Objective To investigate the clinical features and treatment of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-IgG associated disorders （MOGAD） and the risk factors for recurrence and poor long-term prognosis. Methods A total of 91 patients who were diagnosed with MOGAD in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to March 2023 were enrolled，and their clinical features and auxiliary examinations were analyzed，as well as the risk factors for recurrence and long-term prognosis. Results Among the 91 patients，69 experienced the first attack of MOGAD，and there were 39 female patients and 47 children （aged<18 years）. The proportion of patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis among children was significantly higher than that among adults （42.6% vs 18.2%，P=0.012），while the proportion of patients with transverse myelitis among adults was significantly higher than that among children （29.5% vs 2.1%，P<0.001）. The proportion of patients receiving hormones combined with immunoglobulins during hospitalization among children was significantly higher than that among adults （36.2% vs 11.4%，P=0.006），and the children had a significantly better Expanded Disability Status Scale （EDSS） score than the adults at discharge [1（0，1） vs 2（0，4.75），P=0.007]. Visual impairment was an independent risk factor for increased recurrence risk （OR=4.215，95%CI 1.236-14.377，P=0.022）. A higher EDSS score at discharge （OR=5.05，95%CI 1.27-20.07，P=0.021） and a higher number of attacks （OR=9.235，95%CI 1.352-63.10，P=0.023） were independent factors for poor long-term prognosis，while a steroid maintenance time of >5 weeks at initial diagnosis （OR=0.001，95%CI 0.00-0.33，P=0.001） was an independent factor for improving long-term prognosis. Conclusion For patients newly diagnosed with MOGAD，especially those with a high EDSS score at discharge and features indicating a high risk of recurrence （such as visual impairment），it is recommended that they receive an appropriate course of steroid maintenance treatment after acute-stage treatment.
Recurrence ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy and effectiveness of orthopaedic robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery versus open surgery for limb osteoid osteoma. METHODS: A clinical data of 36 patients with limb osteoid osteomas admitted between June 2016 and June 2023 was retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 16 patients underwent orthopaedic robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (robot-assisted surgery group), and 20 patients underwent tumor resection after lotcated by C-arm X-ray fluoroscopy (open surgery group). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the gender, age, lesion site, tumor nidus diameter, and preoperative pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores ( P>0.05). The operation time, lesion resection time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, lesion resection accuracy, and postoperative analgesic use frequency were recorded and compared between the two groups. The VAS scores for pain severity were compared preoperatively and at 3 days and 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Compared with the open surgery group, the robot-assisted surgery group had a longer operation time, less intraoperative blood loss, less fluoroscopy frequency, less postoperative analgesic use frequency, and higher lesion resection accuracy ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in lesion resection time ( P>0.05). All patients were followed up after surgery, with a follow-up period of 3-24 months (median, 12 months) in the two groups. No postoperative complication such as wound infection or fracture occurred in either group during follow-up. No tumor recurrence was observed during follow-up. The VAS scores significantly improved in both groups at 3 days and 3 months after surgery when compared with preoperative value ( P<0.05). The VAS score at 3 days after surgery was significantly lower in robot-assisted surgery group than that in open surgery group ( P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in VAS scores at 3 months between the two groups ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION Compared with open surgery, robot-assisted resection of limb osteoid osteomas has longer operation time, but the accuracy of lesion resection improve, intraoperative blood loss reduce, and early postoperative pain is lighter. It has the advantages of precision and minimally invasive surgery.
Humans ; Robotics ; Osteoma, Osteoid/surgery* ; Orthopedics ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Retrospective Studies ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Bone Neoplasms/surgery* ; Analgesics ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on radiation treatment delays, interruptions, and cancer outcomes if any, in a Philippine tertiary hospital.

A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted among patients living with cancer who were referred for radiation therapy from March to July 2020. Data on treatment delays, treatment interruptions, and average treatment times were collected and analyzed. An association between radiation treatment interruption and disease failure rate was also evaluated.

