Centchroman as First-line Treatment for Mastalgia: Results of an Open-label, Single-arm Trial.

Mastalgia is a distressing symptom and may be severe enough to interfere with usual daily activities. Breast pain is either cyclical or noncyclical. Currently; multiple options are available for the treatment of mastalgia including hormonal and nonhormonal agents. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of centchroman as a nonhormonal first-line treatment for moderate to severe mastalgia. To accomplish this; a prospective open-label, single-arm study was done using the Pretest-Posttest Design. A total of 100 women suffering from mastalgia were grouped according to the characteristic pattern of breast pain (cyclic and noncyclic) and received centchroman 30 mg/day for 12 weeks followed by observation for 12 weeks. The efficacy analysis of centchroman was done by comparing median Visual Analog Scale score, median pain duration and side effects over time among the two groups. Centchroman significantly alleviates mastalgia with minimal side effects. The median pain score was significantly reduced over successive visits (1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks). The median pain duration decreased remarkably over time in comparison to the baseline (p = 0.001). Overall the response rate was 88% at the end of 12 weeks and 85% at the end of 24 weeks. The drug was found more effective with a quicker response in cyclic pattern of matalgia. Complete response was observed in 66% of cyclic mastalgia and 40% of noncyclic mastalgia patients at 1 week of therapy. The response was improved over time in both groups and at completion of treatment (12 weeks) 92% patients in cyclic group and 80% patients in noncyclic group were pain free. The effect of the drug persisted till the completion (24 weeks) of the study (p = 0.001). These results imply that centchroman is very effective in treating breast pain and can be prescribed as drug of first choice for mastalgia.

Granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma) presenting as colo-colic intussusception in a 16-year-old boy: an unusual presentation.

A 16-year-old boy presented with intestinal obstruction with left lumbar mass. On evaluation with ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced CT of abdomen he was found to have left colo-colic intussusception. On exploratory laparotomy he was found to have invagination of necrosed distal transverse colon and splenic flexure with omentum into descending colon with enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes for which left hemicolectomy was performed. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry was suggestive of submucosal infiltration by immature myeloid precursors with few metamyelocytes and occasional eosinophils and the cells showed cytoplasmic granular positivity with myeloperoxidase stain suggestive of granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma-extra-medullary manifestation of acute myeloid leukaemia). Our patient received three cycles of cytarabine+daunorubicin chemotherapy in the postoperative period and is doing well at 12 months of follow-up. Granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma) presenting as colo-colic intussusception is very rare and has not been reported in literature so far.