Pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma with a lepidic-pagetoid growth pattern.

We report a rare case of a peripheral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung in which most of the tumor displayed a "lepidic" growth pattern. The tumor cells also appeared to grow along the alveolar walls between the overlying pneumocytes and underlying basement membrane, a form reminiscent of the "pagetoid" mode of spread. The neoplastic cells were positive for the squamous markers p63 and p40. TTF-1 and CK7 highlighted residual non-neoplastic pneumocytes, which either covered the lepidic tumor cells or lined pseudoglandular formations created by the filling of alveolar spaces by the tumor. CK7 also stained the tumor cells, albeit focally and weakly, a not uncommon finding in peripheral lung SCC. The tumor cells were negative for TTF-1 (clone 8G7G3/1), but did show focal weak reactivity with the less specific clone SPT24. The invasive area measured 2.5 mm while the overall size of the tumor including the lepidic-pagetoid component was 9.0 mm. Even though the invasive component was < 0.5 cm, the only option according to existing staging criteria was to stage it as pT1a. Since the current staging system does not account for the non-invasive lepidic component of pulmonary SCC, the increasing awareness of this variant may require its inclusion within the classification and pathological staging of lung carcinoma.

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is causing dramatic morbidity and mortality worldwide. The Red Blood Cell Distribution Width (RDW) has been strongly associated with increased morbidity and mortality in multiple diseases. Objective: To assess if elevated RDW is associated with unfavorable outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19. Methods: We retrospectively studied clinical outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients for their RDW values. In-hospital mortality was defined as primary outcome, while septic shock, need for mechanical ventilation, and length of stay (LOS) were secondary outcomes. Results: A total of 294 COVID-19 patients were finally studied. Overall prevalence of increased RDW was 49.7% (146/294). RDW was associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality (aOR, 4.6; 95%CI, 1.5-14.6) and septic shock (aOR, 4.6; 95%CI, 1.4-15.1) after adjusting for anemia, ferritin, lactate, and absolute lymphocyte count. The association remained unchanged even after adjusting for other clinical confounders such as age, sex, body mass index, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. No association was found instead with mechanical ventilation and median LOS. Conclusion: Elevated RDW in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality and septic shock.

COVID-19 in Cancer Patients From New York City: A Comparative Single Center Retrospective Analysis.

In this retrospective study we analyze and compare clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with and without cancer history who were infected with novel coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). Medical records were reviewed and a comparative analysis of 53 cancer and 135 non-cancer patients with COVID-19 were summarized. Results: The median age for COVID-19 patients with and without cancer was 71.5 and 61.6 years, respectively. Patients aged 60 years and above were 86.8% and 60.7% in cancer and non-cancer groups, respectively. A high proportion of cases were seen in African Americans 73.6% (with cancer) and 75.6% (without cancer) followed by Hispanic patients. Male and female patients had a high percentage of prostate (39.3%) and breast (32%) cancer respectively. Prostate cancer (18.9%) and myeloma (11.3%) were common among solid and hematological cancers respectively. Hypertension and smoking were prevalent among cancer (83% and 41.5%) compared to non-cancer (67.4% and 9.6%) patients. The common symptoms in cancer patients were dyspnea (64.2%) followed by fever and cough (50.9%) compared to fever (68.1%) and cough (66.7%) in non-cancer patients. Cancer patients had higher levels of lactic acidosis, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase than non-cancer patients (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Rapid clinical deterioration was seen in cancer patients who were aged 60 years and above. Higher mortality was seen in this subgroup, especially when they had associated hypertension and elevated levels of CRP and LDH.

Acute Kidney Injury in COVID-19 Patients: An Inner City Hospital Experience and Policy Implications.

