Adjuvant Radiofrequency Ablation Along With Stenting Versus Stenting Alone for Biliary Tree Drainage in Patients With Malignant Biliary Strictures: A Systemic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This metanalysis aims to assess the efficacy and safety of biliary stenting along with radiofrequency ablation compared with stents alone to treat malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) due to extrahepatic biliary strictures secondary to cholangiocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer, and metastatic cancer. METHODS: A systemic search of major databases through April 2022 was done. All original studies were included comparing radiofrequency ablation with stenting versus stenting alone for treating malignant biliary strictures. The primary outcomes of interest were the difference in the mean stent patency and overall survival (OS) days between the 2 groups. The secondary outcome was to compare the adverse events of the 2 groups. The mean difference in the stent patency and OS days was pooled by using a random-effect model. We calculated the odds ratio to compare the adverse events between the 2 groups. RESULTS: A total of 13 studies with 1339 patients were identified. The pooled weighted mean difference in stent patency was 43.50 days (95% CI, 25.60-61.41), favoring the RFA plus stenting. Moreover, the pooled weighted mean difference in OS was 90.53 days (95% CI, 49.00-132.07), showing improved survival in the RFA group. Our analysis showed no statistically significant difference in adverse events between the 2 groups OR 1.13 (95% CI, 0.90-1.42). CONCLUSION: Our analysis showed that RFA, along with stent, is safe and is associated with improved stent patency and overall patient survival in malignant biliary strictures. More robust prospective studies should assess this association further.

Short-term outcomes after peroral endoscopic myotomy, Heller myotomy, and pneumatic dilation in patients with achalasia: a nationwide analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM), and pneumatic dilation (PD) are the most common modalities for management of achalasia. Our study aimed to directly compare their short-term outcomes and safety profile in a hospitalized cohort in the United States. METHODS: The National Readmission Database (2016-2019) was queried using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification codes to identify a cohort of inpatient admissions who underwent POEM, LHM, or PD. Baseline demographic variables, resource utilization, periprocedural outcomes, and 30-day readmissions were analyzed. A univariate and multivariate logistic regression model was used to compare odds of readmission with POEM as a reference. RESULTS: LHM was the most performed procedure (n = 9710) as compared with PD (n = 2453) and POEM (n = 1911). Patients undergoing PD were older with a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index. The 30-day readmission rate was 4.3%, 3.9%, and 12.6% for POEM, LHM, and PD, respectively. Compared with POEM, the adjusted odds of readmission for PD was 2.42 (95% confidence interval, 1.56-3.75). There was no statistically significant difference in odds of readmission for LHM (.91; 95% confidence interval, .62-1.33) compared with POEM. Within the 30-day readmitted population, 13.1% of PD and 3.4% of LHM patients required achalasia-related procedural intervention. The rate of bleeding (4.3%), blood transfusion (2.3%), and mortality were higher (1.1%) in PD as compared with POEM and LHM. CONCLUSIONS: In the United States, the risk of readmission and resource utilization are higher in patients with achalasia undergoing PD. The outcomes are comparable between POEM and LHM, but there is a significant difference between the utilization of these myotomy procedures.

