Cryptococcal meningitis post-covid-19 infection: Immunomodulation, a double-edged sword.

Cryptococcal meningitis is an opportunistic infection associated with altered immunity. Immunomodulatory agent use in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may predispose such infections. Here, we present a 75-year-old male patient who presented with fever and altered general status after severe COVID-19 infection and developed cryptococcal meningitis.

Ethics in transfusion medicine: Are the intricate layers of ethics all universal? A global view.

Ethical principles have been considered, and in several respects regulated, along the entire blood procurement chain from donor motivation to transfusion to the patient. Consent of donors and voluntary non-remunerated donation are fields which have been addressed by codes of ethics and legislation. Caring for donor health is an area of further development of ethical standards.

Polatuzumab Vedotin: Current Role and Future Applications in the Treatment of Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a biologically and clinically heterogeneous disease. Despite good responses to standard of care frontline chemoimmunotherapy, the prognosis of relapsed/refractory (R/R) patients remains obscured by the possible inadequate responses to salvage therapy, eligibility for autologous transplantation, age and comorbidities. Polatuzumab vedotin is an antibody-drug conjugate formed by a CD79b antibody conjugated to the highly cytotoxic agent monomethyl auristatin E by means of a cleavable linker.

Post-Transplant Maintenance Therapy for Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Current Approaches and the Need for More Trials.

Relapse rates following allogeneic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia remain unacceptably high and a major cause of death. Maintenance therapies post-transplant administered either to patients with impending relapse or at high risk of relapse could present a strategy to improve survival and overall outcomes. With the increasing use of molecular and genomic characterization of the disease, more novel therapies became available as maintenance strategies.

Feasibility of Performing Transvascular Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration.

Background: Thoracic vascular structures often preclude transbronchial access to central lung parenchymal lesions and lymph nodes, thereby necessitating either a surgical or transvascular needle aspiration (TVNA) approach for diagnostic sampling. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) TVNA in the diagnosis and staging of mediastinal tumors.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 35 cases of EBUS-TVNA.

Length unstable femoral fractures: A misnomer?

Background: Flexible intramedullary nailing (FIMN) is relatively contraindicated for pediatric length unstable femoral fractures.

Aim: To evaluate FIMN treatment outcomes for pediatric diaphyseal length unstable femoral fractures in patients aged 5 to 13 years.

Methods: This retrospective study includes pediatric patients (age range 5-13 years) who received operative treatment for a diaphyseal femoral fracture at a single institution between 2013 and 2019.

Dual-mobility cups could yield lesser infections than conventional cups: a meta-analysis of comparative studies.

Introduction: Dual-mobility cups (DMC) are gaining popularity mainly for their reduced rate of dislocation following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Currently, indication for DMC use extends beyond patients with high risk of dislocation or revision THA cases. Many authors reported DMC outcomes in primary THA for all aetiologies.

The Clinical impact of PTPN11 mutations in adults with acute myeloid leukemia.

While germline and somatic mutations in the gene PTPN11, encoding a phosphatase which regulates the RAS signaling pathway, are well characterized in children with Noonan syndrome and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, less is known about their clinical impact in adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To elucidate the effect of PTPN11 mutations (PTPN11) on clinical outcomes, we screened adult patients with AML treated at our institution using targeted next-generation sequencing. Among 1406 consecutive patients, 112 (8%) had PTPN11.

Impact of the variant allele frequency of ASXL1, DNMT3A, JAK2, TET2, TP53, and NPM1 on the outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: The impact of the allelic burden of ASXL1, DNMT3A, JAK2, TET2, and TP53 mutations on survival remains unclear in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Methods: The authors assessed bone marrow aspirates from 421 patients with newly diagnosed AML using next-generation sequencing for ASXL1, DNMT3A, JAK2, TET2, and TP53 mutations, defined as the presence of mutations in ASXL1, DNMT3A, JAK2, TET2, or TP53 with a minimum variant allele frequency (VAF) of 5%.

Results: A total of 71 patients (17%) had ASXL1 mutations, 104 patients (25%) had DNMT3A mutations, 16 patients (4%) had JAK2 mutations, 82 patients (20%) had TET2 mutations, and 86 patients (20%) had TP53 mutations.

Prognostic significance of O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation and isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH-1) mutation in glioblastoma multiforme patients: A single-center experience in the Middle East region.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and prognostic value of MGMT promoter methylation and IDH1 mutation in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients from the Middle East.

Patients And Methods: Records of patients diagnosed between 2003 and 2015 were reviewed. MGMT promoter methylation was measured using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and IDH-1 mutation was reported.

A meta-analysis of comparative clinical studies of isolated osteotomy versus osteotomy with lateral soft tissue release in treating hallux valgus.

Background: Contradictory results have been reported in the literature over the beneficial effect of the lateral soft tissue release (LSTR) when associated to an osteotomy for the treatment of hallux valgus (HV).

Materials And Methods: Six comparative studies totalizing 425 patients (549 feet) were computed and comparing two groups: one group of patients having osteotomy alone and the other group having osteotomy with LSTR.

Results: Subgroup analysis in relation to the type of LSTR yielded significant better HVA correction (P<0.

Novel management of ovarian vein thrombosis: A case report.

Ovarian vein thrombosis (OVT) is a rare serious diagnosis especially if extending to inferior vein cava (IVC). We present a case of 36-year- old female who was diagnosed with right OVT reaching the inferior vein cava following a supra-cervical hysterectomy that was performed in the postpartum period due to excessive bleeding from uterine fibroids. Using the new generation anti-coagulant "rivaroxaban" for six months followed by maintenance regimen of aspirin and sulodexide, complete resolution of the clot was noticed without any adverse event while using this regimen.

Longitudinal Study of Hypertensive Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Overall and Cardiovascular Risk.

Despite adequate glycemic and blood pressure control, treated type 2 diabetic hypertensive subjects have a significantly elevated overall/cardiovascular risk. We studied 244 816 normotensive and 99 720 hypertensive subjects (including 7480 type 2 diabetics) attending medical checkups between 1992 and 2011. We sought to identify significant differences in overall/cardiovascular risk between hypertension with and without diabetes mellitus.

Comparison of 2 types of intrastromal corneal ring segments for keratoconus.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness and safety of 2 types of 6.0 mm intrastromal corneal ring segments (ICRS) in patients with mild to severe keratoconus.

Setting: Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon.