PD-L1 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical significance: A prospective observational study from a tertiary care centre.

BACKGROUND: Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in tumor cells contribute to tumor immunity and therapies directed against it, have shown encouraging results in recent years. As there is limited data on the significance of PD-L1 expression in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) from India, we aimed to study the PD-L1 expression and its relation with different clinic-pathological parameters in patients of HNSCC from a tertiary care center in Eastern India. METHODS: A prospective evaluation of HNSCC patients diagnosed and managed at our center over a period of two and half years, was performed. PD-L1 expression in formalin fixed-paraffin embedded tumor tissue specimens was measured using SP-263 (Ventana) and 22C3 (Dako). A PD-L1 expression of <1%, 1-19%, ≥20% were considered negative, low, and high expression, respectively, and was correlated with various parameters. RESULTS: A total of 71 patients (mean age 50.8 ± 13.3 years, 86% males) were diagnosed with HNSCC (buccal mucosa-28, tongue-22, rest of oral cavity-8, larynx-7, nasopharynx-6). The tumor was poorly differentiated in 12 (17%). PD-L1 positivity was seen in a total of 51 (71.8%) patients (1-19%:18, ≥20%:33). Thirty (85.7%) patients among those aged <50 years and 58.3% of those aged ≥50 years showed PD-L1 positivity which was significant (P = 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in PD-L1 positivity with respect to gender, tobacco use, tumor grade as well as tumor and nodal stage. Median follow up duration was 18 months (range 3-31 months) and there was significant difference in overall survival among PD-L1 positive and negative groups (31 vs 24 months; log rank P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: 72% of HNSCC patients in our cohort showed PD-L1 positivity and it was not associated with any patient demographic characteristics or aggressive pathological features. Positive PD-L1 expression may have a beneficial effect on overall survival in HNSCC.

PD-L1 expression and its significance in advanced NSCLC: real-world experience from a tertiary care center.

BACKGROUND: Targeted therapies against programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have revolutionized the management in recent years. There is paucity of data on the significance of PD-L1 expression in NSCLC from India. We aimed to study the prevalence of PD-L1 expression and its relation with different clinico-pathological parameters in advanced NSCLC from a tertiary care center in Eastern India. METHODS: All consecutive patients with advanced NSCLC diagnosed from January 2020 to December 2021 were prospectively evaluated for PD-L1 expression in formalin fixed-paraffin embedded tumor tissue specimens using immunohistochemistry analysis. A PD-L1 expression of < 1%, 1-49%, and ≥ 50% were considered negative, low, and high expression positive respectively, and association with various parameters was performed. RESULTS: Out of the 94 patients (mean age 59.6 ± 14 years and 63.8% males), PD-L1 positivity was seen in 42 (44.7%) patients, with low positivity (1-49%) in 29 patients and high positivity (≥ 50%) in 13 patients. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutations were seen in 28 patients (29.8%). There were no significant differences in PD-L1 positivity with respect to gender, age, and molecular mutation status. PD-L1 positivity was significantly associated with tobacco use (p = 0.04), advanced tumor stage (p < 0.001), and higher nodal stage (p < 0.001). Median overall survival in the cohort was 17 months and it was not significantly different between the PD-L1 positive and negative groups. CONCLUSIONS: Forty-five percent of advanced NSCLC patients in our cohort showed positive PD-L1 expression and it is associated with tobacco use and aggressive tumor characteristics.

Online for On Call: A Study Assessing the Use of Internet Resources Including ChatGPT among On-Call Radiology Residents in India.

