Adrenal neuroblastoma with metastatic mandibular mass: An unusual presentation.

Neuroblastoma very rarely presents as a mandibular mass. We report the case of a 3-year-old female child who presented to us with a right mandibular mass of 3 months duration. She was investigated and diagnosed as a case of stage 4 right adrenal neuroblastoma with mandibular and skull metastasis.

A randomized, controlled phase III trial of nab-Paclitaxel versus dacarbazine in chemotherapy-naïve patients with metastatic melanoma.

Background: The efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel versus dacarbazine in patients with metastatic melanoma was evaluated in a phase III randomized, controlled trial.

Patients And Methods: Chemotherapy-naïve patients with stage IV melanoma received nab-paclitaxel 150 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks or dacarbazine 1000 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) by independent radiologic review; the secondary end point was overall survival (OS).

Amotl2a interacts with the Hippo effector Yap1 and the Wnt/β-catenin effector Lef1 to control tissue size in zebrafish.

During development, proliferation must be tightly controlled for organs to reach their appropriate size. While the Hippo signaling pathway plays a major role in organ growth control, how it senses and responds to increased cell density is still unclear. In this study, we use the zebrafish lateral line primordium (LLP), a group of migrating epithelial cells that form sensory organs, to understand how tissue growth is controlled during organ formation.

Perovskite Solar Cells: Beyond Methylammonium Lead Iodide.

Organic-inorganic lead halide based perovskites solar cells are by far the highest efficiency solution-processed solar cells, threatening to challenge thin film and polycrystalline silicon ones. Despite the intense research in this area, concerns surrounding the long-term stability as well as the toxicity of lead in the archetypal perovskite, CH3NH3PbI3, have the potential to derail commercialization. Although the search for Pb-free perovskites have naturally shifted to other transition metal cations and formulations that replace the organic moiety, efficiencies with these substitutions are still substantially lower than those of the Pb-perovskite.

Prognostic factors affecting survival in metastatic soft tissue sarcoma: an analysis of 110 patients.

Background: Data on treatment outcome and prognostic factors in patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) are limited in the literature.

Methods: A total of 119 patients with metastatic STS treated between June 2003 and December 2012 were analyzed for treatment outcome and prognostic factors.

Results: Median age was 37 years (range 2-72 years) with a male to female ratio of 1.

Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Predict Relapse-Free Survival after One Month of Interferon-α but Not Observation in Intermediate Risk Melanoma Patients.

Background: E1697 was a phase III trial of adjuvant interferon (IFN)-α2b for one month (Arm B) versus observation (Arm A) in patients with resected melanoma at intermediate risk. We evaluated the levels of candidate serum cytokines, the HLA genotype, polymorphisms of CTLA4 and FOXP3 genes and the development of autoantibodies for their association with relapse free survival (RFS) in Arm A and Arm B among 268 patients with banked biospecimens.

Methods: ELISA was used to test 5 autoantibodies.

The incidence of portal hypertension in children with choledochal cyst and the correlation of nitric oxide levels in the peripheral blood with portal pressure and liver histology.

Background And Aims: Symptomatic portal hypertension (PHT) as a complication of the choledochal cyst (CDC) is well-known, but the actual incidence of PHT in CDC has not been studied. This study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence of PHT in patients of CDC and correlate portal pressure (PP) with liver histology and blood nitric oxide (NO) levels.

Materials And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, PP was measured after surgical access but before any mobilization of the cyst by directly cannulating a tributary of portal vein (preoperative PP) and at completion of surgery before closure (postoperative PP).

Correlation between functional outcomes and postoperative pelvic magnetic resonance imaging in children with anorectal malformation.

Background: Though the outcomes in operated children with anorectal malformation (ARM) have greatly improved, postoperative soiling and constipation remain major issues. Among the various factors described for poor outcomes; misplaced bowel, hypoplastic sphincters and obtuse anorectal angle bear special mention. The aim of this study was to compare the stooling outcomes, type of anomalies and surgical procedure with postoperative pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

A novel technique of patella fracture fixation facilitating early mobilization and reducing re-operation rates.

Objective: Fractures of patella constitute 1% of all fractures. Various techniques have been described for internal fixation of patella fractures. Superiority of one technique over the other has long been debated.

Pembrolizumab versus investigator-choice chemotherapy for ipilimumab-refractory melanoma (KEYNOTE-002): a randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial.

Background: Patients with melanoma that progresses on ipilimumab and, if BRAF(V600) mutant-positive, a BRAF or MEK inhibitor or both, have few treatment options. We assessed the efficacy and safety of two pembrolizumab doses versus investigator-choice chemotherapy in patients with ipilimumab-refractory melanoma.

Methods: We carried out a randomised phase 2 trial of patients aged 18 years or older from 73 hospitals, clinics, and academic medical centres in 12 countries who had confirmed progressive disease within 24 weeks after two or more ipilimumab doses and, if BRAF(V600) mutant-positive, previous treatment with a BRAF or MEK inhibitor or both.

Diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in paediatric neuroblastoma: comparison with 131I-MIBG scintigraphy.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) in paediatric patients with neuroblastoma (NB) and compare the results with iodine-131 metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG) scintigraphy.

Methods: Data on 40 paediatric patients (age, 5.5 ± 5.

Talimogene Laherparepvec Improves Durable Response Rate in Patients With Advanced Melanoma.

Purpose: Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is a herpes simplex virus type 1-derived oncolytic immunotherapy designed to selectively replicate within tumors and produce granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to enhance systemic antitumor immune responses. T-VEC was compared with GM-CSF in patients with unresected stage IIIB to IV melanoma in a randomized open-label phase III trial.

