Safety and Effectiveness of Endovascular Treatment of Complications Associated with Persistent Sciatic Artery: A Qualitative Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of endovascular therapy with stent grafts (SGs) to treat complications associated with persistent sciatic artery (PSA) by conducting a systematic review. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Ichushi Web databases were searched to identify articles focusing on endovascular treatment with SGs for complications associated with PSA published from inception to September 15, 2023. The review included 31 case reports, 2 case series, and 7 conference proceedings. Forty patients (median age, 67 years [range, 22-88 years]; 25 women) with 41 limbs underwent endovascular treatment with 65 SGs for ischemia (n = 26), aneurysm (n = 13), and trauma (n = 2). Prior treatments were systemic anticoagulation (n = 7), thrombolysis (n = 5), thrombectomy (n = 3), and amputation (n = 1), whereas concurrent treatments were thrombolysis (n = 6) and thrombectomy (n = 2). The median number of SGs implanted was 2 (range, 1-4). Early outcomes were technical success and adverse events (AEs). Late outcomes were primary patency, secondary patency, freedom from reintervention, and clinical success. RESULTS: The technical success rate was 100%. Intervention-specific AEs were reported in 4 cases; however, there were no severe AEs. The clinical success rates at 1 and 2 years were 100% and 95.7%, respectively. The primary patency rates at 1 and 2 years were 81.5% and 67.6%, respectively, and the secondary patency rates at 1 and 2 years were 94.5% and 81.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular treatment with SGs for complications associated with PSA is safe and effective with acceptable midterm patency and durability, and is supportable as the first-choice treatment.

[Utility of core-needle biopsy as a primary diagnostic method for detecting aggressive B-cell lymphoma in the intensive care unit].

A 68-year-old male presented with appetite loss and abdominal distention. The whole-body computed tomography scan revealed an ileocecal mass with a large amount of ascites, which was consistent with malignant lymphoma. Due to the worsening of his general condition following admission, he was intubated and admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). In the ICU, we performed a core-needle biopsy (CNB) on the left peritoneal mass, the findings of which showed a pathological diffuse infiltration of CD20+ middle-sized lymphoid cells. After chemotherapy was initiated, the patient showed complete response, suggesting that CNB can be performed immediately and safely even on a critically ill patient.

Development of pulmonary arterial hypertension during oral dasatinib therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia.

We present a 36-year-old woman who had been taking oral dasatinib for 3 years for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Although adverse events such as thrombocytopenia and pleural effusion developed, she showed a major molecular response (MMR) 22 months after the initiation of oral dasatinib administration, and the therapy was thus continued. Approximately 34 months after oral dasatinib initiation, she developed severe exertional dyspnea and had to be urgently hospitalized. There was no apparent pleural effusion increase, and neither imaging nor blood test results suggested pneumonia or other infections. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was suspected on the basis of transthoracic echocardiography. PAH was then confirmed by right heart catheterization. Though dasatinib was discontinued on the day of hospitalization, pulmonary hypertension and heart failure progressed, and she did not respond to catecholamines or PDE5 (phosphodiesterase type 5) inhibitors. On the 4(th) hospital day, she experienced cardiopulmonary arrest and died 1 week later. Cases with PAH due to oral administration of dasatinib have been reported previously. However, cases showing the rapid progression documented in our patient are rare and we advocate that PAH be considered a potential adverse event associated with dasatinib therapy.

Peripheral blood absolute lymphocyte/monocyte ratio as a useful prognostic factor in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the rituximab era.