Background The information-seeking behavior of the radiology residents on call has undergone modernization in the recent times given the advent of easy to access, reliable online resources, and robust artificial intelligence chatbots such as Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT). Purpose The aim of this study was to conduct a baseline analysis among the residents to understand the best way to meet information needs in the future, spread awareness about the existing resources, and narrow down to the most preferred online resource. Methods and Materials A prospective, descriptive study was performed using an online survey instrument and was conducted among radiology residents in India. They were questioned on their demographics, frequency of on call, fatigue experienced on call, and preferred information resources and reasons for choosing them. Results A total of 286 residents participated in the survey. All residents had used the Internet radiology resources during on-call duties. The most preferred resource material was Radiopaedia followed by Radiology Assistant. IMAIOS e-Anatomy was the most preferred anatomy resource. There was significant ( p < 0.05) difference in relation to the use of closed edit peer-reviewed literature among the two batches with it being used almost exclusively by third year residents. In the artificial intelligence-aided ChatGPT section, 61.8% had used the software at least once while being on call, of them 57.6% responded that the information was inaccurate, 67.2% responded that the information was insufficient to aid in diagnosis, 100% felt that the lack of images in the software made it an unlikely resource that would be used by them in the future, and 85.8% agreed that they would use it for providing reporting templates in the future. In the suggestions for upcoming versions, 100% responded that images should be included in the description provide by the chatbot, and 74.5% felt that references for the information being provided should be included as it reaffirms the reliability of the information. Conclusions Presently, we find that Radiopaedia met most of the requirements as an ideal online radiology resource according to the residents. In the present-day scenario, ChatGPT is not considered as an important on-call radiology education resource first because it lacks images which is quintessential for a budding radiologist, and second, it does not have any reference or proof for the information that it is providing. However, it may be of help to nonmedical professionals who need to understand radiology in layman's terms and to radiologists for patient report preparation and research writing.

Finding its place on the spectrum of pituitary duplication disorders, duplication of pituitary stalk: A case report with brief review of literature.

Pituitary gland duplication is a rare abnormality and isolated duplication of the pituitary stalk without any pituitary anomaly is an even rarer entity with this case being the first documented case till date. Although incidentally discovered cases of duplication of pituitary gland (DPG) have been reported, sometimes with a duplicated pituitary stalk, patients with this disorder usually present with other craniofacial abnormalities. Consequently, DPG plus syndrome is used as it is often accompanied by endocrine disturbances and pathologies such as median cleft face syndrome, ocular disorders, craniocervical bony abnormalities, vascular anomalies and tuberomammillary masses. Since this is the first reported case without any additional pituitary gland anomaly, we propose the acronym DPS (duplication of pituitary stalk) to be used to unify this entity as we are certain that much like the previously described pituitary duplication disorders, more cases will be documented independently rather than under the umbrella of pituitary duplication disorders. This is critical as the life expectancy (age of diagnosis) in the cases reviewed in our study is as good as normal population with no obvious increase in mortality as compared to existing pituitary duplication syndromes. We present a case report of a 2 year 7 month old girl who was referred by the paediatrician for evaluation of premature thelarche. The duplication of the pituitary stalk along with mega cisterna magna and tuberomammillary fusion was the only positive finding on imaging with the pituitary gland being absolutely normal.

Primary extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma of the breast: report of a case and literature review.

Primary extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (pEMC) of the breast is rare and only a few cases have been reported to date. Herein, we report a case of primary EMC of the breast in a 45-year-old female. The patient presented with a left breast mass for 1 month. Mammogram revealed a fairly circumscribed mass with spicules of calcifications. The core biopsy and resection specimen showed a myxoid soft tissue neoplasm with histologic features of a myxoid chondrosarcoma. Necrosis, hemorrhage, and brisk mitotic activity were present. No malignant epithelial element was identified even after extensive sampling. The tumor cells exhibited immunoreactivity for vimentin, S100, neuron specific enolase, CD99, and synaptophysin, while the epithelial, myoepithelial, and mammary lineage-associated markers were negative. As up to 81% of EMC cases harbor t(9;22)(q22;q12), this results in a fusion of EWS RNA-binding protein 1 gene (EWSR1) at 22q12 to the nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 3 gene at 9q22. A rearrangement involving the EWSR1 locus was detected in our case. Whole body PET-CT did not reveal any other mass. A diagnosis of pEMC was rendered. The patient received six cycles of 5-Fluorouracil, Cyclophosphamide, and Adriamycin. The patient was in clinical and radiologic remission at the last follow-up (18 months post surgery). PET-CT and brain MRI were negative. In conclusion, surgical pathologists should include EMC in their differential while dealing with a myxoid soft tissue lesion of the breast, particularly in the core needle biopsies. An expeditious diagnosis of EMC of the breast would allow the surgeon to carry out conservative breast surgery instead of more radical approaches taken in cases of other primary malignant mammary neoplasms.

