Enlarged Lymph Nodes Research Articles

A Googly in the Neck-Castleman Disease.

Lymphoproliferative disorders comprise of a group of heterogenous diseases characterised by uncontrolled production of lymphocytes.Castleman disease (CD) is one such disease and comprises of a group of rare disorders that involve enlarged lymph nodes and a broad range of inflammatory symptoms and laboratory abnormalities [1]. We came across young girl who presented to us in the out patient department with this disease After ruling out other pathologies and confirming the diagnosis by doing a tissue biopsy the girl was treated surgically and is disease free till date.

Borrmann Type IV Gastric Cancer: Computed Tomography Features and Corresponding Pathological Findings.

We aimed to analyze the association between computed tomography (CT) features and the corresponding pathological findings in Borrmann type IV (BT-4) gastric cancers and explore the pathological basis of the characteristic CT features. This retrospective study included 84 patients with BT-4 gastric cancers who underwent contrast-enhanced CT and surgical resection. Preoperative CT features were evaluated, including the major location, range, circumferential invasion, perigastric fat infiltration, enlarged lymph nodes, layered enhancement, degree of enhancement, and peak enhanced phase. Postoperative pathological findings were also recorded. Differences in CT features according to different World Health Organization types, surgical margin, adjacent organ invasion, and peritoneal status were assessed using the χ 2 or Fisher exact test (n < 5). The most common World Health Organization type of BT-4 gastric cancer was poorly cohesive carcinoma (65.5%), which tended to show circumferential invasion, fewer enlarged lymph nodes, and layered enhancement. Although 82 patients with BT-4 gastric cancer (97.6%) had positive lymph nodes, only 26 (31.0%) had enlarged lymph nodes. Lesions originating from the gastroesophageal junction had a higher rate of positive margins ( P < 0.05). Adjacent organ invasion was more likely to occur in lesions with perigastric fat infiltration ( P < 0.05). Patients with circumferential invasion tended to show peritoneal metastasis ( P < 0.05). The characteristic CT features of BT-4 gastric cancer may be attributed to the corresponding pathological findings. Recognizing the association between CT features and pathological findings may help evaluate the aggressiveness of BT-4 gastric cancers.

Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis as the First Symptom of Colon Cancer.

Axillary lymph node metastasis in colon cancer is extremely rare. We describe the FDG PET/CT findings in a 61-year-old woman who presented with a mass in the right axilla, which revealed irregular thickening of the ascending colon wall, as well as multiple enlarged lymph nodes in the ileocecal mesentery, para-aortic region, and right axilla with higher uptake of FDG. Ascending colon carcinoma with lymph node metastasis in the right axilla was confirmed by pathological examination.

Free-Breathing StarVIBE Sequence for the Detection of Extranodal Extension in Head and Neck Cancer: An Image Quality and Diagnostic Performance Study.

(1) Background: This study aims to evaluate the image quality of abnormal cervical lymph nodes in head and neck cancer and the diagnostic performance of detecting extranodal extension (ENE) using free-breathing StarVIBE. (2) Methods: In this retrospective analysis, 80 consecutive head and neck cancer patients underwent StarVIBE before neck dissection at an academic center. Image quality was compared with conventional VIBE available for 28 of these patients. A total of 73 suspicious metastatic lymph nodes from 40 patients were found based on morphology and enhancement pattern on StarVIBE. Sensitivity (SN), specificity (SP), and odds ratios were calculated for each MR feature from StarVIBE to predict pathologic ENE. (3) Results: StarVIBE showed significantly superior image quality, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for enlarged lymph nodes compared to VIBE. The MR findings of "invading adjacent planes" (SN, 0.54; SP, 1.00) and "matted nodes" (SN, 0.72; SP, 0.89) emerged as notable observations. The highest diagnostic performance was attained by combining these two features (SN, 0.93; SP, 0.89). (4) Conclusions: This study confirms that StarVIBE offers superior image quality for abnormal lymph nodes compared to VIBE, and it can accurately diagnose ENE by utilizing a composite MR criterion in head and neck cancer.

Castleman disease: Experience from a single institution.

