study elicited,using an anonymised survey,the ability of endoscopists to orientate themselves within the UGI tract.The primary outcome was percentage of correct answers from all surveyed;secondary outcomes were percentage of correct answers from experienced vs novice endoscopists.Pearson’sχ2 test was applied to compare groups.RESULTS Of 188 respondents,86 were experienced endoscopists having completed over 1000 endoscopies.44.4%of respondents correctly identified the anterior stomach and 47.3%correctly identified the posterior of the second part of the duodenum(D2).Experienced endoscopists were significantly more likely than novice to identify the anterior stomach correctly[61.6%vs 31.3%,X2(1,n=188)=11.10,P=0.001].There was no significant difference between the two groups in identifying the posterior of D2.CONCLUSION The majority of endoscopists surveyed were unable to identify key landmarks within the UGI tract.Endoscopic orientation appears to improve with experience yet there are some areas still not well recognised.This has potential considerable impact on post-endoscopic management of patients with posterior duodenal ulcers being more likely to perforate and associated with a higher rebleeding risk.We suggest the development of a consensus statement on endoscopic description.

活动期糖尿病夏科神经性骨关节病诊疗指南——《国际糖尿病足工作组:糖尿病相关的足病预防与管理指南(2023)》的一部分

国际糖尿病足工作组(IWGDF)自1999年以来发布了糖尿病足病预防和治疗的循证指南。这是IWGDF发布的第一部关于糖尿病患者活动期夏科神经性骨关节病诊断和治疗的指南。我们遵循GRADE方法,以人群-评估-比较-结局(PACO)和人群-干预-比较-结局(PICO)的格式设计临床问题,系统检索医学文献,并提出有依据的推荐。这些推荐是基于我们系统综述的证据,如无证据则参考专家意见,并考虑到与干预相关的受益和危害、患者偏好、可行性和适用性以及成本的权衡。我们在本章节介绍了2023年糖尿病患者活动期夏科神经性骨关节病的诊断和治疗指南,并提出了未来的关键研究方向。

In vivo gastric mucosal histopathology using endocytoscopy

AIM:To study the ability of endocytoscopy to identify normal gastric mucosa and to exclude Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection.METHODS:Endocytoscopic examination of the gastric corpus and antrum was performed in 70 consecutive patients.Target biopsy specimens were also obtained from the assessed region and multiple H.pylori tests were performed.The normal endocytoscopy patterns of the corpus and antrum were divided into the normal pit-dominant type(n-Pit) or the normal papilladominant type(n-Pap), respectively characterized as either regular pits with capillary networks or round, smooth papillary structures with spiral capillaries.On the other hand, normal mucosa was defined as mucosa not demonstrating histological abnormalities, including inflammation and atrophy.RESULTS:The sensitivity and specificity of n-Pit for normal mucosa in the gastric corpus were 94.4%and 97.1%,respectively,whereas those of n-Pap for normal mucosa in the antrum were 92.0%and 86.7%,respectively.The positive predictive values of n-Pit and n-Pap for H.pylori-negative tissue were 88.6%and 93.1%,respectively,and their negative predictive values for H.pylori-negative tissues were 42.9%and41.5%,respectively.The inter-observer agreement for determining n-Pit and n-Pap for normal mucosa were0.857 and 0.769,respectively,which is considered reliable.CONCLUSION:N-Pit and n-Pap,seen using EC,are considered useful predictors of normal mucosa and theabsence of H.pylori infection.

Intrahepatic and intra-abdominal splenosis:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Splenosis is defined as the process by which tissue from the spleen disseminates through the body and grows in an ectopic location following trauma or a splenectomy.Visceral sites of splenosis are rare.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of intrahepatic splenosis in a 57-year-old man with a history of trauma over 40 years ago who initially presented with chest pain.Findings initially mimicked malignancy but a diagnosis of intrahepatic splenosis was confirmed using computed tomography and scintigraphy with technetium-99m heat-denatured red blood cells(Tc-99 DRBC).CONCLUSION Scintigraphy with Tc-99 DRBC is a reliable technique to diagnose splenosis and should be performed before using more invasive procedures are carried out.Splenosis should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis for a hepatic nodule in any patient with a history of abdominal trauma,previous splenectomy or atypical radiological features on imaging.

