Correlation Between Amyloid PET Imaging and Discordant Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers Results in Patients with Suspected Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Although the concordance between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers and amyloid-PET findings is well known, there are no data regarding the concordance of amyloid-PET with inconclusive CSF values of amyloid-ß (Aß)1 - 42 and p-tau for the diagnosis of AD. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the amyloid-PET results with discordant AD biomarkers values in CSF (Aß1 - 42+/p-tau-or Aß1 - 42-/p-tau+). METHODS: An observational retrospective study, including 62 patients with mild cognitive impairment (32/62) or dementia (30/62), suspicious of AD who had undergone a lumbar puncture to determine CSF AD biomarkers, and presented discordant values in CSF between Aß1 - 42 and p-tau (Aß1 - 42+/p-tau-or Aß1 - 42-/p-tau+). All of them, underwent an amyloid-PET with 18F-Florbetaben. An extensive neuropsychological testing as part of their diagnostic process (MMSE and TMA-93), was performed, and it was also obtained the Global Deterioration Scale. RESULTS: Comparing the discordant CSF results of each patient with the cerebral amyloid-PET results, we found that in the group with Aß1 - 42+ and p-tau-CSF values, the amyloid-PET was positive in 51.2% and negative in 48.8% of patients, while in the group with Aß1 - 42-and p-Tau+ CSF values, the amyloid-PET was positive in 52.6% of patients and negative in 47.4% of them. No significant association was found (p = 0.951) between the results of amyloid-PET and the two divergent groups in CSF. CONCLUSIONS: No significant relationship was observed between the results of discordant AD biomarkers in CSF and the result of amyloid-PET. No trend in amyloid-PET results was observed in relation to CSF biomarker values.

Peripheral Inflammation Is Associated with Dopaminergic Degeneration in Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral inflammatory immune responses are suggested to play a major role in dopaminergic degeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a well-established biomarker of systemic inflammation in PD. Degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system can be assessed in vivo using [123 I]FP-CIT single photon emission computed tomography imaging of striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) density. OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between the peripheral immune profile (NLR, lymphocytes, and neutrophils) and striatal DAT density in patients with PD. METHODS: We assessed clinical features, the peripheral immune profile, and striatal [123 I]FP-CIT DAT binding levels of 211 patients with PD (primary-cohort). Covariate-controlled associations between the immune response and striatal DAT levels were assessed using linear regression analyses. For replication purposes, we also studied a separate cohort of 344 de novo patients with PD enrolled in the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI-cohort). RESULTS: A higher NLR was significantly associated with lower DAT levels in the caudate (primary-cohort: ß = -0.01, p < 0.001; PPMI-cohort: ß = -0.05, p = 0.05) and the putamen (primary-cohort: ß = -0.05, p = 0.02; PPMI-cohort: ß = -0.06, p = 0.02). Intriguingly, a lower lymphocyte count was significantly associated with lower DAT levels in both the caudate (primary-cohort: ß = +0.09, p < 0.05; PPMI-cohort: ß = +0.11, p = 0.02) and the putamen (primary-cohort: ß = +0.09, p < 0.05, PPMI-cohort: ß = +0.14, p = 0.01), but an association with the neutrophil count was not consistently observed (caudate; primary-cohort: ß = -0.05, p = 0.02; PPMI-cohort: ß = 0, p = 0.94; putamen; primary-cohort: ß = -0.04, p = 0.08; PPMI-cohort: ß = -0.01, p = 0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings across two independent cohorts suggest a relationship between systemic inflammation and dopaminergic degeneration in patients with PD. This relationship was mainly driven by the lymphocyte count. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Evolución de la cirugía urgente en un servicio de cirugía general durante la pandemia de COVID-19 y comparación con una cohorte histórica.

BACKGROUND: Acute care surgery decreased during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To study the evolution of acute care surgery and its relationship with the pandemic severity. METHOD: Retrospective cohort study which compared patients who underwent acute care surgery during the pandemic to a control group. RESULTS: A total of 660 patients were included (253 in the control group, 67 in the first-wave, 193 in the valley, and 147 in the second wave). The median daily number of acute care surgery procedures was 2 during the control period. This activity decreased during the first wave (1/day), increased during the valley (2/day), and didn't change in the second wave (2/day). Serious complications were more common during the first wave (22.4%). A negative linear correlation was found between the daily number of acute care surgery procedures, number of patients being admitted to the hospital each day and daily number of patients dying because of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Acute care surgery was reduced during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased during the valley, and returned to the pre-pandemic level during the second wave. Thus, acute care surgery was related to pandemic severity, with fewer surgeries being performed when the pandemic was more severe.