Cardiac Dysrhythmias Associated With Substitutive Use of Loperamide: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Recently, several deaths secondary to cardiac arrhythmias have been reported in association with substitutive use of loperamide. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of all reported cases to overview the epidemiologic patterns and clinical outcomes to better elucidate loperamide-induced cardiac complications. AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY: Association between substitutive use of loperamide and cardiac arrhythmias. DATA SOURCES: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across 6 databases using variety of keywords to identify all reports of cardiac side effects associated with loperamide abuse. Only original case reports of cardiac toxicity or cardiac arrhythmias after loperamide abuse or overuse were included. Data were extracted by 2 authors independently using a structured template from the selected reports. Quality assessment of the reports was performed by using a high-quality evaluation tool. RESULTS: Thirteen reports describing 19 cases were included in our review. Except for coronary artery spasm in one case, cardiac arrhythmias were the major reported cardiac adverse event. The average age of patients was 31 years with majority being men (79%). The most common presentation was syncope (63%). All cases were reported in US except for 1 case. Three patients were concomitantly taking cimetidine, which is known to cause inhibition of CYP3A4 and CYP2C8 leading to increased levels of loperamide. Thirteen of 19 patients were successfully treated and discharged in a stable condition. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that measures such as restricting over-the-counter availability of loperamide and increasing awareness regarding loperamide's toxicity are imperative to prevent deaths associated with loperamide abuse.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Efficacy and Safety of Novel Interleukin Inhibitors in the Management of Psoriatic Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to systemically review the efficacy and safety of inhibitors of interleukin 6 (IL-6): clazakizumab, IL-12/23: ustekinumab, and IL-17A: secukinumab, brodalumab, and ixekizumab in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: The literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science. We included randomized controlled trials that assessed the efficacy of IL inhibitors and reported American College of Rheumatology 20 response at 24 weeks. Meta-analysis was done using random-effects model utilizing the DerSimonian and Laird method. Quality assessment was done using RobotReviewer Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Assessment Tool. Heterogeneity was assessed with Q statistic and quantified with I. Publication bias was assessed with a funnel plot. RESULTS: Eight studies including 2722 subjects demonstrate the efficacy of IL inhibitors clazakizumab, secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, and ustekinumab in the treatment of PsA. The American College of Rheumatology 20/50/70 risk ratios were 2.02 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.65-2.47; P = 0.000), 2.95 (95% CI, 2.32-3.73; P = 0.00), and 5.14 (95% CI, 3.28-8.06; P = 0.00), respectively, in favor of treatment versus placebo. There was no evidence of significant heterogeneity between trials. Subgroup analysis showed efficacy in patients who were tumor necrosis factor naive, as well as tumor necrosis factor nonresponders or inadequate responders. The number of adverse events was higher in the treatment groups versus placebo, the majority were mild and did not require treatment adjustment (risk ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.06-1.28; P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in drug withdrawals. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis shows that the inhibitors of IL-6 (clazakizumab), IL-12/23 (ustekinumab), and IL-17A (secukinumab, brodalumab, ixekizumab) are efficacious and generally well tolerated when used to treat patients with PsA.

Reevaluation of the Efficacy of First Line Regimen for Helicobacter pylori.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is a common cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and non-ulcer dyspepsia, and is also associated with gastric adenocarcinoma and mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Despite being known about for more than 30 years, finding an effective therapeutic strategy against it remains a challenge. AIM: There are no US studies evaluating the efficacy of a Levofloxacin based therapy for H. pylori infection. We here intend to study the efficacy of Levofloxacin based triple antibiotic regimen as compared to Clarithromycin based triple therapy and Bismuth based quadruple therapy in our patient population. METHODS: This is a retrospective single center observational study. Patients with Helicobacter pylori infection who underwent treatment for H. pylori with one of the three therapies, i.e. Clarithromycin triple, Bismuth Quadruple or Levofloxacin triple, were included in the study and the eradication rates were compared. The confirmation of the H. pylori was done 4 weeks after the completion of anti-microbial therapy. RESULTS: A total of 177 individuals underwent the H. pylori treatment in our retrospective review. Of these, 54% (n=97) of patients were treated with Clarithromycin based triple therapy (Group 1), 35% (n=63) were treated with Levofloxacin based regimen (Group 2), and the remaining 11% (n=17) were treated with Bismuth based quadruple therapy (Group 3). The eradication rates were significantly higher in patients treated with Clarithromycin based triple therapy as compared to Levofloxacin based triple therapy and Bismuth quadruple therapy (78.3% vs 49.2% vs 41.1% P=0.001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our study shows significantly lower eradication rates with Levofloxacin triple therapy among a selected US population. Thus, it may not be a good first-line therapy among this US population and the Clarithromycin based regimen may still be used successfully.

Acute Diverticulitis: A Rare Cause of Abdominal Pain.

There is an increasing incidence of diverticulosis and diverticulitis in the younger populations; and its occurrence in very young individual is concerning. Here we report a rare and interesting case of a 20-year-old man who presented with 3-day history of epigastric abdominal pain associated with diarrhea and nausea. His abdominal examination revealed mild tenderness in the right lower abdominal quadrant. Computed tomography (CT) scan of abdomen with intravenous contrast revealed scattered diverticula throughout the colon with focal thickening, pericolonic infiltrative changes suggestive of acute diverticulitis in the distal ascending colon. He was treated with intravenous hydration and antibiotics and discharged when his clinical status improved. He underwent colonoscopy 1 month later which showed pan diverticulosis. This case illustrates the importance of considering acute diverticulitis in the differential diagnosis of right lower quadrant pain when evaluating a young patient.