BACKGROUND: Although diffuse alveolar damage and respiratory failure are the key features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the involvement of other organs such as the kidney has also been reported. The reports of the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in COVID-19 patients vary widely. In this study, we report our unique experience with AKI in COVID-19 patients in a low socioeconomic and predominantly ethnic minority group and provide its incidence, risk factors, and prognosis to expand the current understanding of this complication. METHODS: In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, we analyzed the data of 469 COVID-19 patients admitted to the Brookdale University Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, from March 18 through April 23, 2020. Information regarding demographics, comorbidities, medications, clinical and laboratory data, and outcomes was collected from the electronic medical records. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association of AKI with in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: The median age was 66 years (interquartile range [IQR] 25-75; range 19-101 years), and 268 (57.14%) patients were male. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as determined by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study Equation was low (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2) in 207 (44.1%) patients. During hospitalization, 128 (27.3%) patients developed AKI, and the incidence was significantly higher in those patients presenting with a low eGFR (N = 81, 39.1%; p < 0.001). Male sex, hypertension, the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, hemodynamic instability, mechanical ventilation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and admission elevated ferritin, creatinine kinase, brain natriuretic peptide, and troponin 1 were identified as the risk factors for in-hospital AKI. Ninety-seven (28.45%) patients died in the non-AKI group versus 91 (71.1%) in the AKI group (p < 0.001). The Cox proportional hazard model after adjusting for age, gender, comorbidities, hemodynamic status, and PF ratio (arterial oxygen partial pressure [PaO2]/fractional inspired oxygen [FiO2]) determined that on admission, an elevated blood urea nitrogen (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-2.48), a low eGFR (HR 1.43; CI 1.1-2.03), AKI stage 1 (HR 1.14; CI 0.64-2.03), AKI stage 2 (HR 1.86; CI 1.03-3.56), and AKI stage 3 (HR 2.1; CI 1.3-2.81) were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) did not improve survival in stage III AKI. CONCLUSION: AKI in our hospitalized COVID-19 patients was common and carried a high mortality, especially in patients with AKI stage 3. RRT did not improve survival. Policy changes and planning for this high incidence of AKI in COVID-19 patients and its associated high mortality are necessary at the local and national levels.

Increased Serum Aminotransferase Activity and Clinical Outcomes in Coronavirus Disease 2019.

AIM: Elevation of hepatic aminotransferases (aspartate aminotransferase [AST]/alanine aminotransferase [ALT]) is commonly noted among COVID-19 patients. It is unclear if they can predict the clinical outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We aim to assess if elevations in AST/ALT were associated with poor outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated hospitalized COVID-19 patients with clinically significant elevated aminotransferases (defined as >2 times upper limit of normal) and compared them with COVID-19 patients without an elevation in aminotransferases. RESULTS: The prevalence of elevation in AST/ALT was found to be 13.7% (20/145). The two groups were similar in baseline demographics, comorbidities, and the majority of laboratory tests. There was no difference in the mortality (50% vs. 36.8%, P = 0.32) and median hospital stay (7 days vs. 7 days, P = 0.78). However, there was a statistically significant increase in the rates of mechanical ventilation among elevated aminotransferases group compared with individuals without elevation (50% vs. 24%, P = 0.028). However, this difference was not observed after adjusting for inflammatory markers such as ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase, and lactic acid levels. CONCLUSION: Elevated aminotransferases among hospitalized COVID-19 patients is associated with higher rates of mechanical ventilation but did not achieve statistical significance after controlling for inflammatory markers. Also, patients with elevated aminotransferases did not have higher rates of mortality or prolonged length of stay.

Bilateral Bifid Median Nerve with Bilateral Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: An Atypical Presentation, a Rare Cause and a Familiar Disease.

We report a case of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) with bilateral bifid median nerve (BMN) without a persistent median artery diagnosed by clinical examination, NCV and Ultrasonography. Bilateral BMN to produce bilateral CTS is extremely rare and is contrary to the popular classifications which state that BMN without persistent median artery or its anomalies will not produce CTS. Ultrasonogram is of additional help to identify such aberrations in the median nerve to prevent iatrogenic injuries during carpal tunnel decompression.