The study found the mean radiation treatment time ranged from 50.3 days to 140.6 days from the start of radiation treatment to the end of radiation treatment, and 181.7 days to 217.3 days from the date of CT simulation to the end of radiation treatment. These radiation treatment times and treatment interruptions are beyond any published recommendations for external beam radiation therapy, thus potentially leading to worse oncologic outcomes. However, no association between treatment interruption and disease failure rate was noted. This may be due to limitations of the study such as small sample size and heterogeneous patient characteristics such as different cancer pathologies and different disease stages.

This study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on radiation treatment interruptions and delays, potentially leading to worse oncologic outcomes. The lack of association between treatment interruption and disease failure rate needs further investigation with a larger sample size, more homogeneous patient characteristics, and longer follow-up. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining cancer care services during pandemics and implementing measures to minimize treatment interruptions and delays to improve cancer outcomes.

Objective: This study described the clinical profile and outcomes of patients with ocular dermoid cysts at a subspecialty Ophthalmology clinic of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). Methods: Medical records of 38 patients seen at the External Disease & Cornea Clinic from January 2012 to June 2023 were reviewed. Demographics, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refraction, other associated malformations, and dermoid characteristics were collected. For those that underwent surgery, the procedures performed and histopathology reports were reviewed. Most recent refraction, BCVA, presence of amblyopia, recurrence, and complications were recorded. Results: Mean age at presentation was 8.33 years old with equal male:female distribution (52% vs 48%). Thirtyfour (34) participants (89.5%) had unilateral dermoids and 4 participants (10.5%) had bilateral dermoids, for a total of 42 eyes. Thirty-five (35) or 83.3% of the dermoids were located at the inferotemporal quadrant of the cornea. There were 42.1% participants who had associated congenital anomalies, with dermolipoma and preauricular tags being the most common ocular and craniofacial findings, respectively. Twenty-seven (27) eyes (64.2%) underwent surgery and the most common procedure was excision with limbal conjunctival autograft (55.6%). In the 8 eyes that underwent simple excision, recurrence of the dermoid was seen in 1 patient and development of pseudopterygium in 5 patients. Dermoid was the histopathological diagnosis in 96.3% of the excised tissues. Twenty-four (24) patients (63.2%) presented with ambylopia with BCVA <20/30, and regardless of type of intervention done, only 7 participants (23.3%) had a visual acuity better than 20/30 during their latest consult. Conclusion Ocular dermoid is a common congential anomaly usually presenting as an isolated, unilateral mass at the inferotemporal limbal area. Aside from the obvious effect on the cosmetic appearance of the eye, a more pressing concern is the high incidence of amblyopia. Timely excision with limbal conjunctival autograft is highly recommended coupled with aggressive amblyopia therapy.
Recurrence ; Amblyopia

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to describe the epidemiologic profile and determine the clinical outcomes of patients with pheochromocytoma at the University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH).

We reviewed the medical records of 30 patients with histopathology-proven, clinical, and biochemical diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Demographic, clinical characteristics, and clinical outcomes were collected for each patient.

The median age at diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was 37.5 years (IQR 28-55) and the most common metabolic comorbidities were glucose intolerance (60%) and hypertriglyceridemia (23.3%). Majority of the patients were hypertensive (90%). Two third of the patients presented with classic features of pheochromocytoma while the remaining third presented as adrenal incidentaloma. Recurrence was found in 17% of subjects, who were significantly younger (25 years vs 46.5 years P = 0.0229), and had higher rates of bilateral pheochromocytoma (0 vs 75%), p = 0.002). Metastatic pheochromocytoma was found in 10% of the subjects.

Our study demonstrated that patients with pheochromocytoma in our setting exhibit great variability in terms of clinical behavior. Although majority of the patients presented with symptoms related to catecholamine excess, almost one-third of the patients were only incidentally discovered. Incidence of pheochromocytoma recurrence and metastasis in our setting are comparable with current available foreign studies.