Pancreatoblastoma:A rare indication for liver transplantation in children

Pancreatoblastoma(PB)is one of the exocrine pancreatic tumors and the most common malignant pancreatic tumor in young children.Patients can present with abdominal distension,pain,fatigue,vomiting and failure to thrive.Exocrine pancreatic tumors usually affect patients between 1 and 8 years,with a median age of 5 years.There is a slight preponderance in males and those of Asian descent[1].PB is considered to be embryonic in origin with moderately raised serum alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)levels[2].Axial imaging is necessary to assess other organ involvement,a common complication in adult patients,but diagnosis is confirmed on tissue histology[3].Complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice,if achievable.Indications for neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy include large tumors that involve adjacent major blood vessels or other organs and metastatic disease[1].Herein we report a pediatric case of PB with liver metastases who underwent liver transplantation for metastatic liver disease.

Role of liver transplantation in human immunodeficiency virus positive patients

End-stage liver disease(ESLD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality amongst human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)-positive individuals. Chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection,drug-induced hepatotoxicity related to combined antiretro-viral therapy,alcohol related liver disease and non-alcohol related fatty liver disease appear to be the leading causes. It is therefore,anticipated that more HIV-positive patients with ESLD will present as potential transplant candidates. HIV infection is no longer a contraindication to liver transplantation. Key transplantation outcomes such as rejection and infection rates as well as medium term graft and patient survival match those seen in the non-HIV infected patients in the absence of co-existing HCV infection. HIV disease does not seem to be negatively impacted by transplantation. However,HIV-HCV coinfection transplant outcomes remain suboptimal due to recurrence. In this article,we review the key challenges faced by this patient cohort in the pre- and posttransplant period.

Reversible postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome(POTS) is a relatively rare syndrome recognised since 1940. It is a heterogenous condition with orthostatic intolerance due to dysautonomia and is characterised by rise in heart rate above 30 bpm from base line or to more than 120 bpm within 5-10 min of standing with or without change in blood pressure which returns to base line on resuming supine position. This condition present with various disabling symptoms such as light headedness, near syncope, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, tremor, palpitations and mental clouding, etc. However there are no identifiable signs on clinical examination and patients are often diagnosed to have anxiety disorder. The condition predominantly affects young female between the ages of 15-50 but is rarely described in older people. We describe an older patient who developed POTS which recovered over 12 mo. Recognising this condition is important as there are treatment options available to alleviate the disabling symptoms.

Chimeric antigen receptors:On the road to realising their full potential

Chimeric antigen receptors （CARs） are fusion molecules that may be genetically delivered ex-vivo to T-cells and other immune cell populations, thereby conferring specifcity for native target antigens found on the surface of tumour and other target cell types. Antigen recognition by CARs is neither restricted by nor dependent upon human leukocyte antigen antigen expression, favouring widespread use of this technology across transplantation barriers. Signalling is delivered by a designer endodomain that provides a tailored and target-dependent activation signal to polyclonal circulating T-cells. Recent clinical data emphasise the enormous promise of this emer-ging immunotherapeutic strategy for B-cell malignancy, notably acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. In that context, CARs are generally targeted against the ubiquitous B-cell antigen, CD19. However, CAR T-cell immunotherapy is limited by potential for severe ontarget toxicity, notably due to cytokine release syndrome. Furthermore, effcacy in the context of solid tumours remains unproven, owing in part to lack of availability of safe tumourspecific targets, inadequate CAR T-cell homing and hostility of the tumour microenvironment to immune effector deployment. Manufacture and commercial development encountered with more traditional drug products. Finally, there is increasing interest in the application of this technology to the treatment of non-malignant disease states, such as autoimmunity, chronic infection and in the suppression of allograft rejection. Here, we consider the background and direction of travel of this emerging and highly promising treatment for malignant and other disease types.

A 20-Year-Old Contraceptive Device Transformed into a Calcified Mass

Case: A 52-year-old female who was presented to accident and emergency felt unwell;she reported that she had an IUCD inserted over 20 years ago. On examination she had a large calcified mass occupying the vagina. CT scan confirmed a calcified IUCD. Conclusion: Serious complication secondary to IUCD is rare but well recorded, extensive calcification as in this case is very rare and has not been previously reported.