Rare sequalae of hiatal hernia causing pancreatitis and hepatitis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Hiatal hernia (HH) contents commonly include stomach, transverse colon, small intestine, and spleen but herniation of the pancreas is an extremely rare phenomenon. CASE SUMMARY: 79-year-old female with multiple comorbidities presented to emergency department with complaints of weight loss for 6 mo and abdominal pain for one day. Physical examination revealed cachectic and dehydrated female and bowel sounds could be auscultated on the right side of chest. Computed tomography of the chest and abdomen revealed interval enlargement of a massive HH, containing stomach and much of the bowel as well as pancreas and distal extra-hepatic biliary duct, probably responsible for obstructive effect upon same. There was increased prominence of the pancreas consistent with pancreatitis. There was a large HH causing obstructive effect with dilated biliary system along gall bladder wall edema and pancreatitis. Patient clinical status improved with conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: HH presenting with acute pancreatitis is a serious diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The initial management is conservative, even if the abdominal content has herniated to mediastinum. The incentive spirometry can be utilized in the conservative of the large HH. After stabilization of the patient, elective surgical intervention remains the mainstay of the management. Definitive treatment will vary from case to case depending on the acuity of situation and comorbidities.

Revisiting the Reliability of the Endoscopy and Sedation-Assisted High-Resolution Esophageal Motility Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM) is performed for evaluation of dysphagia or the pre-operative evaluation before esophageal surgery. The esophageal manometry parameters, interpreted as per the Chicago classification (CC), are meant to be acquired in an awake state. At times, the patient intolerance or inability to traverse the manometry catheter across the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) renders incomplete esophageal motility evaluation; hence, sedation or endoscopy assistance is required. There have been concerns raised regarding the use of sedation and resultant alteration of the manometry parameters. The aims were to study the effects of intravenous sedation on esophageal motility parameters and analyze its impact on outcomes of patients with dysphagia who are intolerant to awake manometry procedure. METHODS: The study population comprised patients who had sedation or the endoscopy assistance for the HRM. The indication for HRM, necessity for the sedation, manometry findings, barium esophagogram results, procedural timings and patient outcomes were reviewed. The diagnostic impact of the 10% correction in integrated relaxation pressure (IRP) was also studied. RESULTS: There were 14 patients from 179 awake manometry procedures that required the sedation or the endoscopy assistance. The mean age was 60.7 years and there was equal gender distribution. Dysphagia (n = 9) remained the predominant indication for the HRM, followed by the pre-operative evaluation for the esophageal surgery (n = 5). In eight patients, awake manometry failed due to the coiling of the catheter above the EGJ and six patients were intolerant to awake catheter insertion technique. Six patients were diagnosed with achalasia and two with EGJ obstruction. The correction of the possible 10% inflation of the IRP did not alter the final diagnosis in majority except one patient with the EGJ obstruction. The findings of the barium esophagogram corroborated the manometry diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Esophageal HRM should be done in awake state as much as possible. Sedation may be a feasible option as against aborting the further workup in patients who fail with current techniques involving awake catheter insertion. However, one needs to be mindful of sedation effects on manometry parameters and interpret results carefully.

A Rare Etiology of Abnormally Large Gastric Folds: Menetrier's Disease.

Menetrier's disease (MD) is described as hypertrophied giant gastric folds causing hypoproteinemia due to protein losing gastropathy and is associated with higher risk of gastric adenocarcinoma. We present a case of a 58-year-old male who presented to our clinic with Melena and endoscopic work up showed enlarged gastric folds and erythematous mucosa in the antrum and three nonbleeding angioectasias in the duodenum. Mucosa biopsies were negative for H. pylori infection. He underwent polypectomy which showed fundic gland polyps. After 1½ years, EGD was repeated for abnormal computerized tomography of abdomen which showed enlarged gastric folds and biopsy revealed gastric fundic mucosa with foveolar hyperplasia, dilated fundic glands, and chronic gastritis. Stomach biopsy results were consistent with MD. Our patient had progressive disease in one and half years. It is important to follow patient with large gastric folds regular as they can develop MD over time which has increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma.

Hepatitis in slaughterhouse workers.

