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Melanoma patients with BRAF V600E and V600K mutations show complete or partial response to vemurafenib. Detection assays often scan for the common V600E mutation rather than the rare V600K variant, although this mutation can be found in a high proportion of melanoma patients in the South Pacific. Herein, we describe a BRAF high resolution melting (HRM) assay that can differentiate low level of V600E and V600K mutations using formalin fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) reference standards for assay validation. The assay is based on the competitive amplification of differentially melting amplicons (CADMA principle) and has a limit of detection of 0.8% mutant allele for V600K and 1.4% mutant allele for V600E. A differentiation between the two mutations based on the melting profile is possible even at low mutation level. Sixty FFPE specimens were scanned and mutations could be scored correctly as confirmed by castPCR. In summary, the developed HRM assay is suitable for detection of V600K and V600E mutations and proved to be reliable and cost effective in a diagnostic environment., (Copyright © 2017 Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Since the introduction of automotive airbag technology, patterns of airbag-induced injuries have emerged. Various types of upper-extremity trauma including fractures have been described. Previous reports have focused on the location of the forearm before deployment as the major determinant of fracture. We describe a case of forearm fracture resulting from an airbag deployment in a lupus patient with documented osteoporosis. Bone strength has recently been determined in laboratory testing to be an important factor determining airbag-induced fracture risk. An airbag-induced forearm fracture in an otherwise healthy individual may be an indicator of reduced bone strength.