Treatment of Epiphyseal Metastasis to the Proximal Humerus Secondary to Breast Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Metastasis to the bone is a known risk of breast cancer, with the humerus being the most common upper extremity site of metastases, with most lesions located at the humeral diaphysis. We present a unique case of proximal humeral metastasis involving the epiphysis secondary to primary invasive ductal carcinoma in a middle-aged Caucasian female. It is important to have a high degree of suspicion for metastasis when musculoskeletal pain occurs in breast cancer patients, as it may be masked by common, degenerative conditions about the shoulder girdle. When humeral metastases involve the epiphysis, treatment options are complicated by its location, which jeopardizes the integrity of articular cartilage and the function of the shoulder girdle. External beam irradiation provides pain control in a non-invasive manner, sans surgical risks. Surgical intervention will vary depending on the characteristics of the bony lesion, but the use of endoprosthetics has emerged as the most effective option for restoring range of motion and pain control with acceptable rates of implant survival.

Relapsed Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia and Therapy-Related Myelodysplastic Syndrome with Complex Cytogenetics: A Treatment Dilemma.

Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) is a lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma characterized by the infiltration of the bone marrow by clonal lymphoplasmacytic cells that produce monoclonal immunoglobulin M as defined by the World Health Organization Classification of hematological malignancies. Historically, the treatment options for WM were limited to alkylating agents and purine analogs. The introduction of immune therapy, including CD20 targeted therapy, proteasome inhibitors, and immune modulators, has provided benefit to those patients and has now become the standard of care. As WM patients become long-term survivors, treatment's late toxicities have become more apparent. Here, we report a case of a 74-year-old female who presented to the hospital with fatigue and was diagnosed with WM. She was treated with bortezomib, doxorubicin, and bendamustine, followed by rituximab. After a remission period of 15 years, the patient had a relapse of WM, and bone marrow biopsy findings were consistent with intermediate-risk t-MDS with complex cytogenetics, presenting us with a treatment dilemma. We decided to treat WM, and the patient went into VGPR with residual lymphoma cells. Despite having dysplasia and complex cytogenetics, she did not have any cytopenia. Currently, she is under observation anticipating the progression of her MDS, given her intermediate I risk status. This case features the occurrence of t-MDS after therapy with bendamustine, cladribine, and doxorubicin. This highlights the need for closer monitoring and consideration of long-term adverse effects when treating patients with indolent lymphomas, especially WM. Late complications need to be considered, and risk versus benefit analysis needs to be carefully evaluated, especially in younger patients with WM.

Arthrofibrosis in Robotic Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Investigation Into How Robotic Assistance May Contribute to a Tight Knee.

INTRODUCTION: Arthrofibrosis after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can lead to pain and restricted range of motion. Matching native knee kinematics is crucial in avoiding arthrofibrosis postoperatively. However, manual jig-based instruments have demonstrated variability and inaccuracy during primary TKA. Robotic-arm-assisted surgery was developed to increase the precision and accuracy of bone cuts and component alignment. In the literature, limited information on arthrofibrosis after robotic-assisted TKA (RATKA) exists. The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of arthrofibrosis after manual TKA (mTKA) with RATKA by examining the need for manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) postoperatively and evaluating preoperative and postoperative radiographic parameters. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent primary TKA from 2019 to 2021 was conducted. Rates of MUA were evaluated and perioperative radiographs were analyzed to determine posterior condylar offset ratio, Insall-Salvati Index, and posterior tibial slope (PTS) in patients who underwent mTKA versus RATKA. Range of motion was recorded for patients who required MUA. RESULTS: A total of 1234 patients were included, of which 644 underwent mTKA, and 590 underwent RATKA. Thirty-seven RATKA patients compared with 12 mTKA patients required MUA postoperatively (P < 0.0001). A significant decrease in PTS postoperatively was seen in the RATKA (7.10° ± 2.4° preoperatively versus 2.46° ± 1.2° postoperatively), with a mean decrease of the tibial slope of -4.6° ± 2.5° (P < 0.0001). In patients requiring MUA, a larger decrease was seen in the RATKA group when compared with the mTKA group (mean -5.5 ± 2.0 versus -5.3 ± 0.78, P = 0.6585). No significant difference was seen in the posterior condylar offset ratio and Insall-Salvati Index in both groups. DISCUSSION: When conducting RATKA, it is important to match PTS close to the native tibial slope to decrease the incidence of arthrofibrosis postoperatively, as a decrease in PTS can lead to decreased postoperative knee flexion and poor functional outcomes.

Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential: Current Understanding and Future Directions.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article summarizes the current knowledge about clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD), and other outcomes, pathogenesis, postulated mechanisms of various pathologies, current knowledge gaps, possible targets of intervention, and therapeutic implications. RECENT FINDINGS: Recently, a common age-related hematological entity known as CHIP has been identified as the independent risk factor for CVD. CHIP is defined as the presence of clonally expanded blood cells involving leukemogenic mutations without the evidence of malignancy. CHIP is known to increase the inflammatory state which in turn is thought to be responsible for increased risk of CVD. Apart from CVD and malignancy, CHIP is also associated with pulmonary embolism, COPD, CKD, stroke, altered metabolism, obesity, liver disease, and increased all-cause mortality. At the same time surprisingly, CHIP is found to have positive outcomes in bone marrow transplant patients and similar reciprocal association with Alzheimer's disease. The risk of CVD and cancer increases with the advancing age, and these two are the leading causes of death in the USA. CHIP is an independent risk factor for CVD development. Most patients with CHIP have somatic clonal mutations in epigenetic regulators, DNA repair genes, or regulatory tyrosine kinases without evidence of overt hematological malignancy. CHIP portends increased risk for leukemia development and carries twofold increased risk of CVD including CAD, MI, and poor prognosis in heart failure. CHIP is associated with various other pathologies making CHIP an area of active research interest in recent years. Current research efforts aim to bridge many knowledge gaps in understanding of CHIP that still exist.

Early Superior Clinical Outcomes in Robotic-Assisted TKA Compared to Conventional TKA in the Same Patient: A Comparative Analysis.

Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RA-TKA) has demonstrated improved alignment and outcome scores when compared with manual total knee arthroplasty (M-TKA); however, few studies compare differences in the same patient. This study is a retrospective review that assesses clinical outcomes of 36 patients who underwent a primary RA-TKA and had undergone a prior contralateral M-TKA. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon at the same institution. Patients were assessed for differences in hospital length of stay, improvement in pre- versus postoperative range of motion, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores. Student's t-test and Fisher's exact test were utilized to detect significant differences. Patient demographics showed a mean age of 64.5, 24 females (67%), and mean body mass index of 35.1 ± 5.7. The average follow-up time was 2.9 years for M-TKA and 1.3 years for RA-TKA. Hospital length of stay was decreased by 5.5 hours for RA-TKA (p = 0.03). Total postoperative WOMAC score was not statistically different between RA-TKA and M-TKA (p = 0.061); however, pain and stiffness components were statistically improved in RA-TKA (p = 0.041 and p = 0.007), respectively. KOOS was higher in RA-TKA, which approached statistical significance (p = 0.005). Pre- versus postoperative knee flexion improved significantly in both cohorts. There was a significant difference in pre- versus postoperative range of motion at 3, 6, and 12 months follow-up after RA-TKA in comparison to M-TKA (p < 0.05). There were no postoperative complications. Patients who underwent RA-TKA demonstrated early improvement at 1-year follow-up in pain, stiffness, and knee flexion when compared with their prior contralateral M-TKA. There was a significant decrease in postoperative length of stay by 5.5 hours in the RA-TKA group. Limitations include a small sample size and differences in follow-up times between RA-TKA and M-TKA.

Comparison of Imaging Severity Between Vaccinated and Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients: Perspective of an Indian District.

BACKGROUND: Extensive vaccination drives undertaken globally helped in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but different nations adopted different vaccination policies to tackle the disease. The vaccination drive in India began with the administration of two different vaccines: Covishield and Covaxin. We assessed the effect of vaccination status on imaging severity in patients with positive COVID-19 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)/antigen tests. METHOD: This was a single-center retrospective observation analysis carried out over three months between March 1, 2021, to May 31, 2021. Data access was provided by the District Hospital Review Board (DHRB) and the Department of Health (DOH), District Ambala, Haryana. Appropriate statistical tools were used to analyze the data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 26.0 and Python 3.9 were used for statistical analysis and visualization, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The total sample size of the study was 1,316, out of which 371 (28.2%) were vaccinated and 945 (71.8%) were not vaccinated. The mean age of the study participants was 49.6 ± 15.7 years. Seven hundred ninety-seven (60.6%) participants were male, while 519 (39.4%) participants were female. A statistically significant reduction was observed in the computed tomography severity score (CTSS) of the vaccinated population compared to the non-vaccinated group (χ2 = 74.3, p < 0.001). Vaccination led to a statistically significant decrease in mean CTSS across all lung lobes. CONCLUSION: Emerging COVID-19 variants challenge the effect of available vaccines, with different nations adopting different vaccination strategies to deal with the ongoing health problem. CTSS was employed as an objective marker to study the disease severity and effect of vaccination. Vaccination resulted in a significant reduction in CTSS seen on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest scans. There was a significant decrease in the incidence of severe COVID-19 pneumonia among vaccinated individuals. We need more observational data to corroborate the efficacy of vaccines presented in the randomized trials. Sharing such data between different nations can help us adopt a unifying vaccination strategy and decrease the impact of COVID-19 in subsequent disease waves.

Co-Yudh: A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-Inspired Platform for COVID Handling and Awareness.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a menace to the World. According to WHO, a mortality rate of 1.99% is reported as of 28th November 2021. The need of the hour is to implement certain safety measures that may not eradicate but at least put a restriction on the rising number of COVID-19 cases all over the World. To ensure that the COVID-19 protocols are being abided by, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based framework "Co-Yudh" is being developed that comprises features like detecting face masks and social distancing, tracking the number of COVID-19 cases, and providing an online medical consultancy. The paper proposes two algorithms based on CNN for implementing the above features such as real-time face mask detection using the Transfer Learning approach in which the MobileNetV2 model is used which is trained on the Simulated Masked Face Dataset (SMFD). Further, the trained model is evaluated on the novel dataset-Mask Evaluation Dataset (MED). Additionally, the YOLOv4 model is used for detecting social distancing. It also uses web scraping for tracking the number of COVID-19 cases which updates on a daily basis. This is an easy-to-use framework that can be installed in various workplaces and can serve all the purposes to keep a check on the COVID-19 protocols in the area. Our preliminary results are quite satisfactory when tested against different environmental variables and show promising avenues for further exploration of the technique. The proposed framework is a more improved version of the existing works done so far.

Case series on successful anesthetic management of COVID-19-positive obstetric patients undergoing emergency cesarean section.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was first reported in Wuhan, and its manifestations in pregnancy can be variable ranging from mild illness to severe acute respiratory syndrome. Management of such patients depends on severity of illness and gestational age. Case 1: A 67-year-old elderly primigravida with multiple comorbidities (type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism, and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy) and mild COVID-19 infection presented for emergency cesarean. Cesarean was conducted under spinal anesthesia after taking due personal protective equipment (PPE) precautions. Both mother and baby were discharged successfully. Case 2: A 24-year-old lady with severe COVID-19 illness who presented for emergency cesarean section was taken up under regional anesthesia with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) support. Intraoperative course went uneventful, and the patient was discharged after 12 days of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Choice of anesthesia for a cesarean section is preferably regional anesthesia, whether the patient is COVID-19 positive or negative. Symptom management and optimisation is necessary in preoperative period the patient for surgery. Involvement of a multidisciplinary team approach with ICU care is helpful in successful management of the patient.

Diabetic gastroparesis: An overview of pathogenesis, clinical presentation and novel therapies, with a focus on ghrelin receptor agonists.

Diabetic gastroparesis is defined as delayed gastric emptying without mechanical obstruction in the setting of diabetes. Symptoms range from mild bloating to severe vomiting episodes and can result in frequent hospitalizations and poor quality of life. It is suspected that diabetic gastroparesis is underdiagnosed due to its similar presentation to other conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease. The pathogenesis of diabetic gastroparesis remains unclear, but proposed mechanisms include vagal dysfunction, hyperglycemia, interstitial cells of Cajal network disturbances, loss of neural nitric oxide synthase expression in the myenteric plexus, and oxidative stress. Current management for diabetic gastroparesis focuses on dietary and lifestyle changes as well as improved glycemic control. Limited options for medical therapies are available that include prokinetic and antiemetic medications. Metoclopramide is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of gastroparesis. Metoclopramide improves symptoms of gastroparesis although extended treatment presents challenges such as decreased efficacy over time and increased risks for adverse events. We summarize the current knowledge of the pathophysiology of diabetic gastroparesis and review current and investigational treatments for diabetes gastroparesis.

Optimal Management of First-Line Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma: Focus on Pembrolizumab.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is among the 10 most common cancers in the USA. One-third of the patients diagnosed with this cancer present with locally advanced or metastatic disease. In the past, advanced disease conferred poor survival outcomes; however, the treatment paradigm for RCC has been revolutionized twice since 2005. The initial wave of revolution came with the emergence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors and a second wave arose more recently with the emergence and unprecedented success of checkpoint inhibitors in RCC. A third wave combining these two strategies is well underway and likely represents the new paradigm to improve survival outcomes for afflicted patients. In this review, we discuss the current treatment landscape for patients with advanced RCC, focusing on approved VEGF and checkpoint inhibitors in the first-line setting as well as highlighting landmark combination clinical trials.

