Acute bilateral sensorineural hearing loss as presentation of leptomeningeal metastases.

We describe a rare occurrence of bilateral acute severe sensorineural hearing loss in a middle-aged man that heralded the diagnosis of metastatic gastric cancer.

Evaluation of the Graft Kidney in the Early Postoperative Period: Performance of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Additional Ultrasound Parameters.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the various quantitative parameters of Doppler ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), and shear wave elastography (SWE) of graft kidneys in the early postoperative period and to explore their utility in the diagnosis of parenchymal causes of graft dysfunction. METHODS: In this ethically approved study, consecutive patients who underwent renal transplantation from March 2017 to August 2018 were recruited, and those with urologic or vascular complications and those who denied consent were excluded. All patients underwent ultrasound with Doppler, SWE, CEUS (using sulfur hexafluoride), and renal scintigraphic examinations 3 to 10 days after transplantation. A composite reference standard was used, including the clinical course, renal function test results, urine output, and histopathologic results for graft dysfunction. Cortical SWE values, quantitative CEUS parameters (generated from a time-intensity curve), and their ratios were analyzed to identify graft dysfunction and differentiate acute tubular necrosis (ATN) from acute rejection (AR). RESULTS: Of the 105 patients included, 19 developed graft dysfunction (18.1%; 12 ATN, 5 AR, and 2 drug toxicity) in the early postoperative period. The peak systolic velocity in the interpolar artery showed a significant difference between control and graft dysfunction groups (P < .001) as well as between ATN and AR (P = .019). Resistive indices and SWE did not show significant differences. Ratios of the time to peak showed a significant difference between control and graft dysfunction groups (P < .05). The rise time and fall time of the large subcapsular region of interest and the rise time ratio were significantly different between ATN and AR (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be used to diagnose parenchymal causes of early graft dysfunction with reasonable diagnostic accuracy.

What Is the Comparative Ability of 18F-FDG PET/CT, 99mTc-MDP Skeletal Scintigraphy, and Whole-body MRI as a Staging Investigation to Detect Skeletal Metastases in Patients with Osteosarcoma and Ewing Sarcoma?

