Successful Treatment of Irinotecan-Induced Muscle Twitching: A Case Report.

Irinotecan, a topoisomerase I inhibitor, is commonly used in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Its adverse effects include delay diarrhea, severe myelosuppression, and cholinergic-like symptoms. Though 2 cases of irinotecan-induced muscle twitching were reported but the successful treatment of this adverse event still not shown. We present a 24-year-old female patient with advanced colorectal cancer received bevacizumab and FOLFIRI (irinotecan + calcium leucovorin + 5-fluorouracil) treatment. Her right pectoralis major muscle presented with involuntary muscle twitching during the infusion of irinotecan at the sixth cycle of chemotherapy. The muscle twitching was slowly dissipated about 4 hours after the halted of irinotecan infusion. Then lorazepam 2 mg iv was injected before administration of irinotecan in an attempt to prevent the muscle twitching in the seventh cycle of chemotherapy. The patient did not report further muscle twitching. After that, lorazepam was routine administered before each cycle of FOLFIRI regiment. No any muscle twitching was observed after the use of lorazepam. This case provides valuable insight that muscle twitching can occur as rare irinotecan-related adverse effect. Benzodiazepine agonists, such as lorazepam, is the potential treatment of choice.

Primary Cutaneous Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma With Follicular Helper T-Cell Phenotype: Report of 2 Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive Cases.

ABSTRACT: Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is distinct from nodal T-cell lymphoma clinically and pathologically. Recently, primary cutaneous follicular helper T-cell lymphoma (PC-TFHL) has been described as a peripheral T-cell lymphoma with T-follicular helper (TFH) cell phenotype. PC-TFHL usually presents as multiple plaques and nodules of skin with an indolent clinical course, but without association with Epstein-Barr virus. In this article, we report 2 rare cases of PC-TFHL which are Epstein-Barr virus-positive and with an aggressive clinical course. We discuss the challenges in the differential diagnoses, particularly with primary cutaneous extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, and nodal T-cell lymphoma of TFH origin with secondary cutaneous involvement.

Increased risk of cancer in chronic dialysis patients: a population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: An increased incidence of cancer in chronic dialysis patients has not been confirmed in the Chinese population. The aim of this population-based study was to examine the risk of various types of cancers in chronic dialysis patients in Taiwan. METHODS: Data of 92 348 chronic dialysis patients extracted from the National Health Institutes Research Database during 1997-2008 were analyzed. Patients newly diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, free of cancer and receiving dialysis for >3 months were eligible for inclusion in the study. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 4.4 years, a new cancer was diagnosed in 4328 chronic dialysis patients. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of chronic dialysis patients was 1.4 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-1.4] and annual incidence of cancer was 1.1%. A trend of an increased SIR of cancer was observed in young patients and within the first year of dialysis. Bladder cancer carried the highest SIR (SIR: 8.2, 95% CI: 6.7-9.9) and had the highest frequency (21.2%). Importantly, the frequency (15.3%) of liver cancer was the second highest and the SIR (SIR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.5) of liver cancer in chronic dialysis patients was higher than that of their healthy counterparts. Unexpectedly, chronic dialysis patients had a significantly reduced risk of developing lung cancer. CONCLUSION: Increased risk of cancer in chronic dialysis patients is confirmed in the Taiwanese population and it is necessary to develop different strategies for cancer screening in chronic dialysis patients among different ethnicities.

Acute myelogenous leukemia and acute leukemic appendicitis: a case report.

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) can involve the gastrointestinal tract but rarely involves the appendix. We report a male patient who had 1 year partial remission from AML and who presented with apparent acute appendicitis as the initial manifestation of leukemia relapse. Pathological findings of the appendix revealed transmural infiltrates of myeloblasts, which indicated a diagnosis of leukemia. Unfortunately, the patient died from progression of the disease on the 19th d after admission. Although leukemic cell infiltration of the appendix is uncommon, patients with leukemia relapse can present with symptoms mimicking acute appendicitis.

Metastatic colon cancer presenting as Pancoast's disease.

We report a rare case of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon that presented as Pancoast's disease.