Blog Archive

Αλέξανδρος Γ. Σφακιανάκης

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor of the pancreas: case report and literature review

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Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2021 May 15;14(5):653-661. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Neoplasms with perivascular epithelioid cell differentiation (PEComas) of the pancreas are rare, and only 22 cases have been reported globally. Therefore, clinician and pathologist knowledge of this tumor's biologic behavior and molecular genetics has been limited. A 40-year-old female patient presented with a space-occupying mass in the pancreas found by abdominal B-mode ultrasonography upon physical examination. Laparoscopic resection of the pancreatic body and tail was performed, and a cystic-solid tumor of about 2 × 2 cm was identified. PEComa is a type of mesenchymal tumor with uncertain biologic behavior, more frequently found in females. PEComa features a unique histomorphology and immunophenotype. We summarize the characteristics and research progress of the pancreatic PEComa, which will be convenient for physicians and pathologists to fully understan d the disease to avoid misdiagnosis and to provide a reference for treatment and prognosis.

PMID:34093951 | PMC:PMC8167487

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Oncologic outcomes of transoral robotic surgery for HPV‐negative oropharyngeal carcinomas

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Abstract

Background

Patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) continue to experience disappointing outcomes following chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and appreciable morbidity following historical surgical approaches. We aimed to investigate the oncologic outcomes and perioperative morbidity of a transoral robotic surgery (TORS) approach to surgically resectable HPV-negative OPSCC.

Methods

Retrospective analysis HPV-negative OPSCC patients who underwent TORS, neck dissection and pathology-guided adjuvant therapy (2005–2017).

Results

Fifty-six patients (91.1% stage III/IV) were included. Three-year overall survival, locoregional control, and disease-free survival were 85.5%, 84.4%, and 73.6%, respectively (median follow-up 30.6 months, interquartile range 18.4–66.6). Eighteen (32.1%) patients underwent adjuvant radiotherapy and 20 (39.3%) underwent adjuvant CRT. Perioperative mortality occurred in one (1.8%) patient and hemorrhage occurred in two (3.6%) patients. Long-term gastrostomy and tracheostomy rates were 5.4% and 0.0%, respectively.

Conclusion

The TORS approach for resectable HPV-negative OPSCC can achieve encouraging oncologic outcomes with infrequent morbidity.

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Robotic system for MRgFUS ablation of abdominal cancer

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ABSTRACT

Background

A prototype robotic system that uses Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) technology is presented. It features three degrees of freedom (DOF) and is intended for thermal ablation of abdominal cancer.

Methods

The device is equipped with three identical transducers being offset between them, thus focusing at different depths in tissue. The efficacy and safety of the system in ablating rabbit liver and kidney was assessed, both in laboratory and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) conditions.

Results

Despite these organs' challenging location, in situ coagulative necrosis of a tissue area was achieved. Heating of abdominal organs in rabbit was successfully monitored with MR thermometry.

Conclusions

The MRgFUS system was proven successful in creating lesions in the abdominal area of rabbits. The outcomes of the study are promising for future translation of the technology to the clinic.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Assessment of Intelligibility in Children with Velopharyngeal Insufficiency: The Relationship between Intelligibility in Context Scale and Experimental Measures