BACKGROUND: Skeletal metastases of bone sarcomas are indicators of poor prognosis. Various imaging modalities are available for their identification, which include bone scan, positron emission tomography/CT scan, MRI, and bone marrow aspiration/biopsy. However, there is considerable ambiguity regarding the best imaging modality to detect skeletal metastases. To date, we are not sure which of these investigations is best for screening of skeletal metastasis. QUESTION/PURPOSE: Which staging investigation-18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT (18F-FDG PET/CT), whole-body MRI, or 99mTc-MDP skeletal scintigraphy-is best in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) in detecting skeletal metastases in patients with osteosarcoma and those with Ewing sarcoma? METHODS: A prospective diagnostic study was performed among 54 of a total 66 consecutive osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma patients who presented between March 2018 and June 2019. The institutional review board approved the use of all three imaging modalities on each patient recruited for the study. Informed consent was obtained after thoroughly explaining the study to the patient or the patient's parent/guardian. The patients were aged between 4 and 37 years, and their diagnoses were proven by histopathology. All patients underwent 99mTc-MDP skeletal scintigraphy, 18F-FDG PET/CT, and whole-body MRI for the initial staging of skeletal metastases. The number and location of bone and bone marrow lesions diagnosed with each imaging modality were determined and compared with each other. Multidisciplinary team meetings were held to reach a consensus about the total number of metastases present in each patient, and this was considered the gold standard. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of each imaging modality, along with their 95% confidence intervals, were generated by the software Stata SE v 15.1. Six of 24 patients in the osteosarcoma group had skeletal metastases, as did 8 of 30 patients in the Ewing sarcoma group. The median (range) follow-up for the study was 17 months (12 to 27 months). Although seven patients died before completing the minimum follow-up, no patients who survived were lost to follow-up. RESULTS: With the number of patients available, we found no differences in terms of sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV among the three staging investigations in patients with osteosarcoma and in patients with Ewing sarcoma. Sensitivities to detect bone metastases for 18F-FDG PET/CT, whole-body MRI, and 99mTc-MDP skeletal scintigraphy were 100% (6 of 6 [95% CI 54% to 100%]), 83% (5 of 6 [95% CI 36% to 100%]), and 67% (4 of 6 [95% CI 22% to 96%]) and specificities were 100% (18 of 18 [95% CI 82% to 100%]), 94% (17 of 18 [95% CI 73% to 100%]), and 78% (14 of 18 [95% CI 52% to 94%]), respectively, in patients with osteosarcoma. In patients with Ewing sarcoma, sensitivities to detect bone metastases for 18F-FDG PET/CT, whole-body MRI, and 99mTc-MDP skeletal scintigraphy were 88% (7 of 8 [95% CI 47% to 100%]), 88% (7 of 8 [95% CI 47% to 100%]), and 50% (4 of 8 [95% CI 16% to 84%]) and specificities were 100% (22 of 22 [95% CI 85% to 100%]), 95% (21 of 22 [95% CI 77% to 100%]), and 95% (21 of 22 [95% CI 77% to 100%]), respectively. Further, the PPVs for detecting bone metastases for 18F-FDG PET/CT, whole-body MRI, and 99mTc-MDP skeletal scintigraphy were 100% (6 of 6 [95% CI 54% to 100%]), 83% (5 of 6 [95% CI 36% to 100%]), and 50% (4 of 8 [95% CI 16% to 84%]) and the NPVs were 100% (18 of 18 [95% CI 82% to 100%]), 94% (17 of 18 [95% CI 73% to 100%]), and 88% (14 of 16 [95% CI 62% to 98%]), respectively, in patients with osteosarcoma. Similarly, the PPVs for detecting bone metastases for 18F-FDG PET/CT, whole-body MRI, and 99mTc-MDP skeletal scintigraphy were 100% (7 of 7 [95% CI 59% to 100%]), 88% (7 of 8 [95% CI 50% to 98%]), and 80% (4 of 5 [95% CI 28% to 100%]), and the NPVs were 96% (22 of 23 [95% CI 78% to 100%]), 95% (21 of 22 [95% CI 77% to 99%]), and 84% (21 of 25 [95% CI 64% to 96%]), respectively, in patients with Ewing sarcoma. The confidence intervals around these values overlapped with each other, thus indicating no difference between them. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, we could not demonstrate a difference in the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV between 18F-FDG PET/CT, whole-body MRI, and 99mTc-MDP skeletal scintigraphy for detecting skeletal metastases in patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. For proper prognostication, a thorough metastatic workup is essential, which should include a highly sensitive investigation tool to detect skeletal metastases. However, our study findings suggest that there is no difference between these three imaging tools. Since this is a small group of patients in whom it is difficult to make broad recommendations, these findings may be confirmed by larger studies in the future. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, diagnostic study.

Metabolic topography of autoimmune non-paraneoplastic encephalitis.

PURPOSE: F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is emerging to be a useful tool in supporting the diagnosis of AIE. In this study, we describe the metabolic patterns on F-18 FDG PET imaging in AIE. METHODS: Twenty-four antibody-positive patients (anti-NMDA-15, anti-VGKC/LGI1-6, and anti-GAD-3), 14 females and 10 males, with an age range of 2-83 years were included in this study. Each PET study was evaluated visually for the presence of hypometabolism or hypermetabolism and semiquantitatively using Cortex ID (GE) and Scenium (Siemens) by measuring regional Z-scores. These patterns were correlated with corresponding antibody positivity once available. RESULTS: Visually, a pattern of hypometabolism, hypermetabolism, or both in various spatial distributions was appreciated in all 24 patients. On quantitative analysis using scenium parietal and occipital lobes showed significant hypometabolism with median Z-score of -3.8 (R) and -3.7 (L) and -2.2 (R) and -2.5 (L) respectively. Two-thirds (16/24) showed significant hypermetabolism involving the basal ganglia with median Z-score of 2.4 (R) and 3.0 (L). Similarly on Cortex ID, the median Z-score for hypometabolism in parietal and occipital lobes was -2.2 (R) and -2.4 (L) and -2.6 (R) and -2.4 (L) respectively, while subcortical regions were not evaluated. MRI showed signal alterations in only 11 of these patients. CONCLUSION: There is heterogeneity in metabolic topography of AIE which is characterized by hypometabolism most commonly involving the parietal and occipital cortices and hypermetabolism most commonly involving the basal ganglia. Scenium analysis using regional Z-scores can complement visual evaluation for demonstration of these metabolic patterns on FDG PET.