Castleman disease (CD) describes a group of rare heterogeneous lymphoproliferative disorders characterized by enlarged hyperplastic lymph nodes. It is classified into unicentric CD (UCD) and multicentric CD (MCD). The present retrospective study examined the data of 11 patients with CD diagnosed and treated at a tertiary cancer center from 2017 to 2022. The median age of the study group was 41 years (range, 24 to 68 years). There were 8 males and 3 females. In total, 7 patients were diagnosed with UCD and 4 patients with MCD. The hyaline-vascular variant was the most common histology in both UCD and MCD. Among the 7 patients with UCD, 5 patients underwent excision, 1 patient underwent debulking followed by radiotherapy and 1 patient received single agent rituximab. Of the patients with UCD, 6 had a complete response (CR) and 1 patient had a partial response (PR). All 4 patients with MCD received systemic treatment, which included single agent rituximab (2 patients), rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (RCHOP) (1 patient) and CHOP (1 patient). Among the patients with MCD, 1 patient attained a CR, 2 patients had a PR and 1 patient succumbed. The 3-year survival rate for the study population was 91%. In summary, CD is a rare disease occurring in immunodeficient patients. UCD is more common and is associated with better outcomes. Surgery is the mainstay of management in UCD whereas MCD requires combination chemotherapy.

SAT185 Parathyroid Adenoma Localized By Cytogenetic Testing

Abstract Disclosure: S. Khadija: None. A. Rao: None. Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism can be caused by a parathyroid adenoma, hyperplasia or rarely by parathyroid carcinoma. Most patients have few or no symptoms. Diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism can be challenging in the setting of secondary/tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Correct diagnosis can be reached by clinical evaluation, biochemical and radiological tests. We describe a case that was diagnosed by cytogenetic testing of the biopsy specimen. Case Report: We report a case of a 64-year-old man. He was referred to the endocrine clinic for an incidental thyroid nodule on CT scan. He had hypothyroidism after I-131 treatment for Graves’ disease 15 years back. He had a long history of hypertension with renal failure. He had a renal transplant in 2017 and had hypercalcemia intermittently with elevated PTH since 2012. Ultrasound of thyroid reported a 1.6 x 1.7 x 2.0 cm nodule in the left thyroid lobe. He denied any compressive symptoms and was euthyroid on levothyroxine. An ultrasound guided FNA of the left thyroid nodule was reported as Bethesda III FLUS and sent to Veracyte for Affirma, which indicated a parathyroid adenoma. A sestamibi scan indicated a left lower parathyroid adenoma. He had surgery and intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) dropped from 122pg/ml to 35.8pg/ml(29.1-79.7 pg/ml). Pathology confirmed parathyroid adenoma 3.8 grams in weight. Postoperatively calcium normalized with drop in PTH to 36.1pg/ml. After 2 weeks his calcium remained normal. Discussion: Parathyroid adenoma is a relatively rare condition and causes a majority of cases of primary hyperparathyroidism. A few cases are due to hyperplasia, more common in secondary hyperparathyroidism due to renal disease. Parathyroid adenoma is difficult to diagnose in patients with underlying hyperplasia due to chronic renal disease. Sonography and 99mTc preoperative sestamibi (MIBI) scan are the primary imaging modalities utilized for the visualization of diseased glands. MIBI scan is approximately 90% sensitive for localizing a parathyroid adenoma. Ultrasonography is the first-line imaging modality and parathyroid adenomas are nearly always homogeneously hypoechoic to the overlying thyroid gland and are commonly detected using gray-scale imaging alone when they are larger than 1 cm in diameter. Nodular goiter or enlarged lymph nodes are causes of false-positive results. Biopsy is very rarely used to diagnose a parathyroid adenoma with cytogenetic testing. Conclusion: Parathyroidectomy is the main stay in management of primary hyperparathyroidism due to parathyroid adenoma. Cervical sonography and sestamibi imaging are used for prediction of adenoma location. Both are limited by increased thyroid volume. Biopsy with cytogenetic testing can help in diagnosis in difficult patients. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023

SAT059 Metastatic Insulinoma Diagnosed Postpartum

Abstract Disclosure: A. Faber: None. H. Lam: None. R. Simon: None. Introduction: Insulinomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors derived from the beta cells of the pancreas. These tumors generally occur at a rate of four cases per million per year, and they are seen across all demographics. Affected patients present with symptoms of hypoglycemia, including confusion, diaphoresis, and palpitations. Insulinomas occur as single or multiple tumors, and can be benign or malignant. Insulinomas with metastases are defined as malignant. The primary treatment is surgical resection. However, in the case of metastatic insulinomas prognosis can be quite poor with limited treatment options. Case Presentation: A 24-year-old female employed as a nurse with otherwise negative medical history originally presented around 3 months postpartum with epigastric pain which was attributed to gas. Symptoms progressed to include lightheadedness, palpitations, and sweating. She checked her blood glucose during these events and noted it to be consistently in the 30s-40s. She would treat these episodes with food and had short-term improvement in symptoms. She presented to an outside hospital where imaging revealed: hepatomegaly with innumerable hypodense liver lesions, hypo-enhancing pancreatic head lesion, sclerotic focus in T4 vertebral body, as well as multiple enlarged upper abdominal lymph nodes including peripancreatic, porta hepatis, and gastrohepatic. Liver biopsy revealed well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor, WHO grade 3 likely from a pancreatic primary and chemotherapy was initiated with carboplatin and paclitaxel with some response. However, hypoglycemia became refractory to management with 5% dextrose drip, so she was transferred to our facility for escalation of care. TPN was initiated and dextrose drip was escalated eventually to 40% dextrose. She was also given octreotide, hydrocortisone, and eventually diazoxide. Given degree of tumor burden as well as abdominal ascites and clinical condition, surgery was deemed high risk and not recommended. Tumor board meeting was held and her chemotherapy regimen was changed to Carboplatin/Etoposide/Atezolizumab. She subsequently underwent hepatic artery embolization twice with improvement of hypoglycemia. Despite decreasing dextrose drip requirements by over 50%, patient was unable to be liberated from dextrose infusion and had multiple discussions about management options and prognosis. The patient eventually elected to go home with home hospice. Discussion: Insulinoma diagnosed in pregnancy or shortly after pregnancy is extremely rare. There are only three case reports of malignant insulinoma diagnosed in or after pregnancy. Given the degree of extensive metastases at time of presentation, we expect our patient’s insulinoma was present prior to delivery. Hypoglycemia may have only manifested in the postpartum period when there was decreased levels of placenta-derived counterregulatory hormones. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023

SAT531 Thyroid Metastasis From Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: An Unusual Case Presentation

Abstract Disclosure: E.Y. Ibrahim: None. I. Guillen Alvarez: None. I. Hulinsky: None. D. Regelmann: None. C. Janowiecki: None. Background: Cases of thyroid tumors metastasizing from the lungs are rare, and their diagnosis is often challenging and can be mistaken for primary thyroid tumors or subacute thyroiditis. Thyroid function tests are typically normal and not helpful in establishing the diagnosis. Ultrasonography commonly shows focal or diffuse hypoechoic lesions. Correspondingly, heterogeneous hypodense areas with mild contrast enhancement are seen on CT scans. Clinical Case: Our patient is a 61-year-old male with a history of diabetes mellitus and 40 years tobacco use, who presented with a 1-week history of right-sided weakness and 3-weeks of dry cough. The weakness of his leg progressed to the point he could not ambulate. Initially, he was evaluated for a stroke and underwent CT imaging showing extensive lesions of the bilateral frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. These findings were suspicious, and confirmed by MRI, to reflect multifocal metastatic lesions with vasogenic edema. Initial physical examination revealed a palpable thyroid nodule in the right lobe with bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy. CT of the neck demonstrated lymphadenopathy as well as multiple bilateral hypoechoic thyroid nodules, the largest of which measured 0.8 cm in the right thyroid lobe. TSH was 0.34 (0.48-4.17mU/L) with Free T4 at 1.39 (0.8-1.90ng/dL). The patient had denied symptoms of heat intolerance, tremor, or palpitations. A CT chest with contrast found a 3.5 cm cavitary lesion in the right upper lobe concerning for a primary lung neoplasm, as well as multiple bilateral lung nodules, mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy, and bilateral adrenal masses. Subsequent ultrasound-guided biopsy of the thyroid tumor revealed histologic features of a poorly differentiated non-small cell carcinoma, with features of a primary lung origin. These features were also present on a concurrent fine needle biopsy of an enlarged cervical lymph node. Immunohistochemistry staining showed the tumor was highly expressive for PDL1, focally positive for p40, pancytokeratin AE1/AE3, and negative for TTF-1 and thyroglobulinDue to the vasogenic cerebral edema, he was given dexamethasone with good response, and his weakness improved to the point that patient was able to ambulate. Treatment also included radiation therapy with subsequent pembrolizumab upon completion of radiotherapy. Conclusion: Several thyroid lesions representing metastases may go unnoticed because the physician’s attention toward lesions at other, more common sites, and detailed thyroid examination can be commonly overlooked. Patients with newly diagnosed malignancies should also be screened for thyroid involvement, including detailed physical, radiographic, and histologic examination of pathologic findings. Presentation Date: Saturday, June 17, 2023