OBJECTIVES: The tumor microenvironment, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and myeloid-derived cells, is an important factor in the pathogenesis and clinical behavior of malignant lymphoma. However, the prognostic significance of peripheral lymphocytes and monocytes in lymphoma remains unclear. METHODS: We evaluated the prognostic impact of the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), absolute monocyte count (AMC), and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) in 359 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). RESULTS: The median follow-up time of the surviving patients was 58 months. Low ALC and an elevated AMC were both associated with poor survival rates. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that LMR was the best predictor of survival, with 4.0 as the cutoff point. Patients with LMR ≤4.0 were more likely to have an aggressive tumor, and this was associated with poor treatment responses. Patients with LMR ≤4.0 at diagnosis had significantly poorer overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) than those with LMR >4.0. Multivariate analysis, which included prognostic factors of the International Prognostic Index, showed LMR ≤4.0 to be an independent predictor for the OS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.507; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.255-5.007; P = 0.009) and PFS (HR, 2.063; 95% CI, 1.249-3.408; P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The LMR at diagnosis, as a simple index which reflects host systemic immunity, predicts clinical outcomes in DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP.

Improvement in Quality of Life Following Celiprolol Hydrochloride Administration in a Patient with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Case Report.

A 40-year-old female, who underwent transcatheter arterial embolization due to acute bleeding from an iliolumbar artery, was subsequently genetically diagnosed with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She experienced chronic anemia for many years due to the easy bruising of her whole body. The bruising improved with oral administration of celiprolol hydrochloride. There were no cardiac or vascular events during the 7 years following the transcatheter arterial embolization. Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome requires specialized treatment that is scientifically proven to prevent a major vascular event. Proactive genetic diagnosis is recommended in patients suspected of having vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome after careful patient interview.

Risk factors for abdominal wall pseudohernia after percutaneous cryoablation of renal cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous cryoablation (PCA) is increasingly recognized as a feasible minimally invasive, nephron-sparing treatment for renal cell carcinomas, with comparable efficacy to nephrectomy. The development of abdominal wall pseudohernia (AWP) is a rare complication of PCA for renal masses, which can negatively impact patients' quality of life. AIM: To retrospectively evaluate the risk factors and prognosis for AWP after PCA and, based on these results, to discuss strategies to lower the risk of AWP associated with image-guided PCA for renal masses. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 117 PCAs performed for renal masses in 92 patients, between 2016 and 2019, at our hospital. We compared the following clinical characteristics (age, sex, body mass index, tumour diameter, RENAL nephrometry score, procedural details, transcatheter arterial embolization, dissection techniques, number of cryoneedles used, location of needles, and location of ice ball) between those who developed AWP and those who did not. RESULTS: Of the 117 PCAs (92 patients) included in our study group, AWP complications were observed in 6 (5.1%) procedures. Puncture through the erector spinae muscle (p < 0.01) and non-use of hydro- or pneumo-dissection (p = 0.01) were identified as risk factors for AWP. CONCLUSIONS: Although PCA is relatively safe to perform and the occurrence of an associated AWP is a rare and infrequent complication, the risk for AWP could be further decreased by avoiding punctures through the erector spinae muscle and using hydro- or pneumo-dissection.

Pancreatic tuberculosis in an immunocompetent young female mimicking a malignant tumor: A case report and diagnostic radiological investigation.

Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of infectious disease related death worldwide with extrapulmonary tuberculosis being particularly difficult to diagnose. Here, we report a case of pancreatic tuberculosis (PTB) in an immunocompetent young female, which mimicked a malignant tumor diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration and biopsy (EUS-FNAB). A 19-year-old Japanese female with no prior medical history presented with abdominal epigastralgia and appetite loss lasting 2 months. A solid lobular mass was observed in the pancreatic head with enhanced abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging suggested it was a malignant pancreatic tumor. Using EUS-FNAB, granulomas with caseous necrosis and acid-fast bacilli were observed. Polymerase chain reaction results were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis but negative for Mycobacterium avium complex. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with PTB. Her symptoms and radiological findings improved with a standard antituberculosis therapy. PTB is difficult to differentiate from other pancreatic diseases with Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) patterns of T1, T2 weighted, or diffusion-weighted image (DWI) images. To investigate novel radiological diagnostics for PTB, we focused on MRI apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, which have not been investigated in this context. The present case showed 0.52 × 10-3 mm2/s; additionally, the mean value of other mass-forming pancreatic diseases, such as pancreatic cancer was 1.592 × 10-3 mm2/s (the range: 1.015-3.025 × 10-3 mm2/s). The range does not overlap with the present PTB case or other pancreatic diseases. Therefore, ADC values may be useful as a noninvasive radiological diagnostic method for PTB.

