Comprehensive Clinical and Genetic Characterization of Hyperprogression Based on Volumetry in Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor

IntroductionHyperprogressive disease (HPD), characterized by accelerated tumor progression, has been proposed as a new pattern of progression after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of HPD and investigate its predictive markers.MethodsClinical and radiological findings of 335 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with ICI monotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Radiological data were quantitatively and longitudinally analyzed for tumor size and volume by comparing baseline and follow-up computerized tomography results. The findings were matched with individual genomic profiles generated by deep sequencing of 380 genes.ResultsAmong 135 patients with progressive disease (PD), as assessed by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 criteria, 48 (14.3% of all patients and 35.6% of those with PD) and 44 (13.1% of all patients and 32.6% among those with PD) were found to have HPD by volumetry (HPD_V) and assessed by RECIST 1.1 (HPD_R), respectively. Patients with HPD_V were associated with significantly inferior overall survival (OS) versus that of patients without HPD_V with PD (median OS = 4.7 months [95% confidence interval: 3.5–11.9)] versus 7.9 months [95% confidence interval: 6.0–13.5] [p = 0.004]); OS did not differ between patients without and without HPD_R. HPD_V status was an independent factor in OS. A derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio greater than 4 and lactate dehydrogenase level greater than the upper limit of normal were significantly associated with HPD_V. Moreover, we identified coinciding KRAS and serine/threonine kinase 11 gene (STK11) mutations in the cohort of patients with HPD_V (three of 16), whereas none were found in the cohort of patients without HPD_V (zero of 28).ConclusionsDefining HPD treated with ICI on the basis of volumetric measurement is more precise than is defining it on the basis of one-dimensional analysis. Pre-ICI derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, lactate dehydrogenase level, and concurrence of STK11 and KRAS mutations could thus be used as potential biomarkers for HPD prediction.     

A case of successful treatment of Fordyce spots with a single insulated microneedle radiofrequency device

Fordyce spots are ectopic sebaceous glands which typically present as asymptomatic, multiple whitish, or yellowish 1–3‐mm sized papules on the lips. Several therapeutic approaches have been proposed such as laser, electrical or chemical ablation, and micropunch excision. However, these modalities pose the risk of scarring from inevitable surface damage. In this report, we present a case of Fordyce spots which was successfully treated with intralesional electrocoagulation using a proximally insulated microneedle and monopolar radiofrequency device, resulting in marked cosmetic improvements without surface damage.     

Splenic devascularization can replace splenectomy during adult living donor liver transplantation – a historical cohort study

Simultaneous splenectomy (SSPX) in adult living donor liver transplantation (ALDLT) has definitely beneficial roles such as portal flow modulation in small‐for‐size graft and correction of hypersplenism‐related pancytopenia, and so on, but disastrous complications after SSPX often occur. For the first time, we devised unique and innovative splenic devascularization (SDV) procedure to alleviated untoward effects of SSPX but to maintain its benefits for the indicated patients. From April 2013 to December 2014, 520 recipients underwent ALDLT, and the SSPX and SDV were simultaneously performed in 62 (11.9%) and 61 (11.7%) patients, respectively. The most common indication was hypersplenism‐related pancytopenia (n = 101), small‐for‐size graft (n = 14), hepatitis C virus (HCV) (n = 7), and splenic artery aneurysm (n = 1). Postoperative small‐for‐size graft syndrome (SFSS) was absent in both SSPX and SDV, and preoperative pancytopenia was improved in both groups since postoperative 1 week, although SSPX was more substantial than SDV. Preoperative splenic volume (706.2 ± 282.9 ml) after SDV significantly decreased to 425.5 ± 204.4 ml on 1 month, respectively. In contrast to SDV, SSPX resulted in longer operation time and higher incidence of postoperative complications including mortality. In conclusion, SDV can replace SSPX during ALDLT without hampering its beneficial roles seriously, but get rid of splenectomy‐related lethal complication.     

Comparative Measurement of Biophysical Parameters in Consideration of Skin Graft Donor Site for Nasal Defects

BackgroundIn planning a skin graft, the texture, color, and size of the recipient and donor site tissues should be considered.ObjectiveWe determined the optimal donor sites for nasal full-thickness skin grafting based on biophysical parameters.MethodsThirty women over the age of 60 were selected for this study. Four recipient sites (nasal root, dorsum, tip, ala) and three donor sites (preauricle, postauricle, forehead) were considered. Biophysical parameters such as transepidermal water loss (TEWL), capacitance, sebum output, erythema/melanin value, and skin replica technique were tested.ResultsThe nasal root was correlated with the forehead in terms of TEWL and sebum output. The nasal dorsum was correlated with the preauricle in terms of TEWL, erythema/melanin value, and skin replica measurements. The nasal tip was correlated with the preauricle in terms of TEWL, sebum output, erythema/melanin value, and skin replica measurements. The ala was correlated with the forehead in terms of TEWL and skin replica measurements.ConclusionThe preauricule is the optimal donor site for resurfacing of the nasal dorsum and tip. The forehead is a good donor site for alar defects. For resurfacing of the nasal root, the forehead and postauricle are good choices.     

Risk factors for increased serum creatinine level in patients with psoriasis treated with cyclosporine in a real‐world practice

Nephrotoxicity is a major concern for patients with psoriasis using cyclosporine. Here, we evaluated the impact of intermittent cyclosporine treatment on nephrotoxicity risk among patients with psoriasis in real‐world clinical practice. We retrospectively reviewed 611 patients with psoriasis treated with cyclosporine between January 2013 and January 2017, 398 of whom were considered eligible for analysis. Eighteen (4.5%) patients showed a greater than 25% increase in serum creatinine levels. Age over 60 years (relative risk [RR], 1.6; p = .015), diabetes (RR, 2.3; p < .001), and obesity (RR, 1.7; p = .011) were the significant risk factors of increased serum creatinine levels in patients with psoriasis. There was no significant association of the treatment duration or cumulative dose of cyclosporine with increased serum creatinine levels. In real clinical practice, intermittent cyclosporine use with regular serum creatinine tests can be used to treat psoriasis relatively safely. Age over 60 years, diabetes and obesity are significant risk factors for cyclosporine‐induced nephrotoxicity.