Bowel perforation and peritonitis caused by a jejunal leiomyoma. A rare complication of jejunal leiomyoma

Small-bowel leiomyomas are rare, usually indolent, benign neoplasms, sporadically associated with complications, mainly including bleeding and obstruction. Herein we report a case of a 78-year-old female patient under high-dose corticosteroid treatment for systemic disease, presenting with clinical signs suggestive of peritonitis. Urgent exploratory laparotomy revealed an intraluminal jejunal mass complicated by bowel perforation and multiple enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Microscopic examination of the surgical specimen suggested the presence of a jejunal leiomyoma as the cause of perforation and lymph nodes’ infiltration by Hodgkin lymphoma. The patient died on the 15th post-operative day due to pulmonary complications. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a jejunal leiomyoma complicated by bowel perforation and peritonitis. A high index of suspicion for the presence of underlying neoplastic disease should be maintained in cases of non-traumatic small-bowel perforation. Additionally, the potentially detrimental effect of comorbidities on a patient’s outcome should be considered even in the context of successful management of primary disease.

MSCT findings of primary Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma

Objectives To improve diagnostic accuracy of pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (PMEC) through multi-detector computed tomography (MSCT) findings. Methods MSCT findings of 27 histopathologically confirmed PMEC cases were retrospectively analyzed, including the location, size, margin, density, enhancement of the lesion and accompanying signs. Results Among the 27 PMEC cases, 6 (6/27, 22.2%) were the large airway pattern, 14 were (14/27, 51.9%) the pulmonary hilum pattern, and 7 (7/27, 26.9%) were the peripheral pattern. Among those 20 cases with central pattern(6 large airway and 14 pulmonary hilum patterns), 6 presented mild enhancement, 4 moderate enhancement, 5 severe enhancement, 5 heterogeneous enhancement, and 3 with calcification. 7 cases with peripheral patterns were presented as solid pulmonary nodules and masses, 3 with severe enhancement, 1 with moderate enhancement and 3 with mild enhancement. Four cases accompanied by lymph nodal metastasis, and 7 cases with distant organ metastasis. Age(t = –3.132, p = 0.005), enlarged lymph node (x2 = 9.281, p = 0.005), and distant metastasis(x2 = 7.816, p = 0.008) were statistically significant in the low-grade group and high-grade group. Conclusions MSCT images of PMEC patients demonstrated some characteristic findings, which would help improve the diagnostic accuracy of the disease.

Idiopathic multicentric castleman’s disease mimicking immunoglobulin G4-related disease responding well to Bortezomib: a case report

