Medicine
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Hereditary genetic mutations may cause congenital cholinesterase deficiency. When succinylcholine and mivacurium are applied on cholinesterase-deficient patients during general anesthesia, prolonged postoperative asphyxia occurs, which is an uncommon but very serious complication. ⋯ Cholinesterase is an enzyme secreted by the liver involved in many physiological processes in human body. Plasma cholinesterase commonly contains acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). When succinylcholine and mivacurium are applied on patients with cholinesterase-deficiency during general anesthesia, prolonged postoperative asphyxia occurs, which is an uncommon but very serious complication. Lately, new evidences have suggested that hereditary genetic mutations may be responsible for congenital cholinesterase deficiency.
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Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) with immediate stenting provides effective revascularization. While the risks of no-reflow, stent thrombosis, stent undersizing, and malapposition reduced the benefits in patients with high burden thrombosis. Intravascular imaging, especially optical coherence tomography (OCT), offers potential in optimization of percutaneous coronary intervention. ⋯ OCT may be useful imaging modality to identify the characteristic of culprit lesion of acute myocardial infarction and subsequently guide individual treatment.
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Tracheobronchial fistulas are rare complications in lung cancer patients. These lesions are associated with a high rate of mortality caused by infection and bleeding, and there is no consensus on a definitive optimal therapy. ⋯ Immune-checkpoint inhibitor therapy involving nivolumab therapy might be a useful alternative for the treatment of lung cancer involving a tracheobronchial fistula.
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Case Reports
Elevation of tumor mutation burden in ROS1-fusion lung adenocarcinoma resistant to crizotinib: A case report.
Although most of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with ROS1-fusions respond to crizotinb, acquired resistance eventually develop. The next-generations of ROS1 inhibitors have made some achievements, but the effects of immunotherapy have not been explored. ⋯ The genetic profile of NSCLC patients might be altered in various therapeutic processes. Thus, repeated genetic testing might be important at each progression. Moreover, immunotherapy might be a powerful weapon to overcome the resistance to Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in future.
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Case Reports
Pembrolizumab for metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma with high mutational burden: Two case reports.
In the setting of metastatic or locally advanced adrenocortical carcinoma, a limited number of therapies are available and their efficacy is generally below modest. The backbone of treatment remains surgery, even for metastatic disease, whenever it is possible, and mitotane. Chemotherapy can be used with limited results. A small subset of patients with adrenocortical carcinoma may have high mutational burden and harbor mutations in mismatch-repair genes. ⋯ To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature of a durable complete response after pembrolizumab in a patient with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma. Differences in therapy sequencing, possibly abscopal effect related to multiple previous radiotherapy exposition, predictive values of high mutational burden and mutations in mismatch-repair genes are discussed.