Publications by authors named "Shejil Kumar"

Article Synopsis
  • Accelerated bone loss is common in the first 2-3 years after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI), especially in the distal femur and proximal tibia, with limited studies focused on treating this condition.
  • A study conducted from 2018 to 2023 involved two groups: an 'acute interventional cohort' receiving zoledronic acid (ZOL) and a 'chronic non-interventional cohort' not receiving treatment, both monitored for bone mineral density (BMD) over time.
  • Results showed that the acute group, despite receiving ZOL, experienced significant BMD decline at 12 and 48 months, indicating that this treatment did not effectively prevent bone loss, highlighting the need for further research on
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  • The ROLEX-DUO study is a randomized controlled trial aimed at understanding if high-intensity resistance and impact exercise combined with romosozumab can improve bone density and muscle outcomes in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis/osteopenia.
  • The trial involves 102 participants who will be divided into three groups: one receiving romosozumab with supervised high-intensity exercise, another receiving romosozumab with low-intensity exercise, and a third group getting a placebo with low-intensity exercise.
  • Key outcomes to be measured include changes in lumbar spine bone mineral density and performance on a sit-to-stand test, along with various secondary health indicators related to bone health and quality of life over an 8-month period
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Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), a rare and highly aggressive malignancy, is characterized by an exceptionally poor prognosis, where the majority of patients present with extensive local invasion and/or distant metastases. 20-30% of ATCs harbor the BRAF-V600E mutation. Neoadjuvant BRAF-targeted therapy may have the potential to downstage and facilitate surgical resection for patients with locally advanced and unresectable primary tumors with BRAF mutation and may convey a survival advantage in those with metastatic disease.

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Unlabelled: In severe osteoporosis, the optimal approach for sequential treatment between denosumab and romosozumab is unclear. We utilised a novel overlapping strategy in three patients with very-high fracture risk despite long-term denosumab which led to greater bone density improvements than previously reported with standard approaches. Larger confirmatory prospective studies are needed.

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Article Synopsis
  • RET mutations are found in 60% of medullary thyroid cancer cases and the drug selpercatinib shows significant effectiveness against it compared to older treatments.
  • A 22-year-old woman with metastatic medullary thyroid cancer improved with selpercatinib, but later developed lung nodules diagnosed as Langerhans cell histiocytosis, which had a rare BRAF mutation.
  • The authors suggest that the use of RET inhibitors like selpercatinib might cause dormant BRAF mutations to activate, leading to new cancers due to changes in the MAPK signaling pathway.
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Objective: Somatostatin receptor (SST) functional imaging with positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has broadened the diagnostic and staging capabilities for medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Gallium-68 (Ga)-DOTA-conjugated peptide (Tyr3)-octreotate (DOTATATE) is a radiotracer with a high affinity for type 2 SSTs expressed in several, but not all, MTCs. The utility of Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT and fluorine-labeled fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (F-FDG)-PET/CT imaging in predicting MTC prognosis is also unknown.

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Pheochromocytomas are rare catecholamine-secreting neuroendocrine tumors of the adrenal medulla chromaffin cells, usually associated with features of catecholamine excess. Clinically and biochemically silent pheochromocytoma without adrenergic symptoms or elevated catecholamine concentrations are rare. A 71-year-old female presented with acute right flank pain with abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan revealing a hemorrhagic right adrenal mass.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A study found that 32% of men receiving Lu-PSMA experienced a drop in serum calcium, with 5% developing clinical hypocalcemia, particularly in those with extensive bone metastases.
  • * Further research is needed to understand the causes and implications of hypocalcemia related to Lu-PSMA therapy, including how to manage severe cases effectively.
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Summary: Hypercalcaemia is a common complication seen in malignancy, frequently due to paraneoplastic parathyroid hormone-related peptide production or osteolytic bony metastases. We present a 58-year-old female with immunotherapy-mediated hypophysitis causing secondary cortisol deficiency resulting in severe glucocorticoid-responsive hypercalcaemia. Whilst hypophysitis is a well recognised adverse event in those receiving immunotherapy for advanced malignancy, it does not typically present with hypercalcaemia.

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  • * It focuses on a 61-year-old woman with metastatic ampullary cancer who developed acute hyperglycemia after starting immunotherapy, highlighting an atypical case where initial tests showed preserved insulin levels which later declined.
  • * Key learning points emphasize the importance of regular blood glucose monitoring in patients undergoing immunotherapy for early detection and management of diabetes, even when standard markers like glycated hemoglobin appear normal.
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Unlabelled: A post-menopausal Caucasian woman sustained an atypical femoral fracture (AFF) after 5-years continuous denosumab for osteoporosis without prior bisphosphonate exposure. This is only the fifth case reported of AFF in a bisphosphonate-naïve patient receiving denosumab for osteoporosis. Although rare, physicians should consider AFF in patients taking denosumab even without prior bisphosphonate exposure.

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Ectopic thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)oma located outside the sella turcica is exceedingly rare and can be associated with significant diagnostic delay. The clinical presentation depends on the anatomical location and size of the ectopic tumor and the degree of thyrotoxicosis. A 71-year-old woman presented with goiter and thyrotoxicosis.

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There is an emerging Muslim and diabetic population in the United States and other Western countries and majority of pregnant women and patients with diabetes mellitus choose to fast during Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan in pregnant women with diabetes may represent a 'perfect storm' of metabolic disturbances including hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia and ketosis. Recent continuous and flash glucose monitoring data suggests increased glycemic variability (fasting hypo- and post-Iftar hyperglycemia) in non-pregnant patients with diabetes during Ramadan.

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We describe a 96-year-old man with insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes mellitus who, despite insulin cessation, presented with recurrent hypoglycemia associated with confirmed inappropriate endogenous hyperinsulinemia. Ga-DOTATATE-PET/CT scans demonstrated increased uptake in the pancreatic tail with multiple large intensely active liver metastases. Liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of well-differentiated metastatic neuroendocrine tumor.

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Syphilis is increasingly prevalent in the community. The protean manifestations of neurosyphilis make the recognition, diagnosis and early initiation of treatment challenging. We report a case of early syphilitic meningitis presenting with multiple cranial neuropathies.

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Background: The benefits of LDL cholesterol-lowering treatment for the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease are well established. However, the extent to which these effects differ by baseline LDL cholesterol, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, and the presence of comorbidities remains uncertain.

Methods: We did a systematic literature search (MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, from inception up to June 15, 2019) for randomised controlled trials of statins, ezetimibe, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors with at least 1000 patient-years of follow-up.

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Since the introduction of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) and more effective treatments for AIDS, there has been a dramatic shift from the weight loss and wasting that characterised HIV/AIDS (and still does in countries where cART is not readily available or is initiated late) to healthy weight, or even overweight and obesity at rates mirroring those seen in the general population. These trends are attributable to several factors, including the "" weight gain with reversal of the catabolic effects of HIV-infection following cART-initiation, strategies for earlier cART-initiation in the course of HIV-infection which have prevented many people living with HIV-infection from developing wasting, in addition to exposure to the modern obesogenic environment. Older cART regimens were associated with increased risk of body fat partitioning disorders (lipodystrophy) and cardiometabolic complications including atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus.

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Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a risk factor for subsequent development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We have investigated the extent of this risk among Māori women without known diabetes.

Materials And Methods: We recruited 2786 Māori women aged 28-86 years between 2004 and 2006, without diagnosed diabetes from the Waikato and Southern Lakes regions, via media, community and general practitioner channels, and invited them for an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

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Background: There have been a myriad of studies investigating the effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in the prevention of contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) with or without percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However the consensus is still out about the effectiveness of NAC pre-treatment due to vastly mixed results amongst the literature.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis to determine the effects of pre-operative NAC in lowering the incidence of CIN in patients undergoing CAG and/or PCI.

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