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical application of the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS) instrument in children with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). This study investigated the relationship between clinical speech outcomes and parental reports of speech intelligibility across various communicative partners. Methods: The ICS was completed by the parents of 20 English-speaking children aged 4–12 years diagnosed with VPI. The parents were asked to rate their children's speech intelligibility across communication partners using a 5-point scale. Clinical metrics obtained using standard clinical transcription on the Picture-Cued SNAP-R Test were: (1) percentage of consonants correct (PCC), (2) percentage of vowels correct (PVC), and (3) percentage of phonemes correct (PPC). Nasalance from nasometer data was included as an indirect measure of nasality. Intelligibility scores obtained from naive listener's transcriptions and speech-language pathologists' (SLP) ratings were compared with the ICS results. Result: Greater PCC, PPC, PVC, and transcription-based intelligibility values were significantly associated with higher ICS values, respectively (r[20] = 0.84, 0.82, 0.51, and 0.70, respectively; p #x3c; 0.05 in all cases). There was a negative and significant correlation between ICS mean scores and SLP ratings of intelligibility (r = –0.74; p #x3c; 0.001). The re was no significant correlation between ICS values and nasalance scores (r[20] = –0.28; p = 0.22). Conclusion: The high correlations obtained between the ICS with PCC and PPC measures indicate that articulation accuracy has had a great impact on parents' decision-making regarding intelligibility in this population. Significant agreement among ICS scores with naive listener transcriptions and clinical ratings supports use of the ICS in practice.
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Role of Vimentin and E-cadherin Expression in Premalignant and Malignant Lesions of Oral Cavity

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Abstract

To determine the role of Vimentin and E-cadherin expression in oral premalignant and malignant lesions. 68 histopathologically confirmed cases of premalignant and malignant oral cavity lesions enrolled. Biopsy specimens were taken from lesion of all cases and subjected to immunohistochemical evaluation of expression of E-cadherin and Vimentin. We examined the relationships between the expression of these markers and specific clinicopathological features were analyzed. Out of 68 cases 28 showed high vimentin expression (3 + and 4 + grade) and 40 showed low vimentin expression (1 + and 2 + grade). 20 cases out of 68 presented with high E-cadherin expression (3 + and 4 +) and rest 48 with low expression (1 + and 2 +) of the same. Smoking and tobacco chewing reflected non-significant association with their expression. In this study all 28 patients (100%) with high vimentin expression had malignant lesions and 17 (60.7%) presented with meta static lymph nodes Out of 20 patients with high E-cadherin expression 8(40.0%) had malignant lesions and 12 (60.0%) had pre malignant lesions and 4 (20%) showed nodal metastasis. As tumor stage (TNM) progresses, it showed increased vimentin and decreased E-cadherin expression and vice versa. We concluded that increased vimentin and decreased E-cadherin expression in oral cancers are associated with metastasis and disease progression in terms of upstaging of disease. We can use cellular expression of vimentin and E-cadherin for early diagnosis of disease.

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Oral Myofunctional and Articulation Disorders in Children with Malocclusions: A Systematic Review

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Background: Relationships between malocclusion and orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMD), as well as malocclusions and articulation disorders (AD) have been described, though the exact relationships remain unclear. Given the high prevalence of these disorders in children, more clarity is needed. Summary: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between OMD (specifically, bruxism, deviate swallowing, caudal resting tongue posture, and biting hab its), AD, and malocclusions in children and adolescents aged between 3 and 18 years. To conduct a systematic review, 4 databases were searched (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus). The identified articles were screened for the eligibility criteria. Data were extracted from the selected articles and quality assessment was performed using the tool of Munn et al. [Int J Health Policy Manag. 2014;3:123–81] in consensus. Using the search strategy, the authors identified 2,652 articles after the removal of duplicates. After reviewing the eligibility criteria, 17 articles were included in this study. One of the included articles was deemed to have an unclear risk of bias, whereas all other articles were considered to have a low risk of bias. The articles showed a relationship between anterior open bite and apico-alveolar articulatory distortions, as well as between anterior open bite and deviate swallowing. For the biting habits, bruxism, and low tongue position no clear conclus ions could be drawn. Key Messages: The current review suggests a link between specific types of malocclusion and OMD and AD. However, more high-quality evidence (level 1 and level 2, Oxford Levels of Evidence) is needed to clarify the cooccurrence of other OMD, AD, and malocclusions.
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Postinfectious Olfactory Dysfunction: Oral Steroids and Olfactory Training versus Olfactory Training Alone: Is There any Benefit from Steroids?

