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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.

Elevation of Ca 19-9

72-year-old female with elevated levels of the tumour marker CA 19-9 but none of the diagnostic tests showed any tumour finding. The levels of CA 19-9 remained in the pathologic range, although with decreasing values. Currently, the patient is not reporting any significant symptoms.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Neuroendocrine Neoplasia

60-year-old male was diagnosed with a symptomatic metastatic well differentiated rectal neuroendocrine tumor, with multiple liver metastases. This tumor is over-expressing somastatin receptors, which was demonstrated by an otreoscan. He was started on Sandostatin LAR 30 once a month.

spreading pancreatic cancer

33-year-old female was diagnosed with multiple endocrine neoplasia of the pancreas. She underwent removal of the pancreatic lesion and lymph node dissection, another surgery to remove the distal pancreas and spleen, and parathyroidectomy, but the Octreoscan revealed recurrence.  

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.

Left frontotemporal craniolacunia

11-months-old male showed signs of tumefaction in the left frontotemporal region. An ultrasound showed a solid noncalcified neoformation, and a brain CAT scan showed a small solid lesion resulting in erosion of the cranial theca both in the external and internal table. Based on clinical status and tomodensitometric appearance, the diagnosis of suspected eosinophilic granuloma or hystiocytosis X was made, and a surgical curettage of the craniolacunia was recommended in order to comfirm the diagnosis.

Hyperthyroidism in autoimmune non-nodular thyroiditis

21 years old female who provided us medical report of her endocrinological examination with diagnosis of “Basedow’s Hyperthyroidism in autoimmune non-nodular thyroid (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis). Under therapy with Tapazole at the dosage of 2 tablets daily with FT3 and FT4 values within normal limits and TSH=0.00” . In the light of such values and of the clinical picture, the specialist confirmed the current therapy with Tapazole (2 tablets daily) suggesting therapeutic dosage of 131 Iodine after examination at nuclear medicine department.

Right Microtia

1-month-old female with Microtia of the right ear, which is a single finding and not part of a syndrome. Hearing test is recommended.

 

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.

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.

Neuroroendocrine neoplasia with hepatic secondary lesions

39-year old male was diagnosed with metastases of Neuroendocrine tumor to the liver, presumably from pancreatic origin, suffered from significant weight loss. The administered treatments include Chemotherapy, Roferon A, Statins and Dietary supplements.

Renal Neoplasia of not yet Determined Nature

52-year-old male with no relevant past medical history. An ultrasound of his urinary system diagnosed a space occupying lesion in the left kidney. Further investigation with abdominal CT demonstrated a nonhomogenous solid mass with dimensions of 4X2.7cm located at the lateral aspect of the lower pole of the kidney. After administration of contrast media it enhances. The specialist determined “incidental diagnosis of left renal neoplasia" and recommended to carry out a lesion enucleoresection. Partial/ radical nephrectomy surgery was scheduled.

Carcinoma of the prostate

72-year-old male was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma of prostate gleason score 7 (4+3). Treatment options with intent to cure are surgery, radical prostatectomy, or external beam radiation combined with hormonal therapy.

Post Traumatic Double Pelvic Fracture

73-year-old female with history of backache and diagnosis of Adult Scoliosis, fell down getting a back trauma at the level of the left hip and inferior limb. After severe symptomatic worsening X-ray examination was performed. The findings were: asymmetric pelvis, bilateral coxarthrosis, coarse arthrosic and osteophytosic manifestations, discopathies and disc arthrosis. The prescribed therapy included Piroxicam, Tioside, Depalgos, and low-molecular-weight-heparin therapy that was later replaced by NSAIDs by injection

Chronic talalgia of undetermined nature

A 58 years old male. 4 years ago the patient was hospitalized due to acute thrombosis of the right femoral-iliac axis. The patient was treated succesfully with locoregional intra-arterial fibrinolytic therapy. A follow-up arteriography, revealed sub-occlusion of the common iliac, occlusion of the right superficial femoral artery in Hunter’s canal. PTA + stent of the iliac was carried out with excellent final angiographic result.

Papillary Carcinoma of Thyroid with Multiple and Diffuse Nodular Secondarisms of the Pulmonary Parenchyma

78-year-old female with history of diabetes, and meningioma complicated by neurologic deficits following surgery, was diagnosed with progressive iodine-refractory metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Her initial work-up revealed lung metastasis. She underwent a right thyroidectomy and then left thyroidectomy and laryngectomy, and subsequently received I-131 on 8 occasions. She had a drop in thyroglobulin levels to the early treatments, but most recently, thyroglobulin has steadily increased.

Chronic Lymphocytic Thyroiditis (Hashimoto thyroiditis)

40 years old patient with clinical history that is consistent with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. After an attempt to replace thyroid function with thyroid hormone in pills (Eutirox), the patient had reported multiple symptoms which might be suggestive for adverse side effects of Eutirox (double vision, tachycardia, disturbance of sleep, outbursts of anger). The patient consulted her family doctor and decided to reduce the dose of Eutirox.

 

Melanoma with metastases

47-year-old male with superficial malignant melanoma of the trunk. After excision of the lesion, a sentinel lymph node biopsy revealed lymph node involved with multi-focal microscopic subcapsular tumor. Subsequently, a lymphadenectomy was performed and the patient initiated treatment with interferon A. As a consequence, he developed marked lymphedemia of the right leg.

Feeding problems, vomiting and short stature in prematurely born child

The patient is a 21 month old female who was born prematurely (at almost 29 weeks) weighing only 650g. She was released after 3 months from NICU, when she was 41 weeks old, weight 2kg. Her parents did not have any problems till she was 5 months old. Her major problems since have been: poor feeding, failure to gain weight and linear growth retardation. The poor feeding has been handled by an NG tube and later, food administration through a direct gastric tube via a gastrostomy.

Possible Anorexia, Vomiting, Failure to Gain Weight and Linear Growth Retardation

21-month-old female who was born at almost 29 weeks weighing only 650g and with birth height of 31 cm. Her major problems have been poor feeding, failure to gain weight and linear growth retardation. The poor feeding has been handled by an NG tube and subsequently, food administration through a direct gastric tube via a gastrostomy. She gradually gained weight to the extent of being overweight for her height. Laboratory evaluation revealed low absolute numbers of neutrophils low lymphocyte count. Endocrynology and Genetics workup were normal.

Suspected Fibromyalgia

27-year-old female with a diagnosis of suspected fibromyalgia. Her history includes long standing widespread musculo – skeletal pain connected to a feeling of general slight illness, as well as a series of accompanying symptoms: frequent migraines, cervicalgia, stomach disorders, chest pain and tachycardia . Therefore, she has carried out various follow-ups that each time detected a different problem for which the relevant therapy was set out.

End Stage Renal Disease

54-year-old obese male with end stage renal disease due to membranous nephropathy, has received 2 renal transplants in the past and is highly sensitized. He underwent coronary angiography for vessel CAD, and PTCAs and stanting were performed. His current treatment consists of multiple medications including mycophylate according to the instructions of his transplant nephrologist. His cardiologists sees no contraindication to transplantation.

Renal Cell Carcinoma

53-year-old male complained of right flank discomfort. Scans revealed solid lesion with necrotic content in the left kidney, and radical nephrectomy with ipsilateral para-aortic lymph node dissection was performed. Pathology diagnosis was a clear cell renal carcinoma. The experts recommends a close routine follow up together with routine opthalmoscopy in order to detect retinal angiomas that can be an affect of VHL gene mutation.

Nephroblastoma (Wilms’ Tumor)

5-year-old girl with a suspected diagnosis of stage 1 Wilms' tumor.
The child's current presentation was an incidental finding of left abdominal swelling. The reports of the abdominal US, total body CT together with normal values of catecholamine metabolites seem to support the diagnosis of Wilms' tumor.
 

IgG Multiple Myeloma

57-year-old male who was found to have back pain and hyperglobulinemia approximately. Marrow biopsy was consistent with IgG myeloma. He was treated with steroids and local radiotherapy with improvement in symptoms and a modest reduction in the M-component. He received melphalan-based autologous stem cell transplantation, which was complicated by reversible respiratory failure. Unfortunately, he relapsed and was treated with bortezomib and steroids for 6 cycles followed by thalidomide. The disease has responded to therapy.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome / Acute Myeloradiculoneuritis

45-year-old male who presented with acute onset of flaccid paraparesis more pronounced on the left, sensation of current shocks in both legs and sensory level from the umbilicus downwards. The symptoms have reached their pick within less than a day. On examination the left lower limb was plegic and the right lower limb was partially weak. EMG was interpreted as demyelinating sensorimotor neuropathy. MRI showed hyperintense signals at the dorsal terminal segment of the marrow consistent with myelitis.

Cystic Neoplasms of the Pancreas

The expert shares broad information regarding Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas: categories, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, risks and outcomes, and qualifications for performing surgery on the pancreas.