Slaughterhouse workers (SHW) are at increased risk of hepatitis which can occur due to different organisms and should be investigated for viral, bacterial, and parasitic organisms. Slaughter house personnel including butchers are at a higher risk of infections from cuts and blood-letting, with the possible risk of the transmission of blood-borne pathogens to their colleagues. The objective of this review is to evaluate the common etiologies of hepatitis in SHW which will assist in the assessment of these patients presenting with transaminitis. Types of Microorganisms causing hepatitis with their reservoirs, routes of transmission, laboratory diagnosis, clinical features, treatment options and preventive strategies are included in this review. Proper investigation and awareness is of utmost importance as it causes significant financial constraints derived from workers health cost and from livestock production losses when the disease is confirmed. The work up is essential because infected workers might be a source of infections to other colleagues, family and the consumers.

Preclinical cardiac disease in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with and without metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome is associated with preclinical cardiac disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is uncertain whether preclinical cardiac disease is present in patients with NAFLD without metabolic syndrome (MetS). OBJECTIVE: To explore preclinical cardiac disease in patients with NAFLD. METHODS: A total of 64 patients with NAFLD, based on computed tomography scans liver attenuation, were identified. A control group, matched to age and gender, comprising of 94 patients was also drafted. Finally, two additional groups of patients with metabolic syndrome, with (n = 40) and without (n = 74) NAFLD, were also identified. Patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and other concomitant liver diseases were excluded from the NAFLD group. Echocardiograms of all groups were reviewed. RESULTS: Severe NAFLD compared to control was associated with a higher left ventricular mass after normalization for height2.7 (LVMHt2.7) (95% CI = 0.39, 12.92) and lower ratio of peak "E" (early) and "A" (late) diastolic ventricular filling velocities (E/A) - 0.39 (95% CI = -0.58, -0.19). Patients with metabolic syndrome (95% CI = 0.02, 0.09), metabolic syndrome with NAFLD (95% CI = 0.02, 0.08), or severe NAFLD (95% CI = 0.02, 0.09) compared to control was associated with a higher relative wall thickness (RWT). CONCLUSION: Healthy adults with NAFLD without metabolic syndrome, after adjusting for body mass index, demonstrated significant echocardiographic changes. Our results show that NAFLD is associated with preclinical cardiac disease, and this association is independent of traditional risk factors like systemic hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

Evaluation of the combined effect of factors influencing bowel preparation and adenoma detection rates in patients undergoing colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopy is a commonly used modality for screening and surveillance of colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, it is essential to have adequate bowel preparation (prep) for the procedure which depends on type of bowel regimens, diet before colonoscopy and timing of the procedure. AIMS: The purpose of this study is to analyse the effect of multiple factors on adenoma detection rate (ADR) and prep quality of colonoscopy. This is the also the first study determining outcomes based on various combinations of diet, timing of the procedure and bowel prep regimens. METHODS: This is a retrospective single-centre observational study. Data about diet before procedure, bowel prepprep regimen and timing of the procedure was collected for patients coming for screening colonoscopy. RESULTS: Patients with split prep had higher good prep rates (73.8% vs 56.2%) and higher ADRs (34.2 % vs 29.9%) as compared with non-split prep. The good prep quality (65.8% vs 62.1%) and ADRs (31.9% vs 31.5%) were comparable in patients who received clear liquid diet as compared with low residue diet. The good results of bowel prep were obtained with split prep with either clear liquids or low residue diet irrespective of the timing of procedure. The poor prep was noticed in patients who underwent procedure in afternoon, with a low restrictive diet and non-split bowel regimen. CONCLUSIONS: The current study adds to our knowledge about the combined effect of multiple variables affecting the bowel prep quality and ADR. It is imperative to opt for the best combination required for colonoscopy, as this will influence the effectiveness of colonoscopies regarding timely cancer detection and prevention.

A Rare Cause of Abdominal Pain and Mass in an 18-Year-Old Patient: A Diagnostic Dilemma.

We present a case of an 18-year-old male who presented with complains of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting for 2 years. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed a 3 mm nodule on the lesser curvature of the stomach and prominent gastric folds. Biopsy of the nodule revealed a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor (NET) in lamina prop with focal extension into muscularis mucosa consistent with a gastric carcinoid. Tumor cells stained with neuron-specific enolase (NSE), chromogranin and synaptophysin only. The prominent gastric fold biopsy revealed gastric fundic mucosa with mucosal edema and focal mild chronic inflammation. Serum gastrin level was found to be 2,083 pg/mL. Abdomen CT and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) revealed a mass near the pancreatic neck. These findings were consistent with a functional gastrin producing well-differentiated grade 1 neuroendocrine neoplasm (gastrinoma). The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy with resection of the mass and resulting in normalization of gastrin levels.

A Rare Case of Colonic Metastases From Tonsillar Carcinoma: Case Report and Review of Literature.

The incidence of tonsillar cancer has increased by four times in the United States over the last few decades likely due to recent increase in human papilloma virus (HPV) infections. The stage of the tumor predicts likelihood of metastasis, with advanced stages associated with higher chances of metastasis. The squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the head and neck commonly metastasize to the lung, bone and liver in descending order. Tonsillar cancer rarely involves the small bowel and our review of the literature did not reveal any reported case of metastasis to the colon/large bowel. Our patient had locally metastatic tonsillar cancer, treated with partial pharyngectomy and selective neck dissection but later developed several bone and colonic metastases concurrently, likely secondary to hematogeneous dissemination after a few months of therapy. To the best of our knowledge, large bowel metastasis from head and neck SCC has never been reported in the literature. In these patients presenting with atypical gastrointestinal symptoms, a high index of suspicion should be maintained to determine the extent of metastasis and identify other metastatic sites.

Predicting the presence of adenomatous polyps during colonoscopy with National Cancer Institute Colorectal Cancer Risk-Assessment Tool.

AIM: To evaluate the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Risk Assessment Tool as a predictor for the presence of adenomatous polyps (AP) found during screening or surveillance colonoscopy. METHODS: This is a retrospective single center observational study. We collected data of adenomatous polyps in each colonoscopy and then evaluated the lifetime CRC risk. We calculated the AP prevalence across risk score quintiles, odds ratios of the prevalence of AP across risk score quintiles, area under curves (AUCs) and Youden's indexes to assess the optimal risk score cut off value for AP prevalence status. RESULTS: The prevalence of AP gradually increased throughout the five risk score quintiles: i.e., 27.63% in the first and 51.35% in the fifth quintile. The odd ratios of AP prevalence in the fifth quintile compared to the first and second quintile were 2.76 [confidence interval (CI): 1.71-4.47] and 2.09 (CI: 1.32-3.30). The AUC for all patients was 0.62 (CI: 0.58-0.66). Youden's Index indicated the optimal risk score cutoff value discriminating AP prevalence status was 3.60. CONCLUSION: Patients with the higher NCI risk score have higher risk of AP and subsequent CRC; therefore, measures to increase the effectiveness of CRC detection in these patients include longer withdrawal time, early surveillance colonoscopy, and choosing flexible colonoscopy over other CRC screening modalities.

Influence of Health and Functional Status and Co-occurring Chronic Conditions on Healthcare Expenditures Among Community-dwelling Adults With Kidney Cancer in the United States: A Propensity-score-matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Health and functional status, as well as co-occurring chronic conditions, have a profound influence on healthcare expenditures. However, no study to date has assessed their influence among community-dwelling adults with kidney cancer (KC) in the United States (US). This study assessed the impact of health and functional status, along with co-occurring chronic conditions, on KC healthcare expenditures. METHODS: This study used a retrospective, cross-sectional, propensity-score-matched, case-control study design using 2002 to 2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. The case group was comprised of adults with KC, whereas the control group consisted of propensity-score matched adults with other forms of cancer. To examine the impact of health and functional status and co-occurring chronic conditions, ordinary least square regressions on log-transformed expenditures were conducted on total and subtypes of healthcare expenditures. The percentage change in expenditure was calculated using the formula (expß - 1). RESULTS: Findings from this study indicate that the annual average total healthcare expenditures ($15,078 vs. $8182; P < .001) for adults with KC were significantly higher compared with propensity-score-matched adults with other forms of cancer. Total healthcare expenditures for adults with KC were 80% (ß = 0.588; P < .001) higher compared with propensity-score-matched controls when only demographic characteristics were adjusted. After adjusting for health and functional status and co-occurring chronic conditions, the percentage decreased from 80% to 43% (ß = 0.359; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this nationally representative sample suggest that health and functional status and co-occurring chronic conditions have a significant impact on healthcare expenditures among community-dwelling adults with KC in the US.