Detection Rate of PSMA PET Using Different Ligands in Men with Biochemical Recurrent Prostate Cancer Following Radical Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies.

BACKGROUND: Despite the acknowledged diagnostic detection rate of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in prostate cancer, little is known about the quality of evidence, particularly focusing on prospective studies. Most systematic reviews are based on retrospective reports. RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To conduct systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies reporting the diagnostic detection rate of PSMA PET (computed tomography (CT) and MR) for the detection of biochemically recurrent metastatic prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus, from database until March 1, 2023 for randomized controlled trials and prospective studies using PSMA PET imaging in prostate cancer. The primary endpoint was to assess diagnostic detection rate of PSMA PET imaging in the detection of recurrent prostate cancer in men with biochemical relapse following radical treatment. We calculated the pooled overall diagnostic detection rate with 95% CI using a random-effects model and assessed the heterogeneity between the studies including risk of biases estimation. RESULTS: A total of 6800 patients from 32 articles were included in this study. The overall detection rate of PSMA PET for prostate cancer was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.63, 0.71). For histologically confirmed lymph nodes, the PPV from 13 prospective studies containing 1496 patients was 0.96 (95% CI, 0.93, 0.99). We performed a subgroup analysis of PSMA PET detection rates according to categorically grouped Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) values of 0-0.5, 0.5-1.0, 1.0-2.0, and >2.0 ng/ml and obtained detection rates of 0.44, 0.63, 0.82, and 0.94, respectively. The detection rate of 18F PSMA was better in men with a PSA between 1 ng/ml and 2 ng/ml in comparison to 68Ga PSMA (0.91 with 95% CI 0.81-0.99 vs. 0.79 with 95% CI 0.73, 0.85). CONCLUSION: PSMA PET imaging provides a good detection rate for the metastatic recurrence of prostate cancer in men with biochemical relapse following radical treatment. The detection rate improves significantly above a serum PSA value of 1 ng/ml. The diagnostic detection rate of 18F-PSMA is best at PSA values between 1 and 2 ng/ml, in comparison to 68Ga PSMA. This conclusion is heavily biased, further research needs to focus on better methodology to minimize the risk of biases.

A prospective study of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT imaging of HCC as diagnosed on conventional imaging to evaluate for potential 177Lu-PSMA therapy.

OBJECTIVE: PSMA expression is seen in many solid tumours in addition to prostate cancer and several studies and case reports have shown PSMA expression and 68Ga-PSMA imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our prospective study evaluates the role of 68Ga-PSMA in HCC patients and compares it to conventional imaging (CE-CT/MRI). METHODS: Patients with radiologically and/or histopathologically confirmed HCC were included and all had undergone serum alpha-fetoprotein (S.AFP) assessment as well as CE-CT/MRI prior to PSMA PET/CT. Acquired whole-body PET/CTs were analysed both visually and quantitatively by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians. RESULTS: Forty-one (41) patients (36 male; 5 female) with known HCC and a mean age of 53.9 ± 10.9 years underwent 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT. All patients had lesions on conventional imaging but only 38/41 patients showed 68Ga-PSMA uptake. Conventional imaging revealed 18 patients with single lesions, all of which were tracer avid. Twenty-three (23) of 41 patients had multifocal (> 2) hepatic lesions on CE-CT/MRI of which 3 patients showed no 68Ga-PSMA uptake, 7 showed tracer uptake in a single lesion only and 13 patients had multifocal tracer avid lesions. There was no correlation observed between S. AFP level and tumour SUVmax on 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT. CONCLUSION: 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT imaging of HCC may complement conventional imaging and identify patients for potential theranostic intervention.

Abdominopelvic Hemangiopericytoma Mimicking Neuroendocrine Tumor on 68 Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT.