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Introduction: There are limited treatment options for postinfectious olfactory dysfunction (PIOD). Olfactory training has recently been used in clinical practice, but no medical treatment is widely accepted. Although there is weak evidence for their value, some physicians use oral corticosteroids as first-line treatment. The aim of this study was to compare combined oral methylprednisolone and olfactory training with olfactory training alone in the management of PIOD. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 131 patients with PIOD over a 2-year period before the COVID-19 pandemic. Seventy-eight patients who were treated with oral methylprednisolone and olfactory training (group A) were compared with 53 patients who were treated with olfactory training only (group B). Olfactory function was evaluated with "Sniffin' Sticks" at baseline and 2, 8, and 16 weeks after initial assessment. Patients who improved after steroid treatment underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the paranasal sinuses, skin prick tests, lung spirometry, and sputum eosinophil assessment. Results: Oral steroids improved 19.23% of patients (n = 15) of group A. History, clinical evaluation, imaging, and laboratory tests identified an inflammatory background in half of them (n = 8). The remaining 7 had no findings of nasal inflammation, and all had a short history of olfactory dysfunction. Both groups significantly improved in olfactory testing results at the end of the olfactory training scheme without si gnificant difference between them. Conclusions: The percentage of improved patients after oral methylprednisolone was relatively low to suggest it as first-line treatment. Half of the improved patients had an underlying upper airway inflammatory condition not related to the infection that caused the acute loss of olfactory function.
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Epidural blood patch to treat a postsurgical cerebrospinal fluid leak using central line kit

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Pain Manag. 2021 Jun 9. doi: 10.2217/pmt-2020-0102. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Epidural blood patches are considered definitive treatment for postdural puncture headache in adult patients. However, they are infrequently used in children or in patients with altered spine anatomy. In patients who have undergone recent spine surgery, the lumbar epidural space can be approached safely via the caudal canal. Our case demonstrates a novel technique to perform an epidural blood patch from a caudal approach using a commonly available central line kit for a 15-year-old patient with severe spinal headache due to cerebrospinal fluid leak following a hemilaminectomy.

PMID:34102859 | DOI:10.2217/pmt-2020-0102

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Biologics in Otolaryngology

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Biologics have been widely adopted in multiple subspecialties of otolaryngology. This article provides an overview of past, present, and future uses of biologics in otolaryngology with emphasis on allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with polyposis, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, salivary and skull base tumors, hearing loss, and other otologic disorders.
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Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Targeted Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer

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The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important therapeutic target in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). EGFR-targeted agents including monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors have shown mixed results in clinical trials. To date, only cetuximab, an anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody, is approved for use in local/regional advanced and recurrent or metastatic HNSCC. This article reviews the mechanism of action of cetuximab and its antitumor immune effects and the data to support its use in HNSCC. It additionally provides an overview of other EGFR monoclonal antibodies and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors that have been studied.
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Mechanisms and Practical Use of Biologic Therapies for Allergy and Asthma Indications

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This article presents a concise overview of the important aspects of the immunologic mechanisms targeted by T-helper 2–directed monoclonal antibodies, as well as their practical applications in the treatment of allergic disorders (specifically allergic rhinitis) and asthma. Several of these novel agents treat multiple diseases, so understanding their targets and the underlying disease process can aid patient selection. In addition, the particular targets of the therapeutics seem to be shifting to include not only agents that intervene against inflammatory cytokines or their receptors but also specific molecular epitopes and cellular surface proteins.
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Anti-PD-1 Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Head and Neck Cancer

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Immunotherapy in recent years has solidified its position as the fourth pillar of cancer treatment alongside surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Although in its infancy, when compared with these other conventional therapeutic strategies, immunotherapy has provided a chance for prolonged survival, and in some cases even cure, for patients who previously would have been given a terminal diagnosis. In head and neck cancer in particular, the advent of antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) immune checkpoint blockade has shown modest response rates in patients with recurrent or metastatic mucosal squamous cell carcinoma.
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