Background and Objectives: Sinonasal malignant lymphoma is rare and aggressive. Its low incidence has made detailed studies on epidemiology, survival, and consensus treatment modalities a challenge, and also has limited developing standardized protocols for diagnosis and management. This study analyzes the clinical factors of patients diagnosed with sinonasal malignant lymphoma and their treatment modalities to understand therapeutic outcome and prognostic factors.Subjects and Method The medical records of patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2020 as sinonasal (SN) malignant lymphoma (extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma [ENKTL]/diffuse large B cell lymphoma [DLBCL]) in Seoul national university hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Results: A total 42 patients were included in the study. Of those, 30 patients were SN-ENKTL, 12 patients were SN-DLBCL. The mean age of SN-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL groups was 52.8±14.4, 60.8±12.4, respectively. The main chief complaint was nasal obstruction (54%). Approximately 75% were diagnosed as stage II (Ann-Arbor staging system) and most of the patients received multi-agent chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The 3-year overall survival rate for SN-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL groups was roughly 90%, 88.9%, respectively and the average of disease-free survival period was approximately 41.1 and 22.1 months, respectively, after initiation of treatment. Conclusion We found that sinonasal malignant lymphoma is highly responsive to chemo or chemoradiotherapy. Early accurate diagnosis is important as early-stage patients receiving therapy may benefit from chemo or chemoradiotherapy. Our clinical data showed that in ambiguous situations, wide excision should be considered for diagnosis.

Background and Objectives: Sinonasal malignant lymphoma is rare and aggressive. Its low incidence has made detailed studies on epidemiology, survival, and consensus treatment modalities a challenge, and also has limited developing standardized protocols for diagnosis and management. This study analyzes the clinical factors of patients diagnosed with sinonasal malignant lymphoma and their treatment modalities to understand therapeutic outcome and prognostic factors.Subjects and Method The medical records of patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2020 as sinonasal (SN) malignant lymphoma (extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma [ENKTL]/diffuse large B cell lymphoma [DLBCL]) in Seoul national university hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Results: A total 42 patients were included in the study. Of those, 30 patients were SN-ENKTL, 12 patients were SN-DLBCL. The mean age of SN-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL groups was 52.8±14.4, 60.8±12.4, respectively. The main chief complaint was nasal obstruction (54%). Approximately 75% were diagnosed as stage II (Ann-Arbor staging system) and most of the patients received multi-agent chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The 3-year overall survival rate for SN-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL groups was roughly 90%, 88.9%, respectively and the average of disease-free survival period was approximately 41.1 and 22.1 months, respectively, after initiation of treatment. Conclusion We found that sinonasal malignant lymphoma is highly responsive to chemo or chemoradiotherapy. Early accurate diagnosis is important as early-stage patients receiving therapy may benefit from chemo or chemoradiotherapy. Our clinical data showed that in ambiguous situations, wide excision should be considered for diagnosis.

Background and Objectives: Sinonasal malignant lymphoma is rare and aggressive. Its low incidence has made detailed studies on epidemiology, survival, and consensus treatment modalities a challenge, and also has limited developing standardized protocols for diagnosis and management. This study analyzes the clinical factors of patients diagnosed with sinonasal malignant lymphoma and their treatment modalities to understand therapeutic outcome and prognostic factors.Subjects and Method The medical records of patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2020 as sinonasal (SN) malignant lymphoma (extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma [ENKTL]/diffuse large B cell lymphoma [DLBCL]) in Seoul national university hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Results: A total 42 patients were included in the study. Of those, 30 patients were SN-ENKTL, 12 patients were SN-DLBCL. The mean age of SN-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL groups was 52.8±14.4, 60.8±12.4, respectively. The main chief complaint was nasal obstruction (54%). Approximately 75% were diagnosed as stage II (Ann-Arbor staging system) and most of the patients received multi-agent chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The 3-year overall survival rate for SN-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL groups was roughly 90%, 88.9%, respectively and the average of disease-free survival period was approximately 41.1 and 22.1 months, respectively, after initiation of treatment. Conclusion We found that sinonasal malignant lymphoma is highly responsive to chemo or chemoradiotherapy. Early accurate diagnosis is important as early-stage patients receiving therapy may benefit from chemo or chemoradiotherapy. Our clinical data showed that in ambiguous situations, wide excision should be considered for diagnosis.

