Renal oncocytoma: a challenging diagnosis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of the review is to provide an update on the current and evolving approaches to diagnosing the challenging clinical entity of renal oncocytoma. RECENT FINDINGS: Renal oncocytoma is being increasingly recognized among patients with renal masses, and it can be found in up to 50% of benign small renal masses (SRMs) less than 4 cm. Renal oncocytomas have benign clinical biology but distinguishing them from some of the other renal masses with more malignant potential can be challenging due to overlapping imaging, histologic, and immunophenotypic characteristics. Increasing integration of various imaging modalities, histologic characteristics, cytogenetics, and molecular and metabolic signatures is helping better define and characterize renal masses. SUMMARY: Evolving and complementary diagnostic approaches, including at the molecular level, are continuing to help refine the classification of renal tumors, with implications on their clinical behavior and ultimately clinical management.

Agranulocytosis Following COVID-19 Recovery.

Clinicians have continued to report on the clinical behavior and characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as our knowledge of the virus continues to mature. Herein, we report the case of a 39-year-old male with multiple comorbidities who became critically ill with COVID-19 infection, requiring mechanical ventilation and vasopressors, and then developed agranulocytosis following clinical improvement and resolution of symptoms of COVID infection. The period of agranulocytosis coincided with the development of thrombocytosis, and following resolution of agranulocytosis, the platelet count also normalized, suggesting a possible related mechanism. Interestingly, the patient was treated with TBO-filgrastim 480 mcg daily with a rapid reconstitution of neutrophils. While the mechanism of agranulocytosis remains unknown, we report, to our knowledge, the first known case of agranulocytosis following COVID-19 infection and its successful treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.

Pain in older survivors of hematologic malignancies after blood or marrow transplantation: A BMTSS report.

BACKGROUND: Blood or marrow transplantation (BMT) is increasingly offered to older adults with hematologic malignancies; however, their risk for severe pain is poorly understood. Using the Bone Marrow Transplant Survivor Study, the current study investigated the prevalence and predictors of pain after BMT (allogeneic or autologous) as well as its association with physical performance impairments and frailty. METHODS: The cohort included 736 patients with hematologic malignancies who underwent BMT at an age ≥ 60 years at 1 of 3 transplant centers between 1974 and 2014 and survived ≥2 years after BMT; 183 unaffected siblings also participated. Study participants reported on 4 pain domains (nonminor everyday pain, moderate to severe bodily pain, prolonged pain, and moderate to extreme pain interference), and the presence of 1 or more domains was indicative of a severe and/or life-interfering pain composite variable. RESULTS: Overall, 39.4% of the BMT survivors reported severe pain with 2.6-fold greater odds of reporting pain in comparison with sibling controls. Among BMT recipients, those with less education, lower incomes, and active chronic graft-versus-host disease had higher odds of reporting pain. In multivariable analyses, BMT survivors with pain were more likely to have impaired physical performance and were more likely to meet the frailty criteria. BMT survivors reported higher use of pain medications (17.8% vs 9.3%) and opioid pain medications (6.5% vs 2.2%) in comparison with sibling controls. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly 40% of older BMT survivors who were followed for a median of 5 years after BMT reported pain, and BMT survivors had 2.6-fold higher odds of reporting severe, nonminor or life-interfering pain in comparison with siblings.