Veterinary Comparative Pathology, a Scientific Tool for a Thriving Planet.

In recent years, Earth has overcome unpredictable challenges [...].

Disparities in mortality among acute myeloid leukemia-related hospitalizations.

Racial and socioeconomic disparities have become apparent in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) outcomes. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of hospitalizations for adults with a diagnosis of AML from 2009 to 2018 in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). We categorized patients' ages in groups of <60 years and ≥60 years and stratified them by reported race/ethnicity. Exposures of interest were patient sociodemographics, hospital characteristics, and Elixhauser-comorbidity Index. Outcome of interest was in-hospital death. Statistical analyses included survey logistic regression to generate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to quantify the independent associations between patient characteristics and mortality. Of 622,417 AML-related hospitalizations, 57.6% were in patients ≥60 years. The overall rate of in-hospital death was 9.4%. Compared to patients <60, older patients experienced a higher rate of in-hospital death. In both age groups and in all ethnicities, mortality decreased over time. Differences in mortality were observed based on gender, payer, hospital location, and teaching status. For hospitalizations in patients ≥60, NH-Black race was associated with inferior in-hospital death outcomes (OR 1.17; CI 1.08-1.28). Urban teaching hospitals were associated with a 38% increase (OR 1.38; CI 1.06-1.80) in inpatient mortality in patients <60 and a 15% decrease (OR 0.85; CI 0.77-0.95) in inpatient mortality in patients ≥60. Our results highlight the increased need to recognize the role of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic factors and their contribution to disparate outcomes in AML.

An Unusual Case of Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma.

Introduction: Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare disease entity associated with textured breast implants. Though the clinical course is typically indolent, BIA-ALCL can occasionally invade through the capsule into the breast parenchyma with spread to the regional lymph nodes and beyond including chest wall invasive disease. Case: We present the case of a 51-year-old female with a history of bilateral silicone breast implants placed approximately twenty years ago who presented with two months of progressively enlarging right breast mass. Ultrasound-guided biopsy of right breast mass and right axillary lymph node showed CD 30-positive ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and staging work up showed extension of the tumor to chest wall and ribs consistent with advanced disease. She received CHP-BV (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, prednisone, and brentuximab vedotin) for six cycles with complete metabolic response. This was followed by extensive surgical extirpation and reconstruction, radiation for residual disease and consolidation with autologous stem cell transplant. She is currently on maintenance brentuximab vedotin with no evidence of active disease post autologous stem cell transplant. Conclusion: Treatment guidelines for advanced chest wall invasive BIA-ALCL are not well defined. Lack of predictive factors warrants mutation analysis and genetic sequencing to identify those at highest risk of progression to chest wall invasive disease. This rare case highlights the need for definitive consensus on the optimal management of chest wall invasive BIA-ALCL.

Myeloid sarcoma of the skull base: A case report and systematic literature review.

Background: Myeloid sarcoma (MS), or chloroma, is a rare extramedullary malignant tumor that consists of undifferentiated granulocytic cells, and it is most commonly associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Intracranial MS accounts for 0.4% of MS cases, and involvement of the skull base and visual dysfunction is rarely reported. However, the optimal treatment and response to treatment of skull base MS in the presence of visual symptoms is unknown. Case Description: A 30-year-old male with a history of AML presented with rapidly progressive vision loss and a sellar and parasellar mass with bilateral cavernous sinus and optic nerve encasement. The patient underwent endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal biopsy revealing intracranial MS. He was treated postoperatively with high-dose intravenous and intrathecal cytarabine and had complete restoration of his vision by postoperative day 11. A systematic review of the literature identified six cases of skull base MS, five of whom presenting with visual symptoms. All patients underwent systemic chemotherapy with cytarabine and/or cyclophosphamide, with infrequent use of intrathecal chemotherapy or radiation. Those with reported visual outcomes were diagnosed 4 months or longer after symptom onset and demonstrated no visual improvement with treatment. Conclusion: Skull base MS is a rare disease entity with a high prevalence of visual dysfunction. Our patient's complete disappearance of intracranial disease and resolution of visual symptoms with systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy highlight the importance of timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment without a need for direct surgical decompression.

Ibrutinib skin toxicities: Report of two cases.

Ibrutinib is a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat many hematologic conditions, most commonly B-cell lymphomas and leukemias. Reportedly, skin rash is an adverse event in up to 27% of treated patients. Histopathologic description of these lesions is limited. We present two cases of ibrutinib-associated skin toxicities showing diverse histopathologic features. Case 1: A 72-year-old man was started on ibrutinib for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Two months later, he developed multiple erythematous crusted papules on the chest, abdomen, and extremities. Biopsies revealed varied histopathology including poorly formed granulomatous dermatitis, epidermal necrosis, ulceration, and panniculitis. Ibrutinib was discontinued and his skin lesions resolved within 1 month. Case 2: A 48-year-old man received ibrutinib after failing standard therapy for primary central nervous system EBV positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Two months after initiation of ibrutinib, he developed multiple firm, red, non-tender nodules on the forehead, buttock, and thigh. Biopsies revealed "pseudolymphoma"-like reaction with dense pandermal lymphohistiocytic inflammation and granulomas. His skin toxicity resolved without cessation of therapy. Awareness of the spectrum of histopathologic features that may be encountered in skin lesions of patients treated with ibrutinib, as illustrated by these two cases, will be critical for optimal patient management.

Genomic trajectory in leukemogenesis of myeloproliferative neoplasms: a case report.

BACKGROUND: We report a patient with Essential Thrombocythemia (ET), subsequently diagnosed with concurrent myeloid and lymphoid leukemia. Generally, the molecular mechanisms underlying leukemic transformation of Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (Ph-MPN) are poorly understood. Risk of transformation to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is low; transformation to both AML and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is extremely low. Genetic defects, including allele burden, order of mutation acquisition, clonal heterogeneity and epigenetic mechanisms are important contributors to disease acceleration. CASE PRESENTATION: A 78-year-old Caucasian female originally treated for stable ET, underwent disease acceleration and transition to myeloid sarcoma and B-cell ALL. Genomic reconstruction based on targeted sequencing revealed the presence of a large del(5q) in all three malignancies and somatic driver mutations: TET2, TP53, SF3B1, and ASXL1 at high allele frequency. We propose that the combination of genetic and molecular abnormalities led to hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) injury and disease progression through sub-clone branching. We hypothesize that ancestral reconstruction of genomic data is a useful tool to uncover subclonal events leading to transformation. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ancestral reconstruction of genomic data sheds light on the unique clinical scenario described in this case report. By determining the mutational profile of tumors at several timepoints and deducing the most parsimonious relationship between them, we propose a reconstruction of their origin. We propose that blast progression originated from subclonal events with malignant potential, which coexisted with but did not originate from JAK2 p.V617F-positive ET. We conclude that the application of genomic reconstruction enhances our understanding of leukemogenesis by identifying the timing of molecular events, potentially leading to better chemotherapy choices as well as the development of new targeted therapies.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and myelodysplastic syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is characterized by hyperinflammation and life-threatening cytopenias. Survival is poor, and management is pivotal on rapid identification of the disease. HLH is associated with hematologic malignancies, however correlation with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is exceedingly unusual. Although minimizing overwhelming hyperinflammation by treating hemophagocytosis are central for HLH outcome, there is urgent necessity to identify potential initiating mechanisms that could assist in therapy design. CASE DESCRIPTION: Here, we describe an elderly African American patient who developed rapid onset of cytopenias and coagulopathy associated with hepatic and bone marrow hemophagocytosis. We analyze four additional similar cases to isolate clinical, laboratory and cytogenetic findings expected in patients exhibiting concurrent HLH and MDS. HLH linked with MDS retains common HLH features associated with systemic hyperinflammation such as fever, hypotension, hepatosplenomegaly, hyperferritinemia, coagulopathy and rapidly evolving cytopenias. Typical MDS chromosomic abnormality such as trisomy 8 was frequently observed in our studied cases. CONCLUSION: Our case describes difficulties while managing HLH in MDS patients. Diagnosis should be based on identifying HLH appropriate criteria and if possible karyotypic abnormalities normally observed in MDS.

The contribution of human papilloma virus infection to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a B-cell malignancy characterized by impaired humoral and cellular immunity, are at increased risk of developing cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide and it has been associated with various malignancies, including cSCC. Impaired cell-mediated immunity is considered a primary risk factor in HPV-induced cSCC. We examined cSCC lesions from CLL patients with consensus review and HPV genetic analysis to further characterize the relationship between HPV and prevalence of cutaneous malignancy in this population. Eleven patients with CLL contributed 35 cSCCs. Treatment with chemotherapy shortened the latency time to first cSCC. HPV was detected in 54% of the lesions. Among the HPV-positive cSCC lesions, 84% of the lesions contained alpha-genus HPV, 42% contained beta-genus HPV, and 26% of the lesions contained both genera. There was a significant association between HPV-containing lesions and peritumoral lymphocytic inflammation, suggesting this as a future area for further characterization. The majority of the lesions, including those with alpha-genus HPV, occurred in sun-exposed areas, such as the scalp and face. These findings may lead to practice-changing recommendations for skin cancer, including the use of vaccinations to reduce HPV-associated skin cancer.

Primary bone lymphoma of the ilium successfully treated without radiation.

The addition of radiation therapy to chemotherapy and impact on outcomes in primary bone lymphoma is not clear. Nonetheless, tumor location must be considered as radiation to marrow-rich bone areas can lead to myelosuppression and myelotoxicity.

Uncovering Clinical Features of De Novo Philadelphia Positive Myelodysplasia.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is cytogenetically heterogeneous and retains variable risk for acute myeloid leukemia transformation. Though not yet fully understood, there is an association between genetic abnormalities and defects in gene expression. The functional role for infrequent cytogenetic alteration remains unclear. An uncommon chromosomic abnormality is the presence of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome. Here, we report a patient with Ph+ MDS treated with low dose Dasatinib who achieved hematologic response for 7 months. In addition, we also examined the English literature on all de novo Ph + MDS cases between 1996 and 2015 to gain insight into clinical features and outcome.

Progressive transfusion and growth factor independence with adjuvant sertraline in low risk myelodysplastic syndrome treated with an erythropoiesis stimulating agent and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor.

Refractoriness to growth factor therapy is commonly associated with inferior outcome in patients with low-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (LR-MDS) who require treatment for cytopenias. However, the mechanisms leading to refractoriness are unknown. Here we describe a clinically depressed 74-year-old male with refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia (RCMD) and documented growth factor refractory anemia after erythropoeisis stimulating agent (ESA) therapy, who attained transfusion and growth factor independence after the addition of sertraline to his medication regimen. Our case demonstrates hematological improvement-erythroid (HI-E) in growth factor refractory, low risk MDS and highlights a potential mechanistic link between common inflammatory diseases and LR-MDS.

Pulmonary Complications of Azanucleoside Therapy in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.

Our primary aim was to identify potential risk factors and clinical outcome of azanucleoside induced pulmonary complications in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). We present an 89-year-old female with MDS derived AML who developed fatigability, hypoxemia, and bilateral lung infiltrates indicating interstitial lung disease after 11 cycles of azanucleoside. In addition, we describe a cohort of six MDS patients with fever, cough, dyspnea, and pulmonary infiltrates at early time point during azanucleoside treatment. Early and late onset of pulmonary manifestations suggest different pathogenic mechanisms. Brief azanucleoside discontinuation and steroids led to rapid improvement in symptoms.

Efficacy and toxicity of caspofungin in combination with liposomal amphotericin B as primary or salvage treatment of invasive aspergillosis in patients with hematologic malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Caspofungin (CAS) as salvage therapy for refractory invasive aspergillosis (IA) had a response rate of 45% among a heterogeneous group of patients. The use of CAS with other agents is appealing given its unique mechanism of action. Therefore, the authors retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of CAS plus liposomal amphotericin B (LipoAMB) in patients with documented (definite or probable) or possible IA. METHODS: Patients were evaluable for outcome if they received CAS/LipoAMB for at least 7 days. Patients who received CAS and LipoAMB sequentially were excluded. All patients were evaluable for toxicity. Outcome was assessed weekly and at the end of therapy. Stable disease and progression were considered treatment failures. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients with documented (n=23) or possible (n=25) IA were identified between March 2001 and December 2001. The majority of the patients (65%) received CAS/LipoAMB as salvage therapy for progressive IA despite 7 or more days of previous LipoAMB monotherapy. The overall response rate was 42%. No significant toxic effects were seen. Factors associated with failure at the end of therapy were documented IA (P=0.03), significant steroid use before the study (P=0.02), and duration of combination therapy for less than 14 days (P=0.01). The response rate in patients with progressive documented IA was low (18%). CONCLUSIONS: The CAS/LipoAMB combination is a promising preemptive therapy for IA and was generally well tolerated. This combination might have limited benefit as salvage therapy for documented IA.

Aspergillosis caused by non-fumigatus Aspergillus species: risk factors and in vitro susceptibility compared with Aspergillus fumigatus.

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) caused by inherently more antifungal-resistant non-fumigatus Aspergillus species has become an important life-threatening complication in severely immunocompromised patients with cancer. The purpose of this study was to compare the relative incidence of, risk factors for, and in vitro correlation of amphotericin B and itraconazole with the clinical outcome of IA caused by Aspergillus fumigatus with those of IA caused by non-fumigatus Aspergillus spp. in patients with cancer. A retrospective search of our tertiary care cancer center's microbiology laboratory reports from 1998-2001 revealed 40 patients with cancer and IA. A non-fumigatus Aspergillus species caused IA in 28 (70%) of those patients. A. fumigatus was the predominant cause of late-onset IA after bone marrow transplantation (p = 0.05), whereas IA due to non-fumigatus Aspergillus spp. was more common in patients with neutropenia (p = 0.01). The minimum inhibitory concentration (50/90) and minimum fungicidal concentration (50/90) for amphotericin B were higher in the non-fumigatus Aspergillus spp. group than in the A. fumigatus one. The Aspergillus species distribution in IA cases in our institution shows a predominance of the more antifungal-resistant or -tolerant non-fumigatus Aspergillus spp.

Funcionamiento de un sistema de información epidemiológica a nivel distrital (1980) / Performance of an epidemiological information system at district level

Una guía informativa actualizada, que describe en forma exhaustiva y funcional el uso adecuado del sistema de información epidemiologica, para ser consultada de acuerdo a los requerimientos y necesidades en cualquier estado del país. Se pretende, unificar criterios, definiciones y procedimientos en la recolección, elaboración de la información que se maneja en un Servicio de Epidemiologia. Por otra parte se resalta la responsabilidad del epidemiologo distrital en las diferentes actividades, en la vigilancia, control y supervision del funcionamiento del sistema de información. Orientando y educando al medico rural, e instruyendo al equipo que labora a nivel distrital