A very rare case of an intrathoracic pancreatic pseudocyst.

Pancreatic pseudocysts are mostly located in the peripancreatic region, but extra-abdominal intrathoracic extensions can occur and mimic respiratory and ischemic symptoms. Mediastinal location is an example that can present with dyspnea and retrosternal chest pain. Pancreatic-pleural fistulas can form from pseudocysts, often resulting in large and recurrent pleural effusions. In the described case, a 50-year-old man with a previous subdiaphragmatic pseudocyst presented an acute episode of respiratory symptoms and was diagnosed with a newly organized collection located intrathoracically adjacent to the previous one, formed by the fistulization of the abdominal pseudocyst. No similar cases have been described or published in indexed PubMed databases until the year 2023.

Reliability of ultrasound in the assessment of muscle thickness in critically ill children.

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound has been used to quantify and qualify muscle morphology in critically ill children and can detect changes in muscle thickness. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of ultrasound measurement of muscle thickness in critically ill children and to compare the assessments made by an expert with those made by inexperienced sonographers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study conducted in the paediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care university hospital in Brazil. The sample included patients aged 1 month to 12 years who received invasive mechanical ventilation for at least 24 h. Ultrasound images of the biceps brachii/brachialis and quadriceps femoris were obtained by one experienced sonographer and several inexperienced sonographers. We assessed intrarater and inter-rater reliability by means of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plot analysis. RESULTS: Muscle thickness was measured in 10 children with a mean age of 15.5 months. The mean thickness of the assessed muscles as 1.14 cm for the biceps brachii/brachialis (standard deviation [SD], 0.27) and 1.85 cm for the quadriceps femoris (SD, 0.61). The intrarater and inter-rater reliability were good for all sonographers (ICC > 0.81). The differences were small, there was no significant bias in the Bland-Altman plots and all measurements were within the limits of agreement, except for 1 measurement of biceps and quadriceps. CONCLUSION: Sonography can be used in critically ill children to accurately assess changes in muscle thickness, even by different evaluators. More studies are needed to establish a standardised approach to the use of ultrasound for monitoring muscle loss in order to incorporate it in clinical practice.

Diagnostic performance of radiologists with different levels of experience in the interpretation of MRI of the placenta accreta spectrum disorder.

OBJECTIVES: There have been no investigations on the association between previous abdominopelvic MRI experience without placental MRI experience and diagnostic accuracy of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS). To evaluate the diagnostic performance of radiologists with different experience levels in interpreting PAS-related MRI findings. METHODS: This retrospective study included 60 women who underwent MRI for placental assessment between 2016 and 2020. MR images were reviewed by four radiologists who were blinded to the clinical outcomes and had different experience levels in interpreting PAS-related MRI findings. The radiologists' diagnostic performance was evaluated according to the pathologic and surgical outcomes. Simple κ statistics were calculated to determine agreement among the radiologists. RESULTS: Of 60 women, 46 were diagnosed with PAS. The maternal age mean ± SD was 33.0 years ± 5.0 for the PAS absent group and 36.0 ± 4.3 for the PAS present group (p = 0.013). Overall, the most experienced radiologist had the highest sensitivity (100%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 92.3-100%) and NPV (100%, 95% CI: 63.1-100%) in PAS diagnoses. However, the PPV and specificity were independent of experience. The most experienced radiologist had the highest diagnostic accuracy in PAS (90%, 95% CI: 79.5-96.2%) and placenta percreta (95%, 95% CI: 86.1-99.0%). There was a strong association between definitive PAS diagnoses and the highest experience level. The κ values for the interobserver agreement regarding PAS diagnoses were 0.67 for the most experienced radiologist (p < 0.001) and 0.38, 0.40, and 0.43 for the other radiologists (p = 0.001) and regarding placenta percreta diagnoses were 0.87 for the senior radiologist (p < 0.001) and 0.63, 0.57, and 0.62 for the other radiologists (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Previous experience in interpreting PAS-related MRI findings plays a significant role in accurately interpreting such imaging findings. Previous abdominopelvic MRI experience without specific placental MRI experience did not improve diagnostic performance. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature and that this paper will be of interest to the readership of your journal because to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first in which the correlation between previous experience in abdominopelvic MRI with no specific experience in PAS-related MRI and diagnostic accuracy of radiologists has been explored. Our results could aid in setting up specialized multidisciplinary teams to assist women with PAS disorders.

Correlation between cellular expression of complement regulatory proteins with depletion and repopulation of B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with rituximab.