Isolated angiokeratomas of the tongue: A rare entity.

Angiokeratomas consist of ectasias of dermal capillaries associated with an acanthotic and hyperkeratotic overlying epidermis. These dark red-to-purple, papular vascular anomalies can vary considerably in size, depth, and location. It is a skin disorder that rarely involves oral cavity. It can occur in localized or generalized form and is often associated with underlying metabolic disorder such as Fabry's disease and fucosidosis. It has many clinical variants with the same underlying histopathology. Mucosal involvement, including the oral cavity, is occasionally found either as a component of the systemic variety, called angiokeratoma corporis diffusum, or associated with cutaneous lesions in more locations. Isolated oral involvement seems to be rather infrequent, and only eighteen cases have been described in the world literature thus far. Isolated multiple angiokeratomas of tongue without plaque formation have been reported only four times before this. Here, we report a fifth case of isolated multiple angiokeratomas of tongue in a 16-year-old female which was confirmed by immunohistochemical pattern in consonance with a blood vessel origin, with expression of CD31, CD34, and von Willebrand factor. The lesion did not express D2-40 and CD45. No other malformation or metabolic disorder was found in the patient.

Cephalometric Evaluation of Natural Head Position in Lingayat Population of Karnataka.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To ascertain norms in cephalometry for 11- to 13-year-old Lingayat children in natural head position (NHP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lateral cephalograms of children were obtained by using fluid level device. We determined the variance in Frankfort horizontal plane (FHP) inclination to extracranial horizontal in NHP. The G*Power, version 20 for Windows was used for analysis. RESULTS: Reduced facial convexity was observed when the analysis was carried out in relation to true horizontal with significant difference of "t" value of 3.05 and percentage difference of 1.1 (P < 0.01) and for girls "t" value of 9.69 and percentage difference of 2.5 (P < 0.001). The highest correlation coefficient for Lingayat boys (r = 0.77) was seen between palatal plane and occlusal plane. We found least correlation coefficient among FHP and Sella-nasion plane (SNP). The coefficient was r = 0.62 and correlation coefficient of r = 0.70 was between FHP and determination coefficient r 2 = 0.38 or 38%. For girls, highest correlation coefficient of r = 0.70 was seen among FHP and palatal plane. CONCLUSION: Conventional study of craniofacial forms of Lingayat children showed the average skeletal pattern as Class II with retrognathic mandible in comparison to Caucasians. However, when seen in NHP by new method of analysis based on the true horizontal, the skeletal model was Class III in comparison to Caucasians.

Radix mesiolingualis and radix distolingualis: a case report of a tooth with an unusual morphology.

Variation in the root and canal morphology of the maxillary first molars is quite common. The most common configuration is 3 roots and 3 or 4 canals. Nonetheless, other possibilities still exist. The presence of an additional palatal root is rather uncommon and has been reported to have an incidence of 0.06 - 1.6% in varying populations studied. Whenever two palatal roots exist, one of them is the normal palatal root, the other is a supernumerary structure which can be located either mesiolingually (radix mesiolingualis) or distolingually (radix distolingualis). This case report describes successful endodontic treatment of a maxillary first molar with radix mesiolingualis and radix distolingualis. Identification of this variation was done through clinical examination along with the aid of multiangled radiographs, and an accurate assessment of this morphology was made with the help of a cone-beam computed tomography imaging. In addition to the literature review, this article also discusses the epidemiology, classifications, morphometric features, guidelines for diagnosis, and endodontic management of a maxillary first molar with extra-palatal root.

Endodontic management of an unusual maxillary first molar with a single buccal root.

AIM: The aim of this clinical article is to describe the unusual anatomy that was detected in a maxillary first molar during routine endodontic treatment. BACKGROUND: Variation in Root and Root canal morphology especially in multirooted teeth presents a constant challenge for a clinician in their detection and management. The literature is replete with cases that have extra canal or Root but cases with fused Root and fewer numbers of canals are sparse. CASE DESCRIPTION: This case report describes the endodontic management of one such unusual case of maxillary first molar presenting with a single fused buccal and a palatal Root. The confirmatory diagnosis of this morphologic aberration was done with the help of spiral computerized tomography, which revealed that the contralateral tooth also had a similar morphology. CONCLUSION: Dental practitioners should always be aware of the fact that abnormalities need not be in form of extra Roots or Root canals; anomalies can also be in form of fewer number of Roots or Root canals. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A thorough knowledge of the complexities and variations of the Root canal system would help in avoiding some of the common iatrogenic access opening errors like perforations and excessive tooth removal caused during the search for the missing or extracanal.

