Pulmonary arterial hypertension: a clot in question.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a group of disorders characterized by a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance leading to right heart failure and premature death. We present an unusual case of PAH diagnosed initially as Idiopathic PAH (IPAH) after secondary causes were excluded which was successfully managed for a number of years with vasodilators and anticoagulation. Over the months after stopping anticoagulation (because of recurring small bowel hemorrhaging) patient developed progressive findings of right heart failure, which failed to respond to escalating doses of prostacyclin. The patient died and an autopsy revealed the surprising finding of extensive organized central pulmonary artery thrombi as is seen in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). We discuss the question of whether these thrombi are generally embolic or develop in situ and recommend that clinicians have a high index of suspicion for central thrombi in patients with IPAH were anticoagulation is contraindicated.

Prenatal cfDNA Screening for Emanuel Syndrome and Other Unbalanced Products of Conception in Carriers of the Recurrent Balanced Translocation t(11;22): One Laboratory's Retrospective Experience.

Prenatal cell-free DNA screening (cfDNA) can identify fetal chromosome abnormalities beyond common trisomies. Emanuel syndrome (ES), caused by an unbalanced translocation between chromosomes 11 and 22, has lacked a reliable prenatal screening option for families with a carrier parent. A cohort of cases (n = 46) sent for cfDNA screening with indications and/or results related to ES was queried; diagnostic testing and pregnancy outcomes were requested and analyzed. No discordant results were reported or suspected; there were ten true positives with diagnostic confirmation, six likely concordant positives based on known translocations and consistent cfDNA data, and twenty-six true negatives, by diagnostic testing or birth outcomes. For cases with parental testing, all affected ES cases had maternal translocation carriers. Expanded cfDNA may provide reassurance for t(11;22) carriers with screen negative results, and screen positive results appear to reflect a likely affected fetus, especially with a known maternal translocation. Current society guidelines support the use of expanded cfDNA screening in specific circumstances, such as for translocation carriers, with appropriate counseling. Diagnostic testing is recommended for prenatal diagnosis of ES and other chromosome abnormalities in pregnancy. To our knowledge, this cohort is the largest published group of cases with prenatal screening for carriers of t(11;22).

Right atrial B-cell lymphoma in a patient with ocular melanoma.

Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) is defined as a non-Hodgkin lymphoma involving only the heart or pericardium. PCL is extremely rare and often misdiagnosed. We report the case of a healthy 53-year-old male who originally presented with blurred vision secondary to a right intraocular mass. Enucleation of the eye confirmed a ciliary body melanoma and, upon further investigation, the patient was discovered to have a mass in the right atrium suspicious for a myxoma. However, resection of the atrial mass revealed a low-grade B-cell PCL. The occurrence of PCL in an immunocompetent patient being investigated for a visceral malignancy makes this a highly unusual presentation of a rare neoplasm.

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma with hemophagocytic syndrome (Asian variant) in a Caucasian patient.

Intravascular lymphoma is an aggressive and extremely rare extranodal lymphoma with neoplastic lymphoid cells confined exclusively within intravascular spaces. The histopathologic findings are subtle due to the rarity of the neoplastic cells in blood vessels. Clinical presentations are non-specific and focal space-occupying lesions or lymphoadenopathy are always lacking. It is a diagnostic challenge. Secondary hemophagocytic syndrome is uncommon and is typically associated with infection, malignancy, and suppressed immune states. Intravascular lymphoma has a strong association with hemophagocytic syndrome in Asian patients, the so-called "Asian variant", but not in Western patients. We report a case of intravascular B-cell lymphoma in a Caucasian patient associated with secondary hemophagocytic syndrome. The patient was diagnosed by core liver biopsy and successfully treated. This case demonstrates the importance of high index of suspicion and astute histopathologic examination in recognition of this unusual clinical and pathologic combination.