Neonatal Joubert Syndrome With Renal Involvement and Respiratory Distress.

Joubert syndrome (JS) is a rare autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder with characteristic clinical presentation of hyperpnea-apnea spells, hypotonia, dysmorphic facies, and nystagmus and imaging features of molar tooth sign and cerebellar vermian hypoplasia-dysplasia. Early diagnosis is needed for timely management and favorable outcome. We present a case of neonatal JS with renal involvement presenting with respiratory distress and highlight the characteristic clinical and imaging findings. On examination, the baby had low set ears, a large protruding tongue, hypertelorism, and a depressed nasal bridge. Ultrasonography (USG) abdomen showed echogenic kidneys with cortical and medullary cysts. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain showed classical molar tooth sign, vermian hypoplasia-dysplasia, and thinning of the corpus callosum.

Chronic Kidney Disease Presenting With Brown Tumors in the Mandible.

A 45-year-old man with stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) on controlled dialysis presented with right-sided painful jaw swelling and protruding into the oral cavity for one year. Examination revealed a 3 x 2.5-cm hard, fixed, and tender swelling of the right mandible. Imaging showed expansile radiolucent lesions in bilateral retromolar regions of the mandible, local destruction of the basal bone, and diffuse osteopenia of the skull. Laboratory investigations revealed elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH), elevated serum calcium, normal serum phosphorous, and elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP). A provisional diagnosis of tertiary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) causing brown tumors was made, which was confirmed on histopathology. Surgical removal of the lesion and subtotal parathyroidectomy were done followed by cinacalcet and controlled dialysis. This case report highlights the possibility of encountering multiple focal brown tumors in a patient and the importance of their differentiation from malignancy.

Case Report- A rare case of giant hyperplastic polyp.

Giant gastric hyperplastic polyps are the most common benign epithelial tumors in the stomach. These are non-neoplastic epithelial proliferations of the stomach which are strongly associated with inflammatory conditions like chronic gastritis, helicobacter pylori gastritis, reactive or chemical gastritis. A 60 years old gentleman presented with history of two bouts of hematemesis preceded by multiple intermittent episodes of epigastric pain, nausea and few episodes of non-bilious vomiting without any history of previous gastrointestinal bleed, loss of appetite or significant weight loss. Work up with ultrasonography of abdomen, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, contrast enhanced computed tomography abdomen, laboratory investigations followed by biopsy and histopathology was done which confirmed the diagnosis. Giant hyperplastic polyps are benign epithelial tumor of stomach often resulting from excessive regenerative hyperplasia in areas of chronic inflammation with no site predilection and nearly no malignant potential. Usually asymptomatic, these are incidentally detected on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with characteristic appearance of such polyps on double contrast barium study followed by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy is definitive for diagnosis.

Primary gastric Hodgkin's lymphoma: A rare coincidence.

Mostly primary gastric lymphomas are of the non-Hodgkin variety. Primary Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) of the stomach is an unusual entity that may be a big challenge in diagnosis. We reporter are case presenting as gastric outlet obstruction, which was later diagnosed as primary Hodgkin's Lymphoma of the stomach. Its rare coincidence makes it worth to be reported to sensitize clinicians as well as pathologists for the uncommon extra nodal site of Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Intracranial Solitary Fibrous Tumor/Hemangiopericytoma: A Clinicoradiological Poorly Recognized Entity- An Institutional Experience.

AIM: Intracranial solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) and hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are rare nonmeningothelial mesenchymal tumors sharing fusion of NGF1-A binding protein 2 (NAB2) and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT6.).The WHO classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors (2016) highlights that molecular confirmation of NAB2/STAT6 fusion or immunohistochemical nuclear expression of STAT6 is mandatory for the diagnosis of SFT/HPC.Herein, we present a series of four cases of SFT/HPC of the brain, which mimicked other CNS tumors both clinically and radiologically. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study over a period of two and a half years. Out of the 156 operated cases of brain tumors, four patients (2.56%) were diagnosed with SFT/HPC. The clinicoradiological details with the surgical procedure were retrieved from the archived hospital records. RESULTS: All cases were males, of which three were in their 5th decade while one was a 14-month-old baby. Two cases were primary and the rest were recurrent.The location of tumors was extra-axial left cerebellotentorial,clivaldural-based,left cerebellar, and in the left frontoparietal region,respectively. The clinical impression was meningioma in three cases,while it was primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) /atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) in one case.With the detailed histomorphology and immunohistochemistry, the final diagnosis was anaplastic hemangiopericytoma(WHO grade III) for all the cases. During our follow-up, one patient died with the disease, while the rest are doing well. CONCLUSION: SFT/HPC should be kept in the differential diagnosis of all dura-based hypervascular masses, especially in recurrent cases, due to its aggressiveness and high recurrence rate.

Strategies for evaluating the economic value of drugs in alcohol dependence treatment.

BACKGROUND: To assess existing health economic strategies, which are used to evaluate the economic value of drugs to treat alcohol dependence (AD) such as acamprosate, naltrexone and any other pharmaceuticals. METHODS: A systematic literature search on AD treatment economic evaluation studies was performed in multiple electronic bibliographic and economic databases. RESULTS: A total of seven studies were found that involved economic evaluations of pharmacotherapy treatment of AD. It was seen that all individual pharmacotherapy treatment programs including acamprosate, naltrexone and combined treatments have resulted in a net benefit or cost savings. However, the examined studies used different methods to estimate the costs, cost savings, and cost effectiveness of the treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacotherapy treatment of AD produced marked economic benefits. However, the number of studies on the economic evaluation of pharmacotherapy for AD treatment is limited. The gaps in these studies have also been identified as necessitating more research.

Primary intradural extramedullary ependymoma: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Primary intradural extramedullary ependymomas are very rare. They are called primary in this location as they do not have any connection with the central nervous system. They usually develop from an ectopic ependymal cell nest. To the best of our knowledge, only 10 cases have been described in the literature. We report two cases of large sausage-shaped intradural extramedullary ependymoma in the lumbosacral area.

A literature review of cost-benefit analyses for the treatment of alcohol dependence.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a literature review of cost-benefit studies on pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy treatments of alcohol dependence (AD). A literature search was performed in multiple electronic bibliographic databases. The search identified seven psychotherapy studies from the USA and two pharmacotherapy studies from Europe. In the psychotherapy studies, major benefits are typically seen within the first six months of treatment. The benefit-cost ratio ranged from 1.89 to 39.0. Treatment with acamprosate was found to accrue a net benefit of 21,301 BEF (528 €) per patient over a 24-month period in Belgium and lifetime benefit for each patient in Spain was estimated to be Pta. 3,914,680 (23,528 €). To date, only a few studies exist that have examined the cost-benefit of psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy treatment of AD. Most of the available treatment options for AD appear to produce marked economic benefits.

