Yearlong Near-Syncope: Presentation of a Rare Right Atrial Myxoma.

Atrial myxomas are the most common form of primary benign cardiac tumors. The left atrium is typically the most common location while right atrial myxomas are much rarer and only occur in about 15%-25% of all myxoma patients. Typically, left atrial myxomas have the ability to cause symptoms such as syncope. We report a case of a 67-year-old female who presented with complaints of palpitations, dizziness, and near-syncope that had been ongoing for about a year. Other causes of syncope were investigated and ruled out. A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) found a large 4.3 x 4.0 cm spherical mass in the right atrium which was confirmed by surgical resection and immunohistochemistry to be a myxoma. The patient's condition of syncope-like symptoms warrants elevating atrial myxomas to a higher position in the diagnostic differential.

Intermodality Variability in Gross Tumor Volume Delineation for Radiation Therapy Planning in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: Multimodality imaging can enhance the precision of tumor delineation for intensity modulated radiation therapy planning. This study aimed to analyze intermodality variation for gross tumor volume (GTV) delineation in locally advanced oropharyngeal carcinomas (LAOCs). Methods and Materials: We examined the pretreatment contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and fluoro-deoxy-glucose-based positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) image data sets of 33 adult patients with primary LAOC. Automatic segmentation method was used to derive PET-based metabolic tumor volumes (MTVs) at 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70% of the primary tumor's maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). The geometric conformality or spatial overlap was assessed using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), which ranges from 0 to 1, indicating no overlap to complete overlap. Results: The size of the tumor in the anteroposterior dimension of the GTV was found to be more on CT than MRI, with a mean difference of 0.29 cm (P value .015). Overall, PET-based MTV volumes were smaller than GTVs on CT and MR. Among various intensities on PET, MTV30 was the closest match with GTV-CT/MR. The mean difference for absolute tumor volumes (GTV-CT, GTV-MR, and MTV30) was not statistically significant; however, spatial overlap by DSC score was average, that is, <0.7. DSC was 0.65 ± 0.15 between GTV-CT and GTV-MR, 0.62 ± 0.15 between GTV-CT and MTV30, and 0.576 ± 0.16 between GTV-MR and MTV30 pairs, respectively. On qualitative analysis, overall tumor extension into adjacent muscles, parotid gland, retromolar trigone, and marrow infiltration of mandible was better appreciated on MRI. Conclusions: Given the significant spatial variation, multimodality imaging can serve as an excellent complement for target volume delineation on CT scans during intensity modulated radiation therapy planning for LAOC by harnessing the improved soft tissue definition of MRI and the ability of PET to provide metabolic activity information.

An Analytical Study to Determine Dose-Volume Threshold for Radiation Induced Hypothyroidism.

Objective: To determine radiation dose volume threshold in predicting the development of hypothyroidism in cancer patients following neck irradiation. Methods: This is a cross sectional follow up study for patients who had been previously irradiated, prior to enrolment in the study. We have done thyroid dose-volumetric analysis on 120 histologically proven cancer patients in the age group of 18-75 years who received neck irradiation as a part of their definitive or adjuvant radiotherapy with three-dimensional conformal or intensity-modulated radiotherapy technique (3D -CRT or IMRT) and completed at least six months post-radiotherapy. Primary tumor sites included carcinoma or lymphoma of the head and neck, breast, cervical, and upper thoracic esophagus, requiring neck irradiation. Results: The proportion of patients who tested positive for Radiation induced hypothyroidism (RIHT) was found to be 40%, with clinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism being 25.8% and 14.2%, respectively. Time to develop hypothyroidism peaks around two years. Mean thyroid gland dose (Dmean) >28 Gy, thyroid gland volume receiving 40 Gy dose (i.e. V40) >49% and age <50 years were found to be significant risk factors for the development of RIHT on binary logistic regression. RT dose >50 Gy and thyroid gland volume spared from 40 Gy (i.e. VS40) < 2.12cm3 were statistically significant predictors for RIHT on chi-square and (Receiver operating characteristic) ROC curve analysis respectively but not on regression analysis. Conclusion: Dose-volume threshold for the thyroid gland as Dmean <28 Gy and V40 <49% may prevent the development of RIHT.

Cardiac amyloidosis-An underdiagnosed cause of heart failure: A case report and review of literature.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy secondary to cardiac amyloidosis is an underdiagnosed, but treatable, cause of heart failure involving an extracellular deposition of misfolded protein. Hereby, we report a case of a female patient with history of nephrotic syndrome for 1 year who subsequently presented with symptoms of heart failure. The findings on cardiac imaging supported the suspicion of cardiac amyloidosis. Further laboratory workup for amyloidosis was pursued along with endomyocardial biopsy which confirmed amyloidosis-AL type. Patient was started on chemotherapy. The case underscores the importance of a timely diagnosis with the help of symptomatology and imaging along with a multidisciplinary approach for patient care.

