Talimogene Laherparepvec in Non-Melanoma Cancers.

Background: Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is the first oncolytic virus therapy approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (in 2015) for the treatment of advanced-stage melanoma. Despite a paucity of Phase III trials for T-VEC as a therapy for non-melanoma cancers, successful off-label use of T-VEC for this purpose has been reported in the literature.

Objective: We sought to review the literature describing T-VEC as a treatment for non-melanoma cancer.

WAO-ARIA consensus on chronic cough - Part II: Phenotypes and mechanisms of abnormal cough presentation - .

Background: Chronic cough can be triggered by respiratory and non-respiratory tract illnesses originating mainly from the upper and lower airways, and the GI tract (ie, reflux). Recent findings suggest it can also be a prominent feature in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), laryngeal hyperresponsiveness, and COVID-19. The classification of chronic cough is constantly updated but lacks clear definition.

WAO-ARIA consensus on chronic cough - Part 1: Role of TRP channels in neurogenic inflammation of cough neuronal pathways.

Background: Cough features a complex peripheral and central neuronal network. The function of the chemosensitive and stretch (afferent) cough receptors is well described but partly understood. It is speculated that chronic cough reflects a neurogenic inflammation of the cough reflex, which becomes hypersensitive.

Does Social and Religious Background Matter? A Study of the Psychosocial Impact of Human Papillomavirus on Lebanese Women.

Objective: The human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with an important psychosocial impact. This impact has been poorly evaluated in developing countries, mostly because of the lack of instruments to quantify it. The HIP questionnaire aims to measure HPV-associated affective burden.

Validation of the Human Papillomavirus Impact Profile in Lebanese Women With Human Papillomavirus or Associated Lesions.

Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for a multitude of lesions with high psychosocial burden. The "HPV Impact Profile" (HIP) questionnaire is one of the first and most specific tools evaluating the emotional impact of HPV. This study aimed to translate this questionnaire into Arabic and to validate it, in a sample of Lebanese female patients.

Long-term evaluation of Nipple-Areolar complex changes in inferior versus superomedial pedicle reduction mammoplasty: A comparative study.

Background: In breast reduction, traditionally the inferior pedicle (IFP) technique is considered the most performed by plastic surgeons. A growing interest for the superomedial pedicle (SMP) mammoplasty technique has been documented in literature and clinical practice. Sensory recovery of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC), final areolar shape and scarring may also have a significant impact on patient satisfaction.

Clinical burden of hemophilia in older adults: Beyond bleeding risk.

The prospect of hemophilia patients has dramatically improved in the last few decades with the introduction of various interventions that can effectively treat or prevent their bleeding risk. The life expectancy of patients can now reach that of the healthy population, but this has paved the way for several previously unrecognized morbidities to manifest in older adults with hemophilia. Such clinical complications are attributed to suboptimal management or poor access to effective therapy during childhood as well as chronicity and prolonged exposure to the underlying pathophysiology of the disease and its treatment.

Kidney function monitoring in inflammatory bowel disease: The MONITORED consensus.

Background And Aims: Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are exposed to drug-related nephrotoxicity and kidney-related extra-intestinal manifestations (EIMs). Patients should be monitored but guidance is lacking in current international recommendations. The objective of the Kidney Function Monitoring in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (MONITORED) initiative was to achieve an expert consensus about monitoring kidney function in IBD.

Impact of Bariatric Surgery on the Healthy Eating Index, Binge Eating Behavior and Food Craving in a Middle Eastern Population: A Lebanese Experience.

Even though bariatric surgeries (BS) are on the rise in Lebanon and the Middle East, the changes in diet quality, binge eating, and food cravings in this region are poorly studied peri-operatively. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess binge eating behaviors, food craving and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) in Lebanese patients who underwent BS in a duration that exceeds 6 months. Evaluation included a dietary assessment of usual diet preoperatively and postoperatively.

Osteoid Osteoma of the Distal Phalanx: A Rare Condition.

Osteoid osteoma of the distal phalanges in the hand is rare and difficult to diagnose. We report a case of a 37-year-old Caucasian female patient who presented with a mass on the distal phalanx of the index finger. The patient was suffering from intermittent nocturnal pain for more than 18 months along with thickening, localized swelling, and clubbing of the distal phalanx of the right index finger.

