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Portosystemic Encephalopathy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Adult male with a history of hepatitis C, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and hepatocellular carcinoma. Patient treated for NHL with CHOP-R 4 years ago. However, post-treatment, he had continued presumed bone marrow suppression. He was diagnosed 2 years later with HCC and underwent TACE with good effect. Since the TACE, the patient has had persistent and worsening hepatic dysfunction with portal hypertension and ascites. Recently, the patient developed encephalopathy and was treated, as described below, with fast return to consciousness.

Lichen planopilaris (follicular lichen planus) affecting the scalp

A 50 years old female complained about appearance of detached pruritic symptomatology affecting the trunk and the scalp. The patient carried out numerous dermatology specialist examinations on the following 3 years. Her allergy tests results were negative and she diagnosed with a seborrhoeic dermatitis affecting the scalp. As the patient did not achieve any result with the prescribed therapies ,she carried out biopsy. The biopsy was consistent with a “Lichen Planopilaris.”

Hepatic metastases from prostatic adenocarcinoma

A 66 year old man that was diagnosed with prostate cancer underwent radical prostatectomy 2 years ago. Pathology result of the surgical specimen revealed poorly differentiated prostate carcinoma with positive surgical margins. He was treated with antiandrogens and adjuvant radiation therapy. Since the beginning of the last year and under hormonal monotherapy with Casodex his PSA levels doubled. PET CT of the abdomen and the pelvis revealed hepatic lesion.

Autoimmune hepatitis/cholangitis in patient with Crohn’s disease.

18 years old male. 4 months ago the patient was hospitalized due to epigastric abdominal pain, lack of appetite and weight loss. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.
Hepatic biopsy, that was performed during this hospitslization, showed evidence of an overlap syndrome picture (cholangitis/hepatitis). He was initially treated with Cortisone and Azathioprine.

B-cell lymphoma

59-year-old-male underwent biopsy, after founding epigastric mass, and was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma. He was treated as an aggressive lymphoma with R-CHOP. Because of neurtopenia, the planned 6 cycle regimen was not completed and a radiation course was administered. Since then the patient feels well, but continues to have prolonged and persistent neutropenia with mild thrombocytopenia. The expert suggests differential diagnosis of the bone marrow problem, and recommends additional diagnostic workup.

Chronic Glomerulonephritis

42-year-old female with chronic renal insufficiency secondary to immune complex mediated glomerulonephropathy, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. The recommended solution for her is kidney transplant. Possible causes of immune complex deposition disease include Cryoglobulinemia, IgA nephropathy, Membranous nephropathy, and Idiopathic immune complex mediated glomerulonephritis which is the diagnosis of exclusion.

Massive Portal and Mesenteric Vein Thrombosis

47-year-old male presented with un-provoked portal and mesenteric vein thrombosis that caused persistent radiating pains of upper abdominal quadrants. The examinations found heterozygous factor II mutation, and family survey for the factor II mutation was recommended. The patient started anticoagulant therapy. In the expert's opinion, the main risk factors for portal vein thrombosis are: Prothrombotic disorder, abdominal inflammation, cirrhosis, cancer, abdominal intervention and abdominal infection.

Chronic relapsing, non progressing eruption of purpuric papulovesicular lesions

A 57 year old female complained about appearance of red to dark red pruritic bullous lesions . These lesions were, and still are, located on the legs from the knee to the ankles, and on the back of the feet. These manifestations appeared in variable phases during the next 4 years, with episodes of more numerous pustules appearing in some periods, and more isolated in other periods.

Neuroroendocrine neoplasia with hepatic secondary lesions_2

39-year-old male was diagnosed to have a neuroendocrine tumour with synchronic liver metastases. The disease was treated with an etoposide-carboplatin combination, Interferon A, somatostatin analogue and Zebra fish egg derived dietary supplements. In early 2008, a tumour progression was noted in that the disease started to produce the epithelial tumour markers CEA and CA 19-9.

Stage 4 Neuroblastoma – additional opinion

1.5-year-old male suffered from eye swelling. His MRI revealed expansive lesion of left lateral orbital wall origin, with compression on the lateral rectus muscle. Later he was hospitalized due to fever and vomiting in left orbital lesion, suspecting a metastatic neuroblastoma. His eye examination revealed exophthalmus of the eye with exophoria and light dysfunction of the lateral rectus. His biopsies were indicative of stroma-poor neuroblastoma.

Stage 4 Neuroblastoma

1.5-year-old male suffered from eye swelling. His MRI revealed expansive lesion of left lateral orbital wall origin, with compression on the lateral rectus muscle. Later he was hospitalized due to fever and vomiting in left orbital lesion, suspecting a metastatic neuroblastoma. His eye examination revealed exophthalmus of the eye with exophoria and light dysfunction of the lateral rectus. His biopsies were indicative of stroma-poor neuroblastoma.

Operated breast cancer with metastases

A 55 years old female was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the right breast 7 years ago. The patient underwent a right quadrantectomy and axillary lymph nodes removal, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy. 5 years ago, after diagnostic finding of reappearance of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the right breast, the patient underwent right mastectomy and revisional surgery of axillary armpit, and another adjuvant chemotherapy. 

Pulmonary Heteroplasia – additional opinion

66-year-old female was diagnosed, following persistent cough, with lung tumour with concomitant pulmonary nodules and a measurable enlargement of lymph nodes. FBS was positive for well differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma and a needle biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma with associated neuroendocrine differentiation.

Pulmonary heteroplasia_2

66-year-old female was diagnosed, following persistent cough, with non-operable tumor of her lung with satellite nodules, and chemotherapy was initiated (first Cisplatin and Gemcitabine, and then switched to Tarceva). Response evaluation following the fourth cycle of chemotherapy showed either stability or an initiation of tumor response, but bone scintigraphy that was performed 6 months later revealed an area of increased uptake in the left hemithorax which could be suggestive of a secondary bone lesion.

Pulmonary heteroplasia_3

66-year-old female was diagnosed, following persistent cough, with non-operable tumor of her lung with satellite nodules, and chemotherapy was initiated (first Cisplatin and Gemcitabine, and then switched to Tarceva). Response evaluation following the fourth cycle of chemotherapy showed either stability or an initiation of tumor response, but bone scintigraphy that was performed 6 months later revealed an area of increased uptake in the left hemithorax which could be suggestive of a secondary bone lesion.

 

Rectal Carcinoma, Gastric Carcinoma, Metastases.

52-year-old male was diagnosed in 2004 with a carcinoma of the lower rectum and underwent surgical anterior resection of the rectal tumor which was a well differentiated adenocarcinoma. In 2008 he underwent emergency operation for a perforated pyloric ulcer and then a radical resection of a gastric tumor which infiltrated the entire thickness of the gastric wall. It was a G3 diffuse type adenocarcinoma with signet ring cells, at pT3N2 stage.

Anaplastic Astrocytoma in the left temporal lobe

65-year-old male experienced loss of consciousness, and a CT scan showed a left temporal mass which was confirmed by MRI. The patient underwent Stereotacti biopsy of mass, and Histological examination gave a diagnosis of anaplastic astrocytoma. He started chemoradiation with fotemustine (nitrosourea alkylating agent). Repeated MRI showed progression with mass effect, mild uncal herniation and enlarging ventricles. He has stable expressive aphasia and hemisyndrome, lethargy and decreased motivation. His treatment was switched from phenobarbital to levetiracetam.