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Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disease of unknown origin. It rarely but occasionally occurs together with myelodysplastic syndrome and primary myelofibrosis. Trisomy 8 is one of the most common cytogenetic abnormalities in myeloid neoplasms; however, the association of BD with polycythemia vera (PV) and trisomy 8 has not been reported. A 70-year-old woman, diagnosed with PV and treated with hydroxyurea, had bloody stool due to multiple ulcers in the ileocecal region. Considering the lack of a response to treatment and other features, we suspected complication with intestinal Behçet's-like disease. Our case suggests relationships among BD, trisomy 8, and PV.

Haemorrhage in patients with haemophilia is common after minor trauma but may occur spontaneously. Despite the diversity of bleeding sites, spontaneous haemothorax, on a non-traumatic basis, is an exceedingly rare event and only a few cases had been reported. We present a case of a 43-year-old man with a history of haemophilia A who had pleuritic chest pain for 1 day without significant history of trauma. Diagnostic thoracentesis showed bloody pleural fluid in which neither abnormal cell nor organism was found. He was treated by cryoprecipitate replacement and therapeutic thoracentesis for releasing haemothorax. After discharge, the patient returned for follow-up with complete radiological resolution. Regarding the consequences of retained haemothorax from conservative approach and the procedure-related bleeding of given therapeutic intervention in haemothorax making its management in patients with haemophilia to be more challenging. Our case illustrates a conservative treatment of spontaneous haemothorax in patient with haemophilia resulting in a good clinical outcome.

Background Isolated sphenoid sinus disease (ISSD) is a rare clinical entity with potentially serious complications. The etiological distribution of ISSD varies among different areas and ethnicities. We aimed to investigate the clinical features of patients with endoscopic treated ISSD. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients with ISSD who had undergone endoscopic surgery between April 2013 and May 2019. The patient records were reviewed for demographic data, clinical presentations, endoscopic and imaging study findings, surgical outcomes and complications. Results A total of 37 patients with ISSD who underwent surgery were recruited. We divided patients into three groups according to etiology, including inflammatory diseases (78.4%), neoplasms (13.5%) and spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks (8.1%); fungal ball (62.2%) constituted the major cause of ISSD. Overall, the most common presenting symptom was headache or facial pain (65.5%). The endoscopic findings of bloody discharge and tumor lesions were mainly from the neoplasm group. Bony defects were more obvious on computed tomography in the neoplasm and CSF leak groups. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a higher rate of involvement of the cavernous sinus (40.0%) and intracranial extensions (40.0%) in the neoplasm group. To summarize the surgical outcomes, the success rate was 97.1%, and the major complication rate was 5.4%. Conclusion ISSD represents a variety of etiologies, mostly comprising fungal ball in our area, while there is still a considerable proportion of ISSDs attributed to neoplasm and CSF leak. Untreated ISSD can result in serious complications. We recommend early surgical intervention for all patients with ISSD.

Haemolacria, also known as bloody tears, is a physical condition in which a person produces tears partially composed of blood. Multiple disorders can cause haemolacria, including trauma, inflammation, vascular lesions, vicarious menstruation, blood disorders, epistaxis, tumours and psychiatric and systemic disorders. Often, no aetiology is identified. It is usually benign, self-limiting, and the treatment depends on the cause. A 14-year-old girl presented to the paediatric emergency department with sudden onset of bloody tears from both eyes and epistaxis for the first time. A detailed history focusing on aetiological factors was unremarkable. Systemic, ocular, nasal and paranasal examination was also unremarkable. Radiological and laboratory investigations were normal, and the patient was diagnosed with idiopathic haemolacria. High-dose oral vitamin C, prophylactic iron therapy and psychological support were provided as conservative treatment. During regular follow-up, there was a spontaneous reduction in the frequency of symptoms.

Food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP) is a non-immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy, which presents with bloody mucoid stool in infants. Although IgE-mediated allergy and sensitizations to offending foods have been described in other non-IgE-mediated food allergies, it has not been investigated in FPIAP.To investigate IgE-mediated allergy and sensitization to offending foods in FPIAP.Patients (n = 204) were retrospectively recruited and grouped as FPIAP (n = 180; FPIAP with or without the symptoms of IgE-mediated food hypersensitivity to offending and nonoffending foods at initial consultation), FPIAP-IgE sensitization to offending foods (n = 17), and FPIAP-transition to IgE-mediated allergy to offending foods (n = 7). The study was performed in accordance with the protocol approved by the local ethical committee of the Hacettepe University.The median age of onset of symptoms and the development of tolerance was 2 months (interquartile range [IQR], 1.0-3.0) and 12 months (IQR, 10.0-14.0), respectively, and of the patients with skin prick test or serum specific IgE tests (n = 196), 38 (19.4%) had evidence of IgE sensitization to offending foods at the initial consultation or during follow-up; 17 (8.6%) had IgE sensitization, 7 (3.6%) indicated a transition to IgE-mediated allergy to FPIAP-induced foods. The median age of tolerance development of the FPIAP-transition group (19 months, IQR, 18.0-29.0) was significantly later than that of the FPIAP group (11 months, IQR, 10.0-14.0; P.001) and the FPIAP-IgE sensitization group (11.0 months, IQR, 9.5-12.0; P .001). Tolerance was observed within the study period in almost all the patients.Children with FPIAP may have sensitization or develop IgE-mediated allergy over time to offending foods. In addition, IgE sensitization in FPIAP does not have an unfavorable effect on tolerance development; however, the transition to an IgE-mediated phenotype may delay tolerance for a brief time.

A 24-year-old man with a history of bloody sputum for 6 months was referred to our hospital with suspected alveolar hemorrhaging due to vasculitis. Chest computed tomography showed ground-glass opacities in both lungs, and an examination of his bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed alveolar hemorrhaging. However, no evidence of vasculitis was found, and subsequent polysomnographic testing confirmed that he had severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Since the alveolar hemorrhaging improved after the initiation of continuous positive airway pressure treatment, the diagnosis was negative-pressure alveolar hemorrhaging due to severe OSA.

Background A wide variation of causes can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms in children- an infection with parasites is one of them. The expansion of international travel might lead to an increase in testing children for a correspondent infection. Currently there are no guidelines available, which patients should be tested for a possible parasitical infection. The aim of the study was to characterize Swiss children suffering from intestinal parasites, in order to provide more knowledge for the clinician who should be tested. Methods This is a retrospective study of Swiss pediatric patients, whose stools have been tested for parasites and helminths. Results A total of 1855 stool samples, belonging to 572 different children with an average age of 7.9 years, were tested within a 10-year period. The prevalence of a positive result was 4.2%, of which all were positive for Blastocystis, and 12.5% had a co-infection with Endolimax nana. Conclusion Immigrants, immune compromised children with diarrhea and pediatric patients with bloody or protracted diarrhea should have 2 different stool specimens examined for a possible parasitical infection.