An unusual location of solitary fibrous tumor in heart-A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) are rare spindle cell tumors originating from the mesenchymal cells mostly from the visceral pleura. SFT was first described as a distinct entity in 1931 by Klemperer et al. Until now, we have limited data regarding the manifestation and behavior of extra pleural forms such as cardiac SFT. Here we present a case of SFT involving the pericardium where the diagnosis was made by imaging followed by biopsy findings. We also review the literature of SFT involving the heart and the management approaches. CASE PRESENTATION: An 81-year-old male presented with progressive dyspnea. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest showed a 6.2 × 5.3 cm soft tissue mass in the anterior mediastinum. Further imaging with CT angiogram showed a stalk-like connection to the pericardium. A biopsy of the mass showed spindle cells positive for BCL-2, CD34, and STAT 6, indicative of a solitary fibrous tumor. A surveillance approach was adopted for the patient. CONCLUSION: Primary pericardial tumors are exceedingly rare, with a prevalence rate of 0.001%-0.007%. Diagnosing a SFT requires a positive CD34 and BCL-2 marker. The current recommendation is resection of localized disease which has been documented to be curative in cases of benign disease however our patient was put on surveillance.

Practical Approach in Management of Extraosseous Ewing's Sarcoma of Head and Neck: A Case Series and Review of literature.

Extraosseous Ewing's Sarcoma (EES) is a high grade rare malignancy from Ewing's family tumors (EFTs) occurring in soft tissues. Diagnosis of EES relies on a constellation of features, including round cell morphology, characteristic immunohistochemistry (such as CD99, FLI-1 and NKX2.2 positivity), and pathognomic molecular abnormalities of t(11;22)(q24;q12). Multimodality treatment has improved the prognosis and clinical outcome in EFTs. Due to its rarity, the current recommendation to treat EES is based on Skeletal Ewing's Sarcoma (SES) guidelines. However, achieving clear surgical margins in the Head and Neck region is often challenging due to complex anatomy and close proximity to critical structures, placing patients at risk of loco-regional recurrence in the absence of adjuvant therapy. The literature on head and neck EES is scarce, consisting of a few retrospective case series and case reports. Herein, we describe the characteristic clinico-pathological features and treatment of three EES patients with primaries from Parotid, Nasal cavity/ Nasopharynx and Oropharynx, with a comprehensive review of the literature. Keywords: Ewing's Family of tumors, Extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma of head and neck.

Comparison of albumin adjusted ischemia-modified albumin and total antioxidant status in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer: A pilot study.

Background: Among all types of cancers in India, head and neck cancer (HNC) accounts for 30%. Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the aetiologies for cancer. However, it is not evaluated for these patients scheduled for anticancer therapy. Therefore, in the present study, we have compared two biochemical markers in HNC patients before therapy to assess their suitability as a marker for ongoing OS in the locally advanced stage of HNC. Materials and Methods: We measured the body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), blood pressure (BP), albumin, total antioxidant status (TAS), ischemia modified albumin (IMA), and albumin adjusted IMA (AdjIMA) in forty locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma HNC patients and compared with forty healthy individuals of similar age and gender. AdjIMA and TAS were compared by the receiver operating curve. Results: BMI and WHR were significantly lower in HNC patients with no difference in BP parameters. Both IMA and AdjIMA were higher and TAS was lower in HNC patients. TAS was positively associated with BMI and negatively with AdjIMA. Between AdjIMA and TAS, AdjIMA at an optimal cutoff value of 0.23 absorbance unit had higher sensitivity (71%), specificity (65%), and area under the curve (0.710 vs. 0.365). Conclusion: Antioxidant levels are grossly altered in HNC patients. AdjIMA can be considered a better marker for assessing OS in HNC patients than TAS.

Myocarditis following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.

Messenger RNA vaccines are the main COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States. Side effects are typically minor and transient. We report a case series of four subjects with an acute myocarditis-like illness following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination who were hospitalized at our hospital in Lubbock, Texas. Three patients were young men who presented with acute chest pain after the second dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine. Another patient was a 53-year-old white woman who presented with acute left arm pain 3 days after the first dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine. She was later found to have acute decompensated heart failure, and endomyocardial biopsy revealed eosinophilic injury-mediated myocarditis.

