Granulocytic sarcoma. Cranial and breast involvement

The term granulocytic sarcoma designates an infrequent solid tumor composed of aggregates of immature granulocytic precursors in extramedullary sites. The lesion generally occurs either during the natural course of acute myelogenous leukemia or after a remission has been achieved; however, it may rarely represent the initial manifestation of the disease. We present radiologic features of cranial and breast involvement of granulocytic sarcoma in a 13-year-old female with acute myelogenous leukemia. The cranial lesion appeared nearly isointense with cortical gray matter on T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images, and enhanced homogeneously after the injection of gadolinium. MRI showed a well-delineated lobulated mass in the left breast, which had a heterogeneous hyperintense signal and remarkable contrast enhancement.     

Primary flexor tendon repair followed by immediate controlled mobilization.

A study was made of the results of immediate repair and controlled mobilization in 156 severed flexor tendons in 68 patients occuring over an 18-month period. Eight patients with 16 tendon injuries could not be followed. Results were obtained from examinations done 6 weeks to 18 months (mean, 5.3 months) after repair. Thirty-one of the 60 patients were less than 20 years old, and 44 of the 60 were less than 30 years old. Seventy-nine (56%) of the injuries occurred in the area known as "no man's land"; 28 patients with repair of tendons in this area were rated by our standards as "excellent" or "good"--75% of patients as compared to 84.4% for the results of repair in other areas. In one fourth of the cases of severance of both tendons, because of local conditions in the wound, the superficialis was excised, but in all others it was repaired.     

Primary central nervous system lymphoma: results of a pilot and phase II study of systemic and intraventricular chemotherapy with deferred radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate response rate, response duration, overall survival (OS), and toxicity in primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) after systemic and intraventricular chemotherapy with deferred radiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From September 1995 to July 2001, 65 consecutive patients with PCNSL (median age, 62 years) were enrolled onto a pilot and phase II study evaluating chemotherapy without radiotherapy. A high-dose methotrexate (MTX; cycles 1, 2, 4, and 5) and cytarabine (ARA-C; cycles 3 and 6)-based systemic therapy (including dexamethasone, vinca-alkaloids, ifosfamide, and cyclophosphamide) was combined with intraventricular MTX, prednisolone, and ARA-C. RESULTS: Sixty-one of 65 patients were assessable for response. Of these, 37 patients (61%) achieved complete response, six (10%) achieved partial response, and 12 (19%) progressed under therapy. Six (9%) of 65 patients died because of treatment-related complications. Follow-up is 0 to 87 months (median, 26 months). The Kaplan-Meier estimates for median time to treatment failure (TTF) and median OS were 21 months and 50 months, respectively. For patients older than 60 years, median survival was 34 months, and the median TTF was 15 months. In patients younger than 61 years, median survival and median TTF have not been reached yet; the 5-year survival fraction is 75%. Systemic toxicity was mainly hematologic. Ommaya reservoir infection occurred in 12 patients (19%), and permanent cognitive dysfunction possibly as a result of treatment occurred in only two patients (3%). CONCLUSION: Primary chemotherapy based on high-dose MTX and ARA-C is highly efficient in PCNSL. Response rate and response duration in this series are comparable to the response rates and durations reported after combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Neurotoxicity was infrequent.     

Scapulothoracic stabilisation for winging of the scapula using strips of autogenous fascia lata

We have used a modified technique in five patients to correct winging of the scapula caused by injury to the brachial plexus or the long thoracic nerve during transaxillary resection of the first rib. The procedure stabilises the scapulothoracic articulation by using strips of autogenous fascia lata wrapped around the 4th, 6th and 7th ribs at least two, and preferably three, times. The mean age of the patients at the time of operation was 38 years (26 to 47) and the mean follow-up six years and four months (three years and three months to 11 years). Satisfactory stability was achieved in all patients with considerable improvement in shoulder function. There were no complications.     

Multimodality demonstration of primary splenic angiosarcoma

Angiosarcomas are rare, accounting for only 1–2% of all soft tissue sarcomas. Primary abdominal angiosarcomas usually arise in the liver or spleen. We report the first color Doppler findings of a rare, low‐grade splenic angiosarcoma in a 52‐year‐old woman. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 27:92–95, 1999.     

Comparison of satisfaction and pain relief between patients-controlled analgesia and interval analgesia after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy

Preoperative and postoperative psychological factors, postoperative pain, analgesic consumption, treatment satisfaction were compared in patients treated with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) or intramuscular analgesics after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy. Thirty-one women with laparoscopically operated benign ovarian cysts were recruited in Zonguldak Karaelmas University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Postoperatively sixteen women received morphine delivered by IV-PCA pump system and 15 women were prescribed another opioid (meperidine) intramuscularly. Two weeks before and one day after the surgery, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were self-administered. Afterwards, the operation visual analog scale (VAS) and satisfaction with pain control scale were recorded. Preoperative BDI and BAI scores of both groups were comparable. Postoperative BDI (7.9 +/- 7.2 versus 13.8 +/- 6.9, P = 0.03) and BAI (11.4 +/- 9.1 versus 17.4 +/- 6.2, P = 0.045) scores were significantly lower in the IV-PCA group. Morphine usage with PCA resulted in significantly higher pain scores than equivalent doses of meperidine administered intramuscularly (2.94 +/- 1.0 versus 1.67 +/- 0.7, P = 0.001). Although higher pain scores were obtained from IV-PCA group, self-reported satisfaction rates were higher in this group (8.3 +/- 1.1 versus 7.4 +/- 1.1, P = 0.04). Involvement of patients in their pain management might increase the awareness of pain but their satisfaction about the control of postoperative pain was significantly improved.     

Sonographic findings in ectopic cervical thymus in an infant.

We present the case of a 28-day-old boy with ectopic thymic tissue in the neck. Sonography showed a well-delineated, homogeneous lesion in the left submandibular region that was isoechoic relative to the mediastinal thymus. The lesion had angular margins and lacked a mass effect despite its large size (3 x 2 cm). On power Doppler imaging, arteries with an intermediate-impedance flow pattern were seen entering the lesion from the inferior and lateral margins. On both T1- and T2-weighted MR images, the lesion was isointense relative to the mediastinal thymus and had higher and lower signal intensity than muscle and fat, respectively. A sonographically guided needle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of ectopic thymus.     

Intracavitary cardiac metastasis and pulmonary tumor emboli of choriocarcinoma: the first case diagnosed and treated without surgical intervention

BACKGROUND: Choriocarcinoma mostly metastasizes to lung parenchyma. Its pulmonary tumor embolism and cardiac metastasis are very rarely encountered, of which antemortem diagnosis is even more rare. CASE: To our knowledge, we present the first case of intracavitary cardiac metastasis and pulmonary tumor emboli of choriocarcinoma diagnosed and treated without any surgical intervention. Multi-agent chemotherapy led to almost complete regression of cardiac and pulmonary lesions and normalization of beta-hCG levels. CONCLUSION: Cardiac metastasis of choriocarcinoma must be kept in mind for cases of cardiac mass in reproductive age women, especially when history and clinical presentation are suggestive for gestational trophoblastic disease. As the tumor is highly sensitive, chemotherapy together with biochemical and radiological monitoring constitutes an effective treatment modality if cardiopulmonary functions are not deteriorating.