Basal cerebral computed tomography as diagnostic tool to improve patient selection in asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis

One-hundred patients were included to evaluate the role of cerebral computed tomography (CT) to improve patient selection in asymptomatic internal carotid stenosis. Symptomatic patients were assigned to group A, asymptomatic patients to group B. A cerebral CT pattern A was observed in groups A and B in 60% and 20%, respectively (P < .0001). Between A and B groups, type 6 plaques were found, respectively, in 26.7% and 7.5% of patients (P = .01); a type 5 in 51.7% and 45% (P = .32) of patients; and a type 4 in 21.7% and 47.5% of patients, respectively (P = .006). Within B group, the association of CT pattern A and histological plaque level 4, 5, and 6 was, respectively, 25% (P = .15), 50% (P = .53), and 25% (P = .16). In group B, a 7-fold risk increase in CT pattern A was found in patients with level 6 plaque. In asymptomatic patients with high-risk plaque, a basal cerebral CT scan can be used as diagnostic tool to improve patient selection for intervention.     

Primary extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the vagina: a case report and a review of the literature

Primary lymphoma of the female genital tract is very rare. We report the case of a 36-year-old woman who was referred to our hospital because of an indeterminate Pap smear test. The colposcopy showed a thickening of the posterior vaginal wall and various irregular ulcerated nodular lesions. Histological examination, immunohistochemistry and the staging procedures were conclusive of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the vagina, stage IEA. Complete remission was achieved after 6 cycles of immunopolychemotherapy (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone). No relapse has occurred during a follow-up of 71 months. Moreover, we reviewed the 62 previously reported cases of primary extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the vagina, focusing on clinicopathological and therapeutic aspects, to better characterize this unusual disease.     

Dysfunction of a Structurally Normal Motor Pathway in a Brain Injury Patient as Revealed by Multimodal Integrated Techniques

We report on a patient with left hemiparesis and peripersonal neglect after post-traumatic left frontal hemorrhage, who underwent fMRI, TMS and TCD to identify the functional abnormalities that account for his neurological symptoms, in the absence of any detectable lesion affecting right motor areas.     

Cardiotrophin-1 is not associated with carotid or coronary disease and is inversely associated with obesity in patients undergoing coronary angiography

Introduction

Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a member of the interleukin-6 superfamily with known hypertrophic and protective actions upon cardiac myocytes. Although its effects on myocardial tissue and its role in hypertensive heart disease are well documented, there are no studies on CT-1 blood levels in patients with coronary artery disease. In this study we aimed to verify the relationships of serum CT-1 with vascular disease and metabolic parameters in a population of patients undergoing coronary angiography due to clinical indications.

Material and methods

Serum levels of CT-1 were investigated in a cohort of 81 consecutive patients (median age 68 years (95% CI: 64–71), 59 males) undergoing coronary angiography and carotid Doppler ultrasound. Exclusion criteria were: acute coronary syndrome, already-established ischemic cardiopathy, chronic inflammatory diseases and presence or past history of cancer.

Results

Levels of CT-1 were inversely correlated with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) (ρ = –0.261, p = 0.02; ρ = –0.224, p = 0.05, respectively). Moreover, obese patients showed significantly lower CT-1 concentrations than non-obese ones (1.18 (0.64–1.64) ng/ml vs. 1.56 (1.37–2.04) ng/ml, p = 0.013), and serum CT-1 was significantly reduced in patients with elevated compared to those with normal WC (1.43 (0.94–1.60) ng/ml vs. 1.64 (1.39–2.49) ng/ml, p = 0.047). Concentrations of CT-1 did not correlate either with the other parameters of metabolic syndrome or with markers of cardiovascular disease (carotid intima-media thickness, presence of carotid or coronary artery plaques).

Conclusions

Our results failed to demonstrate any association between CT-1 and carotid or coronary disease. The inverse association with BMI and WC fits with the latest experimental data on the role of CT-1 in dysmetabolic conditions and could help to further clarify the role of CT-1 in obesity and diabetes.     

Reactive arthritis induced by intravesical BCG therapy for bladder cancer: our clinical experience and systematic review of the literature

Objective

Intravesical instillation of BCG (ivBCG) is an effective and safe immunotherapy of bladder carcinoma but it may have, as side effect, a reactive arthritis (ReA). The authors describe 5 cases observed during their own clinical experience along with the updated review of the literature on this topic.

Methods

Seventy-three papers were present in the world literature, each reporting almost 1 case for a total of 112 patients. However, the review focused on 61 papers, selected on the basis of reporting suitable for a correct clinical evaluation; thus, a total of 89 patients, including the cases observed in our clinic, were carefully analyzed.

Results

Among the 89 patients identified 73 were males and 16 females. Europe is the geographical area with the higher number of reports, namely 80.6% of the papers including 74.2% of the patients. The Mediterranean area accounts for 62.9% of the papers and 59.6% of the cases. The symptoms of ReA appeared after a mean number of instillations of 5.8. Polyarthritis was present in 55.1%, oligoarthritis in 37.0% and monoarthritis in 7.9%. Polyarthritis was symmetric in 51.0% and asymmetric in 49.0% of the cases; oligoarthritis was symmetric in 33.3% and asymmetric in 66.7% of the cases. Overall, an asymmetric distribution of arthritis was present in 59.6%. Knee and ankle were the joints most frequently involved. The antigen HLA B27 was positive in 42.6%. The synovial fluid analysis was defined as flogistic–aseptic in 71.9% of the patients. Arthritis was recovered within 6 months in 93.2% of the cases and in 70.5% of the patients within the first two months. NSAIDs and corticosteroids, alone or in conjunction with other drugs, are used in 65.1% and in 40.4% of the cases, respectively. The clinical features of ivBCG ReA are compared with ReA from other triggering agents, from which it differs for some clinical aspects and overlaps for others.

Conclusions

Compared with a previous report, this review allows to modify some figures of this topic as a reduced prevalence of polyarthritis (from 70% to 55.1%) and of spinal and sacroiliac involvement; polyarthritis remains the more frequent clinical pattern of ivBCG ReA that, however, is characterized by rather asymmetrical distribution and involvement of the large joints of lower limbs. A definite linkage to HLA B27 is present, although without prognostic value. Moreover, arthritis is aseptic, has a latency time from antigen exposure, and is associated with extra-articular features as commonly observed in ReA from other triggering agents. Arthritis is usually benign and rarely develops into a chronic form. NSAIDs and/or corticosteroids are largely effective. Noteworthy, the overall clinical picture of arthritis triggered by ivBCG emerging from this updated review is comparable to that of ReA from other bacterial agents.     

Variants in KITLG predispose to testicular germ cell cancer independently from spermatogenic function

Epidemiological data suggest an association and a common pathogenetic link between male infertility and testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) development. Genome-wide studies identified that TGCT susceptibility is associated with KITLG (c-KIT ligand), which regulates the formation of primordial germ cells, from which TGCT is believed to arise and spermatogenesis develops. In this study, we analyzed the link between KITLG, TGCT, and spermatogenic disruption by performing an association study between the KITLG markers rs995030 and rs4471514 and 426 TGCT cases and 614 controls with normal and abnormal sperm count. We found that TGCT risk was increased more than twofold per copy of the major G allele and A allele in KITLG rs995030 and rs4471514 (odds ratio (OR)=2.38, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=1.81-3.12; OR=2.43, 95% CI=1.86-3.17 respectively), and homozygotes for the risk allele had a sevenfold increased risk of TGCT. KITLG markers were strongly associated with seminoma subtype (per allele risk increased more than threefold, homozygote risk increased by 13- to 16-fold) and weakly with nonseminoma. KITLG markers were not associated with sperm production, as no difference was observed in men with normozoospermia and azoo-oligozoospermia, both in controls and in TGCT cases. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that KITLG variants are involved in TGCT development and they represent an independent and strong specific risk factor for TGCT independently from spermatogenic function. A shared genetic cause and a common pathogenetic link between TGCT development and impairment of spermatogenesis are not evident from this study.