ANTECEDENTES: La cirugía urgente disminuyó durante la primera ola de la pandemia de COVID-19. OBJETIVO: Estudiar la evolución de la cirugía urgente y su relación con la gravedad de la pandemia. MÉTODO: Estudio de cohortes retrospectivo que compara los pacientes intervenidos de forma urgente durante la pandemia con un grupo control. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 660 pacientes (253 en el grupo control, 67 en primera ola de la pandemia, 193 en el periodo valle y 147 en la segunda ola). La mediana del número de cirugías urgentes fue de 2 (intervalo intercuartílico: 1-3) durante el periodo control, disminuyó durante la primera ola (1/día), aumentó durante el valle (2/día) y no se modificó en la segunda ola (2/día). Las complicaciones mayores fueron más comunes durante la primera ola (22.4%). Se encontró una correlación lineal negativa entre el número de procedimientos quirúrgicos urgentes diarios y el número de ingresos hospitalarios y fallecimientos diarios por COVID-19. CONCLUSIONES: La cirugía urgente se redujo durante la primera ola, aumentó durante el periodo valle y volvió a niveles prepandémicos durante la segunda ola. Además, la cirugía urgente se relaciona con la gravedad de la pandemia, ya que se realizaron menos cirugías urgentes durante el periodo de mayor gravedad de la pandemia.

Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia in Parkinson Disease Specifically Associates With Dopaminergic Depletion in Sensorimotor-Related Functional Subregions of the Striatum.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the development of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in Parkinson disease (PD) specifically relates to dopaminergic depletion in sensorimotor-related subregions of the striatum. METHODS: Our primary study sample consisted of 185 locally recruited PD patients, of which 73 (40%) developed LID. Retrospective 123I-FP-CIT SPECT data were used to quantify the specific dopamine transporter (DAT) binding ratio within distinct functionally defined striatal subregions related to limbic, executive, and sensorimotor systems. Regional DAT levels were contrasted between patients who developed LID (PD + LID) and those who did not (PD-LID) using analysis of covariance models controlled for demographic and clinical features. For validation of the findings and assessment of the evolution of LID-associated DAT changes from an early disease stage, we also studied serial 123I-FP-CIT SPECT data from 343 de novo PD patients enrolled in the Parkinson Progression Marker's Initiative using mixed linear model analysis. RESULTS: Compared with PD-LID, DAT level reductions in PD + LID patients were most pronounced in the sensorimotor striatal subregion (F = 5.99, P = 0.016) and also significant in the executive-related subregion (F = 5.30, P = 0.023). In the Parkinson Progression Marker's Initiative cohort, DAT levels in PD + LID (n = 161, 47%) were only significantly reduced compared with PD-LID in the sensorimotor striatal subregion (t = -2.05, P = 0.041), and this difference was already present at baseline and remained largely constant over time. CONCLUSION: Measuring DAT depletion in functionally defined sensorimotor-related striatal regions of interest may provide a more sensitive tool to detect LID-associated dopaminergic changes at an early disease stage and could improve individual prognosis of this common clinical complication in PD.

Contralateral Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in a Patient with Relapsed Breast Cancer: Locoregional Event or Distant Metastasis Disease?

INTRODUCTION: Contralateral axillary lymph node metastasis (CAM) is a rare clinical condition in patients with breast cancer. It can be explained from hematogenous spread from the original primary tumor (stage IV) to aberrant regional lymphatic drainage to the contralateral axilla. However, according to the current clinical guidelines, regardless of its origin, CAM is considered as metastatic disease. CASE PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old woman presented with relapsed right breast cancer; lymphoscintigraphy showed only one sentinel lymph node (SLN) in the contralateral axilla (left region). Twenty-four hours later, the patient underwent upper internal quadrantectomy and bilateral selective lymph node biopsy. The final pathological analysis revealed one contralateral macrometastasis (>4 mm) in one left SLN. Subsequently, second-level left lymphadenectomy was performed. Currently the patient is being treated with chemotherapy, with appropriate clinical response. DISCUSSION: Our patient was considered to be node-positive rather than having metastatic disease since the preoperative lymphoscintigraphy demonstrated contralateral lymphatic drainage. Through preoperative scan in patients with relapsed breast cancer with clinically negative lymph nodes and CAM, it is possible to identify those cases that would benefit from therapy with curative intention.