Photodynamic therapy and pain: A systematic review.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective treatment for actinic keratoses and early skin cancers, and the only office procedure to control field cancerization. Procedure-associated pain limits widespread PDT use and by early termination of treatment can decrease overall therapeutic efficacy. Here we review and assess reported interventions on PDT-associated pain, in order to identify the most promising methods to manage treatment-associated pain and identify focus for future studies. Literature search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library by two independent reviewers to select publications that assessed and compared pain quantitatively during PDT treatment for actinic keratoses, basal cell carcinomas, and/or in situ squamous cell carcinomas. A total of 48 studies reporting on pain during PDT were identified and were comprised of two main categories of interventions: pain-controlling therapies and PDT parameter (photosensitizer or photo-irradiation) adjustments. Of these interventions: nerve block, subcutaneous infiltration anesthesia, cold analgesia, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, but not topical anesthetic gels, were associated with less PDT-related pain; 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) tended to be more painful than methyl-5-aminolevulinate (MAL); daylight PDT was less painful than conventional PDT; and lower irradiance delivery produced lower pain scores in general. There is no single crystalized protocol for management of PDT-related pain. Evidence suggests that continuous activation of low levels of PpIX with methods using lower irradiance and possibly shorter incubation times are associated with decreased pain without loss of PDT efficacy. Protocols to reduce pain should be standardized and large controlled trials are needed.

Anemia, intractable vomiting, chronic diarrhea, and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic secretion: a diagnostic dilemma: Disseminated strongyloidosis in a patient with newly diagnosed HTLV infection-case report and review of literature.

RATIONALE: Strongyloidiasis hyperinfection and disseminated disease have high mortality rates due to several complications and early detection of Strongyloides infection is therefore prudent. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 37-year-old male patient came with chronic diarrhea, intractable vomiting and was found to have hyponatremia, and anemia on the initial laboratory tests. DIAGNOSES: Further work up revealed syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic secretion to be the cause of the hyponatremia in addition to gastrointestinal loses. His hospital course was complicated by persistent hyponatremia and later development of partial small bowel obstruction. INTERVENTIONS: Considering his symptoms we had a suspicion of small bowel pathology for which he underwent an esophagogastroduodenoscopywith biopsies that revealed strongyloidosis as the cause of his symptoms. He was also found to have human T-cell lymphotropic virus infection, likely contributing to the disseminated disease. OUTCOMES: He was started on ivermectin with complete resolution of symptoms and improvement of hyponatremia. LESSONS: It is very important to suspect Strongyloides infection in a patient presenting with syndrome ofinappropriate antidiuretic secretion as hyperinfection and disseminated disease can be life threatening without antihelmintic therapy.

Anti-CD 19 and anti-CD 20 CAR-modified T cells for B-cell malignancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chimeric antigen receptor modified T cells targeting CD19 and CD20 have shown activity in Phase I, II trials of patients with hematological malignancies. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all published clinical trials studying the role of efficacy as well as safety of CD-19 and CD-20 chimeric antigen receptor-T therapy for B-cell hematologic malignancies. A total of 16 studies with 195 patients were identified. The pooled analysis showed an overall response rate of 61% (118/195) with complete response of 42% (81/195) and partial response of 19% (37/195). Major adverse events were cytokine release syndrome 33%, neurotoxicity 33% and B-cell aplasia 54%. Collectively, the results indicate encouraging response in relapsed/refractory B lymphoma and leukemia, especially in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Current state of the art.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic cardiomyopathy with a prevalence of 1:500 (0.2%) in the general population. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the most feared presentation of HCM. Therefore, it is essential to identify individuals at high risk in order to prevent SCD. The absence of conventional risk factors does not nullify the risk of HCM related SCD. Although echocardiography is currently the most widely used imaging modality, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) allows detailed characterization of the HCM phenotype, which makes it possible to differentiate HCM from other causes of left ventricular hypertrophy. CMR has the potential to further refine risk stratification. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on CMR is a high-risk feature and there is emerging data to suggest that the presence of LGE should be employed as a marker for major adverse outcomes such as SCD, arrhythmias, systolic and diastolic heart failure. Hence, LGE on CMR may be considered an additional risk factor for SCD in HCM patients and should be incorporated in decision-making for implant-able cardioverter defibrillator implantation to aid primary prevention. Novel markers such as the extent of myocardial fibrosis on CMR must be accounted for comprehensive risk stratifica-tion of HCM patients. The purpose of this review is to discuss the current status and emerging role of CMR in HCM.