Long-term outcome of human herpesvirus-6 encephalitis after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) encephalitis is recognized as a relatively rare, but sometimes lethal, complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Although the development of new diagnostic techniques and antiviral therapy has improved, the prognosis of encephalitis is still unclear. We surveyed 197 patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT between January 2004 and March 2008 at our institution, and 8 (4.0%) were diagnosed as having HHV-6 encephalitis. Five were male and 3 were female, with a median age of 40.5 years. The median onset of HHV-6 encephalitis was 18 days after HSCT, and the median duration of antiviral therapy was 41 days. The median survival time from the onset of encephalitis was 23.1 months (range: 2.7-66.7), and 3 patients died of unrelated causes (sepsis in 2 and gastrointestinal tract bleeding in 1). Cord blood transplantation was identified as the only independent risk factor (relative risk [RR] = 4.98; P = .049) by multivariate analysis. There was no statistical significance of survival after HSCT between the patients with HHV-6 encephalitis and those without HHV-6 encephalitis (the 2-year survival rate was 60% and 52.6%, respectively; P = .617). Four of the 5 surviving patients were unable to return to society because of neuropsychological disorders, including anterograde amnesia and seizures with prominent hippocampal atrophy. Although HHV-6 encephalitis occurring after HSCT is now becoming a curable complication, its sequelae, such as neuropsychological disorders, have a marked influence on the quality of life of long-term survivors. Accordingly, it is necessary to identify risk factors for HHV-6 encephalitis and establish methods for prevention of this complication.

Image-guided percutaneous cryoablation of T1b renal cell carcinomas in patients with comorbidities.

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of comorbidities and tumor characteristics on outcomes following percutaneous cryoablation (PCA) of T1b renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI); standardized system for quantitating renal tumor size, location, and depth (RENAL nephrometry score [RNS]); and local tumor control and survival were retrospectively investigated in 28 patients who underwent PCA for stage T1b RCC. Risk factors for elevated serum creatinine levels were also investigated. RESULTS: Complete ablation was obtained in 27 of 28 patients. Two cases of metastasis were observed; one patient died 12 months after PCA. Overall survival at 5 years was 79.1%, with a mean follow-up of 42.0 ± 16.0 months. Local tumor control was not correlated with the ACCI and RNS. Worsening renal function 3 months after PCA was observed in ten patients, and it correlated with the presence of single kidneys (7/28 patients; p = 0.023). Significant worsening of renal function continued until 1 year after PCA (p = 0.013). Having a single kidney was a risk factor for worsened renal function after PCA (odds ratio, 8.00; 95% confidence interval 1.170-54.724). CONCLUSION: PCA for T1b RCC confers positive local tumor control regardless of comorbidities and tumor characteristics.

[Successful treatment with reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation for primary myelofibrosis].

A 60-year-old man was found to have anemia and leukocytosis from a health examination, and diagnosed with primary myelofibrosis (PMF). He was treated with low-dose melphalan but required frequent transfusions of red blood cells, and his splenomegaly enlarged. He received reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation (RIST)from an HLA-identical unrelated donor. The recovery of hematopoiesis was delayed due to the small number of transplanted cells (0.4 x 10(8)/kg). Splenomegaly and myelofibrosis gradually improved, and transfusion was not necessary 6 months later. He died of pneumonia about 1 year after transplantation. However, this case suggests that RIST is an effective treatment for PMF with giant splenomegaly.

