Validation of the North America expert consensus statement on reporting CT findings for COVID-19 in individuals with lung cancer

The aim of our study was to validate the use of the standardized Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) reporting system in individuals with known lung cancer who presented to the emergency department with suspected COVID-19. We included patients aged 18 years or older from the Cancer Institute of the State of São Paulo (ICESP) with a confirmed diagnosis of lung cancer, admitted to the emergency department and undergoing chest computed tomography (CT) for suspicion of COVID-19. Comparison between SARS-CoV2 RT-PCR across RSNA categories was performed in all patients and further stratified by diagnosis of lung cancer progression. Among 58 individuals included in the analysis (65±9 years, 43% men), 20 had positive RT-PCR. Less than a half (43%) had no new lung findings in the CT. Positive RT-PCR was present in 75% of those with typical findings according to RSNA and in only 9% when these findings were classified as atypical or negative (P<0.001). Diagnostic accuracy was even higher when stratified by the presence or absence of progressive disease (PD). Extent of pulmonary inflammatory changes was strongly associated with higher mortality, reaching a lethality of 83% in patients with >25% of lung involvement and 100% when there was >50% of lung involvement. The lung involvement score was also highly predictive of prognosis in this population as was reported for non-lung cancer individuals. Collectively, our results demonstrated that diagnostic and prognostic values of chest CT findings in COVID-19 are robust to the presence of lung abnormalities related to lung cancer.

Clinical presentation and in-hospital prognosis of lung cancer patients presenting with suspected and confirmed COVID-19

We sought to compare the clinical presentation and prognosis of patients with lung cancer and confirmed COVID-19 infection to those with negative RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 results. We included patients with confirmed lung cancer and suspected COVID-19 who presented to the emergency department. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and secondary outcomes included admission to intensive care unit (ICU) or mechanical ventilation. We analyzed the characteristics according to RT-PCR results and primary outcome. We constructed a logistic regression for each RT-PCR result group to find potential predictors of the primary outcome. Among 110 individuals with confirmed lung cancer (65±9 years, 51% male), 38 patients had positive RT-PCR and 72 patients had negative RT-PCR. There was no difference between groups for any clinical characteristic or comorbidities though individuals with confirmed COVID-19 had higher functionality in the ECOG scale. Leucocytes and lymphocytes were lower in individuals with positive tests. The primary outcome occurred in 58 (53%) individuals, 37 (34%) were admitted to the ICU, and 29 (26%) required mechanical ventilation. Although mortality was similar between the two groups, individuals with confirmed COVID-19 were significantly more likely to be admitted to the ICU or receive mechanical ventilation. Only lower lymphocytes and higher CRP were significantly associated with higher mortality. The clinical presentation of COVID-19 in lung cancer is not sufficient to identify higher or lower probability groups among symptomatic individuals, the overall mortality is high irrespective of RT-PCR results, and lymphopenia on admission was associated with the diagnosis and prognosis for COVID-19.

Clinical and pathological presentation of squamous metaplasia of the rete ovarii in a Zebu cow / Apresentação clínica e patológica de um caso de metaplasia escamosa da rete ovariana em vaca Zebu

Squamous metaplasia of rete ovarii is characterized by replacement of the normal cuboidal epithelium of rete ovarii by a keratinized stratified scamous epithelium, leading to accumulation of keratinized material within the tubules and cystic dilatation of rete ovarii. The present study decribes a case of scamous metaplasia of rete ovarii in a 10 year old Zebu cow, including clinical, surgical, ultrasonographic, histopathological and hormonal findings. At first ultrasound examination the cow had lightly asymmetric ovaries with follicles presenting echogenicity similar to luteinized follicular cysts. After transvaginal follicular aspiration creamy yellowish sanguineous-purulent content was recovered. After unilateral ovariectomy the ovary was sectioned and brownish viscous material drained from cystic cavity. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosid of squamous metaplasia of the rete ovarii. Progesterone concentrations assessed by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay within different time periods after ovariectomy showed that pathology did not compromise normal luteal ovarian activity in a contralateral reminiscent ovary.

A metaplasia escamosa de rete ovarii é caracterizada pela substituição do epitélio cúbico normal da rete ovarii por um epitélio escamoso estratificado queratinizado, levando ao acúmulo de material queratinizado dentro dos túbulos e à dilatação cística da rete ovarii. O presente estudo descreve um caso de metaplasia escamosa de rete ovarii em uma vaca Zebu de aproximadamente 10 anos, incluindo aspectos clínico, cirúrgico, ultrassonográfico, histopatológico e dos achados hormonais. Ao primeiro exame ultrassonográfico, a vaca tinha ovários levemente assimétricos e com folículos apresentando ecogenicidade semelhante à dos cistos foliculares luteinizados. Após a aspiração folicular por via transvaginal, foi recuperado conteúdo sanguinopurulento amarelado e de aspecto cremoso. Após a ovariectomia unilateral, o ovário foi seccionado, permitindo a drenagem de material de aspecto viscoso amarronzado da cavidade cística. A histopatologia confirmou o diagnóstico de metaplasia escamosa da rete ovarii. As concentrações de progesterona avaliadas por quimioluminescência, em diferentes períodos de tempo após a ovariectomina unilateral, mostrou que a patologia não comprometeu a atividade ovariana normal do ovário contralateral remanescente.