Publications by authors named "Aishwarya Ravindran"

Endocrinopathies are frequently the initial presentation of histiocytic neoplasms, which are rare hematologic disorders affecting multiple organ systems. Langerhans cell histiocytosis and Erdheim-Chester disease are 2 such disorders known to infiltrate the hypothalamus and/or pituitary gland, leading to arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D) and anterior pituitary dysfunction (APD) in 20% to 30% of cases, often as the first manifestation. Conversely, histiocytic disorders account for a notable proportion (10-15%) of all pituitary stalk lesions.

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Purpose: BRAF and MEK inhibitors are standard treatments in histiocytic disorders, such as Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD). Some patients lack MAPK-pathway alterations, making these treatments less effective.

Methods: We describe three patients with histiocytic disorders who have novel non-MAPK pathway alterations.

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Malignant histiocytosis (MH) is an extremely rare neoplasm of the macrophage-dendritic cell lineage. We report the clinical characteristics, molecular aberrations, treatments, and outcomes of patients with MH seen at two referral centers from January 2000 to May 2023. We identified 43 patients with MH, of which 26 had histiocytic sarcoma (MH-H), 9 interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (MH-IDC), and 8 Langerhans cell sarcoma (MH-LC).

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Advances in the treatment of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) have resulted in a growing survivor population. There is a lack of data on long-term outcomes among adults with LCH. We conducted a retrospective record review of 219 adults (aged ≥18 years) with LCH.

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Rosai-Dorfman Disease is a rare benign disorder involving overproduction of immune cells, causing swollen lymph nodes and, in rare cases, the sternum. The sternal involvement may cause chest pain and masses. Diagnosis is confirmed through clinical examination, biopsy, and imaging.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study analyzed 156 adults with Langerhans cell histiocytosis to see if BRAF mutation status affected disease severity or survival rates, finding no significant correlation.
  • - It was noted that BRAFV600E mutations were linked to a higher occurrence of second cancers, particularly hematological types, in patients.
  • - These second malignancies may share a common origin with the original condition, suggesting potential connections between them.
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Article Synopsis
  • - Understanding histiocytic disorders has improved due to the identification of MAPK pathway mutations, especially BRAFV600E, but there's uncertainty about the best methods for testing these mutations.
  • - A review of 120 patients revealed that various testing methods, including immunohistochemistry (IHC), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and next-generation sequencing (NGS), were used, with NGS serving as the gold standard for accuracy comparison.
  • - The study found that while IHC was very specific in detecting BRAFV600E, it had limitations, including some false negatives; thus, the authors recommend using IHC for initial screening followed by molecular testing if results are negative.
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Malignant histiocytoses (MHs), or the 'M group' of the Histiocyte Society classification, are characterized by neoplastic histiocytes with large pleomorphic nuclei. MH encompasses the diagnoses of histiocytic sarcoma, interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma, and Langerhans cell sarcoma. We aimed to define the phenotypic spectrum of MH and examine the genotypic features across this spectrum.

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Purpose Of Review: Histiocytic disorders, including Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD), Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), and Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD), are rare neoplasms that may present with a spectrum of neurologic involvement. Diagnostic delay is common due to heterogeneity in presentation and challenging pathology.

Recent Findings: Recent advances in the treatment of these diseases targeted towards mutations in the MAP kinase pathway have led to an improved prognosis in these patients with neurologic involvement.

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Objectives: Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is one of 3 major types of histiocytosis, along with Erdheim-Chester disease and Langerhans cell histiocytosis. While historically, RDD was considered a benign self-limited condition, current data show MAPK/ERK pathway mutations in 30% to 50% of cases, indicative of a clonal process. Rosai-Dorfman disease was incorporated as a histiocytic neoplasm in the fifth edition of the World Health Organization classification of hematopoietic tumors and the International Consensus Classification.

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Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive histiocytosis is an uncommon condition, recently considered a separate condition from other histiocytosis by WHO 5th edition. It can involve intracranial structures. This manuscript describes a case of ALK-positive histiocytosis of the cavernous sinus, focusing on the radiologic and pathologic presentation of the entity.

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Introduction: Dysregulation of alternative complement pathway underlies the pathogenesis of both C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) and thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). In this study, we describe both disease entities occurring in 5 patients.

Methods: We identified 114 patients at our institution from 2007 to 2016 with C3G in native kidney biopsies and those with concurrent TMA were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare neoplasm where recent findings indicate that about 40% of patients have alterations in the MAPK pathway, specifically in the KRAS and MEK genes, and there are currently no approved treatments available.
  • This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the MEK-inhibitor cobimetinib in treating RDD patients with these genetic alterations, through a retrospective cohort analysis involving 16 patients treated between 2013 and 2021.
  • Results showed that patients with KRAS or MEK alterations had a significantly higher overall response rate (88%) and better progression-free survival compared to those without these alterations, demonstrating the potential of targeted therapies for RDD.
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Purpose: To evaluate the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes in adult patients with histiocytic disorders with ocular, orbital, optic nerve, or cavernous sinus involvement.

Design: Observational, retrospective chart review.

Participants: Adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) at Mayo Clinic from January 1, 1996, to July 1, 2021, with histiocytic disorders.

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Introduction: Histiocytic disorders pose significant diagnostic and management challenges for the clinicians due to diverse clinical manifestations and often non-specific histopathologic findings. Herein, we report the tumor board experience from the first-of-its-kind Histiocytosis Working Group (HWG).

Materials And Methods: The HWG was established in June 2017 and consists of experts from 10 subspecialties that discuss cases in a multidisciplinary format.

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