Predictive Values of Early Suppression of Tumorigenicity 2 for Acute GVHD and Transplant-related Complications after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation: Prospective Observational Study

Objective: A soluble form of suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) has emerged as a biomarker for acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and non-relapse mortality (NRM). We prospectively monitored sST2 levels during the early phase of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and evaluated the clinical association with transplant-related complications including acute GVHD. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two adult Japanese patients who received a first allogeneic HSCT were enrolled in this study. Levels of sST2 were measured at fixed time points (pre-conditioning, day 0, day 14, day 21, and day 28). Results: The median age was 50.5 years (range=16-66). With a median follow-up of 21.5 months (range=0.9-35.4), 9 patients developed grade II-IV acute GVHD. Median sST2 levels on the day of HSCT were higher than baseline and reached the maximum value (92.7 ng/mL; range=0-419.7) on day 21 after HSCT. The optimal cut-off value of sST2 on day 14 for predicting grade II-IV acute GVHD was determined as 100 ng/mL by ROC analysis. The cumulative incidence of acute GVHD was 56.7% and 16.5% in the high- and low-sST2 groups, respectively (p<0.01). Multivariate analyses showed that high sST2 levels at day 14 were associated with a higher incidence of acute GVHD (hazard ratio=9.35, 95% confidence interval=2.92-30.0, p<0.01). The cumulative incidence of NRM was increased in the highs-ST2 group (33% vs 0%, p<0.01), but all the patients died of non-GVHD complications. Among 6 patients in the high-sST2 group without grade II-IV GVHD, 5 patients developed veno-occlusive disease (VOD) and one also had thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Conclusion: The early assessment of sST2 after HSCT yielded predictive values for the onset of acute GVHD and other transplant-related complications including VOD and TMA.

Features of primary extranodal lymphoma in Kanagawa, a human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 nonendemic area in Japan.

We sought to determine the frequency of primary extranodal lymphoma (ENL) and its characteristics in Kanagawa, a human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) nonendemic area in Japan. Subjects were 847 newly diagnosed patients with malignant lymphoma at the Yokohama City University Hospital and 8 affiliated hospitals mainly located in Kanagawa prefecture from 1999 to 2005. We compared the clinicopathological characteristics of primary ENL with primary nodal lymphoma (NL). Histological specimens were evaluated according to the World Health Organization classifications. A total of 395 (46.6%) and 452 (53.4%) patients had primary ENL and primary NL, respectively. The frequency of primary ENL increased with age. Primary extranodal sites included the gastrointestinal tract (30.4%), Waldeyer's ring (17.8%), orbits (7.0%), soft tissue and subcutaneous tissue (5.2%), bone (4.6%), skin (4.3%), thyroid gland (4.3%), testis and prostate (3.3%), bone marrow (3.3%), nasal and paranasal cavities (2.6%), salivary glands (2.3%), lung and pleura (2.0%), breast (1.8%), central nervous system (1.0%), uterus and ovary (0.5%), and others (9.8%). Among the 395 cases of primary ENL, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (61.2%) was most frequently diagnosed, followed by extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (13.3%) and follicular lymphoma (5.6%). The frequency of primary ENL is approximately 50% of the total lymphoma cases in Kanagawa, an HTLV-1 nonendemic area in Japan. This frequency appears to be higher than that in Western countries.

[Air-leak syndrome in patients with non-infectious pulmonary complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

We reported 5 patients who developed air-leak syndrome (ALS) including pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). The underlying diseases were AML (n=2), ALL (n=1), MDS (n=1), and CML (n=1). All patients received allogeneic SCT from related donors including 2 donors with HLA mismatch. Total body irradiation was performed as a conditioning regimen in all patients. Late-onset noninfectious pulmonary complications (LONIPC) were detected in all patients before the development of ALS. The interval from diagnosis of LONIPC to onset of ALS was 10-360 days (median, 20 days). Four of 5 patients were treated with corticosteroid for chronic graft-versus-host disease and/or LONIPC. To date, three patients have died of respiratory failure. The others are currently alive and one of these surviving patients is receiving home oxygen treatment. Physicians should be aware of this rare complication following LONIPC, because treatment of ALS is difficult in some patients.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation after surgical resection of pulmonary aspergillosis in 5 patients with acute leukemia.

We report five patients with acute leukemia who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) following surgical resection of pulmonary aspergillosis. The patients were three men and two women with a median age of 40 (range, 32 approximately 60). The diagnosis, based on CT imaging, Aspergillus antigen, culture, and histopathology of resected lung specimens, included two proven and three possible pulmonary aspergillosis. Median duration from surgery to HSCT was 2.5 months (range, 1.0 approximately 20). Pre-transplant restrictive-type lung dysfunction was observed in four patients. Antifungal prophylaxis after HSCT was attempted with voriconazole in three patients, amphotericin-B in one patient, and micafungin in one patient. No patients experienced a relapse of pulmonary aspergillosis, although three patients died after HSCT. The causes of death included leukemia relapse in two and hemophagocytic syndrome in one. These results suggest that pre-transplant surgical resection with post-transplant prophylactic antifungal agents seems to be an effective strategy to prevent the relapse of pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with residual disease in the lung before allogeneic HSCT.

[Myocardial infiltration and formation of multiple granulocytic sarcoma of acute myeloid leukemia after cord blood transplantation].

A 57-year-old woman was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML, M5a) with MLL rearrangement in August 2006. Cord blood transplantation (CBT) conditioned with a reduced-intensity regimen was carried out during second complete remission in March 2007. Marrow study on day 28 confirmed complete chimera and disappearance of minimal residual disease by RT-PCR. She complained of left chest pain around day 120. CT scan on day 127 showed left pleural effusion, tumors of the upper mediastinum and spleen, and pericardial effusion. She suddenly died of cardiogenic shock on day 129. Postmortem examination revealed systemic granulocytic sarcomas and infiltration of leukemic cells into the right atrium and epicardium without recurrence of leukemia in blood and marrow.

Impact of treatment-related weight changes from diagnosis to hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation on clinical outcome of acute myeloid leukemia.

We hypothesized that treatment-related weight loss is associated with worse outcomes following HSCT. Overall, 184 patients with AML who underwent induction therapy were classified according to d-BMI (BMI at transplant minus BMI at diagnosis) (kg/m2) as < -2, - 2 to + 2, and > + 2. At 1 year, OS was 67.9% (95% CI, 60.7-74.2), DFS was 64.1% (95% CI, 56.7-70.6), and GRFS was 40.2% (95% CI, 33.1-47.2). For d-BMI groups < - 2, - 2 to + 2, and > + 2, GRFS at 1 year was 16.1% (95% CI, 5.1-31.4), 45.4% (95% CI, 36.4-53.7), and 41.7% (95% CI, 22.2-60.1), respectively (P = 0.0067). Multivariate analysis showed that both worse OS (HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.02-3.14; P = 0.007) and GRFS (HR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.26-4.35; P = 0.007) were associated with reduced BMI (d-BMI < - 2). Treatment-related weight reduction in AML was associated with poor outcome after HSCT.

[Thyrotoxicosis after cord blood transplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia].

We describe a 44-year-old man with acute myelogenous leukemia who developed thyrotoxicosis after unrelated cord blood transplantation. He complained of fever, general fatigue, tremor and tachycardia on day 63. On examination of thyroid function, free triiodothyronine (23.67 pg/ml) and free thyroxine (5.71 ng/dl) were increased, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (<0.03 microU/ml) was decreased. Antithyroid receptor antibody, antithyroid peroxidase antibody and antithyroglobulin antibody were all negative. The patient was diagnosed as having thyrotoxicosis. His symptoms improved and thyroid function returned to the normal levels within 2 weeks. Thyrotoxicosis is a rare complication, but we should be aware that it may cause idiopathic fever after stem cell transplantation.