A novel use of CT attenuation value: increased bone marrow density in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults. Bone marrow computed tomography (CT) attenuation may increase in patients with myeloproliferative disorders; however, the actual threshold CT attenuation value predictive of myeloproliferative has not been reported. PURPOSE: To determine whether the unenhanced CT attenuation value of the bone marrow may be useful for predicting AML. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with AML (n = 56) who underwent unenhanced CT before treatment, and age- and sex-matched controls without any hematologic disease. For each patient, the CT attenuation value (HU) of the iliac bone was measured and compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to define the cutoff value for predicting AML on all patients, and only on late elderly patients (aged ≥75 years). RESULTS: Patients with AML showed higher bone marrow CT attenuation value (131.4 ± 58.3 vs. 53.9 ± 67.2 HU; P < 0.001), compared to the controls. The sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of AML in all patients were 78.6% and 80.4%, respectively, at a threshold value of 90 HU, whereas they were 83.3% and 91.7%, respectively, at 40 HU in late elderly patients. CONCLUSION: The iliac bone CT attenuation value was elevated in patients with AML and may be useful for predicting AML.

[Acquired hemophilia A that developed after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination and worsened following re-vaccination].

An 86-year-old Japanese male patient visited a nearby hospital with painful swelling in his left upper and lower limbs 35 days after the second dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. He was referred to our hematological department due to a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time and was urgently admitted. He was diagnosed with acquired hemophilia A (AHA) based on factor VIII (FVIII) activity of 1.7%, FVIII inhibitor of 152.3 BU/ml, and FVIII-binding antibodies detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunosuppressive therapy with prednisolone (PSL) at 0.5 mg/kg/day was started owing to the risk of infection due to old age and poor activities of daily living. Hemostasis treatment with bypass hemostatic preparations (rFVIIa preparation, FVIIa/FX) was administered for each bleeding event, such as intramuscular and knee joint bleeding, resulting in good hemostatic effects. Coagulative complete remission was achieved on day 69 with PSL treatment; however, FVIII activity decreased with PSL tapering. AHA relapse with rectus abdominis muscle hematoma was observed after the third vaccination. This is the first Japanese report of AHA after COVID-19 vaccination and the world's first case, in which the presence of anti-FVIII-binding antibodies were observed.

[Refractory thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura complicated with multiple cerebral infarction].

Neuropsychiatric symptoms comprise one of the five classic symptoms of autoimmune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP). Although aTTP is typically transient, it is sometimes complicated by cerebral infarction with residual disability. This report presents the case of an 87-year-old man previously admitted to a different hospital with fever and transient consciousness loss. After receiving platelet transfusion with diagnosis of Evans syndrome, he was transferred to our hospital with worsening consciousness disturbance. He was subsequently diagnosed with aTTP with a PLASMIC score of 6 points, ADAMTS13 activity of less than 0.5%, and its inhibitor of 7.4 BU/ml. Platelet count and consciousness were rapidly improved with plasmapheresis and steroids, but motor aphasia emerged. MRI showed multiple cerebral infarctions, including a large infarction in the left frontal lobe. Thus, unfractionated heparin was administered. When his platelet count dropped once again on the 20th day, rituximab was added. The treatment eventually proved to be successful, and his aTTP remained in remission one year after the onset. Treatment for cerebral infarctions was switched to DOAC, and rehabilitation was continued. However, his ADL has not yet recovered. Advances in aTTP treatment have cured many similar cases. Thus, rituximab is now considered a treatment option for refractory cases. However, ischemic organ damage in acute phase and sequelae are observed. Therefore, early diagnosis and novel therapy are required.

[Spontaneous disappearance of the inhibitor during emicizumab therapy in a patient with mild hemophilia A].

From a young age, a 63-year-old Japanese man had experienced difficulties with hemostasis during tooth extraction and epistaxis and swelling of bruised areas. He had previously been diagnosed with mild hemophilia (FVIII:C 8.5%) at age of 60 due to swelling of a right hip bruise and was administered FVIII concentrate for the first time. He had frequent bleeding around his shoulder joints and was given FVIII concentrates every time, but his hemostasis was poor. He was referred to our hospital because his FVIII activity decreased to<1% and a low-titer inhibitor (2.0 BU/ml) was detected. Because of a shoulder hematoma and new subcutaneous bleeding on both forearms, recombinant FVIIa was used to perform the hemostatic treatment. Following hemostasis, emicizumab was administered subcutaneously every 2 weeks at a dose of 3.0 mg/kg. Approximately 2 months after starting emicizumab, inhibitors were no longer detected, and FVIII activity increased to 8% after 9 months. We encountered a case of mild hemophilia A with an inhibitor that was first diagnosed in old age. The incidence of inhibitors in non-severe hemophilia A is about 10%, and about 70% of those resolves spontaneously. In this case, suppression of bleeding by emicizumab may have contributed to the spontaneous disappearance of the inhibitor.