ABSTRACT: We present the case of a 60-year-old man who was being evaluated for 2 intra-abdominal masses. The masses were tracer avid on 68 Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT and were suggestive of neuroendocrine tumor. Histopathology, however, confirmed the masses to be hemangiopericytoma. Hemangiopericytoma comes under the umbrella of solitary fibrous tumors, a rare tumor group arising from the mesenchymal cells. Solitary fibrous tumors commonly arise from the pleura but can occur anywhere in the body. Intra-abdominal hemangiopericytoma are extremely rare and should be kept in mind as one of the differential diagnoses for 68 Ga-DOTA peptide-avid tumors.

A Rare Case of Solitary Fibrous Tumor of Maxilla: Findings on F-18 FDG and Ga-68 DOTANOC PET-CT.

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare tumor of mesenchymal origin that most commonly involves the pleura but can be found anywhere in the body. SFT can range from indolent benign tumors to aggressive malignant tumors, and pre-operative diagnosis is based mainly on imaging. In this case report, we describe an extremely rare case of SFT of left maxilla on F-18 FDG PET-CT and Ga-68 DOTANOC PET-CT. Very few cases of PET-CT findings in SFT are reported in literature; and to our knowledge, none involving the maxilla. By highlighting the findings on F-18 FDG and GA-68 DOTANOC PET-CT, we aim to further add on to the role of both the tracers in the diagnosis and management of this tumor group.

Seronegative paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis in occult colonic carcinoma.

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are immune-mediated neurological attacks triggered by malignancies. They are commonly associated with lung, breast, thymus, gynaecological and haematological malignancies. We report a case of a male patient in his late 40s with paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis due to a colonic adenocarcinoma emphasising a low threshold for extensive cancer evaluation in all subacutely presenting neurological syndromes. We also emphasise that the absence of a positive onconeural antibody does not preclude the diagnosis of a paraneoplastic syndrome.

Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis of Bilateral Parotid and Submandibular Glands: Findings on 18F-FDG PET/CT.

ABSTRACT: Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a disorder of the mononuclear phagocytic system. Virtually any organ can be involved, the bone, skin, lungs, and pituitary gland being the most common. We describe the case of a 30-year-old man who presented with painless neck swelling. 18 F-FDG PET/CT showed bilateral bulky parotid and submandibular glands with increased metabolic activity. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis. To our knowledge, there has been no description of 18 F-FDG PET/CT findings in Langerhans cell histiocytosis of salivary glands in literature. We aim to aid in the diagnosis and management of this rare presentation.

68Ga-PSMA PET/CT Detecting Metastatic Lesion of RCC: Missed on 18F-FDG PET/CT.

ABSTRACT: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for ~2% of global cancers and deaths. Survival depends on initial staging and shows poor survival rate in metastatic disease. CT and MRI are used for evaluating RCC, and PET/CT is used for metastatic disease assessment. We report a case of RCC, where both 18F-FDG and 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT showed increased uptake in liver metastatic lesions; however, a subhepatic peritoneal deposit showed uptake only in PSMA. Also, liver lesions were seen better in PSMA owing to lesser background uptake, suggesting a possibility of 68Ga-PSMA being a potential tracer for RCC evaluation.

188 Re-N-DEDC Lipiodol for Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)-A Clinical and Prospective Study to Assess In-Vivo Distribution in Patients and Clinical Feasibility of Therapy.

