A case of pelvic squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary origin that responded well to radiotherapy and nivolumab.

Squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary origin in the pelvis is rare. We report a case of a 64-year-old woman with a large osteolytic squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary origin in the pelvis that presented with p16 expression. The patient presented with leg pain and swelling and was admitted to our hospital. Computed tomography scans of the pelvis revealed a large osteolytic tumor. A computed tomography-guided needle biopsy was performed, and pathological examination revealed neoplastic cells with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma presenting with p16 expression. Despite a whole-body examination, tumor origin remained undetected. The patient was treated for this metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary using palliative radiotherapy for hip pain and nivolumab. Remarkable reduction in the tumor marker levels and tumor size were obtained after therapy. Finally, partial remission and progression-free survival for more than 7 months were achieved. In conclusion, we experienced a rare case with a large p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary in pelvis, which responded well to radiotherapy and nivolumab.

SMARCA4-deficient tumors in the adrenal gland and small intestines: A rare case report.

Thoracic SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumors (SMARCA4-UTs) are rare undifferentiated thoracic malignancies with poor prognosis. They predominantly affect young men who are heavy smokers. Recently, the category of SMARCA4-deficiency-related malignancy has been expanded to include extra-thoracic sites, such as the paranasal sinuses, gastrointestinal tract, ovary, and uterus. We report a rare case of SMARCA4-deficient tumors in the adrenal gland and small intestines. SMARCA4-deficient tumors should be included in the differential diagnosis when multiple large masses with heterogeneous contrast effect and strong accumulation are seen in cancers of unknown primary on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT).

SAPHO syndrome with a purely osteolytic form: A case report.

SAPHO (synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis) syndrome is a rare, chronic autoinflammatory disorder that can present with a constellation of cutaneous and osteoarticular symptoms. Osteodestructive lesions are not pathognomonic, whereas hyperostosis and osteitis are the most prominent imaging findings. We report the case of a man with osteolytic changes of the lumbar vertebra and a history of palmoplantar pustulosis. Biopsy revealed no neoplasm, suggesting SAPHO syndrome. Our case demonstrates that knowledge of atypical radiologic findings is necessary for the diagnosis of SAPHO syndrome.

Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG/PET) shows the effect of carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT); with pathologic confirmation.

Response evaluation of carbon-ion radiotherapy poses a diagnostic challenge. Due to its functional aspects, fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG/PET) has a role in the diagnosis of photon radiation therapy. In addition, several studies suggested that FDG/PET may be useful to select the optimal site for performing a diagnostic biopsy. Here, we report a 73-year-old female in which FDG/PET was effective in determining the recurrence of liposarcoma and the therapeutic effect. Based on the results of FDG/PET, we could make a pathologic definitive diagnosis and selectively performing carbon-ion radiotherapy for active tumors.

A case of bulla formation after treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia.

In December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was reported in Wuhan, China. An 82-year-old woman presented to our hospital with high fever (39°C) and chest computed tomography revealed ground-glass opacities in the left lung apex. She was positive for SARS-CoV-2 based on a polymerase chain reaction test, and diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia. 6 months after treatment, chest CT showed a large bulla (47 mm × 29 mm) in the left lung apex, although pneumonia had partially resolved. Radiologic follow-up is needed after COVID-19 pneumonia, because patients may develop bullae after treatment.

A prospective validation study to diagnose serosal invasion and nodal metastases of gastric cancer by multidetector-row CT.

BACKGROUND: Multidetector-row CT (MDCT) may provide accurate preoperative staging of resectable gastric cancer. However, the standard methods and criteria to diagnose the T and N stages to select the patients who are good candidates for neoadjuvant chemotherapy have not been established yet. METHODS: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the accuracy of MDCT to diagnose the serosal invasion and nodal metastases of gastric cancer. Patients who had gastric adenocarcinoma underwent MDCT scanning using a standardized method. The T and N stage were diagnosed by prespecified criteria. The analyses were performed in the patients who had cN0-2 and M0 tumors and underwent curative gastrectomy as a primary treatment. The accuracy was calculated by comparing the results of MDCT with the histopathological findings. RESULTS: A total of 315 patients were analyzed. The overall diagnostic accuracy (95 % confidence interval) of T staging was 71.4 % (225 of 315, 66.2-76.1). The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for serosal invasion were 85.7 % (81.4-89.1), 54.5 % (42.6-66.0), and 94.0 % (90.3-96.3), respectively. The false-positive rate for serosal invasion was 6.0 % (2.9-7.7). The overall diagnostic accuracy of N staging was 75.9 % (239 of 315, 70.9-80.3). The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for nodal metastases were 81.3 % (76.6-85.2), 46.4 % (36.8-56.3), and 96.8 % (93.5-98.4), respectively. The false-positive rate for nodal metastases was 3.2 % (1.6-6.5 %). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that MDCT provides an accurate diagnosis with high specificity and a low false-positive rate and can be used to select the patients who are candidates for preoperative chemotherapy.

Dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI in advanced pancreatic cancer: semi-automated analysis to predict response to chemotherapy.

The purpose of this study was to assess whether dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) can predict response to chemotherapy in advanced pancreatic cancer. DSC-MRI was performed using gradient-echo echo-planar imaging after bolus injection of contrast material. Fifty-four patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who were scheduled for chemotherapy were enrolled. ΔR2* was calculated using semi-automated computer analysis capable of tracking moving lesions during DSC-MRI. Pre-treatment maximum ΔR2* and clinical factors including gender, age, tumor stage (UICC III/IV), initial tumor size, and chemotherapy regimen were compared between patients with progressive disease and patients with stable disease as was determined at 3-month follow-up, and between patients with progressive disease and patients with stable disease as was determined at 6-month follow-up. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test were used to assess the relationship between the pre-treatment maximum ΔR2* and early progression (i.e. at 3-month follow-up). The pre-treatment maximum ΔR2* of patients with disease progression at 3-month follow-up (10.68 ± 3.88 s(-1)) was significantly different (p < 0.01) from that of patients with stable disease at 3-month follow-up (6.94 ± 3.12 s(-1)). Pre-treatment maximum ΔR2* of patients with disease progression at 6-month follow-up was not significantly different from that of patients with stable disease at 6-month follow-up, although a trend was noted (p = 0.08). Pre-treatment clinical factors were not significantly different between progressive and stable patients at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Tumor progression rate was significantly higher in patients with a higher pre-treatment maximum ΔR2* than in those with a lower pre-treatment maximum ΔR2* (median progression time, 38 vs 138 days, p < 0.01, using a cut-off value of 8.13 s(-1) as determined by ROC analysis). In conclusion, DSC-MRI may predict early progression in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer undergoing chemotherapy.