Hemorrhagic Chemosis Associated With Isatuximab Use in an Elderly Lady With Multiple Myeloma.

Isatuximab is a newly approved targeted therapy for the treatment of patients with advanced multiple myeloma. Infusion reactions happen often with targeted therapies like isatuximab and can be severe or even life-threatening. However, ocular infusion reactions are rare. We report a 75-year-old female who presented with right eye erythema and associated pain and was found to have had a rapid onset of unilateral hemorrhagic chemosis following an initial infusion of isatuximab. She developed erythema in her right eye, associated with pain, swelling, burning, and a foreign body sensation. Visual acuity in the right eye decreased to light perception only within the first few minutes. The infusion was discontinued, and the patient was treated with steroids and intraocular pressure-lowering drugs. She was monitored for 24 hours and then discharged after symptomatic improvement.

Benign Pericardial Schwannoma: Case Report and Summary of Previously Reported Cases.

BACKGROUND Primary pericardial tumors have a prevalence of between 6.7% and 12.8% of all tumors arising in the cardiac region. Pericardial schwannoma is a rare entity. It arises from the cardiac plexus and vagus nerve innervating the heart. Most of the reported cases, have presented with benign behavior, however, in rare situations, they can undergo transformation to malignant behavior When comparing the prevalence of cardiac tumors to that of pericardial tumors, the latter is much lower in occurrence. A review of English literature identified six pericardial schwannoma cases. CASE REPORT We present a case of a 30-year-old male patient who presented to our center with the chief complaint of six months of gradually progressive left chest pain. His past medical history (PMH) was positive for panic attacks (for which he was taking beta-blockers), paroxysmal tachycardia, sweating, and irritability. A computed tomography chest scan was done; a differential diagnosis of paraganglioma was suggested. However, histopathological examination confirmed the pericardial mass was a schwannoma. The patient was surgically treated by thoracotomy to resect the lesion. CONCLUSIONS This case adds to the existing limited literature on pericardial schwannoma as the seventh reported case. Neurogenic cardiac tumors; our case marks the second case reported to occur in the subcarinal area near the left atrium.

Perceptions of preclinical medical students towards extracurricular activities.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the percentage of students involved in extracurricular activities (EAs), explore relationships between participation in EAs and students' characteristics, and investigate students' perceptions (i.e., motives and barriers) towards participation in EAs. METHODS: An online, anonymous, random, cross-sectional, self-rating survey was administered during spring 2015-2016 to second-year and third-year students (n=340). Chi-square test was used to explore relationships between participation in EAs and students' characteristics. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the mean 5-point Likert scale responses according to students' characteristics. Statistical significance was determined as p<0.05. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-seven students participated in the survey (n=237/340, response rate: 69.7%). Only 143 students (60.3%, n=140/237) participated in EAs, and this percentage significantly differed by gender (χ2(1, N=237)=4.3205, p<0.037), nationality (χ2(1, N=237)=18.7069, p<0.000) and cumulative grade point average (cGPA, χ2(1, N=237)=17.8296, p<0.000). The top three motives towards participation in EAs were: "improve resume" (83.5%, n=198), "improve networking skills" (82.7%, n=196) and "improve teamwork skills" (76.8%, n=182). The top three barriers towards participation in EAs were: "lack of time" (61.2%, n=145), "lack of equal opportunities in EAs" (57.8%, n=137) and "lack of curricular emphasis of EAs" (52.7%, n=125). There was a statistically significant difference of means between male (mean=2.8) and female (mean=3.2) students regarding the following barrier: "affect academic performance negatively" (U=5389.5, p<0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The participation rate in EAs was satisfactory, and positively related to students' characteristics of male gender, non-Saudi nationality and high cGPA. Medical schools should facilitate all potential motives and resolve all associated barriers towards participation in EAs.