BackgroundCastleman’s disease (CD) is a rare disease that has clinical and pathological similarities to lymphoma and is characterized by a high frequency of associated immunological dysfunction. ImmunoglobulinG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a collection of systemic disorders that affect numerous organs and are also referred to as IgG4-associated sclerosing diseases. CD and IgG4-RD are difficult to separate because they may manifest similar commin clinical features.Case presentationThis case describes a 53-year-old female who, during routine medical check-up, exhibited a progressive increase in serum globulin levels and a simultaneous worsening of anemia symptoms, raising concern for a clonal plasma cell disease such as myeloma. However, bone marrow punctures did not reveal any abnormal plasma cells. Also, serum and urine immunofixation electrophoresis demonstrated no abnormal monoclonal protein bands. In addition, several laboratory findings excluded chronic liver disease, chronic infections caused by bacteria or viruses. Later, we found elevated serum IgG4 levels (10,700 mg/L), and identified multiple enlarged lymph nodes throughout the patient’s body. Axillary lymph node aspiration revealed no abnormal lymphocytes, ruling out the possibility of lymphoma. Pathological morphology of the axillary lymph revealed a large number of plasma cells in the lymphatic follicles. In addition, there was a reduction in lymphatic follicle size and apoptosis of the germinal centres. Immunohistochemistry revealed IgG4+/IgG + in > 40% of cells, and more than 100 IgG4 + cells per high powered field (HPF) of specimen. As of now, finding strongly suggested IgG4-RD. This patient was treated with glucocorticoids and various immunosuppressive drugs, such as prednisone, cyclosporine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine and hydroxychloroquine. Unfortunately, the patient did not recover. Ultimately, idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) was diagnosed in relation to the patient’s clinical presentation and laboratory tests, and after combination chemotherapy (VCD: Bortezomib, Cyclophosphamide and Dexamethasone), durable remission was achieved without serious adverse effects. During the follow-up period of one year and ten months, the patient remained stable.ConclusionThe diagnosis of Castleman must be distinguished from other disorders such as IgG4-RD, malignant lymphoma, reactive hyperplasia of various lymph nodes (mostly caused by viral infections), plasmacytoma, advanced HIV and rheumatic diseases. Besides observing systemic symptoms, laboratory tests such as immunoglobulin levels, complement levels, interleukin levels, and C-reactive protein levels should also be performed in order to determine a diagnosis.

Lymphoma Accompanyıng Pneumoconıosıs; Case Report

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is the most common hematological malignancy, and Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common histological type. A 56-year-old male patient was admitted to our clinic with complaints of shortness of breath and fatigue for 1 month. It was learned in his professional history that he had been a dental technician for 30 years. He was diagnosed with pneumoconiosis in 2020 and his chest radiograph was q/t 3/3 according to the International Labor Organization (ILO) International Classification of pneumoconiosis radiographs. Laboratory examinations revealed an increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR 50 mm/h) and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH 368 IU/L) levels. On thoracic computed tomography (CT), enlarged lymph nodes and lymphadenopathies (LAP) with local conglomeration and calcifications in the mediastinal, subcarinal and bilateral hilar areas were seen. Widely disseminated inhomogeneous mass-like consolidation areas, including internal calcifications, extending from the hilum to the parenchyma in both lungs, were observed more prominently in the right middle zone. Diffuse interstitial thickenings, infiltrations and centrilobular nodular density increases in both lungs, nodular consolidated areas with recessed contours and nodules and ground glass densities were observed, especially in the left upper zone. In the lateral part of the left 5th rib, a heterogeneous soft tissue mass of approximately 12x5 cm, causing cortical destruction, invading the surrounding soft tissues and muscle planes, and containing internal cystic-necrotic components was observed. On abdominal CT, enlarged lymph nodes and LAPs, some of which contain calcifications, were observed in the abdomen. The pathology result was reported as Diffuse B-Cell Lymphoma in the patient who underwent transthoracic biopsy due to radiographic appearances that are not typical for PMF. Here, we presented a case of pneumoconiosis with occupational carcinogen exposure and presenting with lymphoma.

A Machine Learning Framework Integrating Electronic Health Records for Survival Prognostication in Cervix Cancer

