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BMC Pulmonary Medicine Jun 2024The diagnostic complexities that arise in radiographic distinction between ectopic pleural thymoma and other thoracic neoplasms are substantial, with instances of...
BACKGROUND
The diagnostic complexities that arise in radiographic distinction between ectopic pleural thymoma and other thoracic neoplasms are substantial, with instances of co-occurring T-cell lymphocytosis and osseous metastasis being exceedingly rare.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 51-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with dyspnea and chest pain. Upon imaging examination, she was found to have diffuse and nodular pleural thickening on the left side, collapse of the left lung and a compression in the second thoracic vertebrae. All lesions showed significant F-FDG uptake on F-FDG PET/CT examination. Furthermore, she exhibited T-cell lymphocytosis in her peripheral blood, lymph nodes, and bone marrow. After ruling out malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), lung cancer with pleural metastasis, and T-cell lymphoma, the definitive diagnosis asserted was ectopic pleural thymoma with T-cell lymphocytosis and bone metastasis.
CONCLUSION
Physicians need to expand their knowledge of the imaging features of ectopic pleural thymoma. Cases with T-cell lymphocytosis may exhibit increased aggressiveness and prone to bone metastasis.
Topics: Humans; Female; Middle Aged; Thymoma; Lymphocytosis; Pleural Neoplasms; Bone Neoplasms; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; Thymus Neoplasms; T-Lymphocytes; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Diagnosis, Differential; Pleura
PubMed: 38877486
DOI: 10.1186/s12890-024-03090-x -
Medicine Jun 2024Pleural effusion, especially bilateral bloody pleural effusion, is a rare complication of Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM). Pleural effusion in patients with WM has...
RATIONALE
Pleural effusion, especially bilateral bloody pleural effusion, is a rare complication of Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM). Pleural effusion in patients with WM has many causes, such as infection, tumor invasion of the pleura, and rupture of the thoracic duct or its branches. Patients with WM presenting to the respiratory department with chest tightness and shortness of breath need more differential diagnosis by respiratory physicians, which is helpful for effective treatment. Herein, we present a case of MV diagnosis in a patient with bilateral bloody pleural effusion.
PATIENT CONCERN
Our patient is a 59-year-old man with WM presenting as having bilateral bloody pleural effusion.
INTERVENTIONS
The patient was treated with pleural effusion drainage. After confirming the diagnosis, the patient was treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone.
OUTCOMES
Following these treatments, the patient's symptoms improved, and ultrasound showed a decrease in pleural effusion.
LESSONS
Despite its favorable prognosis, the cause of pleural effusion in a patient with WM can be challenging to diagnose. The cause of pleural effusion should be considered a differential diagnosis when diagnosing patients diagnosed with WM.
Topics: Humans; Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia; Male; Middle Aged; Pleural Effusion; Diagnosis, Differential; Rituximab; Cyclophosphamide; Dexamethasone
PubMed: 38875392
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038406 -
Journal of the Korean Society of... May 2024Pleural metastasis is the most common cause of malignant diseases involving the pleura, and characterized by pleural effusion, nodules, and thickening. Pleuroparenchymal...
Pleural metastasis is the most common cause of malignant diseases involving the pleura, and characterized by pleural effusion, nodules, and thickening. Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) is a disease characterized by apical pleural thickening and subjacent parenchymal fibrosis. We report a case of a 60-year-old male with lung cancer in the left lower lobe and underlying PPFE combined with left apical pleural metastasis. Initially, asymmetric left apical pleural thickening due to pleural metastasis was mistaken for PPFE. Additionally, we describe the imaging and histopathological findings of PPFE, including MRI findings.
PubMed: 38873385
DOI: 10.3348/jksr.2023.0024 -
Breathe (Sheffield, England) Jun 2024Local anaesthetic "medical" thoracoscopy is an important tool for the diagnosis and management of a unilateral pleural effusion. It is performed under conscious sedation...
Local anaesthetic "medical" thoracoscopy is an important tool for the diagnosis and management of a unilateral pleural effusion. It is performed under conscious sedation and has a high diagnostic yield. Clinical experience has demonstrated that thoracoscopy is a safe procedure. This article is an expert review of various aspects of the procedures from two experienced practitioners and we suggest areas for potential future research.
PubMed: 38873236
DOI: 10.1183/20734735.0174-2023 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2024To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic impacts of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection among cancer inpatients during the December 2022 - February 2023 surge, in...