Anomalous Aortic Origin of the Right Coronary Artery: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Patients with symptomatic or malignant anomalous aortic origin of the right coronary artery (AAORCA) warrant surgical treatment to decrease morbidity and mortality. Various surgical techniques have been implemented including unroofing, reimplantation and bypass grafting. A 43-year-old woman presented with intermittent chest pain due to malignant AAORCA and received saphenous bypass grafting, instead of reimplantation, due to intraoperative spasm. LEARNING POINTS: Various surgical methods are available for the management of anomalous aortic origin of the right coronary artery (AAORCA), preferably unroofing when the intramural segment can be identified.Hypoplasia of the proximal segment, an acute take-off angle, and close proximity to the intercoronary pillar or commissure are limitations to unroofing, and alternative approaches are more appropriate.Coronary artery bypass graft, with either arterial or venous graft, can be performed when unroofing and reimplantation are not feasible. Measuring the distal anastomosis flow may help with a decision regarding native coronary artery ligation. It remains undetermined whether arterial or venous grafts provide superior outcomes.

Target Volume Delineation Training in Radiation Oncology in India : A Survey Evaluating Its Status, the Need for Educational Programs and the Utility of Virtual Teaching.

INTRODUCTION: The complexity of modern-day radiotherapy techniques calls for greater accuracy in target volume delineation which requires intensive training and expert guidance. In this study, we intend to evaluate the status of training in target delineation across radiation oncology curriculums in India and utility of webinars in teaching it. METHODOLOGY: We organized daily webinars on the topics of radiological anatomy and target volume delineation in common sites of cancer over a period of 2 weeks. At the end of the program, a 35 item survey questionnaire was shared with the participants. The responses were analysed and are reported here. RESULTS: Out of the 797 participants that registered for the course, 356 radiation oncologists responded to the survey questionnaire. Majority (96%) of our respondents believe that there is a need for additional training in target volume delineation. Ninety percent of the participants felt that radiation oncology curriculum requires a formal radiology training but only 6.7% reported that their training consisted of a dedicated rotation and regular lectures in radiological anatomy. Majority (97%) responded that they were  likely to incorporate the points learnt from the webinar sessions in their daily practice. Forty eight percent of respondents opted for attending a webinar to an in-person event in the future while 34% would like to have the option to choose between the two. Ninety four percent agreed that online webinars should be conducted routinely even after the pandemic ends. CONCLUSION: Our survey results suggest that target volume delineation training in India is deficient and virtual teaching programs can be a practical and effective way to improve it.

Adjuvant radiotherapy in a case of atypical meningioma after gross total resection: an unresolved issue.

We present a case of a 48-year-old man diagnosed with parasagittal atypical meningioma (AM) involving biparietal bones with intracranial and extracranial extension up to galea aponeurotica of the scalp. The patient underwent Simpson's grade 2 resection (GTR (gross total tumour resection) with coagulation of dural attachment). Currently, in AMs, the role of adjuvant radiotherapy is controversial after GTR. Here, through this case, we have discussed in detail issues related to tumour origin, that is, primary versus secondary extradural meningioma and controversial topics regarding the role of adjuvant radiotherapy in the management of AMs. We have presented our radiation treatment strategy addressing the high-risk zones related to tumour extension in this case.

Dilemma in diagnosis and management of rare primary pleural Ewing's sarcoma with synchronous limited metastatic disease.

We present a case of a 34-year-old woman who presented with complaints of fever, cough and dyspnoea of 2 months' duration. On evaluation, she was diagnosed with a rare entity primary pleural Ewing's sarcoma with synchronous metastases to mediastinal, supraclavicular nodes and single vertebra. Due to the rarity of this entity and lack of treatment guidelines on extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma, the patient was managed with a combination of multiagent chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy as per standard guidelines for skeletal Ewing's sarcoma. We present this case to discuss differential diagnoses and management dilemmas encountered on the use of local modalities such as surgery and radiotherapy for control of primary and metastatic sites.

Association of handgrip strength and endurance with body composition in head and neck cancer patients.