Recent advances in Machine learning (ML) have led to promising clinical applications in oncology, such as improved detection on imaging, predicting emergency department visits, and predicting survival. The hypothesis of this study is a machine learning model using features extracted from electronic health records can be created to improve individual prognostication in patients with cervix cancer managed with radiotherapy in a binary higher and lower risk group model. This study used a single-institution retrospective dataset. Electronic records of patients treated for cervix cancer with definitive radiotherapy from 2003-2014 were queried. Features were selected for model building were based on relevant clinical variables and ease of abstraction from records: age, race, smoking status, parity, self-reported unintentional weight loss, histology, revised 2018 Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique (FIGO) staging, tumor size, number of enlarged lymph nodes, involved node location, presence of metastases, radiotherapy duration, and concurrent chemotherapy. The dataset was split into training and testing cohorts, with multivariable Cox regression with Lasso regularization performed to predict hazard ratios (HR), and internal 5-fold cross-validation (training set) to determine the regularization parameter. For each patient, a partial HR using all variables was predicted. A cut-off value maximally splitting the training dataset into higher and lower risk cohorts was calculated in the training dataset using Kaplan-Meier estimates and log-rank tests, and this predicted cut-off value was evaluated in the test dataset. A total of 226 patients were included in study, with a median follow-up of 55.1 months; 226 patients in training cohort, and 57 in testing cohort. Feature concordance indices of 0.74 and 0.75 were obtained in the testing and training datasets, respectively, with minimal over-fitting. The three variables that contributed most to the model (with Log HR, 95% CI, p-value) were FIGO stage (0.38, 0.1-0.66, p = 0.01), presence of metastases (0.26, -0.02-0.53, p = 0.07), and unintentional weight loss (-0.34, -0.54-0.14, p<0.01), and FIGO IIB maximally divided the cohort into higher and lower risk stage groupings. A partial HR of 1.15 threshold using all features predicted the largest survival separation between higher and lower risk patients, more so than stage alone (p = 1.18 × 10-3 separated by stage alone vs p = 8.97 × 10-7 separated by partial hazard). A machine learning approach was able to improve prognostication of survival in cervix cancer using additional features from electronic health records. Future work should explore prognostication using large scale datasets and pre-treatment variables for potential incorporation into patient discussions and shared decision making.

Magnitude of tuberculosis lymphadenitis, risk factors, and rifampicin resistance at Adama city, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex has an impact on public health and is responsible for over one million deaths per year. Substantial numbers of people infected with M. tuberculosis can develop tuberculosis lymphadenitis; however, there is a limited study in Adama, Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of Tuberculosis lymphadenitis, its predictors, and rifampicin-resistance gene-positive M. tuberculosis. A total of 291 patients with enlarged lymph nodes were recruited from May 2022 to August 30 at Adama Comprehensive Specialized Hospital Medical College (ACSHMC). GeneXpert, Ziehl–Neelsen staining, and cytology were used for the diagnosis of TB lymphadenitis from the Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA) specimen. Rifampicin-resistant gene was detected using GeneXpert. For data entry and analysis, Epi Data version 3.0 and SPSS version 25 were used respectively. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of TB lymphadenitis. A p < 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was taken as a cut point to determine the significant association between dependent and independent variables. The prevalence of TB lymphadenitis using GeneXpert, Ziehl–Neelsen staining, and cytology were 138 (47.4%) (95% CI 41.70–53.10), 100 (34.4%) (95% CI 28.94–39.85), and 123 (42.3%) (95% CI 36.63–47.00) respectively. Nine (3.1%) participants were infected with rifampicin-resistant gene-positive M. tuberculosis. Out of the total M. tuberculosis detected by GeneXpert (n = 138), 9 (6.5%) were positive for rifampicin resistance-gene. Participants with a chronic cough had 2 times odds of developing TB lymphadenitis (AOR: 2.001, 95% CI 1.142–3.508). Close to half of patients with enlarged lymph nodes were positive for M. tuberculosis by the GeneXpert method in the study area. Chronic cough was significantly associated with TB lymphadenitis. Rifampicin-resistant gene-positive M. tuberculosis was relatively prevalent among patients with enlarged lymph node in the study area.