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic impacts of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection among cancer inpatients during the December 2022 - February 2023 surge, in order to provide scientific evidence for clinical treatment and prevention and control measures.
METHODS
A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical features, prognosis, and vaccination status of cancer in-patients infected with the Omicron variant during the COVID-19 pandemic of December 2022 - February 2023.
RESULTS
A total of 137 cancer inpatients were included in the study, with a median age of 61 years, and 75 patients (54.74%) were male. The main symptoms were cough (69 cases, 50.36%), expectoration (60 cases, 43.80%), and fever (53 cases, 39.69%). Chest CT examination revealed bilateral pneumonia in 47 cases (34.31%, 47/137) and pleural effusion in 24 cases (17.52%, 24/137). Among the cancer patients, 116 cases (84.67%, 116/137) had solid tumors, and 21 cases (15.33%, 21/137) had hematologic malignancies, with the main types being breast cancer (25 cases, 18.25%) and lung cancer (24 cases, 17.52%). Among the cancer patients, 46 cases (33.58%) were asymptomatic, 81 cases (59.12%) had mild disease, 10 cases (7.30%) had severe infection, and 8 cases (5.84%) died. A total of 91 patients (66.42%) had been vaccinated, with 58 patients (42.34%) receiving three doses. Multivariate analysis showed that cerebral infarction and hypoproteinemia were risk factors for death from COVID-19 infection.
CONCLUSION
Cancer patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron typically exhibit mild disease manifestations, but some cancer patients infected with the Omicron variant might progress to severe illness, and even death, necessitating close monitoring and attention during the early stages of infection. Additionally, the presence of cerebral infarction and hypoproteinemia significantly increases the risk of death.
PubMed: 38873204
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1401439 -
Cureus May 2024Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) and hepatitis A are common in developing countries. As there is an overlap of clinical features, a diagnosis of dual infection can be...
Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) and hepatitis A are common in developing countries. As there is an overlap of clinical features, a diagnosis of dual infection can be missed. Here, we present the case of a five-year-old male who presented with abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice diagnosed as a complicated liver abscess with concurrent hepatitis A. To our knowledge, this is the first case where a PLA co-existed with hepatitis A. Simultaneous infection should be considered when a patient with liver abscess presents with jaundice, especially in areas where both diseases are endemic. Early diagnosis of both is crucial as PLA is a potentially fatal disease and co-infection with hepatitis A may worsen clinical outcomes.
PubMed: 38872658
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60288 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies are a paradigm-shifting therapeutic in patients with hematological malignancies. However, some concerns remain that...
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies are a paradigm-shifting therapeutic in patients with hematological malignancies. However, some concerns remain that they may cause serious cardiovascular adverse events (AEs), for which data are scarce. In this study, gradient boosting machine algorithm-based model was fitted to identify safety signals of serious cardiovascular AEs reported for tisagenlecleucel in the World Health Organization Vigibase up until February 2024. Input dataset, comprised of positive and negative controls of tisagenlecleucel based on its labeling information and literature search, was used to train the model. Then, we implemented the model to calculate the predicted probability of serious cardiovascular AEs defined by preferred terms included in the important medical event list from European Medicine Agency. There were 467 distinct AEs from 3,280 safety cases reports for tisagenlecleucel, of which 363 (77.7%) were classified as positive controls, 66 (14.2%) as negative controls, and 37 (7.9%) as unknown AEs. The prediction model had area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.76 in the test dataset application. Of the unknown AEs, six cardiovascular AEs were predicted as the safety signals: bradycardia (predicted probability 0.99), pleural effusion (0.98), pulseless electrical activity (0.89), cardiotoxicity (0.83), cardio-respiratory arrest (0.69), and acute myocardial infarction (0.58). Our findings underscore vigilant monitoring of acute cardiotoxicities with tisagenlecleucel therapy.
Topics: Humans; Pharmacovigilance; Machine Learning; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Cardiovascular Diseases; Aged; Adult; Immunotherapy, Adoptive; Adolescent; Young Adult; Child; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; Hematologic Neoplasms; Child, Preschool
PubMed: 38871843
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64466-x -
Tuberkuloz Ve Toraks Jun 2024Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Although it typically affects the lungs (pulmonary TB), one-fifth of TB...
Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Although it typically affects the lungs (pulmonary TB), one-fifth of TB cases present as extrapulmonary TB. The diagnosis of extrapulmonary TB is often overlooked due to its atypical clinical and radiological manifestations. Differentiating TB from neoplastic conditions poses significant challenges. A 33-year-old female patient was admitted to the emergency clinic with shortness of breath, cough, and abdominal pain. Postero-anterior chest X-ray revealed massive pleural effusion leading to mediastinal shift. With a preliminary diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion, a pleural catheter was inserted, and the patient was referred for a positron emission tomography (PET/CT) to assess the primary site and the optimal location for a biopsy. The PET/CT revealed asymmetric soft tissue thickening on the left side of the nasopharynx, and increased fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the left cervical lymph nodes raised suspicion regarding primary nasopharyngeal cancer. Additionally, there was an increased FDG uptake observed in the mass lesion located in the right upper lobe, mediastinal lymph nodes, pleural surfaces in the left hemithorax, perihepatic areas, and peritoneum, indicating diffuse metastatic disease. Tuberculosis diagnosis was confirmed through biopsies demonstrating granulomatous inflammation in the lung and nasopharynx, along with culturing MTB from pleural effusion. Positron emission tomography played a crucial role in identifying sites of TB involvement. Despite its rarity, healthcare professionals should consider nasopharyngeal TB as a potential diagnosis when evaluating nasopharyngeal masses.
Topics: Humans; Female; Adult; Diagnosis, Differential; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; Tuberculosis; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Neoplasm Metastasis
PubMed: 38869209
DOI: 10.5578/tt.202402915 -
Journal of Surgical Case Reports Jun 2024We present a rare case of ocular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) unveiled through Pars Plana Vitrectomy in a 74-year-old immunocompromised male, highlighting the...
We present a rare case of ocular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) unveiled through Pars Plana Vitrectomy in a 74-year-old immunocompromised male, highlighting the surgical insight and multidisciplinary management required for similar cases. The patient's progressive vision impairment led to a Pars Plana Vitrectomy, which confirmed DLBCL through cytogenetic analysis. Initial intraocular rituximab treatment showed promise; however, the lymphoma's systemic progression necessitated a shift to more aggressive chemotherapy, underscored by pleural and pericardial effusions and central nervous system involvement. This case emphasizes the critical role of surgical techniques in diagnosing ocular lymphomas and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in managing the disease's ocular and systemic manifestations. The complexities introduced by the patient's immunosuppression highlight the necessity for individualized treatment strategies. This case calls for further research into ocular lymphomagenesis and exploring therapies with enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity, and emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis in ocular DLBCL cases.
PubMed: 38863955
DOI: 10.1093/jscr/rjae399 -
Cureus Jun 2024Unilateral exudative pleural effusions have been described as a rare complication of polycystic liver disease. Surgical debridement of the main cyst reduces recurrence...
Unilateral exudative pleural effusions have been described as a rare complication of polycystic liver disease. Surgical debridement of the main cyst reduces recurrence of the pleural effusion. We describe the case of an elderly Asian woman with recurrent large right-sided pleural effusion and also a large hepatic cyst under her right hemidiaphragm. She was deemed a poor surgical candidate and was treated with an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC). She was discharged from Sengkang General Hospital with improvement in symptoms. An 88-year-old Asian woman presented twice to Sengkang General Hospital with recurrent right-sided exudative pleural effusion. She had a past medical history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, ischemic heart disease (left ventricle ejection fraction 55%), atrial fibrillation, and chronic kidney disease stage 3 (estimated glomerular filtration rate 53). She denied any family history of polycystic kidney or liver disease. Computer tomography of her chest, abdomen, and pelvis revealed a large right pleural effusion and also a large hepatic cyst. A pleural catheter was inserted and the fluid analysis was consistent with an exudative effusion. The pleural fluid was sterile to culture for bacteria and mycobacterium. The cytology was negative for malignant cells. The pleural effusion recurred quickly despite repeated large-volume drainage from the pleural catheter. Our patient was not suitable for surgical debridement of the hepatic cyst and eventually received an IPC and was discharged. With the advent of IPC, there has been increasing interest in using IPC in the management of non-malignant pleural effusions. While surgical debridement of hepatic cysts is the preferred treatment option in recurrent pleural effusion associated with polycystic liver disease, IPCs now provide another viable and minimally invasive option for clinicians and patients.
PubMed: 38859945
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.62058