A Case of Gemcitabine-Induced Thrombotic Microangiopathy Treated With Ravulizumab in a Patient With Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer.

A 47-year-old male with stage IV pancreatic cancer developed gemcitabine-induced thrombotic microangiopathy (GiTMA) after treatment with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. GiTMA is a rare and life-threatening complication with an incidence ranging from 0.015% to 1.4% and reported mortality rate ranging from 50% to 90%. Clinically, GiTMA manifests as microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure. Early identification of GiTMA is essential to initiate early treatment and improve survival. Treatment of GiTMA includes discontinuation of gemcitabine, along with initiation of steroids, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), rituximab, and eculizumab. To our knowledge, this is the first case of GiTMA treated with ravulizumab, a long-acting complement inhibitor. Given the increasing number of patients treated with gemcitabine and seriousness of this complication, it is important for physicians to be aware of this disease entity and maintain a high index of suspicion when evaluating patients with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure.

Refractory Renal Cell Cancer with Gastro-renal Fistula: A Rare Complication.

Metastatic renal cell cancer is treated with systemic therapy, and cytoreductive nephrectomy can be offered in selected patients. The systemic therapy treatment options for kidney cancer have now expanded to include tyrosine kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy, and combinations thereof. Cytoreductive nephrectomy is considered a safe surgery in most patients. Patients with advanced kidney cancer are known to develop several paraneoplastic syndromes and malignant cachexia. We present the case of a patient with renal cell cancer who was treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and despite treatment her disease progressed with subsequent increase in the renal cancer, which led to the development of a fistula between the renal mass and the stomach.

Purulent Pericarditis in Sickle Cell Disease Due to Streptococcus agalactiae; a Unique Case Report and Literature Review.

Purulent pericarditis is a localized infection with a thick, fibrinous hypercellular exudate and is historically associated with a high mortality. We describe a case of purulent pericarditis due to Streptococcus agalactiae (S. agalactiae) in a 30-year-old woman with sickle cell disease who presented with fever, dyspnea, and S. agalactiae septicemia. Despite timely initiation of antibiotics, she developed a large purulent pericardial effusion requiring surgical pericardiocentesis followed by a pericardial window. At 14 months follow-up, she has remained asymptomatic without sequelae. A review of the literature contained only four patients with purulent pericarditis in sickle cell patients. We discuss the unique aspects of this case in the context of purulent pericarditis in the age of modern antibiotics and hypothesize on the pathogenesis of delayed pericardial effusion after pericarditis.

Hydroxyurea-induced Tongue Hypermelanosis and Transverse Melanonychia.

Hydroxyurea (HU) is a commonly used medication for myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) and is usually well tolerated. Cutaneous toxicity of HU is well known and can be seen in several manifestations. We report a case of a man with MPL gene mutation associated with essential thrombocytosis, who had a rare mucocutaneous toxicity with diffuse tongue, skin and nail discoloration. Mucocutaneous toxicity is usually a benign condition and self-resolves after discontinuation of the medication. It can lead to patient anxiety and medication discontinuation. The mechanism for development of HU-induced mucocutaneous hyperpigmentation is poorly understood.

Findings of Multiple Myeloma in Afro-Caribbean Patients in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common malignancy in the United States and has a higher incidence in the black and Afro-Caribbean population. There remain limited data on disease presentation and clinical characteristics in this patient group in the United States. The clinical profile of MM in this underrepresented patient group is described here. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at Kings County Hospital, an urban New York City hospital in a majority Afro-Caribbean neighborhood. Data from patients diagnosed with MM from 2000 through 2013 were collected from the institution's tumor registry. Clinical and demographic characteristics of these patients were then analyzed. RESULTS: Patients with a diagnosis of MM were identified (N = 287). Data were available for 231 patients and of these, 97% self-identified as black. 55% were female, and there was a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.2. The mean age of female patients was 64 years; that of male patients was 63 years. Of the 231 patients, 81% had anemia, 68% had bone lesions, 47% had renal impairment, and 29% had hypercalcemia. Low levels of monoclonal protein were present in 27% of patients and 57% had disease of International Staging System stages I and II. Women had higher BMI than men. CONCLUSION: The mean age of presentation of MM in Afro-Caribbean patients is similar to that in the standard population; however, unlike the general US population, there was a higher incidence in women; mean BMI of women also was higher than that of male patients. A sizeable percentage of Afro-Caribbean patients with MM presented with low levels of monoclonal protein in the presence of multiorgan involvement and damage, suggesting the need for early and aggressive diagnostic testing.

Successful Use of Intravenous Immunoglobulin G to Treat Refractory Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia With Thrombosis Complicating Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Harvest.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is a well-known, life-threatening complication that occurs in 5% of patients exposed to heparin. It causes thrombocytopenia in roughly 85% to 90% of affected individuals, with expected recovery in approximately 4 to 10 days following heparin withdrawal. However, there is an entity known as refractory heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis in which patients have prolonged thrombocytopenia, refractory to the current standard of care. We present one such case of a 48-year-old male with R-ISS (Revised International Staging System) stage II kappa light chain multiple myeloma in stringent complete response status postinduction therapy. He developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis during peripheral blood stem cell harvesting, manifesting as acute right coronary artery thrombus and severe thrombocytopenia. Although his clinical course was prolonged, he was ultimately successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin G 500 mg/kg/day over 4 days.