A collision tumor of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and primary mantle cell lymphoma in the nasopharynx: a case report and review of the literature

BackgroundNasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is more common in men aged 40 to 59, and radiotherapy is an effective treatment. Nasopharyngeal lymphoma (NPL) is rare, and the coexistence of nasopharyngeal mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and NPC is even rarer. A collision tumor is a rare type of tumor that refers to two or more different tumors occurring in the same organ. No reports to date have described a collision tumor of NPC and MCL occurring within the same nasopharyngeal mass. We herein report the successful treatment of a unique case of synchronous coexistence of NPC and MCL occurring in the nasopharynx of a Chinese man.Case presentationA 58-year-old man presented with a 5-month history of swallowing discomfort. Biopsy was performed under nasopharyngeal endoscopy, and histopathology revealed NPC. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed lesions in the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and tonsils, as well as enlarged lymph nodes in the parotid gland, posterior ear, and neck. This may be a synchronous dual primary tumor coexisting with NPC and NPL. Pathology consultation confirmed that the biopsy specimen of the nasopharynx was a collision tumor of NPC and MCL. Positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) revealed thickening of the posterior wall of the nasopharynx, which was considered NPC with lymphoma. The enlargement of the pharyngeal lymph ring and multiple hypermetabolic lymph nodes were evaluated as lymphoma infiltration. The patient received two courses of R-CHOP chemotherapy (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) followed by head and neck radiotherapy. At the time of this writing, he had remained alive without recurrence for 61 months since the initial treatment and was still undergoing follow-up.ConclusionsIt is very important to correctly recognize collision tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging helps identify different components of collision tumors. Pathological examination helps to confirm the diagnosis. Histological examination reveals different components, and PET-CT can help determine the extent of the lesion. Dose-adjusted chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy may have promising herapeutic effects, but additional case studies are needed to confirm.

Pathogenicity and Pathological Characteristics of African Swine Fever Virus Strains from Pig Farms in South Korea from 2022 to January 2023.

Since the first African swine fever (ASF) outbreak occurred at a pig farm in South Korea in September 2019, as of 31 January 2023, 31 ASF cases have occurred at pig farms, while 2799 ASF virus (ASFV)-infected wild boars have been identified. The circulation of ASFV in wild boar populations poses a high risk of spillover to pig farms in the country. However, information on the changes in the pathogenicity of Korean ASFV strains from wild boars is not available. Investigating the pathogenicity of ASFV strains from pig farms is the only way to predict their alterations. In a previous study, no changes in the pathogenicity of ASFV strains circulating during 2019-2021 were identified through animal experiments. In this study, we chose two ASFV strains with potentially reduced pathogenicity among ten viruses obtained from pig premises from 2022 to January 2023 and estimated their pathogenicities and pathological characteristics. All the inoculated pigs died 8-10 days post-inoculation after showing pyrexia, depression, anorexia, and recumbency together with the common pathological lesions of enlarged hemorrhagic lymph nodes and splenomegaly with infarction. These results support that the pathogenicity among ASFV isolates in South Korea still remained unchanged during the study period.

T-cell lymphoma infiltrating the uterus and ovaries of a Golden Retriever: a case report

BackgroundTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of female genital system infiltration of T-cell lymphoma in veterinary literature.Case presentationA 1.5-year-old, intact female Golden Retriever was referred due to melena and hyporexia that lasted for three weeks. Fever (40.5℃), tachycardia, tachypnoea, pale mucous membranes, and purulent vaginal discharge were identified on physical examination. Blood analyses revealed leucocytosis, anaemia, hypoalbuminemia, and increased lactate and C-reactive protein levels. On abdominal radiography, the small intestine was moderately deviated because of an oval-shaped mass (13 cm × 8.7 cm) located in the mid-abdomen. An enlarged tubular-shaped structure that had the opacity of soft tissue located in dorsal to the bladder to the middle of the abdomen, and an oval-shaped mass (5.28 cm × 3.26 cm), which was suspected to be a medial iliac lymph node located at the sixth to seventh lumbar level. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed gas and fluid in the lumen of the uterine horn with a severely thickened wall, round enlarged lymph nodes around the genitourinary system, and free fluid in the abdominal cavity. Based on these results, pyometra was suspected, and an exploratory laparotomy was performed for ovariohysterectomy. The resected ovary and uterus were macroscopically hypertrophied. Histopathological examination of the ovary and uterus revealed neoplastic proliferation of large round cells with strong immunoreactivity for CD3, indicating T-cell lymphoma. Therefore, the young dog was diagnosed with genital lymphoma.ConclusionsThe present report describes T-cell lymphoma infiltrating the uterus and ovaries in a young dog, which is rarely diagnosed and could aid in the differential diagnosis of genital diseases in young dogs.

