The Diagnostic Value of Abnormal Bone Marrow Signal Changes on Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Is Bone Marrow Biopsy Essential?

Background: It is essential to determine whether bone marrow signal changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represent a physiological response or pathology; at present, the clinical significance of these signal changes is unclear. It is unknown whether a bone marrow biopsy is required when bone marrow signal changes are detected incidentally in individuals without suspected malignancy.

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether incidentally detected bone marrow signal changes on MRI performed for various reasons (at the time of admission or during follow-up) are clinically significant.

Impact of autologous stem cell transplantation on survival outcomes in patients with peripheral T cell lymphoma.

Data about the timing of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) are conflicting. We aimed to investigate the impact of the sequence of ASCT on the survival outcomes in patients with PTCL. Analyzes were performed retrospectively in a total of 81 patients, 16 of whom underwent upfront ASCT and 12 received salvage ASCT.

Real-life ruxolitinib experience in intermediate-risk myelofibrosis.

Background: In this retrospective cohort of patients with primary, post-polycythemia vera, or post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis, 57 patients with MF who received ruxolitinib for MF-related symptoms or symptomatic splenomegaly were evaluated.

Methods: The median age of the patients in this cohort was approximately 58 years. Of these, there were 33 patients (57.

Treosulfan-Based Conditioning Regimen for Second Allograft in Patients with Myelofibrosis.

Relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) in myelofibrosis (MF) patients remains as a significant issue despite advances in transplantation procedures and significant prolongation in survival. Second AHSCT is a potential treatment option but associated with high treatment-related mortality and novel less toxic conditioning regimens are needed. In 33 MF patients with relapse after AHSCT and failure to donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) we investigated treosulfan (36-42 g/m) in combination with fludarabine and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) as conditioning regimen for a second AHSCT with matched related ( = 2), unrelated ( = 23), or mismatched unrelated ( = 8) donors.

Quality of Life and Symptom Burden With First- and Second-generation Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Patients With Chronic-phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Background: With the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have a life expectancy similar to those of age- and gender-matched healthy populations. Nevertheless, patients receiving TKIs report chronic adverse events such as fatigue, edema, and muscle cramps, which lead to a decrease in their quality of life (QoL). Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the QoL and symptom burden in patients receiving original imatinib, generic imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib.

Incidence and Outcome of Late Relapse after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Myelofibrosis.

In this cross-sectional study, we retrospectively evaluated the files of 227 patients with myelofibrosis who underwent transplantation between 1994 and 2015 for relapse later than 5 years after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). A total of 94 patients who were alive and in remission at 5 years were identified with follow-up of at least 5 years (median, 9.15 years) after SCT.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: a review inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) or hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an acute and rapidly progressive systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by cytopenia, excessive cytokine production, and hyperferritinemia. Common clinical manifestations of HLH are acute unremitting fever, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and multiorgan failure. Due to a massive cytokine release, this clinical condition is considered as a cytokine storm syndrome.

Cytokine storm in COVID-19: pathogenesis and overview of anti-inflammatory agents used in treatment.

COVID-19 infection has a heterogenous disease course; it may be asymptomatic or causes only mild symptoms in the majority of the cases, while immunologic complications such as macrophage activation syndrome also known as secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, resulting in cytokine storm syndrome and acute respiratory distress syndrome, may also occur in some patients. According to current literature, impairment of SARS-CoV-2 clearance due to genetic and viral features, lower levels of interferons, increased neutrophil extracellular traps, and increased pyroptosis and probable other unknown mechanisms create a background for severe disease course complicated by macrophage activation syndrome and cytokine storm. Various genetic mutations may also constitute a risk factor for severe disease course and occurrence of cytokine storm in COVID-19.

A Multi-Center Study on the Efficacy of Eltrombopag in Management of Refractory Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Real-Life Experience.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of eltrombopag, an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist, in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).

Materials And Methods: A total of 285 chronic ITP patients (187 women, 65.6%; 98 men, 34.

Molecular screening and the clinical impacts of BCR-ABL KD mutations in patients with imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia.

The present study aimed to detect the frequency of kinase domain (KD) mutations in order to evaluate their clinical significance and functional importance in 45 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who were resistant to imatinib therapy. Sanger sequencing was used (45 patients), along with allele-specific oligonucleotide polymerase chain reaction (ASO-PCR; 3 patients), for the screening of mutations. BCR/ABL KD was amplified by nested PCR and sequencing was performed.

Azacitidine versus decitabine in patients with refractory anemia with excess blast-Results of multicenter study.

The present study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of azacitidine and decitabine in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). A total of 88 patients diagnosed with refractory anemia with excess blast (RAEB) treated with azacitidine (n=57) or decitabine (n=31) were evaluated. Comparisons between azacitidine and decitabine groups were performed in the whole cohort, and in a 1:1 propensity score-matched cohort in order to reduce the simple selection bias.

Pulmonary Endarterectomy in a Patient with Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura.

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) patients are at high risk for bleeding complications regarding surgeries involving cardiopulmonary bypass. We report an ITP patient with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension who underwent uncomplicated pulmonary endarterectomy with receiving postoperative intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. The positive outcome of this case may suggest that pulmonary endarterectomy surgery is performed safely for ITP patients.