Background and Objectives: Sinonasal malignant lymphoma is rare and aggressive. Its low incidence has made detailed studies on epidemiology, survival, and consensus treatment modalities a challenge, and also has limited developing standardized protocols for diagnosis and management. This study analyzes the clinical factors of patients diagnosed with sinonasal malignant lymphoma and their treatment modalities to understand therapeutic outcome and prognostic factors.Subjects and Method The medical records of patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2020 as sinonasal (SN) malignant lymphoma (extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma [ENKTL]/diffuse large B cell lymphoma [DLBCL]) in Seoul national university hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Results: A total 42 patients were included in the study. Of those, 30 patients were SN-ENKTL, 12 patients were SN-DLBCL. The mean age of SN-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL groups was 52.8±14.4, 60.8±12.4, respectively. The main chief complaint was nasal obstruction (54%). Approximately 75% were diagnosed as stage II (Ann-Arbor staging system) and most of the patients received multi-agent chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The 3-year overall survival rate for SN-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL groups was roughly 90%, 88.9%, respectively and the average of disease-free survival period was approximately 41.1 and 22.1 months, respectively, after initiation of treatment. Conclusion We found that sinonasal malignant lymphoma is highly responsive to chemo or chemoradiotherapy. Early accurate diagnosis is important as early-stage patients receiving therapy may benefit from chemo or chemoradiotherapy. Our clinical data showed that in ambiguous situations, wide excision should be considered for diagnosis.

Background and Objectives: Sinonasal malignant lymphoma is rare and aggressive. Its low incidence has made detailed studies on epidemiology, survival, and consensus treatment modalities a challenge, and also has limited developing standardized protocols for diagnosis and management. This study analyzes the clinical factors of patients diagnosed with sinonasal malignant lymphoma and their treatment modalities to understand therapeutic outcome and prognostic factors.Subjects and Method The medical records of patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2020 as sinonasal (SN) malignant lymphoma (extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma [ENKTL]/diffuse large B cell lymphoma [DLBCL]) in Seoul national university hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Results: A total 42 patients were included in the study. Of those, 30 patients were SN-ENKTL, 12 patients were SN-DLBCL. The mean age of SN-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL groups was 52.8±14.4, 60.8±12.4, respectively. The main chief complaint was nasal obstruction (54%). Approximately 75% were diagnosed as stage II (Ann-Arbor staging system) and most of the patients received multi-agent chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The 3-year overall survival rate for SN-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL groups was roughly 90%, 88.9%, respectively and the average of disease-free survival period was approximately 41.1 and 22.1 months, respectively, after initiation of treatment. Conclusion We found that sinonasal malignant lymphoma is highly responsive to chemo or chemoradiotherapy. Early accurate diagnosis is important as early-stage patients receiving therapy may benefit from chemo or chemoradiotherapy. Our clinical data showed that in ambiguous situations, wide excision should be considered for diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) are mobilized by granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), which causes several side effects in allogeneic donors. We report on side effects of G-CSF administration and determine which side effects could be used in predicting the amount of harvested CD34+ cells. METHODS: Data from the first PBSC collections of 155 healthy donors between 2007 and 2010 were analyzed. Side effects were assessed using adverse event inventory, which was graded from 1 (mild) to 3 (severe) or 4 (disabling). RESULTS: G-CSF administration caused an elevation of WBC counts (mean 44,834/microL) and 86% of them were neutrophils. The mean mononuclear cells in apheresis products was 6.6x10(8)/kg and mean CD34+ cells was 6.0x10(6)/kg. Bone pain was reported by 151 healthy donors (97%) and severe bone pain was related to more CD34+ cells in apheresis products (P=0.041): 39 for grade 1 (5.1x10(6) CD34+cells/kg), 86 for grade 2 (6.0x10(6)), and 26 for grade 3 (7.1x10(6)). In addition, the percentage of collecting more than 5.0x10(6) CD34+cells/kg during the first leukapheresis showed correlation with the severity of bone pain. CONCLUSION: Bone pain was the most common side effect of G-CSF mobilization and more CD34+ cells were harvested in cases of severe bone pain.
Blood Component Removal ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization* ; Humans ; Leukapheresis ; Neutrophils ; Stem Cells* ; Tissue Donors