Clinical, Haemato-biochemical Evaluation and Comparison of Polymerase chain reaction with Conventional Blood Smear Examination for the Detection of Babesia gibsoni Infection in Dogs

The objective of the present study was to detect Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs which are presented to Veterinary Clinical Complex, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Puducherry. A total of 85 dogs with clinical signs such as inappetence, fever, enlarged lymph nodes and tick infestation were screened. The diagnostic efficacy of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique has been compared with blood smear examination to detect B. gibsoni infection in dogs. By blood smear and PCR examination, six (7.1%) dogs and 28 (42.4%) dogs were positive for B. gibsoni infection respectively. Clinical examination of dogs with B. gibsoni showed tick infestation, anorexia, dullness, pyrexia, pale/congested conjunctival mucus membrane, tachypnoea and swollen lymph nodes. In addition, few dogs had icterus and haemoglobinuria. Laboratory examination of blood samples of B. gibsoni dogs revealed significant reduction in haemoglobin, PCV, erythrocyte count, platelet count and serum albumin levels. Significant increase in levels of ALP, globulin, bilirubin, BUN and creatinine were recorded.

A Clinicopathological Study of Cervical Lymphadenopathy

Lymphadenopathy is a very common clinical manifestation of many diseases. It is a disease of the lymph nodes, inwhich they are abnormal in size or consistency. The study intends to find out systematically the various pathologicalconditions presenting with enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, also the various nodes of clinical presentations andbehavior of these conditions. This study consisted of 200 consecutive cases and diagnosis was made on the basis ofclinical, fine needle aspiration cytology and histopathological findings. Out of 200 cases in the study 30.0% werenon-specific lymphadenopathy, 47% were tuberculosis, 15% were secondary metastatic lymphadenopathy due toprimary malignant lesion in head-neck region, 5% were primary malignant lesion that is lymphoma (Hodgkins andnon-Hodgkins lymphoma), rest 3% were due to other lesions like Kikuchi's disease, histiocytosis. After swelling inthe neck, pain and fever were the most common presentations. Some patients presented with suppurativelymphadenopathy. In this study, fine needle aspiration cytology was found to be so reliable. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Med. Coll. J. 2022;1(1):29-32

Usefulness of attenuation value on computed tomography plain scan for diagnosing enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes metastases.

To evaluate the diagnostic value of computed tomography (CT) attenuation in mediastinal lymph node metastases of malignant tumors. A retrospective review was conducted of a Chinese institutional database of consecutive patients with a history of malignant tumors. Those who had enlarged, necrotic, or hypermetabolic lymph nodes detected in the mediastinum during routine CT examination or positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging from January 2019 to December 2021 were collected for investigation. All patients underwent endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and were followed up for at least 6 months to diagnose lymph node metastases. One-to-one correlation was attempted between the CT images of the lymph nodes and EBUS-TBNA area of the same lymph node groups and similar size. Radiologists measured size, as well as plain CT and contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) attenuation values of mediastinal lymph nodes, and evaluated the effectiveness of these variables in diagnosing lymph node metastasis. A total of 135 lymph nodes of 114 patients were included in the study. In the univariate analysis, the long-axis diameter, short-axis diameter, short-axis/long-axis ratio, and plain CT attenuation values of lymph nodes were found to be statistically significantly different between the metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes. The areas under receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves (AUCs) of long-axis diameter, short-axis diameter, short-axis/long-axis ratio, and plain CT attenuation value for diagnosing metastases were 0.711, 0.788, 0.671, and 0.827, respectively. The best value of the AUC for diagnosing lymph node metastases was 0.827 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.749-0.890] using plain CT attenuation value ≤45 Hounsfield units (HU). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were 92.8%, 69.2%, 86.5%, and 81.8%, respectively. Similar results were obtained from the 68 cases of lung cancer. Plain CT attenuation values reached the best AUC (0.860) for diagnosing lymph node metastases. Plain CT attenuation of lymph nodes is an effective method for diagnosing enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes with a history of multiple malignancies or lung cancer. Plain CT could be used as an additional test where there is no PET/CT available in cases of diagnostic dilemma.