Acute Brain Stroke Evolution Detected by 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI Justifies the Discordance of Lesions in a Patient With Lymphoproliferative Syndrome.

ABSTRACT: A 50-year-old man with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in complete response to treatment presented new hypermetabolic brain lesions on 18F-FDG PET/CT suggestive of malignancy. These findings were correlated by MRI that showed cortical-subcortical peripheral lesions typical of acute ischemic infarction. A restaging 18F-FDG PET/CT showed that hypermetabolic lesions were replaced by ametabolic areas, supporting chronic infarction. Early ischemia presents transitory FDG increase. Brain lymphomas are highly FDG avid and difficult to differentiate from acute cerebral infarction. In view of the discordance of abnormal areas of intracranial uptake on PET FDG, MRI confirmation is required to avoid misinterpretation.

Gammagrafía peritoneal en el diagnóstico de la comunicación peritoneo-pleural / Peritoneal Scintigraphy Scan in the Diagnosis of Pleuroperitoneal Leak

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Differential diagnosis of HaNDL syndrome in a case report of a pediatric patient: The role of SPECT with 99mTc-HMPAO.

•HaNDL syndrome may be a condition probably underdiagnosed in pediatric age.•A differential diagnosis with viral, vascular or autoimmune etiology is necessary.•Epileptiform alterations in EEG could be possible in this infrequent syndrome.•99mTc-HMPAO SPECT provides a potential role in the differential diagnostic and management.

Gammagrafía con hematíes desnaturalizados en esplenosis hepática en paciente con cirrosis / Labeled heat-denatured red blood cell scintigraphy in hepatic splenosis in a cirrhotic patient

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99mTc-HDP Bone Scintigraphy, SPECT/CT, and 18F-FDG PET/CT Diagnosis Imaging of Incidental Pleural Mesothelioma in a Patient With Biochemical Recurrences of Prostate Cancer: Is it Really a Coincidence?

We present the case of a 69-year-old man with history of prostate carcinoma treated with prostatectomy and subsequently with external beam radiotherapy and hormone therapy because of biochemical recurrences. More than 10 years after the diagnosis, follow-up Tc-HDP bone scans and SPECT/CT images demonstrated an incidental diagnosis of osteoblastic pleural plaques that quickly evolve to mesothelioma. PET/CT achieved the definitive diagnosis by guiding the biopsy to the highest and most accessible focus of glucidic hypermetabolism. Our case report raises the association between prostate cancer patients treated with external beam radiotherapy and the development of pleural mesothelioma despite having no history of exposure to asbestos.

18F-FDG PET/CT in lung B lymphoid hyperplasia-type Castleman disease.

We present a 62-year-old woman who, after a catarrhal episode, underwent a chest xray and a chest CT, identifying a pleural-based mass in the left lower lobe. This lesion presented a mixed pattern with solid and peripheral ground-glass attenuation, and an air-bronchogram sign. Despite de suspicion of bronchopneumonia, a lung neoplasm like a predominantly lepidic adenocarcinoma could not be ruled. A 18 F-FDG PET/CT showed a focal radiotracer uptake with SUVmax of 5.34 in the pulmonary lesion, supporting the neoplastic etiology. Consequently, a lower lobectomy was performed and histological examination concluded that the final diagnosis was a B lymphoid hyperplasia-type Castleman disease. Castleman's disease is an uncommon disorder that can be easily misdiagnosed as lymphoma, neoplasm or infection. Unicentric Castleman's disease (UCD) usually presents a hyaline-vascular histological subtype and is usually asymptomatic. Extranodal involvement is very rare. Only a few cases of solid organ involvement such us spleen or parotid gland have been described. UCD originating in the lung is extremely rare and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a primary pulmonary malignant tumor.

Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy and Antisynthetase Syndrome: Early Diagnosis by 99mTc-HDP Bone Scintigraphy.

We present a 44-year-old woman with scapular and pelvic muscle weakness, joint inflammation, and fever. Bone scintigraphy showed high uptake in proximal regions of upper and lower limbs, suspecting inflammatory myopathy and polyarticular damage. These features were the clue to request other complementary tests such as anti-aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase antibodies and chest CT, which showed interstitial lung disease, defining an antisynthetase syndrome. Therefore, BS allows an earlier diagnosis of inflammatory muscle disease and to identify the optimal site for muscle biopsy. BS is an important step to reach a prompt diagnosis of antisynthetase syndrome for establishing an early treatment.