The relationship between lung fibrosis, the epidermal growth factor receptor, and disease outcomes in COVID-19 pneumonia: a postmortem evaluation.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the severity of fibrosis in lung tissue and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) positivity in patients who died due to COVID-19 pneumonia, demographic characteristics, comorbidities, biochemical values, and treatments received. Fifty patients who died from COVID-19 pneumonia were included in the study. Demographic data for the patients, laboratory tests, thorax computerized tomography findings, comorbidities, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), intubation times, and treatments given were noted. Postmortem Tru-cut lung biopsy was performed. EGFR positivity was examined and grouped as negative, mild, moderate, and severe. Data were analyzed statistically. EGFR involvement was negative in 11 (22%), mild in 20 (40%), moderate in 13 (26%), and severe in 6 (12%) patients. The mean C-reactive protein (CRP) values, D-dimer values, and mean length of stay in the ICU were found to be significantly different between the groups (p = 0.024; p = 0.003; p = 0.016, respectively). Methylprednisolone dose and the presence of comorbidity did not differ significantly in EGFR involvement (p = 0.79; p = 0.98, respectively). CRP and D-dimer values can be used as a guide to assess the severity of pulmonary fibrosis that develops in severe COVID-19 pneumonia patients. The dose of methylprednisolone used does not make a significant difference in the severity of fibrosis.Trail registration: Clinical Trials.gov identifier date and number 01/13/2022 NCT05290441.

Rare late metastasis of testis seminoma to the bladder.

A 45-year-old male presented to our clinic with complaining of hematuria for a month. The investigations showed a 59 × 24-mm myxoid mass on the right lateral bladder wall and this was removed with transurethral resection. The histopathology evaluation result was seminoma (classic type). The medical history revealed that the patient had undergone inguinal orchiectomy for a testis tumour 10 years before and the diagnosis was classic type seminoma. He received chemotherapy following the orchiectomy, but had not gone for follow-up after the first year. There was no other metastasis and he was put on the iphosphamide, etoposide, cisplatin (IPE) protocol. The patient has been disease-free for the last 5 months and the tumour markers and cystoscopy were normal. Testis tumours can rarely cause other organ metastases in the late stage even if curative surgery and chemo-radiotherapy were initially administered. Proper follow-up is crucial. It is also necessary to query the tumour history when a tumour in any organ is considered.