Alcohol as a risk factor for liver cirrhosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Alcohol is an established risk factor for liver cirrhosis. It remains unclear, however, whether this relationship follows a continuous dose-response pattern or has a threshold. Also, the influences of sex and end-point (i.e. mortality vs. morbidity) on the association are not known. To address these questions and to provide a quantitative assessment of the association between alcohol intake and risk of liver cirrhosis, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort and case-control studies. DESIGN AND METHODS: Studies were identified by a literature search of Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsychINFO, ETOH and Google Scholar from January 1980 to January 2008 and by searching the references of retrieved articles. Studies were included if quantifiable information on risk and related confidence intervals with respect to at least three different levels of average alcohol intake were reported. Both categorical and continuous meta-analytic techniques were used to model the dose-response relationship. RESULTS: Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. We found some indications for threshold effects. Alcohol consumption had a significantly larger impact on mortality of liver cirrhosis compared with morbidity. Also, the same amount of average consumption was related to a higher risk of liver cirrhosis in women than in men. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Overall, end-point was an important source of heterogeneity among study results. This result has important implications not only for studies in which the burden of disease attributable to alcohol consumption is estimated, but also for prevention.

Alcohol consumption and the risk of morbidity and mortality for different stroke types--a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have suggested a complex relationship between alcohol consumption and stroke, dependent on sex, type of stroke and outcome (morbidity vs. mortality). We undertook a systematic review and a meta-analysis of studies assessing the association between levels of average alcohol consumption and relative risks of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes separately by sex and outcome. This meta-analysis is the first to explicitly separate morbidity and mortality of alcohol-attributable stroke and thus has implications for public health and prevention. METHODS: Using Medical Subject Headings (alcohol drinking, ethanol, cerebrovascular accident, cerebrovascular disorders, and intracranial embolism and thrombosis and the key word stroke), a literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, CABS, WHOlist, SIGLE, ETOH, and Web of Science databases between 1980 to June 2009 was performed followed by manual searches of bibliographies of key retrieved articles. From twenty-six observational studies (cohort or case-control) with ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes the relative risk or odds ratios or hazard ratios of stroke associated with alcohol consumption were reported; alcohol consumption was quantified; and life time abstention (manually estimated where data for current abstainers were given) was used as the reference group. Two reviewers independently extracted the information on study design, participant characteristics, level of alcohol consumption, stroke outcome, control for potential confounding factors, risk estimates and key criteria of study quality using a standardized protocol. RESULTS: The dose-response relationship for hemorrhagic stroke had monotonically increasing risk for increasing consumption, whereas ischemic stroke showed a curvilinear relationship, with a protective effect of alcohol for low to moderate consumption, and increased risk for higher exposure. For more than 3 drinks on average/day, in general women had higher risks than men, and the risks for mortality were higher compared to the risks for morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that heavy alcohol consumption increases the relative risk of any stroke while light or moderate alcohol consumption may be protective against ischemic stroke. Preventive measures that should be initiated are discussed.

Alcohol consumption, unprovoked seizures, and epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to analyze and quantify the association between alcohol consumption and epilepsy as an independent disease, in part operationalized by the occurrence of unprovoked seizures, as well as to examine causality. METHODS: Systematic review, meta-analysis. RESULTS: A strong and consistent association between alcohol consumption and epilepsy/unprovoked seizures was found with an overall relative risk (RR) of 2.19 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.83-2.63]. There was a dose-response relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed daily and the probability of the onset of epilepsy. Individuals consuming an average of four, six, and eight drinks daily had RRs of 1.81 (95% CI 1.59-2.07), 2.44 (95% CI 2.00-2.97), and 3.27 (95% CI 2.52-4.26), respectively, compared to nondrinkers. Several pathogenic mechanisms for the development of epilepsy in alcohol users were identified. Most of the relevant studies found that a high percentage of alcohol users with epilepsy would qualify for the criteria of alcohol dependence. Data were inconclusive regarding a threshold for the effect of alcohol, but most studies suggest that the effect may only hold for heavy drinking (four and more drinks daily). DISCUSSION: The relationship between alcohol consumption and epilepsy and unprovoked seizures was quantified and several pathogenic mechanisms were suggested, although none of them has been proven to be the unique causative pathway for epilepsy. Certain limitations underlying this study require further research to clarify the outstanding statistical issues and pathogenesis of epilepsy in heavy drinkers.