A Case of Ectopic Pregnancy—An Unusual Diagnostic Challenge and Lesson Learnt

Ectopic pregnancy has been increasing in frequency over the past 2 decades. The sudden rupture of ectopic pregnancy can lead to haemorrhagic shock and death if not diagnosed and treated in a timely fashion. The first step in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy is demonstration of pregnancy by means of a rapidly performed and sensitive qualitative urine test for the beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG). This case report demonstrates the importance of further consideration of the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy in the setting of an unusual presentation like per rectal bleed and amenorrhea for three years in the presence of Mirena.

Role of the clinical immunology laboratory in disease monitoring

Immunological investigations provide useful informa-tion to guide diagnosis of several disorders. Many such tests are also commonly repeated at intervals, in an effort to facilitate disease monitoring. In general how-ever, immunology test results are often slow to alter. Furthermore, audit activity has indicated that repeated testing accounts for a substantial workload in many immunology services, which may waste resources and compromise the effcient completion of necessary tests. Consequently, the need and appropriate mini-mum interval between repeated testing requires critical evaluation. In this review, the clinical utility of repeat-ed performance of several common immunology inves-tigations has been evaluated, based upon published evidence. In some cases （ e.g. , paraprotein quantifca-tion, or measurement of anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies）, repeated testing provides vital clinical information and can be justifed on a frequent and individualized basis. However, many other investi-gations provided by immunology services provide less valuable information when used to aid disease moni-toring rather than diagnosis. It is hoped that the data summarized here will facilitate a more evidence-based approach to repeated testing. Such information may also assist with the local implementation of demand management strategies based upon setting of mini-mum retesting intervals for these investigations.

Network meta-analyses: Methodological prerequisites and clinical usefulness

It is an undeniable fact that systematic reviews play a crucial role in informing clinical practice;however,conventional head-to-head meta-analyses do have limitations.In particular,studies can only be compared in a pair-wise fashion,and conclusions can only be drawn in the light of direct evidence.In contrast,network meta-analyses can not only compare multiple interventions but also utilize indirect evidence which increases their precision.On top of that,they can also rank competing interventions.In this mini-review,we have aimed to elaborate on the principles and techniques governing network meta-analyses to achieve a methodologically sound synthesis,thus enabling safe conclusions to be drawn in clinical practice.We have emphasized the prerequisites of a well-conducted Network Meta-Analysis(NMA),the value of selecting appropriate outcomes according to guidelines for transparent reporting,and the clarity achieved via sophisticated graphical tools.What is more,we have addressed the importance of incorporating the level of evidence into the results and interpreting the findings according to validated appraisal systems(i.e.,the Grade of Recommendations,Assessment,Development,and Evaluation system-GRADE).Lastly,we have addressed the possibility of planning future research via NMAs.Thus,we can conclude that NMAs could be of great value to clinical practice.

Surgical management of zygomatic complex fractures in a major trauma centre

Aim: To analyse the epidemiology, aetiology, and surgical management of zygomatic complex (ZMC) fractures in our major trauma centre, and to compare the number and location of fixation points and surgical access in our patient cohort with the literature. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all operative cases (Open Reduction and Internal Fixation) of zygomatic complex fractures over a one year period (2016). Results: A greater proportion of patients in our cohort (54%) were treated with one-point fixation compared to the literature, with the zygomaticomaxillary (ZM) buttress being the most popular fixation point (90%). ZM buttress and frontozygomatic (FZ) suture were the commonest choices for two-point fixations (70%). Buccal sulcus incision was used for ZM access in all cases. For FZ access, upper blepharoplasty incision was the most common (56%). For infra-orbital margin access, transconjunctival incision was the most common (75%). There was no significant association between number of fixation points and presence of associated injuries, impact of injury, or time to operation. There were no post-operative complications. Conclusion: A greater proportion of patients in our cohort were successfully treated with one point fixation compared to the literature, and fewer patients underwent orbital floor exploration and repair in our cohort compared to the literature. This study highlights the ongoing variation in the surgical management of ZMC fractures.