OBJECTIVES: To correlate the basal expression of complement regulatory proteins (CRPs) CD55, CD59, CD35, and CD46 in B-lymphocytes from the peripheral blood of a cohort of 10 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) initiating treatment with rituximab (RTX) with depletion and time repopulation of such cells. METHODS: Ten patients with RA received two infusions of 1g of RTX with an interval of 14 days. Immunophenotypic analysis for the detection of CD55, CD59, CD35, and CD46 on B-lymphocytes was carried out immediately before the first infusion. The population of B-lymphocytes was analyzed by means of basal CD19 expression and after 1, 2, and 6 months after the infusion of RTX, and then quarterly until clinical relapse. Depletion of B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood was defined as a CD19 expression <0.005×109/L. RESULTS: Ten women with a median of 49 years and a baseline DAS28=5.6 were evaluated; 9 were seropositive for rheumatoid factor. Five patients showed a repopulation of B-lymphocytes after 2 months, and the other five after 6 months. There was a correlation between the basal expression of CD46 and the time of repopulation (correlation coefficient=-0.733, p=0.0016). A similar trend was observed with CD35, but without statistical significance (correction coefficient=-0.522, p=0.12). CONCLUSION: The increased CD46 expression was predictive of a faster repopulation of B-lymphocytes in patients treated with RTX. Studies involving a larger number of patients will be needed to confirm the utility of basal expression of CRPs as a predictor of clinical response.

Correlation between cellular expression of complement regulatory proteins with depletion and repopulation of B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with rituximab / Correlação entre expressão celular de proteínas reguladoras do complemento com a depleção e repopulação de linfócitos B no sangue periférico de pacientes com artrite reumatoide tratada com rituximabe

Abstract Objectives: To correlate the basal expression of complement regulatory proteins (CRPs) CD55, CD59, CD35, and CD46 in B-lymphocytes from the peripheral blood of a cohort of 10 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) initiating treatment with rituximab (RTX) with depletion and time repopulation of such cells. Methods: Ten patients with RA received two infusions of 1 g of RTX with an interval of 14 days. Immunophenotypic analysis for the detection of CD55, CD59, CD35, and CD46 on B-lymphocytes was carried out immediately before the first infusion. The population of B-lymphocytes was analyzed by means of basal CD19 expression and after 1, 2, and 6 months after the infusion of RTX, and then quarterly until clinical relapse. Depletion of B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood was defined as a CD19 expression <0.005 × 109/L. Results: Ten women with a median of 49 years and a baseline DAS28 = 5.6 were evaluated; 9 were seropositive for rheumatoid factor. Five patients showed a repopulation of B-lymphocytes after 2 months, and the other five after 6 months. There was a correlation between the basal expression of CD46 and the time of repopulation (correlation coefficient = −0.733, p = 0.0016). A similar trend was observed with CD35, but without statistical significance (correction coefficient = −0.522, p = 0.12). Conclusion: The increased CD46 expression was predictive of a faster repopulation of B-lymphocytes in patients treated with RTX. Studies involving a larger number of patients will be needed to confirm the utility of basal expression of CRPs as a predictor of clinical response.

Resumo Objetivos: Correlacionar a expressão basal das proteínas reguladoras do complemento (PRC) CD55, CD59, CD35 e CD46 nos linfócitos B do sangue periférico de uma coorte de 10 pacientes com artrite reumatoide (AR) iniciando tratamento com rituximabe (RTX) com a depleção e tempo de repopulação dessas células. Métodos: Dez pacientes com AR receberam duas infusões de 1 g de RTX com intervalo de 14 dias. Análises imunofenotípicas para detecção de CD55, CD59, CD35 e CD46 nos linfócitos B foram feitas imediatamente antes da primeira infusão. A população de linfócitos B foi analisada por meio da expressão de CD19 basal e após um, dois e seis meses após a infusão de RTX e então trimestralmente até a recaída clínica. Depleção de linfócitos B no sangue periférico foi definida como expressão de CD19 < 0,005 × 109/l. Resultados: Dez mulheres com mediana de 49 anos e DAS 28 basal de 5,6 foram avaliadas; nove eram soropositivas para o fator reumatoide. Cinco pacientes apresentaram repopulação de linfócitos B após dois meses e as outras cinco aos seis meses. Houve correlação entre a expressão basal de CD46 e o tempo de repopulação (coeficiente de correlação -0,733, p = 0,0016). Tendência semelhante foi observada com CD35, porém sem significância estatística (coeficiente de correção 0,522, p = 0,12). Conclusão: Expressão aumentada de CD46 foi preditora de repopulação mais rápida de linfócitos B em pacientes tratados com RTX. Estudos com um número maior de pacientes serão necessários para confirmar a utilidade da expressão basal das PRC como preditora de resposta clínica.