Objective The incidence of inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with/without malignant portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is increasing in India for the last decade; thus, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, India, developed diethydithiocarbamate (DEDC), a new transarterial radionuclide therapy (TART) agent. 188 Re-N-DEDC lipiodol is an emerging radiotherapeutic agent for inoperable HCC treatment due to its simple and onsite labeling procedure, cost-effectiveness, and least radiation-induced side effects. This study aimed to evaluate in-vivo biodistribution and clinical feasibility of 188 Re-N-DEDC lipiodol TART in HCC and optimization of labeling procedure to assess post-labeling stability and radiochemical yield of labeled lipiodol with 188 Re-N-DEDC complex. Materials and Methods DEDC kits were obtained as gift from BARC, Mumbai. Therapy was given to 31 HCC patients. Post-therapy planar and single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging were performed to see tumor uptake and biodistribution. Clinical feasibility and toxicity were decided by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 (CTCAE v 5.0). Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics was done for data using SPSS v22. Values was expressed as mean ± standard deviation or median with range. Results Post-therapy planar and SPECT/CT imaging showed radiotracer localization in hepatic lesions. Few patients showed lungs uptake due to hepato-pulmonary shunt (lung shunt < 10%). Maximum clearance was observed through urinary tract with very less elimination through hepatobiliary route due to slow rate of leaching of tracer. No patient showed myelosuppression or any other long-term toxicity over median follow-up of 6 months. Mean overall % radiochemical yield of 188 Re-N-DEDC lipiodol was 86.04 ± 2.35%. The complex 188 Re-N-DEDC was found to be stable at 37°C under sterile condition over a period of 1 hour without any significant change on the % radiochemical purity (90.83 ± 3.24%, 89.78 ± 3.67%, 89.22 ± 3.77% at 0, 0.5, 1 hours, respectively). Conclusion Human biodistribution showed very high retention of radiotracer in hepatic lesions with no long-term toxicity with this therapy. The kit preparation procedure is ideally suited for a busy hospital radio-pharmacy. By this procedure, 188 Re-N-DEDC lipiodol can be prepared in high radiochemical yield within a short time (∼45 minutes). Thus, 188 Re-N-DEDC lipiodol can be considered for TART in advanced and/or intermediate HCC.

Comparison of 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC and 18F-FDG PET/CT in the Evaluation of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma-A Prospective Study.

PURPOSE OF STUDY: 18F-FDG PET/CT plays a major role in diagnosis and staging of head and neck cancer; however, FDG has lower uptake in adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC). Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expression is found to be associated with endothelial cells or tumor neovasculature in malignant AdCC and salivary duct carcinoma. Thus, present study is aimed to compare the role of 68Ga-PSMA and 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with primary and/or metastatic AdCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Histopathologically proven AdCC patients were intravenously injected with 370 MBq (10 mCi) of 18F-FDG and 111-185 MBq (3-5 mCi) of 68Ga-PSMA. Images were acquired at 60 and 45 minutes postinjection for 18F-FDG and 68Ga-PSMA, respectively, on dedicated PET/CT scanners. Visual and semiquantitative analyses of PSMA expression in regional and metastatic sites were performed by 2 experienced nuclear medicine physicians. RESULTS: Seventeen patients (7 men, 10 women) having mean age of 44 ± 14.19 years were prospectively included in the study. Of 17 patients, FDG PET/CT was performed in only 14 (82%) patients. PSMA and FDG uptakes were seen at the primary site in 16 (94%) and 13 (93%) patients, respectively, whereas 1 patient was postradical tumor excision. Lung lesions (n = 7) and lymph nodes (n = 5) were detected on both FDG and PSMA PET scans. However, cerebellar and meningeal metastasis (n = 1, 6%) and bony lesions (n = 2, 12%) were detected only on PSMA PET/CT but not visualized on FDG PET/CT scan. CONCLUSIONS: PSMA may have theranostic importance in unresectable or metastatic AdCC, besides having a role in staging/restaging.

Quality of life assessment in testicular non-seminomatous germ cell tumour survivors.

PURPOSE: Patients with Germ cell tumours (GCT) are at risk of long-term toxicities due to multimodality therapy. It is debatable whether there is an impact on the quality of life(QoL) of GCT survivors. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted at a tertiary care centre in India, using the EORTC QLQ C30 questionnaire, to compare the QoL between GCT survivors(disease free > 2 years) and healthy matched controls. A multivariate regression model was used to identify factors affecting QoL. RESULTS: A total of 55 cases and 100 controls were recruited. Cases had a median age of 32 years (interquartile range, IQR 28-40 years), ECOG PS of 0-1(75%), advanced stage III (58%), chemotherapy (94%) and 66% were > 5 years from diagnosis. The median age of controls: 35 years (IQR 28-43 years). A statistically significant difference was seen for emotional (85.8 ± 14.2 vs 91.7 ± 10.4, p 0.005), social(83.0 ± 22.0 vs 95.2 ± 9.6, p < 0.001) and global scales (80.4 ± 21.1 vs 91.3 ± 9.7, p < 0.001). Cases had more nausea and vomiting(3.3 ± 7.4 vs 1.0 ± 3.9, p 0.015), pain(13.9 ± 13.9 vs 4.8 ± 9.8, p < 0.001), dyspnea(7.9 + 14.3 vs 2.7 ± 9.1, p 0.007), and appetite loss(6.7 ± 14.9 vs 1.9 ± 7.9, p 0.016) and greater financial toxicity(31.5 ± 32.3 vs 9.0 ± 16.3, p < 0.001). Adjusting for age, performance status, BMI, stage, chemotherapy, RPLND, recurrent disease, and time since diagnosis, no predictive variables were significant. CONCLUSION: There is a detrimental impact of history of GCT in long term survivors of GCT.