Background and Objective: Epidemiological studies have shown that Filipinos have a higher prevalence of welldifferentiated thyroid cancer and a higher rate of recurrence. The BRAF V600E mutation has been proposed as a potential prognostic marker in aggressive papillary thyroid cancers. In this study, we determined whether this mutation is a risk factor for tumor recurrence in papillary thyroid cancer among Filipinos. Methods: We conducted an age and sex-matched case-control study of patients with papillary thyroid cancer; we had two groups – with and without tumor recurrence – of 14 patients each, with at least a 5-year follow-up. We extracted the DNA samples from the patients’ (paraffin-embedded) tumor biopsy tissue blocks from thyroidectomy specimens, then detected the BRAF V600E mutation using polymerase chain reaction. The McNemar’s test for difference of proportions in paired data was used to determine the association of BRAF V600E mutation with recurrence. Results: The BRAF V600E mutation was found in 57.14% of all cases. We found a prevalence of 64.29% among those with recurrence and 50.00% among those without recurrence, with no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.688). Conclusion Our study showed the BRAF V600E mutation was not associated with recurrence. We encountered several limitations: we had limited data regarding molecular methodologies in the Philippine setting, we had a small sample size, and therefore we could not study other parameters (e.g., tumor characteristics, lymph node metastasis, stage of disease). We hope that this paves the way for future studies and collaborations to establish the role of BRAF V600E in Filipinos with papillary thyroid tumor recurrence.
papillary thyroid cancer ; molecular diagnostics ; tumor recurrence

INTRODUCTION: The superiority of laparoscopic repair over open repair of incisional hernias (IHs) in the elective setting is still controversial. Our study aimed to compare the postoperative outcomes of laparoscopic and open elective IH repair in an Asian population. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in an acute general hospital in Singapore between 2010 and 2015. Inclusion criteria were IH repair in an elective setting, IHs with diameter of 3-15 cm, and location at the ventral abdominal wall. We excluded patients who underwent emergency repair, had recurrent hernias or had loss of abdominal wall domain (i.e. hernia sac containing more than 30% of abdominal contents or any solid organs). Postoperative outcomes within a year such as recurrence, pain, infection, haematoma and seroma formation were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There were 174 eligible patients. The majority were elderly Chinese women who were overweight. Open repair was performed in 49.4% of patients, while 50.6% underwent laparoscopic repair. The mean operation time for open repair was 116 minutes (116 ± 60.6 minutes) and 139 minutes (136 ± 64.1 minutes) for laparoscopic repair (P = 0.079). Within a year after open repair, postoperative wound infection occurred in 15.1% of the patients in the open repair group compared to 1.1% in the laparoscopic group (P = 0.0007). Postoperative pain, recurrence and haematoma/seroma formation were comparable. CONCLUSION Elective laparoscopic IH repair has comparable outcomes with open repair and may offer the advantage of reduced postoperative wound infection rates.
Humans ; Female ; Aged ; Incisional Hernia/surgery* ; Surgical Wound Infection/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seroma/surgery* ; Herniorrhaphy/adverse effects* ; Surgical Mesh ; Recurrence ; Hernia, Ventral/surgery* ; Laparoscopy/adverse effects* ; Postoperative Complications/surgery*