Robotic Partial Cystectomy for Urachal Carcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Urachal carcinoma is a very rare tumor, commonly found in the urachal remnant connecting the bladder dome to the umbilicus. Diagnosis is often challenging due to the location of the tumor and its late presentation. We hereby report the case of a 49-year-old female where the diagnosis of urachal carcinoma was made and a robotic partial cystectomy associated with en bloc resection of the umbilicus was performed.

Aplastic anemia secondary to dual cancer immunotherapies a physician nightmare: case report and literature review.

Background: Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized cancer treatment over the past several years. Despite their clinical benefits, a wide range of immune-mediated toxicities can be observed including hematological toxicities. Although, the majority can easily be managed, immune-mediated adverse events rarely can be severe and difficult to approach.

Pediatric discoid lupus erythematosus: Short report.

Pediatric discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a rare inflammatory skin disorder. This article aims to review all the available clinical and therapeutic data on reported cases of pediatric DLE. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using Pubmed and Embase with no limitation on publication date, sex, or nationality.

Unusual presentation of a clinically isolated temporal region mass: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Non-hodgkins lymphoma is a systemic disease that may present in multiple sites, rarely does it present primarily as a temporal fossa swelling. Only four cases have been reported in the English literature. We report a case of a patient who presented with a rapidly progressive swelling of the temporal fossa.

The importance of acknowledging diagnostic uncertainty in patients with new-onset paroxysmal spells.

Objective: The aims of this study were to evaluate the frequency of paroxysmal spells of indeterminate nature (PSIN) in a large cohort of children and adults with suspected new-onset seizures, to evaluate the reasons for including patients in this category, and to calculate the rate of erroneous diagnoses if the epileptologists were compelled to label those events as epileptic seizures or nonepileptic paroxysmal spells.

Methods: Patients identified for this study participated in a prospective study evaluating patients with suspected new-onset unprovoked seizures. The workup included a detailed history and a thorough description of the spells, a 3-hour video EEG recording, and an epilepsy protocol brain MRI.

Colonic Carcinosarcoma: Report of a Rare Colorectal Malignancy and Review of Literature.

Colonic carcinosarcoma is an extremely rare tumor composed of mixed malignant epithelial and mesenchymal cells. Due to its rarity, its pathogenesis is poorly understood, and there are no specific guidelines for its treatment.

Management of breast cancer patients with gene mutations in Lebanon of the Middle East: perspectives and challenges.

Background: This commentary explores and discusses the challenges oncologists face in diagnosing and managing breast cancer patients with gene mutations in Lebanon and the Middle East.

Methods: Key opinion leaders shared their recommendations to achieve better patient outcomes and satisfaction based on evidence-based medicine and their clinical experience in management.

Results: Challenges associated with management can be divided into four main levels: physicians, patients, test, and treatment factors.

A case of colonoscopy-induced Wunderlich's syndrome in a hemodialysis patient: coincidence or association?

Wunderlich syndrome, or spontaneous renal hemorrhage (SRH), is a rare condition encountered in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD) usually attributed to acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD) among other causes. In the literature, colonoscopy is associated with splenic injuries, and renal hemorrhage has not been previously described. Management can range from conservative treatment to angiographic embolization or exploration and nephrectomy.

Lead screening in children presenting to three hospitals in Lebanon.

Background: Lead damages most body organs and its effects are most profound in children. In a study in Beirut in 2003, before banning the leaded gasoline, 79% of the participants showed blood lead levels (BLLs) higher than 5 µg/dL. The prevalence of lead exposure in Lebanon after the ban on leaded gasoline has not been studied.

A challenging modified measles outbreak in vaccinated healthcare providers.

Background: Modified measles is rarely reported and thought to be an attenuated, less transmissible form of measles. The occupational safety and management of previously immunized healthcare providers (HCP) facing the global reemergence of measles is controversial and unclear.Aim: We report a measles outbreak with an unusual presentation among our vaccinated HCP at Saint George Hospital University Medical Center (SGHUMC) in Lebanon that occurred during a nationwide measles epidemic.