INTRODUCTION: Assessment of skeletal muscle function (SMF) is of clinical relevance in the prediction of treatment outcome and to decide on optimal management of head & neck cancer (HNC) patients. Handgrip strength (HGS) & handgrip endurance (HGE) are considered as surrogate marker for whole-body skeletal muscle function. Further, SMF depends substantially on the body composition (BC). Hence in this study, we compared BC, HGS and HGE between HNC patients and healthy controls and also analysed the association of HGS, HGE with body composition in HNC patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study, conducted in 44 subjects in the age between 18 to 60 years. Twenty-two were histologically proven HNC patients prior to cancer-specific treatment and twenty-two age and gender-matched healthy volunteers. The parameters recorded were Height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, HGS, HGE and BC. Hand-held dynamometer was used to measure HGS and HGE measured using a stopwatch. BC was estimated by whole-body bioelectrical Impedance analysis method using Bodystat Quad scan 4000 device. RESULT: Comparison of data between HNC patient & healthy control was done by Student's t test. HGS, HGE, lean body mass (LBM), fat-free mass index (FFMI), Phase angle (PA), body cell mass (BCM) and body cell mass index (BCMI) were found to be reduced significantly in HNC patients when compared to healthy subjects. Further, Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation of HGS & HGE with LBM, FFMI, PA, BCM & BCMI, whereas body fat mass index showed a negative correlation with HGS & HGE in HNC patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed, a significant reduction in HGS, HGE in patient with HNC which denotes decreased skeletal muscle function and it is linearly associated with low muscle mass, body cell mass and phase angle.

A Review of Catecholamine Associated Cardiomyopathies and Channelopathies.

Conditions associated with states of catecholamine toxicity are pheochromocytoma, paraganglioma, Takotsubo's cardiomyopathy, and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. This article defines these conditions along with relevant diagnostic and prognostic factors. The role of catecholamines in these conditions are compared and contrasted. Emphasis is given to the role of endothelial dysfunction as a possible etiologic factor in cardiomyopathy associated with excess catecholamines.

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm presenting with chest pain.

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare aortic root defect that can be dangerous due to its serious complications. It is defined as dilatation of one or more of the aortic valve sinuses. It is usually asymptomatic, and patients rarely present with chest pain, arrhythmias, or heart failure. We report a 29-year-old man who presented with atypical chest pain of 8 months with a normal cardiovascular exam. His laboratory work was unremarkable. Transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography showed a calcified sinus of Valsalva aneurysm arising from the noncoronary cusp. The patient underwent aneurysm repair surgery with no complications, and his chest pain resolved.

Discordant Findings on 18F-NaF and 99mTc-HDP Bone Scans in a Patient With ATTR Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Cardiac amyloidosis is an important cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. Bone scintigraphy with [Tc]hydroxymethylene diphosphonate (Tc-HDP) and [F]sodium fluoride (F-NaF) have been investigated in the noninvasive diagnosis of transthyretin (ATTR)-related cardiac amyloidosis. We present a case of a 76-year-old man with metastatic prostate cancer who underwent Tc-HDP bone scintigraphy with an incidental finding of diffuse left ventricular abnormal uptake suggesting ATTR cardiac amyloidosis. Review of previous imaging showed a negative F-NaF PET/CT study. This example suggests that the mechanism of uptake of Tc-HDP and F-NaF may differ in patients with ATTR cardiac amyloidosis.

Cardiac Fibroma: An Uncommon Cause of a Fixed Defect on Myocardial Perfusion Imaging.

A 66-year-old woman was referred for evaluation of coronary artery disease. Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) was performed, and showed a medium-sized, severe fixed perfusion defect in the inferior and inferolateral wall from apex to midcavity. On review of prior imaging, it was noted that the patient had an incidental finding of an intramural cardiac mass on chest CT performed 8 years prior. Subsequent cardiac MRI showed findings consistent with a cardiac fibroma in the left ventricle, at the location of the perfusion defect on MPI. Our case demonstrates an uncommon cause of a fixed perfusion defect on MPI.

Sudden Collapse in the First Trimester: Report of Hyperacute Renal Failure Secondary to Collapsing Glomerulopathy as the Initial Presentation of Lupus.

Hyperacute renal failure is rarely the initial presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Pregnancy can predispose untreated lupus nephritis to acute renal failure. Collapsing glomerulopathy (CG) type of renal failure is not a new clinicopathological entity. There have been documented cases prior to 1979. It is thought that detection bias coupled with the predilection for HIV has caused this form of glomerulopathy to be incorrectly named or diagnosed as 'malignant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)'. This is a case of CG described in lupus nephritis. We present a case of untreated lupus in a female in whom pregnancy triggered the exacerbation of lupus nephritis that presented as collapsing glomerulopathy.

The Mystery of Multiple Masses: A Case of Anaplastic Astrocytoma.

Though most primary brain gliomas present as a single mass lesion in the brain, this potential diagnosis must be considered in the differential diagnosis when faced with a case of multifocal brain mass lesions. Among the most common brain tumors in humans, glioblastomas can be classified into four classes, one of which consists of anaplastic astrocytomas (AA). Due to its significant malignant potential, a prompt stereotactic brain biopsy should be considered to allow for early diagnosis. Karyotypic analysis of the specimen may allow for the discovery of 1p12q and IDH132 gene mutations. This knowledge can be used to best determine prognosis and guide therapy.