68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT for Screening and Surveillance of Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease.

Purpose: Hereditary tumor syndrome Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is characterized by various benign and malignant tumors that are known to express somatostatin receptors (SSTR). We evaluated the role of 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT scan in patients with positive germline mutation of the VHL gene, presented initially or on follow-up, for the detection of recurrent or synchronous/metachronous lesions. Methods: Fourteen patients (8 males; 6 females) with mean age 30 ± 9.86 years were retrospectively analyzed, were tested positive for VHL on gene dosage analysis, and underwent 68 Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT scan for disease evaluation. The number and site of lesions were determined. The tracer uptake was analyzed semi-quantitatively by calculating the maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of lesion. Results: Four of the 14 patients underwent scan for initial diagnosis as baseline, 6 patients for post-therapy disease status, and 4 patients for initial diagnosis as well as follow-up evaluation of the disease. A total of 67 lesions were detected in 14 patients. The sites of lesions were cerebellar/vertebral/spinal (17; mean SUVmax = 7.85); pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET) (11; mean SUVmax = 20.64); retina (3; mean SUVmax = 10.46); pheochromocytoma (10; mean SUVmax = 16.32); paragangliomas (3; mean SUVmax = 10.65); pancreatic cyst (9; mean SUVmax = 2.54); and renal cyst (8; mean SUVmax = 1.56) and miscellaneous lesions constituted 6 lesions. Conclusion: Our results show that 68 Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT may be a useful modality for screening and follow-up of associated tumors in patients with germline gene mutation for VHL. It can be used as a one-stop imaging modality for VHL patients and may substitute for separate radiological investigations, making it more convenient for patients in terms of time and cost.

Posterior Pharyngeal Wall Tuberculosis-A Forgotten Entity Mimicking Malignancy.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) of posterior pharyngeal wall (PPW), either primary or secondary, is extremely rare and can mimic malignancy in elderly patients. CASE REPORT: A 36-year-old female patient presented with complains of nonhealing ulcer at the back of her throat for 4 months. On examination, there was an ulceroproliferative growth covered with slough over PPW. Positron emission tomography scan showed uptake in PPW. There was no uptake in any other part of body. A biopsy from PPW lesion showed epithelioid cell granulomas with Langhans type giant cells. Auramine-rhodamine staining showed few beaded bacilli consistent with TB. CONCLUSION: Tuberculosis of PPW is an extremely uncommon entity and can mimic malignancy. It should be kept as one of the differential diagnosis as it can be cured solely by giving anti-tubercular therapy.

Indian experience with immunotherapy in sarcoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a retrospective study.

Aim: To study the role of check point inhibitors (CPI) in sarcoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Materials & methods: Retrospective data of 15 patients diagnosed with advanced sarcoma or gastrointestinal stromal tumors and treated with CPI. Results: 3/14 patients (21.4%) responded to treatment with a disease control rate of 42.8% (6/14). After a median follow-up of 14 months (range: 2-24 months), 11 (73.3%) patients progressed, the median progression-free survival was 4 months (95% CI: 1.7-6.3) and median overall survival was 14 months (95% CI: 2.6-25.7). Only one patient experienced a grade IV adverse event. Conclusion: Our data represent the first real-world application of CPI in sarcoma from India. We believe that CPI should be further evaluated in clinical trials.

Comparison of 99mTc-methyl diphosphonate bone scintigraphy and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/computed tomography in articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Tc-99m methyl diphosphonate (MDP) bone scintigraphy is used to assess disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Somatostatin receptor (SSTR) expression in RA has been reported previously. SSTR-based PET/computed tomography (CT) may be superior to bone scintigraphy to know disease extent and in locating inflammatory joints that can be further targeted with peptide receptor radionuclide therapy thereby opening up new theranostic avenues. Based on these facts, the present study was designed to compare Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy and Ga-68 DOTANOC PET/CT in patients with RA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of RA were injected with 111-185 MBq of Ga-68 DOTANOC and 740 MBq of Tc-99m MDP intravenously. Images were acquired 30-45 min postinjection for Ga-68 DOTANOC on dedicated PET/CT scanners. Triple-phase bone scans were acquired on a dual-head gamma camera. PET/CT and MDP scan images were visually assessed by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians. RESULTS: Nineteen patients (16 women and 3 men) with a clinical diagnosis of RA were included in the study. Clinically, 196 joints in these 19 patients were diagnosed positive for RA. Of these 196 joints, Tc-99m MDP uptake was seen in 157 joints (80%). On Ga-68 DOTANOC scan, tracer uptake was seen in 151 of 196 joints (77%) with a lesion to background ratio of at least 2 in most of the joints. CONCLUSION: Ga-68 DOTANOC is equally good as an MDP scan for detection of RA with the added advantage of being used as a theranostic modality. However, further evaluation with a larger sample size and joint-to-joint comparison is warranted.

Management and outcomes of advanced hemangioendothelioma at a medical oncology clinic in an Indian tertiary care center.

Aim: Hemangioendotheliomas (HEs) are malignant vascular tumors with sparse descriptions in literature owing to their rarity. Study design: Ours is a retrospective study among patients of advanced HEs registered between September 2015 and April 2021. Results: There were 13 patients with median age 34.6 (range: 4-69 years), male preponderance (69%) and predominant subtype of epithelioid HE (76.9%). Common primary sites were viscera (46.2%) and bone (30.8%). Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) yielded objective responses in 30% patients whereas chemotherapy only produced disease stabilization in 7.7%. Conclusion: We recognize an aggressive subset of HEs with manifestations such as acute liver failure and splenic rupture. Currently no biomarkers predict the efficacy of TKIs over chemotherapy; however, TKIs showed promising outcomes in this series.

Hemangioendotheliomas are rare malignant tumors with vascular origin. This retrospective study on 13 patients displays a male preponderance, the with epithelioid subtype being the commonest in the study population. The disease also showed aggressive manifestations such as acute liver failure and ruptured spleen. The viscera and bone were the commonest primary locations in 46.2 and 30.8% patients, respectively. Treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors showed a promising 30% response rate while chemotherapy showed stabilization of disease in 7.7% patients.

An Audit of the Procedure of Open Thyroidectomy at A Tertiary Care Centre.

We plan to evaluate the various variables associated with the complications of thyroidectomy performed at our department in the last 5 years. Medical records of the patients who underwent thyroidectomy during 2014-2018 were collected. Complications of hypocalcemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy were analysed in terms of the demography, cytopathology and the extent of surgery. Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Fisher exact test and chi square test were applied to look for any significant associations. P value < 0.05 was considered significant. 123 patients were analysed (87 females, 38 males). Mean age was 38.3 years (range 11-71 years). Most common cytopathology was papillary carcinoma thyroid (Bethesda VI) - 43/123 (35%). 107 of these 123 patients underwent primary surgery, 10 underwent revision surgery while 6 underwent completion thyroidectomy. Seven patients incurred RLN palsy out of which 3 were temporary. RLN palsy was seen in only malignant cases (p < 0.05). Incidence was higher in T4a stage (p < 0.05). However, it had no association with a simultaneous central or lateral neck dissection. Hypocalcemia was seen in 22 patients (17.8%), out of whom 9 patients developed permanent hypocalcemia. It was seen significantly higher in patients undergoing central neck dissection (p < 0.05) and in malignant thyroid lesions (p < 0.05). Gender, age and the cytopathology had no bearing on RLN palsy and hypoparathyroidism. Malignant thyroid lesions had a significantly higher incidence of RLN palsy and hypoparathyroidism. A thorough anatomical knowledge can reduce the incidence of these complications.