Spondylectomy for Giant Cell Tumor After Denosumab Therapy.

STUDY DESIGN: A case report. OBJECTIVE: To report a case of the lumbar giant cell tumor (GCT) utilizing a new clinical treatment modality (denosumab therapy), which showed a massive tumor reduction combined with the L4 spondylectomy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There are some controversies about spinal GCT treatments. Denosumab has provided good clinical results in terms of tumor shrinkage, and local control in a short-time follow-up clinical study phase 2, although for spinal lesions, it has not been described. Nonetheless, "en bloc" spondylectomy has been accepted as being the best treatments modalities in terms of oncological control. METHODS: A case study with follow-up examination and series radiological assessments 6 months after therapy started, followed by a complex spine surgery. RESULTS: The denosumab therapy showed on the lumbar computed tomography scans follow-up 6 months later, a marked tumor regression around 90% associated to vertebral body calcification, facilitating a successful L4 spondylectomy with an anterior and posterior reconstruction. The patient recovered without neurological deficits. CONCLUSION: A new therapeutic modality for spinal GCT is available and showing striking clinical results; however, it is necessary for well-designed studies to answer the real role of denosumab therapy avoiding or facilitating complex spine surgeries as spondylectomies for spinal GCT. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5.

Gigantomastia gestacional: como abordar essa situação clínica / Gestational gigantomastia: how to address this clinical situation

A gigantomastia gestacional é uma desordem rara, na qual ocorre o crescimento excessivo e rápido das mamas, culminando com edema e congestão venosa das mesmas, além de ocasionar dor, ulceração da pele e infecção local. Estas complicações, em alguns casos, levam à necessidade de mastectomia de emergência ou abortamento induzido. A hipótese etiológica mais aceita é a de que exista uma estimulação anormal do tecido mamário, que pode ser desencadeada por níveis excessivos de hormônios ou por uma hipersensibilidade deste tecido a níveis hormonais normais. Apesar de a mama regredir após a gestação, raramente volta ao estado original; portanto, a redução da mama através de mastectomia ou mamoplastia geralmente é necessária. Além disso, é grande o risco de recorrências em gestações futuras. Os autores relatam o caso de gigantomastia em uma primigesta, com necessidade de interrupção da gravidez, devido ao risco de morte materna, e posterior intervenção cirúrgica com mamoplastia redutora.

Gestational gigantomastia is a rare disorder characterized by an excessive and rapid enlargement of the breasts, resulting in edema and venous congestion of breast tissue. It is a painful condition that causes skin ulceration and local infection. In some cases, these complications lead to an emergency mastectomy or induced abortion. The most probable etiology is an abnormal stimulation of breast tissue that is probably triggered by an abnormally elevated level of hormones or by the hypersensitivity of breast tissue to normal hormone levels. Although the breast volume decreases after pregnancy, it rarely returns to its original state; therefore, breast reduction through mastectomy or mammaplasty is usually necessary. Moreover, there is a high likelihood of recurrence in subsequent pregnancies. The authors report a case of gigantomastia in a primigravida that required pregnancy termination, because of the risk of maternal death, and a subsequent breast reduction surgery.

Metástase gigante de carcinoma papilífero / Giant metastasis of thyroid papillar carcinoma

O carcinoma papilífero da tireoide, o mais comum deste órgão, geralmente se apresenta como lesões parenquimatosas pequenas e, eventualmente, com metástases cervicais numerosas, raramente volumosas. É descrito um caso raro de uma paciente do gênero feminino, 44 anos, com um tumor cervical anterior, nodular e volumoso há nove anos. Após o tratamento cirúrgico, o anatomopatológico mostrou tratar-se de metástases linfonodais de carcinoma papilífero. O objetivo deste estudo é relatar um caso clínico de apresentação incomum de carcinoma papilífero da tireoide, de diagnóstico inicial difícil e apresentando-se com metástases linfonodais volumosas. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2014;58(9):967-9 Papillary thyroid carcinoma, the most common type of thyroid cancer is usually presented as small parenchymatous lesions and, eventually, with cervical lymph node metastasis, rarely voluminous. Here we describe a rare case of a 44-year-old woman presenting a visible anterior cervical tumor, nodullary and voluminous, for nine years. After surgical treatment, the anatomical pathology sample revealed that the mass was composed of several cervical lymph node metastatic lesions of a papillary thyroid carcinoma. We report the discovery of an uncommon papillary thyroid carcinoma manifestation, with a difficult initial diagnosis and presenting voluminous lymph node metastases.