[Mediastinal abscess due to Aspergillus in a patient with atypical chronic myeloid leukemia, BCR-ABL1-negative].

A 64-year-old male presented with a rapidly growing anterior mediastinal mass during the clinical course of atypical chronic myeloid leukemia. A needle biopsy performed for suspected myeloid sarcoma revealed the presence of Aspergillus abscess. Early diagnosis of mediastinal abscesses, which are associated with a high mortality rate, can prevent the progression of severity. Infectious abscesses should be considered for prompt qualitative diagnosis in patients with mediastinal masses. Thymoma, germ cell tumor, and malignant lymphoma are the most common anterior mediastinal tumors, whereas infectious abscesses should also be considered when myeloid sarcoma is suspected in patients with an underlying myeloid tumor.

[Successful management of acquired factor V deficiency developing shortly after induction of hemodialysis].

Autoimmune factor V deficiency (AiF5D) is caused by autoantibodies to coagulation factor V (FV); its clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic to fatal hemorrhage. Herein, we report the case of a 68-year-old man who was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease at the time of a femoral fracture and developed AiF5D after initiating hemodialysis. A wound infection that occurred after joint replacement was treated with antibiotics; however, it was poorly controlled. One month after the procedure, his coagulation time prolonged. The infection was improved by debridement and antibiotics; however, the coagulation time was not decreased and poor hemostasis at the shunt was still persistent. Because ELISA detected anti-FV-binding IgG with FV activity of <2.8% and FV inhibitor levels were 11.8 BU/ml, AiF5D was diagnosed. Oral prednisolone (PSL) was started. Dialysis was initially performed without anticoagulants, but blood clots were not found in the circuit. Anticoagulants were resumed when the coagulation time decreased. After achieving complete remission, PSL dose was tapered and finally discontinued. Few reports have described the management of AiF5D via dialysis. We consider that our report would be useful for the management of patients with similar manifestations.

Successful Management of a Patient with Autoimmune Hemorrhaphilia due to Anti-Factor XIII/13 Antibodies Complicated by Pulmonary Thromboembolism.

Autoimmune hemophilia-like disease (hemorrhaphilia) due to anti-factor XIII (FXIII) antibodies (AH13) is a very rare, life-threatening bleeding disorder. A 77-year-old woman developed macrohematuria and a right renal pelvic hematoma. The coagulation times were not prolonged, but FXIII activity and antigen levels were severely and moderately reduced to 9 and 29% of normal values, respectively. Accordingly, the FXIII-specific activity turned out to be low. FXIII inhibitor and anti-FXIII-A subunit autoantibodies were detected by a 1:1 crossmixing test and immunoblot and immunochromatographic assays. She was therefore diagnosed with "definite AH13" and treated with plasma-derived FXIII concentrates to arrest the hemorrhage. In addition to a highly compressed inferior vena cava by a huge renal pelvic hematoma, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) were identified by systemic computed tomography. The patient was immediately started on anticoagulation therapy with low-dose heparin. Emboli disappeared quickly, probably because under-crosslinked thrombi caused by severe FXIII deficiency are vulnerable to fibrinolysis. After about 1.5 years, anti-FXIII-A subunit autoantibodies still remained despite the use of rituximab, steroid pulse therapy, oral prednisolone, and oral cyclophosphamide treatments. In conclusion, an extremely rare AH13 case complicated by DVT and PE was successfully managed by balancing anticoagulation therapy with hemostatic therapy.

Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura with a smoldering clinical course.

Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP) is caused by a deficiency of ADAMTS13 activity due to neutralizing auto-autoantibodies (inhibitors) against ADAMTS13. Patients with aTTP show a rapid and fatal clinical course, unless an effective therapeutic intervention such as plasma exchange therapy (PEX) is performed. There is, however, a small population of patients who show a smoldering clinical course, for which no effective treatment strategy has yet been established. We herein report a 77-year-old man, who had repeated episodes of cerebral infarction and persistent thrombocytopenia over several months, but was not correctly diagnosed as having aTTP at a local hospital. However, sudden progression to an unconsciousness state together with thrombocytopenia prompted his physician to make a clinical diagnosis of aTTP, and the patient was then referred to our hospital, where the diagnosis of aTTP was confirmed by analyzing ADAMTS13. An improvement of his clinical signs was achieved with PEX and steroid therapy, but the latter had to be discontinued due to the development of grade 3 liver dysfunction. Despite discontinuation of steroid therapy, his clinical condition remained stable, but with a persistently low level of ADAMTS13 activity associated with the presence of low-titer inhibitors. Our experience may raise awareness of the diagnosis and treatment of aTTP with a smoldering clinical course.

[Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura after vascular prosthesis implantation for impending rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm].

Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is caused by autoantibodies against ADAMTS13. TTP patients run a rapidly fatal course unless immediate plasma exchange (PEX) is initiated upon diagnosis. Herein, we report a 72-year-old man with TTP, which developed after he underwent artificial blood vessel replacement surgery for an abdominal aneurysm with impending rupture. In the perioperative period, the patient received several platelet transfusions for severe thrombocytopenia (minimum platelet count: 0.6×10(4)/µl). Thereafter, he was admitted to our department for rapidly progressing coma with multiple cerebral infarctions, and was transferred to the ICU. Based on the tentative diagnosis of TTP, we immediately began PEX and steroid pulse therapy. The diagnosis was confirmed thereafter by markedly reduced ADAMTS13 activity (<0.5%) and his being positive for the ADAMTS13 inhibitor. We performed PEX for five consecutive days and administered high-dose prednisolone (PSL). On the second hospital day (HD), his platelet count rose along with improvement of his consciousness level. The ADAMTS13 inhibitor was not detected on the 10th HD. TTP did not relapse and his general condition improved despite tapering of PSL. In this case, by closely monitoring ADAMTS13-related parameters and minimizing the number of plasma exchanges, the patient was able to achieve a remission without the use of boosting inhibitors.

[Development of acquired hemophilia A during maintenance therapy for immune thrombocytopenia].

Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare coagulation disorder caused by autoantibodies against coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). We report herein a very rare case of AHA complicated by immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). A 30-year-old woman was hospitalized with severe thrombocytopenia. Her platelet count was 5,000/µl on admission, at which time APTT was normal. ITP was diagnosed and she was treated with γ-globulin, platelet transfusion, and prednisolone at 1 mg/kg/day. She was discharged after platelet count normalization and prednisolone was tapered to 5 mg/day. During the prednisolone tapering, purpura appeared on both thighs and in the left inguinal region, and APTT was found to be prolonged. She was referred to our hospital for examination of APTT prolongation. FVIII activity was markedly decreased to 7.7% and the FVIII inhibitor was positive (1.5 BU/ml), based on which AHA was diagnosed. We carefully followed this patient without intensification of immunosuppressive therapy for 7 weeks, but her platelet count decreased from 150,000/µl to 70,000/µl and the FVIII inhibitor increased to 4 BU/ml. We therefore increased prednisolone to 30 mg/day, after which her platelet count increased and complete remission of AHA was achieved by day 42. In addition, we examined the relationship of the FVIII inhibitor and FVIII binding antibody in this case.

Two cases of follicular lymphoma with MYC gene abnormalities that presented with bone marrow necrosis.

Bone marrow necrosis (BMN) occurs most frequently in hematological malignancies and sometimes in non-hematological disorders. Lymphoid diseases causing necrosis are regarded as high-grade disease. B-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma is the most common malignant cause of BMN. Here, we present two patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) and MYC gene abnormalities who developed BMN. In one case of BMN, the necrosis disappeared in response to chemotherapy, and the patient survived with complete remission. In the other case, BMN remained even after chemotherapy, and effective chemotherapy could not be administered due to suppressed hematopoiesis, which led to the lymphoma worsening and the patient's death. Indolent lymphomas, such as FL, as in these cases, have the potential to develop BMN. It is important to detect the development of BMN and administer chemotherapy early to improve patient prognosis, since severe BMN prevents patients from receiving effective treatment.

Overshoot of FVIII activity in patients with acquired hemophilia A who achieve complete remission.

Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare, life-threatening bleeding disorder caused by autoantibodies against coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). Immunosuppressive therapy for AHA aims to arrest bleeding by eliminating FVIII inhibitors. Factor VIII activity overshoot after complete remission (CR) has been reported anecdotally, but details remain unclear. We retrospectively analyzed data from 17 patients with AHA who achieved CR under immunosuppressive therapy between 2009 and 2019 at Gunma University Hospital. FVIII activity overshoot was defined as ≥ 150%. All 17 patients had low FVIII activity (median 2.1%; range < 1.0-8.9%) due to FVIII inhibition (median 14.7 BU/mL; range 2.0-234.0) and all achieved CR within a median of 39 (range 19-173) days. Overshoot occurred in 11 (64.7%) patients and maximal FVIII activity reached > 200% in six of them. The median duration from CR to overshoot was 13 (range 0-154) days. The FVIII overshoot was transient (72.7%) or persistent (27.3%). Venous thromboembolism developed as a complication of overshoot in one patient due to iliac vein compression by a massive hematoma. Overshoot of FVIII activity after CR occurs more frequently than previously expected in patients with AHA.