Evaluation of apical extrusion of debris and irrigant using two new reciprocating and one continuous rotation single file systems.

OBJECTIVE: Apical extrusion of debris and irrigants during cleaning and shaping of the root canal is one of the main causes of periapical inflammation and postoperative flare-ups. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively measure the amount of debris and irrigants extruded apically in single rooted canals using two reciprocating and one rotary single file nickel-titanium instrumentation systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty human mandibular premolars, randomly assigned to three groups (n = 20) were instrumented using two reciprocating (Reciproc and Wave One) and one rotary (One Shape) single-file nickel-titanium systems. Bidistilled water was used as irrigant with traditional needle irrigation delivery system. Eppendorf tubes were used as test apparatus for collection of debris and irrigant. The volume of extruded irrigant was collected and quantified via 0.1-mL increment measure supplied on the disposable plastic insulin syringe. The liquid inside the tubes was dried and the mean weight of debris was assessed using an electronic microbalance. The data were statistically analysed using Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test and Mann Whitney U test with Bonferroni adjustment. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: The Reciproc file system produced significantly more debris compared with OneShape file system (P<0.05), but no statistically significant difference was obtained between the two reciprocating instruments (P>0.05). Extrusion of irrigant was statistically insignificant irrespective of the instrument or instrumentation technique used (P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although all systems caused apical extrusion of debris and irrigant, continuous rotary instrumentation was associated with less extrusion as compared with the use of reciprocating file systems.

A variation in tooth position-180° rotated maxillary second premolar.

Rotation of a tooth around an axis which is perpendicular to the occlusal plane through angles which approach 180° is a rare anomaly which is found in the human dentition. Such aberrations present a multi-factorial model in their origin. Both genetic and local factors seem to contribute to this abnormality. If the contribution of local factors could be identified, a way could open to an early treatment and prevention of secondary rotations of opposing and contiguous teeth. A case of a 180° rotation of maxillary left second premolar in a male patient of Indian origin has been described here.

Using spiral computed tomography for endodontic management of a mandibular first molar with a middle mesial canal: a case report.

The root canal anatomy of a permanent mandibular first molar has been traditionally described as 2 roots--1 mesial and 1 distal--with 2 canals in the mesial root and 1 or 2 canals in the distal root. Nonetheless, other possibilities exist. The presence of a third canal in the mesial root has been reported to have an incidence of 0%-17%. Conventional radiographs are routinely used to determine root canal anatomy; however, these are 2-dimensional representations of a 3-dimensional object. Advanced diagnostic methods that can provide 3-dimensional data, such as spiral computed tomography (SCT), is very helpful in determining complex morphology. This case report presents the management of a mandibular first molar with 3 mesial and 2 distal canals, confirmed with the aid of both SCT and conventional radiographic methods.

Paramolar tubercle: A diversity in canal configuration identified with the aid of spiral computed tomography.

The objective of this article is to increase our understanding of the root canal system of the anomalous structures like paramolar tubercles. The knowledge of the internal anatomy of the paramolar tubercles is very important as they influence the treatment modalities and associated problems in many dental disciplines. This case report investigates the anatomical and morphological characteristics of a rare case of two well-developed lobulated cusps occurring on the buccal surface of maxillary right second molar with the aid of spiral computed tomography. Unlike to previous reports, in our case the tubercles had their own pulp chamber with its root fused to the mesiobuccal and distobuccal roots of maxillary right second molar, while its canal remained independent from the main root canals.

DNA sequence detection based on Raman spectroscopy using single walled carbon nanotube.

A Biosensor for detection of DNA sequence in bacterium Bacillus anthracis has been developed using Raman spectrum of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). We have utilized the fact that being hydrophobic in nature single strand of target DNA (diseased DNA) gets wrapped over SWNT surface forming single stranded DNA-SWNT complex. The sensing ability of this sensor has been studied using the dependency of G peak intensity (in the Raman spectrum of SWNTs) on the covered surface of SWNTs. When a DNA having a sequence complementary to that of the target DNA is added to DNA-SWNT complex, hybridization between these sequences takes place. This results in large covered surface area of SWNT and reducing the intensity of G peak. A slight red shift in the G peak has also been observed. The intensity of G peak depends on the exposed area of SWNT to the excitation beam. On the other hand with noncomplementary DNA, no significant change in intensity of G peak is observed. Finally, results were cross-checked by gel electrophoresis.