Patients And Methods: Patients with injectable melanoma that was not surgically resectable were randomly assigned at a two-to-one ratio to intralesional T-VEC or subcutaneous GM-CSF.

A rare case of giant cell tumour arising from anterior cruciate ligament: Its diagnosis and management.

Tenosynovial giant cell tumour is a locally aggressive tumour arising from the synovia of the fibrous tissue surrounding the joints, tendon sheaths and tendons. Areas of predilection are the hand, and in the case of synovial joints, the knee joint is particularly affected. We describe a rare case of an intra-articular localized tenosynovial giant cell tumour arising from the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a 27 year male who presented with pain and giving way of his left knee without prior history of any trauma.

Nivolumab and ipilimumab versus ipilimumab in untreated melanoma.

Background: In a phase 1 dose-escalation study, combined inhibition of T-cell checkpoint pathways by nivolumab and ipilimumab was associated with a high rate of objective response, including complete responses, among patients with advanced melanoma.

Methods: In this double-blind study involving 142 patients with metastatic melanoma who had not previously received treatment, we randomly assigned patients in a 2:1 ratio to receive ipilimumab (3 mg per kilogram of body weight) combined with either nivolumab (1 mg per kilogram) or placebo once every 3 weeks for four doses, followed by nivolumab (3 mg per kilogram) or placebo every 2 weeks until the occurrence of disease progression or unacceptable toxic effects. The primary end point was the rate of investigator-assessed, confirmed objective response among patients with BRAF V600 wild-type tumors.

RECORD-2: phase II randomized study of everolimus and bevacizumab versus interferon α-2a and bevacizumab as first-line therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Background: The open-label, phase II RECORD-2 trial compared efficacy and safety of first-line everolimus plus bevacizumab (EVE/BEV) with interferon plus bevacizumab (IFN/BEV) in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Patients And Methods: Previously untreated patients were randomized 1:1 to bevacizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks with either everolimus 10 mg/day (EVE/BEV) or interferon (9 MIU 3 times/week, if tolerated) (IFN/BEV). Tumor assessments occurred every 12 weeks.

Algorithm for the management of metastatic cutaneous melanoma.

Over the last 4 years, various drugs have been approved for the treatment of metastatic cutaneous melanoma. Ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA-4 inhibitor that stimulates antitumor immunity, was the first agent to improve overall survival both in first line and in previously treated patients. Ipilimumab results in long term disease control in approximately 20% of the patients.

Melanoma adjuvant therapy.

The risk of recurrence and death after complete surgical resection of clinically detectable primary cutaneous melanoma ranges from low, intermediate to high risk depending on the stage of disease at diagnosis. This is defined by the depth, ulceration status and mitotic rate of the primary tumor, the presence of regional nodal disease or distant metastasis. For high-risk melanoma, adjuvant therapy aims at eradicating melanoma micrometastases in those patients that carry an unacceptable risk of mortality from melanoma recurrence.

Study of prognostic significance of antenatal ultrasonography and renin angiotensin system activation in predicting disease severity in posterior urethral valves.

Aims: Study on prognostic significance of antenatal ultrasonography and renin angiotensin system activation in predicting disease severity in posterior urethral valves.

Materials And Methods: Antenatally diagnosed hydronephrosis patients were included. Postnatally, they were divided into two groups, posterior urethral valve (PUV) and non-PUV.

Congenital cystic lesions of the lungs: The perils of misdiagnosis - A single-center experience.

Background: A majority of cystic lesions in the western world are detected antenatally, whereas, the diagnosis in our setup occurs once the child becomes symptomatic. Surgical management is primarily dictated by the presence of symptoms, recurrent infection, and rarely by the potential risk of malignant transformation.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out on all consecutive patients with cystic lung lesions managed at our center from January 2000 through June 2011 for antenatal diagnosis, presentation, diagnostic modalities, treatment, and complications.

Acquired Jejunal Atresia in a 2-Month-old Infant.

Acquired intestinal atresia in non-necrotizing enterocolitis affected patients is very rare. We report a 2 month old male infant who presented with bilious vomiting, abdominal distension and constipation. He was exclusively breast fed, gained weight and was asymptomatic till six weeks of age.

Abernethy syndrome, a rare cause of hypoxemia: A case report.

Abernethy syndrome (congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (CEPS II)) as an etiology of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is uncommon. The severe hypoxemia and its consequences become incapacitating for the patient. Early shunt closure resolves hypoxemia and clinical symptomatology and prevents irreversible changes in pulmonary vasculature.

Intralesional therapy for advanced melanoma: promise and limitation.

Purpose Of Review: Patients with unresectable, multiple or advanced locally/regionally metastatic stage IIIB/C or stage IV M1a melanoma have a high risk for recurrence, progression and metastasis. The article reviews treatment advances for this population.

Recent Findings: After promising phase 2 results with Allovectin-7 (velimogene aliplasmid), overall survival in a phase 3 study was shorter for Allovectin-7 than for dacarbazine/temozolomide (median 18.

Synchronous thoracic and abdominal enteric duplication cysts: Accurate detection with (99m)Tc-pertechnetate scintigraphy.

Enteric duplication cysts (EDCs) are uncommon congenital anomalies, which can occur anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract and vary greatly in presentation, size, location and symptoms. Ectopic gastric mucosa is reported to be found in 20-30% of these duplications. (99m)Tc-pertechnetate scintigraphy is a useful modality for preoperative localization of the ectopic functioning gastric mucosa in the EDCs.