Objective: To evaluate treatment responses, outcomes, and prognostic factors in adults with secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) . Methods: Between January 2008 and February 2021, date of consecutive cases of younger than 65 years of adults with sAML were assessed retrospectively. Clinical characteristics at diagnosis, treatment responses, recurrence, and survival were evaluated. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards model were employed to determine significant prognostic indicators for treatment response and survival. Results: 155 patients were recruited, including 38, 46, 57, 14 patients belonging to t-AML, and AML with unexplained cytopenia, post-MDS-AML, and post-MPN-AML, respectively. In the 152 evaluable patients, the rate of MLFS after the initial induction regimen was 47.4%, 57.9%, 54.3%, 40.0%, and 23.1% in the four groups (P=0.076) . The total rate of MLFS after the induction regimen was 63.8%, 73.3%, 69.6%, 58.2%, and 38.5% (P=0.084) , respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that male gender (OR=0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.9, P=0.038 and OR=0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.8, P=0.015) , SWOG cytogenetic classification into unfavorable or intermediate (OR=0.1, 95% CI 0.1-0.6, P=0.014 and OR=0.1, 95% CI 0.1-0.3, P=0.004) and receiving low-intensity regimen as induction regimen (OR=0.1, 95% CI 0.1-0.3, P=0.003 and OR=0.1, 95%CI 0.1-0.2, P=0.001) were typical adverse factors impacting the first CR and the final CR; PLT<45 × 10(9)/L (OR=0.4, 95%CI 0.2-0.9, P=0.038) and LDH ≥258 U/L (OR=0.3, 95%CI 0.1-0.7, P=0.005) were independent factors for CR. Among the 94 patients with achieving MLFS, 46 cases had allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. With a median follow-up period of 18.6 months, the probabilities of relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) at 3 years were 25.4% and 37.3% in patients with transplantation, and in patients with chemotherapy, the probabilities of RFS and OS at 3-year were 58.2% and 64.3%, respectively. At the time of achieving MLFS, multivariate analysis revealed that age ≥46 years (HR=3.4, 95%CI 1.6-7.2, P=0.002 and HR=2.5, 95%CI 1.1-6.0, P=0.037) , peripheral blasts ≥17.5% at diagnosis (HR=2.5, 95%CI 1.2-4.9, P=0.010 and HR=4.1, 95%CI 1.7-9.7, P=0.002) , monosomal karyotypes (HR=4.9, 95%CI 1.2-19.9, P=0.027 and HR=28.3, 95%CI 4.2-189.5, P=0.001) were typical adverse factors influencing RFS and OS. Furthermore, CR after induction chemotherapy (HR=0.4, 95%CI 0.2-0.8, P=0.015) and transplantation (HR=0.4, 95%CI 0.2-0.9, P=0.028) were substantially linked to longer RFS. Conclusion: Post-MDS-AML and post-MPN-AML had lower response rates and poorer prognoses than t-AML and AML with unexplained cytopenia. In adults with male gender, low platelet count, high LDH, and SWOG cytogenetic classification into unfavorable or intermediate at diagnosis, and receiving low-intensity regimen as the induction regimen predicted a low response rate. Age ≥46 years, a higher proportion of peripheral blasts and monosomal karyotype had a negative effect on the overall outcome. Transplantation and CR after induction chemotherapy were greatly linked to longer RFS.
Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy* ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Recurrence ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Objective: To assess the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with SIL-TAL1-positive T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) . Methods: The clinical data of 19 SIL-TAL1-positive T-ALL patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between January 2014 and February 2022 were retrospectively computed and contrasted with SIL-TAL1-negative T-ALL patients. Results: The median age of the 19 SIL-TAL1-positive T-ALL patients was 15 (7 to 41 years) , including 16 males (84.2%) . SIL-TAL1-positive T-ALL patients had younger age, higher WBC, and hemoglobin compared with SIL-TAL1-negative T-ALL patients. There was no discrepancy in gender distribution, PLT, chromosome abnormality distribution, immunophenotyping, and complete remission (CR) rate. The 3-year overall survival (OS) was 60.9% and 74.4%, respectively (HR=2.070, P=0.071) . The 3-year relapse-free survival (RFS) was 49.2% and 70.6%, respectively (HR=2.275, P=0.040) . The 3-year RFS rate of SIL-TAL1-positive T-ALL patients was considerably lower than SIL-TAL1-negative T-ALL patients. Conclusion: SIL-TAL1-positive T-ALL patients were connected to younger age, higher WBC, higher HGB, and poor outcome.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics* ; Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; T-Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Protein 1/genetics* ; T-Lymphocytes ; Female ; Child

Humans ; Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy* ; Thalidomide/therapeutic use* ; Dexamethasone/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy*