Non-prostate uptake on 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT: a case of myeloma.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a glycoprotein that is highly expressed in prostate cancer, has been used as a target for molecular radiotherapy as well as imaging. Over the last couple of years, 18F-PSMA gained popularity due to its longer half-life (110 min) compared to gallium 68Ga-PSMA (68 min). This has helped the dissemination beyond large metropolitan centres. In addition, due to the low background activity in the urinary bladder (1.2% injected dose over 2 h compared to 10% injected dose over 2 h for 68Ga), 18F-PSMA helps detect local recurrence or spread to pelvic nodes more readily as lesions are not masked by physiological urinary excretion. Despite excellent sensitivities of PSMA positron emission tomography modalities, it is noteworthy that PSMA expression is not specific to the prostate. A variety of normal tissues express PSMA with intense uptake noted in salivary glands, lacrimal glands, the liver, spleen, pancreas, small intestine, bladder and renal cortex. In this case report, we describe an example of non-prostatic PSMA uptake in a patient imaged with 18F-PSMA-1007 positron emission tomography/CT that showed an avid lytic lesion in manubrium. The patient was subsequently proven by biopsy to have myeloma. Our case report illustrates a potential pitfall when imaging patients with 18F PSMA-1007 and adds to the growing body of literature of non-prostatic uptake of PSMA and highlights the need for reporters to be aware of this uptake.

Short-term effects of early initiation of magnesium infusion combined with cooling after hypoxia-ischemia in term piglets.

BACKGROUND: Neuroprotection from therapeutic hypothermia (HT) is incomplete, therefore additional strategies are necessary to improve long-term outcomes. We assessed the neuroprotective efficacy of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) bolus and infusion over 48 h plus HT in a piglet model of term neonatal encephalopathy (NE). METHODS: Fifteen newborn piglets were randomized following hypoxia-ischemia (HI) to: (i) MgSO4 180 mg/kg bolus and 8 mg/kg/h infusion with HT (Mg+HT) or (ii) HT and saline 0.5 ml/h (HT). Treatments were initiated 1 h post-HI; HT administered for 12 h (33.5 °C). HI was performed by transient carotid occlusion and inhalation of 6% O2 for 20-25 min. Primary outcomes included aEEG, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 24, and 48 h, and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: MgSO4 bolus and infusion was well tolerated (no hypotension) and doubled serum magnesium (0.72 vs 1.52 mmol/L) with modest (16%) rise in CSF. In Mg+HT compared to HT, there was overall reduced cell death (p = 0.01) and increased oligodendrocytes (p = 0.002). No improvement was seen on aEEG recovery (p = 0.084) or MRS (Lac/NAA; PCr/Pi; NTP/epp) (p > 0.05) at 48 h. CONCLUSION: Doubling serum magnesium with HT was safe; however, the small incremental benefit of Mg+HT compared to HT is unlikely to translate into substantive long-term improvement. Such an incremental effect might justify further study of MgSO4 in combination with multiple therapies.

High-risk basal cell carcinoma excision in primary care: a retrospective observational study of compliance with NICE guidance.

OBJECTIVES: To assess compliance with 2010 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on cancer services relating to the management of basal cell carcinomas (BCC) in the community, where except in specific circumstances it is recommended that only low-risk BCCs should be excised routinely. DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective observational study of the histopathology reports of BCC excisions received from primary care in two district general hospitals in the South of England. One hundred consecutive BCC excisions were analysed from each hospital. OUTCOME MEASURES: The numbers of high-risk BCCs excised in primary care according to histological subtype, anatomical site and age and if these excisions were compliant with NICE 2010 guidance. Completeness of excision and mention of BCC on histology request were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Histologically high-risk subtypes were present in 32% (64/200) of BCCs excised in the community. Only 17/64 were excised by general practitioners (GPs) who were accredited to do so. Non-compliance regarding anatomical site occurred in 16% of samples; only one was non-compliant regarding patient age. There was a high overall rate of complete excision (94.5%) with variation in presence of the term BCC on histology request forms. CONCLUSIONS: NICE 2010 guidance relating to BCC excision in primary care was not followed in a considerable number of cases. Compliance with NICE 2010 guidance depends on the ability to recognise high-risk BCCs clinically and manage appropriately. It also shows that despite close supervision by secondary care, there are still failures of compliance.GP training in identification of subtypes of BCC might be improved, as well as an increase in numbers of GPs accredited to carry out high-risk BCC excisions. Difficulty in diagnosing high-risk histological subtypes of BCC preoperatively should be considered in any future revision of NICE guidance.