Basosquamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nipple-Areola Complex-Report of a Case.

Basosquamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare malignancy usually arising on sun-exposed areas of the skin. BSCC is described as a rare variant of Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) which shows clinical and microscopic features of both BCC and of Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We report the case of a 70-year-old male with a cutaneous lesion of the nipple-areola complex (NAC); to the best of our knowledge, this is the first ever reported patient with BSCC in this area. The lesion had a fast growth, but, due to the COVID19 crisis, the patient only came to our observation one year after onset of this condition. Physical examination showed a bleeding red ulcerated lesion that involved the NAC, measuring 27 mm × 20 mm. Biopsy showed a BSCC. Pre-operative breast ultrasound scan, mammogram and MRI were all performed before surgery, which consisted of simple mastectomy and sentinel lymph-node biopsy. The patient was discharged home on the 4th post-operative day, and at 18-month follow-up there are no signs or clinical evidence of local recurrence or metastases. Diagnosis of BSCC of the nipple-areola complex requires high index of suspicion and a thorough differential diagnosis, management, and suitable radical treatment due to well described high rates of recurrence and of metastases. Differential diagnosis with similar lesions (e.g., Paget's disease, Bowen's disease, BCC, and SCC) should also be taken into account.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease in the world and represents a clinical-histopathologic entity where the steatosis component may vary in degree and may or may not have fibrotic progression. The key concept of NAFLD pathogenesis is excessive triglyceride hepatic accumulation because of an imbalance between free fatty acid influx and efflux. Strong epidemiological, biochemical, and therapeutic evidence supports the premise that the primary pathophysiological derangement in most patients with NAFLD is insulin resistance; thus the association between diabetes and NAFLD is widely recognized in the literature. Since NAFLD is the hepatic manifestation of a metabolic disease, it is also associated with a higher cardio-vascular risk. Conventional B-mode ultrasound is widely adopted as a first-line imaging modality for hepatic steatosis, although magnetic resonance imaging represents the gold standard noninvasive modality for quantifying the amount of fat in these patients. Treatment of NAFLD patients depends on the disease severity, ranging from a more benign condition of nonalcoholic fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Abstinence from alcohol, a Mediterranean diet, and modification of risk factors are recommended for patients suffering from NAFLD to avoid major cardiovascular events, as per all diabetic patients. In addition, weight loss induced by bariatric surgery seems to also be effective in improving liver features, together with the benefits for diabetes control or resolution, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Finally, liver transplantation represents the ultimate treatment for severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and is growing rapidly as a main indication in Western countries. This review offers a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to NAFLD, highlighting its connection with diabetes.

Liver Transplant Imaging prior to and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The suspension of the surgical activity, the burden of the infection in immunosuppressed patients, and the comorbidities underlying end-stage organ disease have impacted transplant programs significantly, even life-saving procedures, such as liver transplantation. METHODS: A review of the literature was conducted to explore the challenges faced by transplant programs and the adopted strategies to overcome them, with a focus on indications for imaging in liver transplant candidates. RESULTS: Liver transplantation relies on an appropriate imaging method for its success. During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, chest CT showed an additional value to detect early signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection and other screening modalities are less accurate than radiology. CONCLUSION: There is an emerging recognition of the chest CT value to recommend its use and help COVID-19 detection in patients. This examination appears highly sensitive for liver transplant candidates and recipients, who otherwise would have not undergone it, particularly when asymptomatic.

COVID-19-Associated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in a Neonate with Atypical Coronary Artery Involvement.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to report a novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in a neonate found to have an atypical diffuse thickening in coronary artery walls whose diagnosis required a multi-imaging approach. STUDY DESIGN: A neonate presented at birth with multiple organ involvement and coronary artery anomalies. A diagnosis of MIS-C associated with COVID-19 was supported by maternal severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during pregnancy, and by the presence of both immunoglobulin (Ig)-G against SARS-CoV-2 and spike-specific memory B-cells response in the neonatal blood. Other plausible causes of the multiple organ involvement were excluded. RESULT: At admission, a severe coronary artery dilatation was identified on echocardiography, supporting the diagnosis of the MIS-C Kawasaki-like disease; however, coronary artery internal diameters were found to be normal using cardiac computed tomography angiography. At discharge, comparing the two imaging techniques each other, the correct diagnosis resulted to be an abnormal thickening in coronary arterial walls. These findings suggest that the inflammatory process affecting the coronary arterial wall in MIS-C could result not only in typical coronary artery lesions such as dilatation of the lumen or aneurysms development but also in abnormal thickening of the coronary artery wall. CONCLUSION: Our case provides an alert for pediatric cardiologists about the complexity to assess coronary artery involvement in MIS-C and raises the question that whether an abnormal vascular remodeling, with normal inner diameters, is to be considered like coronary artery dilatation for risk stratification. KEY POINTS: · COVID-19 associated MIS-C can present in neonates with multiple organ involvement.. · Coronary artery assessment in neonatal MIS-C could be complex, and a multi-imaging approach could be required.. · Beside the typical coronary artery lesions, such as dilatation of the lumen or aneurysms, also abnormal thickening of the coronary artery wall can occur..

Use of Wireless Ultrasound Probe in Isolated Infants: A Case Report of Two SARS-CoV-2-Positive Mothers' Newborns.

The COVID-19 pandemic has upset habits in any workplace. In hospitals, several precautions have been taken to maintain health-care workers' safety and to avoid disease spread or the possible creation of new epidemic outbreaks. The use of medical devices makes the contamination and the nosocomial virus spread possible, causing infection in medical operators and hospitalized patients. In the neonatal intensive care unit, ultrasound has been an increasingly used tool because it is a non-invasive, repeatable method and it is side effect-free as the newborn is not exposed to radiation. It makes a fast diagnosis and then therapy possible such as in the lung diseases and other life-threatening conditions. The use of portable devices such as the wireless probe has many advantages in routine clinical practice, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has proved to be fundamental for the patient and the physician's safety because it reduced the risk of contamination. We report the use of the wireless ultrasound probe in 2 isolated neonates born to SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers.

When Does the Cytokine Storm Begin in COVID-19 Patients? A Quick Score to Recognize It.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus that is responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has rapidly spread across the world, becoming a pandemic. The "cytokine storm" (CS) in COVID-19 leads to the worst stage of illness, and its timely control through immunomodulators, corticosteroids, and cytokine antagonists may be the key to reducing mortality. After reviewing published studies, we proposed a Cytokine Storm Score (CSs) to identify patients who were in this hyperinflammation state, and at risk of progression and poorer outcomes. We retrospectively analyzed 31 patients admitted to Infectious Disease Department in "St. Maria" Hospital in Terni with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections, and analyzed the "CS score" (CSs) and the severity of COVID-19. Then we conducted a prospective study of COVID-19 patients admitted after the definition of the CSscore. This is the first study that proposes and applies a new score to quickly identify COVID-19 patients who are in a hyperinflammation stage, to rapidly treat them in order to reduce the risk of intubation. CSs can accurately identify COVID-19 patients in the early stages of a CS, to conduct timely, safe, and effect administration of immunomodulators, corticosteroids, and cytokine antagonists, to prevent progression and reduce mortality.