Background Pancreaticopleural fistula (PPF) is a rare disease, especially in children. Conservative treatment and surgery are traditional therapies, but surgery is invasive. The emergence of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has provided a new noninvasive treatment for PPF and may become the first choice for children with PPF. Aim To explore the treatment response to ERCP for PPF in children. Methods Seven children with PPF were hospitalized in the Gastroenterology Department of Beijing Children's Hospital from December 2007 to May 2019. Data on these seven patients' clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed, and their treatment responses following surgery and ERCP were compared. The correlation between the length of hospital stay and conservative treatment was analyzed. Peer-reviewed articles written in English and Chinese published from January 2009 to December 2019 were obtained from various open data sources and reviewed. Results The seven patients comprised three boys and four girls with a mean age of 6.57 ± 3.26 years. The main symptoms were chest tightness and pain (n = 4), intermittent fever (n = 3), dyspnea (n = 3), and abdominal pain (n = 1), and all patients had bloody pleural effusion. All seven patients were diagnosed with PPF by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and all were initially treated conservatively for a mean of 34.67 ± 22.03 d with a poor response. Among five patients who underwent ERCP, one required surgery because of intubation failure; thus, the success rate of ERCP was 80%. Two patients were successfully treated with surgery (100%). The postoperative hospital stay of the two patients treated by surgery was 20 and 30 d, respectively (mean of 25 d), and that of the four patients treated by ERCP ranged from 12 to 30 d (mean of 19.25 ± 8.85 d). The recovery time after ERCP was short [time to oral feeding, 4-6 d (mean, 5.33 ± 1.15 d); duration of closed thoracic drainage, 2-22 d (mean, 13.3 d)]. Analysis of previous cases of PPF published worldwide during the past decade showed that the treatment success rate of ERCP is not lower than that of surgery. There was no significant difference in the postoperative hospital stay between surgery (16 ± 10.95 d) and ERCP (18.7 ± 6.88 d, P > 0.05). A positive linear correlation was found between the overall hospital stay and ERCP intervention time (R 2 = 0.9992). Conclusion ERCP is recommended as the first-choice treatment for PPF in children. ERCP should be performed as early as possible if conditions permit.

A 41-year-old female patient was admitted to hospital with bloody stool and diarrhoea for 2 months, accompanied with fever, left earache, obvious saddle-nose deformity and red eyes for 2 weeks. She had history of repeated multiple sore joints for 6 months and hearing impairment in the left ear for 4 months. Laboratory tests showed elevated white cell count (WBC) of 15.57×10ˆ9/L, neutrophil of 76.8% and C reactive protein (CRP) of 95.4 mg/L. Haemoglobin was decreased at 94 g/L. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody was negative. Colonoscopy showed diffuse inflammation and ulcers in the left-sided colon (figure 1). Histological findings from sigmoid colon showed chronic inflammation without vasculitis appearance. CT enterography revealed left-sided colon inflammation (figure 2). MRI of …

This study aimed to clarify the usefulness of the Ikari-curve left (IL) guiding catheter for balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA).The current BPA strategy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is dilation of as many branches as possible to normalize hemodynamics and oxygenation. The shape of the guiding catheter is a major factor in achieving this. However, conventional guiding catheters are difficult to introduce into particular branches. The IL guiding catheter may be suitable; however, its utility remains unclear.We retrospectively analyzed 202 consecutive BPA sessions of 40 patients from November 2016 to October 2019 and divided these sessions into two groups: the IL group where the IL guiding catheter was used and the non-IL group where other catheters were utilized. The occurrence of lung injury was determined by the presence of bloody sputum. We compared the rates of successful introduction into target vessels and assessed for the occurrence of lung injury.The average age of enrolled patients was 60.3 ± 14.4 years, with females comprising 65%. There were 99 sessions in the IL group. The median treated branches per session differed between the 2 groups (IL group: 15 versus non-IL group: 10, P < 0.05). The occurrence of lung injury was lower in the IL group (4.0% versus 11.7%, P = 0.07). The IL group had more successful vessel insertions than the non-IL group (78.8% versus 42.7%, P < 0.01).The IL guiding catheter may be introduced into branches that cannot be accessed by conventional guiding catheters.

We present the case of a 66-year-old bisexual patient suffering from painful bloody defecation, linked to rectal thickening, rectovesical fistula and enlarged lymph nodes in the mesorectal area. The patient was misdiagnosed with rectal cancer (T3 N2) on MRI but the symptoms of the patient were due to lymphogranuloma venereum. After adequate treatment with doxycycline, symptoms faded within days; a control MRI showed complete regression of all pathologic alterations.

Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is of increasing value for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). mCRPC tends to metastasize to bone, making tissue biopsies challenging to obtain. We hypothesized CGP of cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) could offer a minimally invasive alternative to detect targetable genomic alterations (GA) that inform clinical care.Using plasma from 3,334 patients with mCRPC (including 1,674 screening samples from TRITON2/3), we evaluated the landscape of GAs detected in ctDNA and assessed concordance with tissue-based CGP.A total of 3,129 patients (94%) had detectable ctDNA with a median ctDNA fraction of 7.5%;Genomic analysis of ctDNA from patients with mCRPC recapitulates the genomic landscape detected in tissue biopsies, with a high level of agreement in detection of

1. Ashley R.B. Bjorklund, MD*,† 2. Tina M. Slusher, MD*,† 3. Abigail Faulman, MD‡ 4. Cynthia R. Howard, MD† 5. Beatrice Odongkara, MBChB§ 1. *Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN 2. †University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 3. ‡Children’s Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 4. §Gulu University/Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Gulu, Uganda A 12-year-old boy with a history of sickle cell disease (SCD) presents to a government regional referral hospital in Northern Uganda with complaints of feeling ill with fever and a painful lump on his forehead. He also notes pain and swelling of his left upper arm. The fever, forehead lump, and painful swelling of the left arm had been present for at least 2 months. He denies any trauma. On presentation to the hospital he is febrile, tachycardic, and ill appearing. Initial physical examination is remarkable for frontal bossing with multiple tender, fluctuant, round (2- to 3-cm-diameter) lesions over his forehead and scalp; respiratory distress; a prominent systolic murmur; thin limbs; a tender, indurated lesion (approximately 5 × 3 cm) draining purulent fluid on his left upper arm; and no noted focal neurologic deficits. In the emergency department, incision and drainage of the forehead lesion yields scant drainage despite what appears to be a visibly purulent and fluctuant swelling. The fluid obtained is serous and bloody, without overt purulence. There is concern that the lesions may involve more than the subcutaneous tissues, with possible extension to the bone. Laboratory tests show leukocytosis with a neutrophil predominance (white blood cell count, 23,360/μL [23.36×109/L]; neutrophils, 77.5%), thrombocytosis, and anemia (hemoglobin level, 7.7 g/dL [4.78 mmol/L]). Rapid diagnostic testing for malaria is negative. Urine is remarkable for dark coloration without red blood cells on microscopic examination. Cultures from the wound are sent to the laboratory. Radiographs of the cranium (Fig 1) and humerus (Fig 2) are obtained. Figures 1. Radiograph demonstrating lytic lesions of the frontal and parietal bones. Figure 2. Radiograph demonstrating …

The aim was to better understand the clinical characteristics of patients with mucormycosis in western China. We retrospectively investigated the clinical, laboratory, radiological and treatment profiles of mucormycosis patients during a 10-year period (2010–2019). As a result, 59 proven mucormycosis were enrolled in this study. It was found that 52.5% of patients had worse clinical outcomes. Pulmonary mucormycosis (PM) was the most common clinical manifestation. The most frequent risk factor was diabetes mellitus (38, 64.4%) for mucormycosis patients. Cough (43, 93.5%), fever (24, 52.2%) and hemoptysis/bloody phlegm (21, 45.7%) were the most common manifestations of PM. There were no differences in clinical manifestations, risk factors and laboratory tests between different clinical outcome groups (P>0.05). Lymph node enlargement (30, 65.2%), patchy shadows (28, 60.9%), cavitation (25, 53.3%) and bilateral lobe involvement (39, 84.8%) were the most common on chest CT. Nodule was more common in good outcome group (P

Background Intra-articular venous malformations (IAVM) are rare benign vascular anomalies that usually affect young patients and most common locate in the knee. The terminology of these lesions is still ill-defined, as they are often termed in the literature as synovial hemangiomas. Early diagnosis can be difficult, because they usually present with nonspecific clinical manifestations that are similar those of other rheumatic diseases, especially juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Case series We conducted a retrospective analysis of five pediatric patients admitted to our units for recurrent swelling of the knee, and compared their characteristics with those of literature reports. The average age at first symptom and time from onset to diagnosis was 3.9 years (range 18 months-7 years) and 3.5 years (range 1-7 years), respectively. In our patients, an initial misdiagnosis of JIA, bleeding disorder or traumatic arthropathy was made. On MRI imaging, the features of the lesion were similar in all patients, and were marked by isointense-to-hypointense signal in T1-weighted images, and hyperintense signal in T2-weighted images. When performed, arthrocentesis led to aspiration of bloody fluid. The diagnosis was confirmed with a biopsy and histopathologic assessment in all patients. Open surgery enabled complete excision of the mass and was followed by stable remission over time in all cases. Conclusions Our report highlights the challenges that may be posed by the detection of knee IAVM and the frequent long delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis. The key elements for early recognition include careful assessment of patient history, demonstration of bloody fluid on arthrocentesis, and proper interpretation of MRI scanning.

Actinomycosis is an infrequent infectious disease caused by Actinomyces species. Actinomycoses in the nasopharynx are extremely rare, especially in the Rosenmüller’s fossa. This report presents a case of actinomycosis in the Rosenmüller’s fossa. A 75-year-old woman presented with a 6-month history of bloody sputum. A grayish-white caseous tissue was found in the right Rosenmüller’s fossa after retracting the torus tubarius. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-defined lesion with low-signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images; small low-signal areas were interspersed inside. The lesion was removed under an endoscope. Histopathological examination revealed eosinophilic, club-shaped structures surrounding a hematoxylophilic center, leading to the diagnosis of actinomycosis. The symptoms improved after 3 months of amoxicillin administration but recurred quickly. After 6 months of amoxicillin administration, the bloody sputum disappeared, and local and imaging findings were normal.

A 22-year-old male presented with spontaneous unilateral hemolacria and was found to have complete opacification of the ipsilateral nasolacrimal sac and duct. Endoscopic biopsy with histopathologic analysis revealed the diagnosis of nasolacrimal lymphangioma. Additional management included nasolacrimal stenting, and there was no hemolacria recurrence or epiphora. This is the first report of a nasolacrimal lymphangioma and describes the vascular malformation as a potential cause of bloody tearing.

Postoperative sore throat (POST) is not uncommon after general anesthesia with a supraglottic airway (SGA) device. Although it was reported that some pharmacological and nonpharmacological measures can reduce POST, because of limitations and variable success rates, we need to find a simpler and more effective way to alleviate POST.This prospective, observer-blinded, randomized controlled study enrolled 140 patients who required general anesthesia administered via a streamlined liner of the pharyngeal airway (SLIPA) for60 minutes. They were randomly divided into the gum (group G, n = 70) and control (group C, n = 70) groups. Before the induction of general anesthesia for 5-10 minutes, the patients in group G chewed gum for 2 minutes. Group C was asked to swallow twice without any additional treatment. A standard anesthesia protocol was followed. The incidence and severity of sore throat were assessed up to 24 hours postoperatively. The primary outcome was the incidence of POST numerical rating scale (NRS) scores3 within 24 hours after surgery, and the secondary outcomes included the POST (NRS) scores 2, 6, and 24 hours after the surgery.The incidence of moderate/severe POST (NRS3) within 24 hours after surgery was significantly lower in group G (10.1%, 7/69) than in group C (40.6%, 28/69) (odds ratio 0.386, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.153-0.976; P = .044). The median (interquartile range [range]) scores at 2, 6, and 24 hours after anesthesia in group G were lower than those in the control group at the same times (2 hours: 0 [0-3 {0-4}] vs 3 [0-3 {0-6}], P = .048; 6 hours: 0 [0-3 {0-6}] vs 2 [0-4 {0-6}], P = .048; 24 hours: 0 [0-1 {0-7}] vs 0 [0-2 {0-6}]; P = .011). There were 14 patients (20.3%, 14/69) in group G who had blood stains on the SGA device, which was significantly lower than the number in group C (37.7%, 26/69) (P = .024). In patients with bloody SGA devices, the incidence of POST scores3 was significantly lower in group G (14.3%, 2/14) than in group C (73.1%, 19/26) (P.001), while there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the incidence of POST score3 in patients without bloody SGA devices (group G: 9.1%, 5/55; group C: 20.9%, 9/43; P = .145).Chewing gum before surgery can effectively reduce POST with a SGA device for hysteroscopic surgery, especially in patients with pharyngeal mucosal injury.

Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) has been associated with red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in preterm infants. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can be used to noninvasively monitor regional oxygen saturations (rSO2). Clinical findings This former 28-week female premature infant, 29 days old, received an RBC transfusion due to increased apneic spells and a hematocrit of 27%. Within 24 hours she developed abdominal distension and passed a bloody stool (Bell's stage 2 NEC on abdominal x-ray). She completed 7 days of antibiotics and nothing-by-mouth status and was discharged home on room air and oral feedings on day of life 70. Primary diagnosis We describe the presentation of NEC following a RBC transfusion in a preterm infant monitored with cerebral and splanchnic NIRS. Interventions Mean rSO2 (cerebral and splanchnic) measurements were continuously recorded and calculated in 30-minute periods at baseline (prior to packed RBC transfusion), every hour during the RBC transfusion, and every 3 hours for the following 48 hours. Outcomes In this infant, average baseline splanchnic rSO2 was low at 46.5%, and increased during transfusion to 65%. However, following the RBC transfusion and an enteral feeding, splanchnic rSO2 dramatically decreased to 26%, and remained low until the time of NEC diagnosis. Practice recommendations To develop awareness of the increased risk for NEC in premature infants with significant anemia that receive packed RBC transfusions. With further studies and education, NIRS could be a valuable tool for the nurses and medical team to identify these at-risk neonates.

Background & objectives: Inferior turbinate hypertrophy (ITH) is a common condition causing nasal obstruction. This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser and diode laser in the reduction of the turbinate size. Methods: This randomized controlled trial included 209 patients with ITH. Pre-operative symptoms were assessed based on the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) score. Diagnostic nasal endoscopy was done to rule out other nasal sinuses. Nasal mucociliary clearance was measured by saccharin transit time (STT). Postoperatively, the NOSE score, STT and complications were assessed at days one and two, at one week, one month and three months. Results: Of the 209 patients analyzed at day one, the median NOSE score was 50 in the diode group and 40 in the KTP group, and at three months, 15 in the diode group and five in the KTP group. KTP laser showed a 93 per cent improvement in the NOSE score as compared to 77 per cent improvement shown by diode laser group. Among the intra-operative complications, of the 104 patients in the diode group, 6.73 per cent had burning sensation and 91.43 per cent had bleeding, and of 105 patients in the KTP group, 54.29 per cent had burning sensation and 36.54 per cent had bleeding. Among the post-operative complications in the KTP group, 32 and 34 per cent had bloody nasal discharge on days one and two, compared to 12 and 14 per cent in diode group. Crusting was present in 61 and 49 per cent on days one and two in KTP group as compared to 9 and 15 per cent in diode group, respectively. In the KTP group 30 per cent had synechiae as compared to 10 per cent in diode group. Interpretation & conclusions: KTP laser was more efficacious than diode laser in improving the NOSE scores but with slightly increased rate of complications in early post-operative period. Both the lasers impaired the mucociliary clearance mechanism of the nose till three months of post-operative follow up.

Small intestinal transplantation is performed for patients with intestinal failure who failed other surgical and medical treatment. It carries notable risks, including, but not limited to, acute and chronic cellular rejection and graft malfunction. Late severe acute intestinal allograft rejection is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality and, in the majority of cases, ends with total enterectomy. It usually results from subtherapeutic immunosuppression or nonadherence to medical treatment. We present the case of a 20-year-old patient who underwent isolated small bowel transplant for total intestinal Hirschsprung disease at age 7. Due to medication nonadherence, she developed severe late-onset acute cellular rejection manifested by high, bloody ostomy output and weight loss. Ileoscopy showed complete loss of normal intestinal anatomic landmarks and ulcerated mucosa. Graft biopsies showed ulceration and granulation tissue with severe architectural distortion consistent with severe intestinal graft rejection. She initially received intravenous corticosteroids and increased tacrolimus dose without significant improvement. Her immunosuppression was escalated to include infliximab and finally antithymocyte globulin. Graft enterectomy was considered repeatedly; however, clinical improvement was noted eventually with evidence of histologic improvement and salvage of the graft. The aggressive antirejection treatment was complicated by development of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder that resolved with reducing immunosuppression. Her graft function is currently maintained on tacrolimus, oral prednisone, and a periodic infliximab infusion. We conclude that a prompt and aggressive immunosuppressive approach significantly increases the chance of rescuing small bowel transplant rejection.

Objective: Cell blocks (CBs) are used to complement cytological diagnosis and for ancillary testing. Dissatisfaction with the cellular yield of the CB is widely recognized. Various techniques have been developed to increase the diagnostic utility of CBs. Study Design: We invented a new CB technique to increase cellular yield and diagnostic accuracy suitable especially for mucous and/or bloody cytological samples. Results: The new CB technique is described in detail with illustrations and cases, where it increased the cellular yield and diagnostic accuracy. CBs prepared by this method are suitable also for ancillary techniques, namely immunocytochemistry. Conclusions: The newly described method showed a better cellular yield in mucous and/or bloody cytological specimens.

Hypertensive emergency, which occurs even in young adults, induces systemic organ damage and results in a poor prognosis. We herein report the case of a 27-year-old man who developed alveolar hemorrhaging with hypertensive emergency. He presented with bloody sputum, renal failure, and extremely high blood pressure (200/128 mmHg). Chest computed tomography revealed diffuse bilateral alveolar infiltrates suggestive of diffuse alveolar hemorrhaging. After intensive therapy with anti-hypertensive drugs, the alveolar hemorrhaging disappeared. Renal impairment was partially reversed. Therefore, we conclude that hypertensive emergency should be considered as a possible cause of hemoptysis, even in young adults.

Background Postoperative pain remains a major challenge following immediate breast reconstruction with 40% of patients experiencing acute pain and up to 60% developing chronic pain. Paravertebral blocks (PVB's) have emerged as a promising adjunct to standard analgesic protocols. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of PVB's in immediate breast reconstruction following mastectomy. Methods A retrospective review of patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction following mastectomy was performed. The primary outcome was postoperative pain measured by total oral morphine equivalent usage and self reported pain scores and secondary outcomes were length of stay in the PACU, complications, and OR delay. Results Of 298 patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction, 112(38%) underwent standard analgesic protocols and 186(62%) underwent PVB in addition to the standard protocol. PVB's were associated with reductions in average postoperative pain scores (2.8 vs 3.3, P = 0.002), total opiate consumption (52 units vs 63 units, P = 0.038) and time spent in the PACU 92 vs 142 minutes, P = 0.0228) compared to patients who had general anesthesia alone. The overall complication rate was 3.7% (7/186 patients), all which were minor complications such as headache, bloody tap, vasovagal episode and temporary weakness. The use of PVBs delayed the OR start time on average by 15 minutes (34 vs 49 minutes). Conclusions The present study offers one of the largest retrospective cohort studies to date evaluating the utility of PVB's in immediate breast reconstruction following mastectomy. We demonstrate that, PVB's in immediate breast reconstruction are associated with reductions in postoperative pain, narcotic usage and length of stay in PACU, but are associated with delays to the start time of the case. Anesthesiologists, plastic surgeons and hospital administrators must continue to work together to ensure this important and necessary service is administered in an efficient and cost effective manner.

Patient: Female, 58 Final Diagnosis: Epidermal inclusion cyst Symptoms: Bloody nipple discharge Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Radiology Objective: Rare disease Background: Epidermal inclusion cysts rarely develop in the breast. The cysts that do develop within the breast typically present as cutaneous or subcutaneous cysts. They more rarely present in a subareolar location or in a ruptured state. Thus far, 5 cases of ruptured epidermal inclusion cysts in subareolar locations have been reported in the English literature. Furthermore, clinical presentation of nipple discharge is rare in epidermal inclusion cysts of the breast; only 4 such cases has been reported. Case Report: A 58-year-old female presented with a 1-month history of bloody discharge from her left nipple. Mammography showed focal asymmetry in the left subareolar region; sonography showed a left subareolar mass with irregular shape, indistinct margin, heterogeneous echogenicity, and posterior enhancement. The mass was surgically excised; a pathological diagnosis of ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst with foreign body reaction and abscess formation was established. In this case, the clinical presentation of bloody nipple discharge was peculiar; furthermore, mammographic and sonographic features were indistinguishable from breast malignancy or typical breast abscess. Conclusions: A ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst can present in an unusual subareolar location, combined with bloody nipple discharge; importantly, this can radiologically resemble breast malignancy.

The patient was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and received remission induction therapy with prednisolone. While they developed muscle pain in the lower extremities after starting prednisolone, they ultimately achieved clinical remission. After discharge, hematemesis and gastric discomfort developed. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed mucosal edema, redness, and oozing bleeding in the gastric body. In addition, the patient had bloody stool and was considered to have a relapse of ulcerative colitis. They therefore received remission induction therapy with tacrolimus. The patient achieved clinical remission again; however, gastric discomfort and muscle pain remained. A drug lymphocyte stimulation test revealed positivity for prednisolone; therefore, the patient was diagnosed with an allergy to prednisolone.

Although direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) decrease the bleeding risk compared with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), DOACs might cause spontaneous hemothorax in very elderly patients, even at a very low dose. Interactions between drugs might increase the risk of bleeding. In this article, we report a case of a 95-year-old man who developed spontaneous hemothorax while taking rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily, 3 days after concomitant use of itraconazole. Rivaroxaban was discontinued, and thoracentesis was performed to drain grossly bloody pleural effusion. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of spontaneous hemothorax that might have been caused by concomitant low-dose rivaroxaban and azole anti-fungal agents. This case highlights the potential risk of spontaneous hemothorax in very elderly patients while taking rivaroxaban and azole anti-fungal agents simultaneously. Special attention should be paid to interactions between drugs that might increase the risk of bleeding. Drugs that have competing metabolic pathways should be avoided. Closer monitoring, including testing for anti-Xa and additional reassessment, should be considered in high-risk patients.

A 32-year-old chronic drug abuser was found dead at the entrance to his home, covered in blood. Pools of blood, bloody footprints and bloodstains were found across the apartment. A double-edged razor was recovered from the scene. Autopsy revealed multiple incised wounds: two on the palmar aspect of both forearms (37 cm and 33 cm long, oriented longitudinally). The cuts extended into the subcutaneous adipose tissue, muscles and blood vessels. There was an additional 30 cm cut extending across the middle of the torso anteriorly and two more cuts on the anteromedial aspect of the lower legs, set symmetrically (about 23 and 25 cm long). These three cuts were more shallow than the upper extremity wounds. No hesitation wounds were identified. Toxicological analysis identified MDMA (ecstasy). The cause of death was exsanguination. The deceased has been using ecstasy for the previous five years and had a history of inpatient psychiatric treatment due to psychosis with delusions and hallucinations. These self-inflicted incised wounds had many atypical features: location (torso, legs and arms), longitudinal orientation and symmetrical distribution, absence of hesitation injuries, use of both dominant and non-dominant hand. The absence of previous suicide attempts and suicide note suggest that these self-inflicted injuries were not planned beforehand, but were abrupt. We hypothesize that this injury pattern is associated with both acute and chronic effects of MDMA.

Person-to-person transmission of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a new threat to human health. Here we report an outbreak of nosocomial person-to-person transmission of SFTS. Among eight persons with face-to-face contact distance ≤50 centimeters and/or exposure time ≥30 minutes to the index patient, six became were infected. Only one of the 17 persons with exposure distance ≥ 50 centimeters and exposure time ≤ 30 minutes was infected (75% vs. 6.25%, p

The article describes the main achievements in the study of ulcerative colitis (UC) - a disease known since ancient times. «Bloody» non-epidemic diarrhea was described by Hippocrates. The first detailed description was made by K. Rokitansky in 1842. In 1875, S. Wilks and W. Mason first studied the pathomorphology of the colon in UC. The term «non-specific ulcerative colitis» was proposed by the Russian surgeon A. S. Kazachenko in 1913 at the 13th Congress of Russian surgeons. The historical excursion presents the main stages and achievements of surgical treatment of UC.

1. Deana H. Miller, MD 1. Coastal Children’s Services, New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, NC An 11-year-old boy presents to the emergency department with chest pain and fevers. Two months ago, he had a gunshot wound to his chest requiring pericardiocentesis followed by sternotomy and repair of his right ventricle. He was in the PICU for 1 week and discharged home without any sequelae. He was doing well until 3 days before admission when he developed cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, and generalized body aches. He was seen in the emergency department and was diagnosed as having a viral illness and costochondritis. He had a normal chest radiograph and negative influenza testing. He was discharged home on scheduled ibuprofen, which he has been taking every 6 hours for the past 3 days. On the day of admission, he has an episode of bloody emesis and a temperature of 101°F (38.3°C). He is not having diarrhea and refuses to drink more than a few sips of water. He is crying intermittently, and in the emergency department he cannot lie flat due to worsening chest pain. He is …

Qing-Chang-Hua-Shi (QCHS) is a Chinese herbal formula, which is composed of 11 herbs. Studies have also shown that QCHS granules can alleviate colitis in animal models by preventing inflammatory responses and suppressing apoptosis through the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. To determine the efficacy and safety of QCHS granules in patients with moderately active UC. We performed a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of patients with moderately active UC who did not respond to 4 weeks of mesalazine therapy at the maximum dose. Patients were randomly assigned to groups and administered QCHS granules (125 g/day, n = 59) or an identical placebo, which was similar to the QCHS granules in color and taste (125 g/day, n = 60), with continued 5-ASA 4 g/d therapy for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the rate of clinical response and clinical remission at week 12. The secondary outcomes were health-related quality of life, endoscopic response rate, and mucosal healing rate. Any changes in mucus/bloody stool and diarrhea were recorded. Out of the 119 enrolled patients at 10 different centers in China, 102 patients completed the trial. Clinical remission and clinical response were seen in 31.48% and 92.59% of QCHS-treated patients, and 12.50% and 72.92% of placebo-treated patients, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two treatment groups. More patients receiving QCHS granules vs. placebo achieved remission of mucus/bloody stool (70.37% vs. 47.92%, P = 0.0361). Adverse event rates were similar (QCHS granules 38.33%; placebo 25.42%). In conclusion, QCHS granules were superior to the placebo in introducing clinical remission and mucosal healing, as well as in relieving mucus/blood stool in patients with moderately active and 5-ASA-refractory UC.

Delayed rupture of an aneurysm following WEB embolization has not yet been reported. We present a case of a multiply ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm treated via WEB embolization. A post-treatment CT scan confirmed no evidence of rebleeding during treatment. Four hours after treatment, the patient developed an acute, significant increase in intracranial pressure with bloody ventriculostomy output, with CT scan demonstrating new parenchymal and intraventricular hemorrhage. The aneurysm was subsequently treated via microsurgical clipping that did not identify an “uncovered” bleb or rupture source.

BACKGROUND Ultrasound assistance improves success rates and reduces adverse outcomes of lumbar punctures (LPs) among adult patients in the emergency room and the operating room, but has not been evaluated in pediatric patients with cancer. Our objectives were (1) to determine whether pediatric oncologists could perform ultrasound-assisted LPs following a structured teaching curriculum, and (2) to determine the feasibility of recruiting pediatric cancer patients to a clinical trial of this procedure. METHODS Three pediatric oncologists completed a curriculum composed of didactic teaching followed by hands-on workshops. Each learner was evaluated during 20 attempts at three ultrasound tasks using the cumulative sum method. The three pediatric oncologists then performed ultrasound assessments prior to routinely scheduled LPs. Feasibility was defined as ability to perform at least 30 ultrasound-assisted LPs within 6 months. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of successful, bloody, or traumatic LPs, time required, and perceived helpfulness of ultrasound. RESULTS All three pediatric oncologists achieved competence in the three tasks of ultrasound scanning within 20 evaluated attempts. We recruited 62 patients within 1 month, and 58 underwent an ultrasound-assisted LP. All LPs were successful. Two LPs (4%) had ≥500 red blood cells (RBCs)/μl, and nine (16%) had ≥10 RBCs/μl. Median time to conduct the scan was 1.9 minutes (range 0.8-4.0 minutes). In 37 (64%) of the LPs, ultrasound assistance was considered helpful or very helpful. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric oncologists readily achieved competence in ultrasound-assisted LPs, and ultrasound was commonly perceived as helpful. It is feasible to proceed to a randomized trial of this procedure in pediatric cancer.

Significance Hemolacria (bloody tears) is a rare clinical presentation with varied underlying etiologies. Thorough clinical evaluation is essential to diagnosis and management. Purpose This study aimed to report unilateral hemolacria in a known contact lens wearer with an occult, palpebral, conjunctival pyogenic granuloma and review the literature. Case report A 21-year-old female contact lens wearer presented to the clinic after three episodes of sudden painless bloody tears from the right eye. She was referred to the oculoplastic clinic for evaluation. On everting her right upper lid, a fleshy, nontender, ovoid, pedunculated mass was found attached to the palpebral conjunctiva of the right, nasal, upper tarsus. Surgical excision was performed in the office, and pathological examination of the lesion was consistent with pyogenic granuloma. Conclusions Unilateral hemolacria should raise clinical suspicion for a hidden conjunctival lesion such as pyogenic granuloma, although other more sinister causes of hemolacria must also be considered. Thorough evaluation including eyelid eversion is critical in identifying and managing occult conjunctival lesions.

The oropharyngeal throat pack is commonly used in oral and maxillofacial surgery despite debated evidence regarding its barrier function. The study objectives were to investigate whether the oropharyngeal pack reduces blood ingestion and to evaluate its relationship with postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and throat pain. This was a single-center, parallel group, single-blind randomized controlled trial. Participants undergoing orthognathic surgery, age ≥16 years, were included in the study. After intubation and prior to surgery start, the treatment group received oropharyngeal packing; the control group received no packing. Outcome variables were the quality of gastric contents aspirated by nasogastric tube (bloody or not bloody), PONV, and throat pain (visual analog scale). Thirty patients (treatment n = 15; control n = 15) were randomized and analyzed. There was no difference between the groups in quality of gastric contents (P = 1.00) or incidence of PONV at 2 hours and 24 hours (P = 1.00). Throat pain incidence and severity at 2 hours were both higher in the treatment group, but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.128, P = 0.223). The results indicate that the oropharyngeal pack is not an effective barrier against blood ingestion. Oropharyngeal packs do not improve or worsen PONV, but may increase throat pain.

Thrombocytopenia is often seen as a laboratory finding during childhood. A supposed idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura patient who was later diagnosed as Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) and developed acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP). Although autoimmune manifestations in WAS described, aTTP was reported just once. Five-year-old-boy was initially brought with cough, bloody stool (diarrhea), oral mucosal bleeding at 12th months of age. Following diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and receiving intravenous immunoglobulin, platelet count raised from 20,000 to 50,000/µL. One year after WAS diagnosis by mutation analysis, he presented with complaints of resistant fever, epistaxis, and melena. Hemoglobin decreased from 10 to 5.9 g/dL. Schistocytes in peripheral blood smear and high anti-ADAMTS-13 antibody level indicated development of aTTP.

Background Intussusception is the most common abdominal emergency in children. The first line treatment of uncomplicated pediatric intussusception is enema reduction. Until now, there have been no multi-center studies comparing the effectiveness and safety of UGHR and FGAR in the treatment of pediatric intussusception. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of the two most commonly used enema methods of pediatric intussusception: ultrasound-guided hydrostatic reduction (UGHR) and fluoroscopy-guided air reduction (FGAR). Methods From November 1, 2017 to October 31, 2018, we conducted a multi-center, prospective, cohort study. Children diagnosed with intussusception in four large Children’s Medical Centers in China were divided into UGHR and FGAR groups. Stratified analysis and subgroup analysis were used for further comparison. The success and recurrence rates were used to evaluate the effectiveness of enema reduction. The perforation rate was used to evaluate the safety of enema reduction. Results A total of 2124 cases met the inclusion criteria (UGHR group: 1119 cases; FGAR group: 1005 cases). The success and recurrence rates in the UGHR group were higher than in the FGAR group (95.80%, 9.28% vs. 93.13%, 10.65%) (P < 0.05, P > 0.05), respectively. The perforation rate in the UGHR group was 0.36% compared with 0.30% in the FGAR group (P > 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed the success rates in the UGHR group were higher than in the FGAR group of patients with onset time between 12 and 24 h (95.56% vs. 90.57%) (P < 0.05). Of patients aged 4 to 24 months, the success rates in the UGHR group were also higher than in the FGAR group (95.77% vs. 91.60%) (P < 0.05). Stratified analysis showed the success rates in the UGHR group were higher than in the FGAR group in patients with the symptom of bloody stool (91.91% vs 85.38%) (P < 0.05). Conclusions UGHR and FGAR are safe, nonsurgical treatment methods for acute pediatric intussusception. UGHR is superior to FGAR, no radiation risk, its success rate is higher, without a difference in perforation rate, especially for patients aged 4–24 months. Level of evidence Level II.

1. Daniela Titchiner, MD* 2. Priya Dukes, MD* 3. Rebecca Speier, MD* 4. Sharla Rent, MD* 1. *Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC 1. Address correspondence to Daniela Titchiner, MD, Department of Neonatology, Duke University Hospital, 2301 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC 27710. E-mail: daniela.titchiner{at}duke.edu A 3.8-kg male infant is born at 40 weeks’ gestation to a 30-year-old primigravida woman via normal spontaneous vaginal delivery. The pregnancy is uncomplicated, with appropriate prenatal care. Delivery is uneventful; the patient receives routine delivery care with Apgar scores of 7 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minutes. The infant is transferred to newborn nursery with no complications. At 19 postnatal hours, he develops persistent tachypnea and stertor. The patient’s nares are suctioned bilaterally, followed by frank epistaxis and 2 episodes of bloody emesis. As a result, he is admitted to the NICU due to concern for respiratory distress and evaluation of bloody emesis. Initial examination in the NICU reveals an appropriate for gestational age term infant with mild tachypnea with RR 80, no increased work of breathing, saturating > 97% on room air. Chest radiograph demonstrates no abnormalities. The results of a complete blood cell count and coagulation studies are within normal limits. The examining NICU physician notes a soft-tissue mass in the left nasal meatus, without facial asymmetry or visible oropharynx abnormality noted. Pediatric otolaryngology (ENT) department is consulted and via flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy visualizes a “soft, pink, mass in the …

The patient was a 63-year-old male with mucus and bloody stool more than 20 times a day mixed with a lot of pseudomembrane. The symptoms lasted over three months. Thus, he underwent a colonoscopy in another hospital at disease onset, the polyp was found and resected during the procedure. The symptoms were reduced but recurred two weeks later. A recent colonoscopy showed a large number of erythematous inflammatory colonic polyps covered by fibrous purulent mucus. The polyps were sessile and erosive, dark red, accompanied by fibrous, purulent and mucous-like secretions, similar to those reported by Monsalve Alonso S et al.

Mesalazine is a key drug used for remission induction and maintenance therapy in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We sometimes encounter patients who develop allergic reactions to the drug and inevitably discontinue treatment. Of 692 patients who received mesalazine for IBD between 2014 and March 2020, 33 diagnosed with mesalazine allergy (43 episodes) were included, and their clinical manifestations were evaluated. For ten patients undergoing desensitization therapy, therapeutic outcomes were evaluated. The incidence of mesalazine allergy was 4.8%. The time from the start of oral medication to allergy onset was 10 ± 5 days for the first allergic attack and 2 ± 1 days for the second and subsequent allergic attacks. The observed clinical symptoms included fever (93%), diarrhea (26%), abdominal pain (23%), and bloody stool (12%). Drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test was performed in 85% of the patients (28/33), and the sensitivity was 51%. Desensitization therapy with a time-dependent mesalazine granule formulation was successful in nine of the ten patients (90%), allowing them to receive 2000 mg or more of the drug. Fever was a common allergic symptom, and its presence appeared to be useful for distinguishing mesalazine allergy from exacerbation of the primary disease. Desensitization therapy was useful in patients with mesalazine allergy.

Background The synovial fluid test for alpha defensin has been reported to have an excellent performance in diagnosing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the lateral flow test for synovial fluid alpha defensin by using the methods of a formal diagnostic accuracy study and to compare its performance with that of the laboratory-based alpha defensin test for PJI. Methods We conducted a diagnostic accuracy study of the index lateral flow immunoassay for synovial fluid alpha defensin relative to the reference 2013 Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) multicriteria definition of PJI. The study included a prospective multicenter cohort of outpatients with a failed hip or knee arthroplasty and a supplemental control cohort of fresh synovial fluid specimens submitted by physicians for diagnostic PJI testing. Results Among 57 patients with PJI and 248 patients without PJI in the overall prospective patient cohort, the sensitivity and specificity of the alpha defensin lateral flow test were 89.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 78.5% to 96.0%) and 94.8% (95% CI: 91.2% to 97.2%), respectively. The sensitivity increased to 94.3% (95% CI: 84.3% to 98.8%) after exclusion of 17 patients with grossly bloody aspirates (>1 million red blood cells/µL). Among the supplemental control cohort of fresh synovial fluid samples, including 65 samples from patients with PJI and 397 from patients without PJI, the sensitivity and specificity of the alpha defensin lateral flow test were 98.5% (95% CI: 91.7% to 100.0%) and 98.2% (95% CI: 96.4% to 99.3%), respectively. A comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of the alpha defensin lateral flow test with those of the alpha defensin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the combined cohort did not demonstrate a significant difference in sensitivity (94.3% [95% CI: 88.5% to 97.7%] compared with 93.0% [95% CI: 87.1% to 96.7%]) or specificity (96.9% [95% CI: 95.3% to 98.1%] compared with 97.8% [95% CI: 96.4% to 98.8%]) (both p > 0.05). Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate the solid diagnostic performance of the alpha defensin test and have resulted in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization of the lateral-flow test with an intended use as an aid in the clinical diagnosis of PJI. Level of evidence Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

1. Mohini Bollineni, MBBS* 2. Ruban Dhaliwal, MD, MPH* 3. Aditi Khokhar, MBBS† 1. *Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, 2. †Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY A 3-year and 7-month-old girl presents to endocrine clinic with vaginal bleeding. She has had diffuse hyperpigmented flat lesions on the right half of her body since birth, breast enlargement for 2 weeks, and vaginal bleeding noted as bright red bloody discharge on urination for 3 days. Her birth length was at 75th percentile. She has been growing along 90th to 95th percentile since age 3 months. Her current height velocity is 9.3 cm per year. Her weight is at the 95th percentile. She does not have hearing or vision problems, bone pain, or headaches. There is no family history of early puberty. Mid-parental height is 67.4 in (89th percentile). On physical examination, her vital signs are normal for age. She has breast buds (Tanner 2 breast) bilaterally and Tanner 1 pubic hair. Large diffuse cafe-au-lait lesions are present on the right half of body including the right chest and trunk, extending inferiorly to the right upper leg and superiorly to the nape of neck. The lesions have irregular borders and are limited to the midline. There is no axillary freckling. She does not have any facial or skeletal deformities. The remainder of the physical examination is unremarkable. The laboratory values (listed in Table 1) reveal luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels in prepubertal range with a low estradiol level. Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) levels are high for age. Serum prolactin …

Complete response of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy is rare. Here, we encountered an elderly patient who showed complete response of NSCLC following treatment with pembrolizumab. An 84‐year‐old man with a history of bloody sputum for several weeks visited a general physician. At that time, a chest X‐ray revealed a tumor shadow in the left middle lung field, and the patient was referred to our hospital. Following transbronchial biopsy, he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) in tumor cells was 80% or more by immunostaining. Based on the above, immunotherapy with pembrolizumab was performed as first‐line therapy. The cancer cells completely disappeared at the end of the fifth cycle. There were no side effects during the therapeutic course. Treatment with pembrolizumab continued for two years and was then discontinued at the patient's request. Since then, no tumor recurrence has been detected for about one and a half years without treatment. There have been few reports of lung cancer disappearing after treatment with pembrolizumab. In conclusion, in elderly NSCLC patients with PD‐L1 expression of 50% or more, pembrolizumab should be considered as first‐line treatment with the treatment period, and mechanism suggested in this report., Here, we present a case of an elderly patient who had a complete response of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following treatment with pembrolizumab. The complete response was maintained for one and a half years after discontinuation of two years of treatment. In elderly patients with NSCLC with PD‐L1 expression of more than 50%, pembrolizumab should be considered as first‐line treatment with the treatment period, and mechanism suggested in this report.

Intestinal myiasis caused by fly larvae parasitic in gastrointestinal tract was rare reported in children. We reported an infant with bloody diarrhea caused by intestinal myiasis. A 1 year and 7 months old boy presented with the only symptom of bloody diarrhea of unknown origin. In the second week of onset, numerous moving worms were observed in the bloody stool after bowel preparation with polyethylene glycol for colonoscopy. The bloody diarrhea disappeared after 1 week of combined therapy with albendazole and metronidazole. On follow-up after 6 months, the patient remained well without bloody diarrhea. In conclusion, intestinal myiasis being a rare disease that is very challenging to diagnose, physicians should remember it when they receive cases of bloody diarrhea with non-specific symptoms without any apparent cause.

Purpose Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are typically solid neoplasms with small cystic change detected occasionally but in rare instances may present predominantly as cystic lesions. The histopathologic features and prognoses of cystic GISTs (cGISTs) are poorly understood. Methods We herein reviewed 20 cGISTs resected or consulted in our institution from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2014. Results Of the 20 patients included, the mean age was 61 years and the male-to-female ratio was 9:11. The original locations were the stomach (n = 10, 50%), the small intestine (n = 9, 45%) and the omentum (n = 1, 5%). Indistinct diagnosis or misdiagnosis was established in 15 cases based only on preoperative radiology. Grossly, the cystic component made up the bulk of masses and was filled by dark bloody fluid and necrotic debris in 18 cases. Microscopically, cyst wall was composed of neoplastic spindle (n = 14, 70%)/epithelioid cells (n = 6, 30%) and collagenous fiber, with necrotic debris and granulation tissue lining on the inner surface. cGISTs resembled their solid counterparts in terms of morphology and immunohistology but demonstrated fewer malignant parameters. c-kit or PDGFRα mutations were detected in eleven cases with the remaining being wild type for these two mutations. Although classified as intermediate or high (3 and 17, respectively) risk of recurrence according to modified National Institute of Health criterion, most patients with cGISTs experienced long-term recurrence-free survival without adjuvant imatinib. Conclusions Cystic GISTs is a relatively indolent subset of GISTs with favorable prognoses and adjuvant imatinib should be a prudent consideration.

Aim. The study aimed at investigating the relationship between severe exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hemorrhagic component of endobronchial inflammation. Materials and methods. Clinico-endoscopic characteristics of 118 patients presenting with severe infectious exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bloody expectorations and endoscopically confirmed hemorrhagic component of endobronchial inflammation have been analyzed. All patients underwent a series (5-6) of bronchoscopic examinations accompanied by collection of bronchoalveolar lavage specimens to reveal the presence of acid-resistant mycobacteria and to determine the bacterial flora. The exclusion criteria were the concomitant pulmonary or extrapulmonary pathologic conditions which could lead to hemorrhagic endobronchial manifestations. The other direction of the study was to investigate a correlation between jugulation of the exacerbation and dynamics of such endobronchial symptoms as mucosal edema and hyperemia, quality of bronchial secretions and hemorrhagic component of endobronchial inflammation. Results. All patients were found to have diffuse endobronchitis of severity grade II (39.83%) or III (60.17%) by Lemoine. The neoplastic and tuberculosis genesis of the hemorrhagic component of endobronchial inflammation and its clinical equivalent, the bloody expectorations, had been ruled out. In 50.85% of cases the hemorrhagic component of endobronchial inflammation could not be accounted for by hemolytic properties of cultured microorganisms. The mucosal edema and hyperemia remained stable during jugulation of the exacerbation. Unlike the improvement of quality of bronchial secretions, faster reversal of the hemorrhagic component of endobronchial inflammation showed statistical significance. Conclusion. The hemorrhagic component of endobronchial inflammation can represent a non-obligatory manifestation of severe exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and its relief is the earliest endobronchial sign of incipient remission from severe COPD exacerbation.

Background/Aims: Selecting patients with an urgent need for endoscopic he mostasis is difficult based only on simple parameters of presumed acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. This study assessed easily applicable factors to predict cases in need of urgent endoscopic hemostasis due to acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods: The consecutively included patients were divided into the endoscopic hemostasis and nonendoscopic hemostasis groups. We reviewed the enrolled pa tients’ medical records and analyzed various variables and parameters for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding outcomes such as demographic factors, comor bidities, symptoms, signs, laboratory findings, rebleeding rate, and mortality to evaluate simple predictive factors for endoscopic treatment. Results: A total of 613 patients were analyzed, including 329 patients in the endo scopic hemostasis and 284 patients in the non-endoscopic hemostasis groups. In the multivariate analysis, a bloody nasogastric lavage (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 6.786; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.990 to 11.543; p < 0.0001) and a hemoglobin level less than 8.6 g/dL (AOR, 1.768; 95% CI, 1.028 to 3.039; p = 0.039) were indepen dent predictors for endoscopic hemostasis. Significant differences in the morbid ity rates of endoscopic hemostasis were detected between the group with no pre dictive factors and the group with one or more predictive factors (OR, 2.677; 95% CI, 1.920 to 3.733; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: A bloody nasogastric lavage and hemoglobin < 8.6 g/dL were inde pendent predictors of endoscopic hemostasis in patients with acute upper gastro intestinal bleeding.