Purpose: The standard treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) comprises combined modality treatment, radiotherapy (RT), and chemotherapy with rituximab which has significantly improved both disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). However, there is no uniformity in radiation dose usage in these patients. In this retrospective study, we compared lower radiation dose with higher in patients with aggressive NHL. Materials and Methods: From 2007 to 2017, treatment records of all high-grade NHL or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and non-central nervous system NHL were included. We compared response rates, OS and DFS of patients who received ≤30 Gy RT to those with >30 Gy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to determine factors affecting prognosis, i.e., age, sex, stage, International Prognostic Index (IPI), adding rituximab, and radiation dose. Results: A total of 184 NHL patients treated with combined modality or radiation alone having complete follow-up details were analyzed. At median follow-up of 66.8 months, 5-year OS was 72.8% in high-dose group versus 69.9% in low-dose group (p = 0.772) and 5-year DFS 64.7% versus 64.1% (p = 0.871). Patients having early-stage disease receiving low dose and those with advanced disease treated with >30 Gy had better OS and DFS though not statistically significant. Adding rituximab was associated with significantly better OS and DFS irrespective of radiation dose delivered. High IPI score and omitting rituximab were the only factors that significantly worsened both OS and DFS. Acute radiation toxicities were comparable in both groups (p = 0.82). Among late toxicities, no patient developed a second malignancy and 5% died due to cardiovascular complications (p = 0.595) though only two patients (1.1%) had received thoracic radiation. Conclusion The two groups had comparable response rates, acute toxicities, DFS and OS. This study suggests that RT dose reduction may be possible in high-grade NHL without compromising the DFS and OS.

Background: and Purpose Autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an underexplored condition. This study aims to systematically review the clinico-investigational and pathophysiologic aspects of COVID-19 and its vaccines in association with AIE, and identify the factors predicting neurological severity and outcomes. Methods: Relevant data sources were searched using appropriate search terms on January 15, 2022. Studies meeting the criteria for AIE having a temporal association with COVID-19 or its vaccines were included. Results: Out of 1,894 citations, we included 61 articles comprising 88 cases: 71 of COVID-19-associated AIE, 3 of possible Bickerstaff encephalitis, and 14 of vaccine-associated AIE.There were 23 definite and 48 possible seronegative AIE cases. Anti-NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor; n=12, 16.9%) was the most common definite AIE. Males were more commonly affected (sex ratio=1.63) in the AIE subgroup. The neurological symptoms included altered mental state (n=53, 74.6%), movement disorders (n=28, 39.4%), seizures (n=24, 33.8%), behavioural (n=25, 35.2%), and speech disturbances (n=17, 23.9%). The median latency to AIE diagnosis was 14 days (interquartile range=4–22 days). Female sex and ICU admission had higher risks of sequelae, with odds ratio (OR) of 2.925 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.005–8.516) and 3.515 (95% CI=1.160–10.650), respectively. Good immunotherapy response was seen in 42/48 (87.5%) and 13/13 (100%) of COVID-19-associated and vaccine-associated AIE patients, respectively. Sequelae were reported in 22/60 (36.7%) COVID-19 associated and 10/13 (76.9%) vaccine-associated cases. Conclusions The study has revealed diagnostic, therapeutic, and pathophysiological aspects of AIE associated with COVID-19 and its vaccines, and its differences from postinfectious AIE.Systematic review registration PROSPERO registration number CRD42021299215