ABSTRACT
Thymic carcinoma is rare, with resulting treatment of patients with extrathoracic metastasis being on a case-by-case basis. We describe the management of a woman in her 70s with an incidentally discovered cystic hepatic lesion with confirmation of a solitary extrathoracic metastasis from a synchronous primary thymic carcinoma. Following chemotherapy and staged resection of the metastasis and the primary tumour, the patient remained free of disease on radiological surveillance 6 months postoperatively.
Subject(s)
Liver Neoplasms , Thymoma , Thymus Neoplasms , Female , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy , Liver Neoplasms/surgery , Thymoma/diagnostic imaging , Thymoma/drug therapy , Thymoma/surgery , Thymus Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Thymus Neoplasms/drug therapy , Thymus Neoplasms/surgery , Treatment Outcome , AgedABSTRACT
We report a case of significant pulmonary hemorrhage developing shortly after commencing ticagrelor and aspirin therapy and requiring coronary artery bypass grafting to safely cease the antiplatelet therapy. Lung biopsy findings were consistent with drug-induced lung injury. Clinicians should be aware of this significant adverse event with this drug class.
Subject(s)
Acute Coronary Syndrome/therapy , Adenosine/analogs & derivatives , Hemoptysis/etiology , Pneumonia/chemically induced , Adenosine/adverse effects , Adenosine/therapeutic use , Aspirin/adverse effects , Aspirin/therapeutic use , Biopsy , Coronary Artery Bypass , Diagnosis, Differential , Hemoptysis/diagnosis , Humans , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Lung/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/adverse effects , Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Pneumonia/complications , Pneumonia/diagnosis , Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists/adverse effects , Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists/therapeutic use , Ticagrelor , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
AIMS: Currently there are no diagnostic techniques that can precisely determine the primary site of a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Anogenital SCC has a high prevalence of high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA, particularly in the cervix where the value approaches 100%, whereas non-anogenital SCC generally has a low prevalence. The aim of this study was to examine whether the finding of HR HPV DNA in a fine needle aspiration (FNA) of metastatic SCC could be used to determine a likely anogenital origin. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and viral sequencing were used to identify HR HPV DNA in cell block and needle rinse material derived from FNA samples in a series of metastatic SCC. RESULTS: HPV DNA was detected in nine of 12 (75%) metastatic anogenital SCC, and type 16 was sequenced in seven. HPV DNA was detected in only one of 18 (5.6%) metastatic SCC from other sites such as lung, oral cavity and skin. The positive control case was an oral cavity tumour and type 33 was sequenced. CONCLUSIONS: Although reservations remain, particularly in relation to the prevalence of HPV DNA in non-anogenital sites, HPV DNA testing by PCR: (1) can be successfully performed on FNA material, and (2) in the correct clinical context, can guide clinicians in assigning a site of origin. HPV DNA detection was the major indicator to the primary site in one occult tumour and several where the previous diagnosis of anogenital cancer was not known at presentation.