Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in a zoo of multidrug-resistant organisms: Data from a cancer center in eastern India.

Background: Infections by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) are a major hurdle in hematopoietic stem-cell transplants (HSCTs). Conditioning regimens lead to mucosal barrier injury, which in-turn leads to transmigration of gut bacteria and sepsis. Pre-transplant stool and throat surveillance cultures can guide empirical antibiotic policy during the neutropenic period.

A Systematic Cytogenetic Strategy to Identify Masked Hypodiploidy in Precursor B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Low Resource Settings.

Hypodiploidy with < 40 chromosomes is associated with poor prognosis in B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In some patients, the hypodiploid clone undergoes endoreduplication, resulting in doubling of the number of chromosomes and masquerades as a high hyperdiploid BCP-ALL. Karyotyping reveals metaphases with 50-79 chromosomes masking the hypodiploid clone.

Cytomegalovirus reactivation and disease amongst patients with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Eastern India: Epidemiology, outcome and healthcare cost.

Purpose: Data from developing countries about incidence, prognosis and healthcare cost of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation amongst patients with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) remain scarce. The purpose of the study was to describe the epidemiology, outcome and cost implications of CMV reactivation and CMV disease amongst patients with AHSCT in cancer hospital in Eastern India.

Materials And Methods: The study design was a retrospective audit of clinical records.

NK/T Cell Lymphoma: A Tertiary Centre Experience.

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL), nasal type, is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is commonly seen in East Asian countries and is associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection. This is a retrospective study where we describe nine cases of ENKTL; nasal type diagnosed and treated at our center over a period of 2 years. These cases were analyzed retrospectively for clinical presentation (age, sex, site of involvement), immunophenotype, treatment, response and toxicity profile.

Diagnosis of variant RARA translocation using standard dual-color dual-fusion PML/RARA FISH probes: An illustrative report.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APML) with variant RARa translocations comprises 1-2% of APML cases. However, the diagnosis of these cases is challenging as the routine practice includes fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction targeting the PML and RARA genes to detect PML/RARA fusions. Here, we report a case highlighting the importance of atypical FISH signal patterns in standard dual-color dual-fusion PML/RARa FISH analysis complimented by karyotyping to detect these variant RARA translocations.

PAX-5 Positivity in Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-Negative Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a subtype of T-cell lymphomas that may mimic several other malignancies morphologically. With the help of immunohistochemistry, most cases of ALCL can be diagnosed on the basis of expression of T-cell lineage associated antigens. However, aberrations in the expression of immunohistochemical markers pose diagnostic challenges.