Candida species is indigenous fungus of healthy individuals, and frequently found in sputum culture. Candida isolation from the respiratory tract is not generally considered as a marker of lung infection, and definitive diagnosis of Candida pneumonia is confirmed by tissue biopsy. A few cases of Candida pneumonia pathologically confirmed by transthoracic needle aspiration of mycetoma have been reported. In Korea, a case of Candida pneumonia diagnosed by bronchial washing and blood culture was reported, but there is no case report diagnosed by biopsy. We report a case of Candida pneumonia diagnosed by endobronchial biopsy, and antifungal therapy resulted in successful resolution of the pneumonia.
Biopsy* ; Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Diagnosis ; Fungi ; Korea ; Lung ; Mycetoma ; Needles ; Pneumonia* ; Respiratory System ; Sputum

BACKGROUND: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a significant complication of heparin therapy induced by antibodies to heparin/platelet factor 4 (PF4) complexes. We investigated the diagnostic performance of four commercial immunoassays that detect the anti-heparin/PF4 antibody. METHODS: Four different anti-heparin/PF4 antibody assays were performed in 39 patients with suspected HIT: HemosIL AcuStar HIT-IgG, HemosIL AcuStar HIT-total antibody (Ab) (Instrumentation Laboratory, USA), STic Expert HIT (Diagnostica Stago, France), and PF4 Enhanced (Immucor GTI Diagnostics, USA). Patients were diagnosed with HIT when the Chong score was > or =5. RESULTS: The estimated sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of HIT were 33.3% and 80.0% for AcuStar HIT-IgG, 55.6% and 53.3% for AcuStar HIT-total Ab, 100.0% and 37.9% for STic Expert HIT, and 33.3% and 66.7% for PF4 Enhanced. All specificities significantly increased when 4Ts scores were included in the diagnosis. The areas under the curves (AUCs) for predicting thrombosis in the AcuStar HIT-IgG, AcuStar HIT-total Ab, and PF4 Enhanced assays were 0.639, 0.522, and 0.681, respectively. When the results of each assay were analysed along with 4Ts scores, the AUC increased to 0.927 in the AcuStar HIT-IgG assay and 0.944 in the AcuStar HIT-total Ab and PF4 Enhanced assays. CONCLUSIONS: The STic Expert HIT assay had high sensitivity but low specificity for diagnosis of HIT. The performances of the three other immunoassays were comparable to each other. Specificity significantly increased when assay data were combined with 4Ts scores. Differences in the diagnostic performance of the four immunoassays were not evident, and simultaneous consideration of clinical scoring systems improved performance.
Antibodies ; Area Under Curve ; Diagnosis* ; Heparin ; Humans ; Immunoassay* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thrombocytopenia* ; Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an adverse drug reaction caused by antibodies to the heparin/platelet factor 4 (PF4) complex, resulting in thrombocytopenia and prothrombotic state. HIT diagnosis is challenging and depends on clinical presentation and laboratory tests. We investigated the usefulness of clinical scores and heparin/PF4 ELISA optical density (OD) as a diagnostic marker and thrombosis predictor in HIT. METHODS: We analyzed 92 patients with suspected HIT. The heparin/PF4 antibody was measured using a commercial ELISA kit (GTI, USA). For each patient, the 4 T's score and Chong's score were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 92 patients, 28 were anti-heparin/PF4-seropositive. The 4 T's score and Chong's score showed good correlation (r=0.874). The 4 T's score and OD values showed good performance for diagnosis of the definite and unlikely HIT groups; however, OD levels showed better sensitivity (93.8%) than the 4 T's score used alone (62.5%). Of the 92 patients, 26 developed thrombosis. The OD values were significantly higher in patients with thrombosis than in those without thrombosis (0.52 vs. 0.22, P<0.001). Patients with high OD values (OD>0.4) had an increased risk of thrombosis (adjusted odds ratio 9.44 [3.35-26.6], P<0.001) and a shorter 250-day thrombosis-free survival (32.1% vs. 54.7%, P=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: ELISA OD values in combination with clinical scoring can improve the diagnosis of and thrombosis prediction in HIT. More attention should be paid to the use of clinical scores and OD values as thrombosis predictors in HIT.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibodies/adverse effects/analysis ; Area Under Curve ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/*methods ; Female ; Heparin/immunology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Factor 4/immunology ; Risk ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Survival Analysis ; Thrombocytopenia/chemically induced/*diagnosis/mortality ; Thrombosis/*diagnosis/etiology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The financial burden of caring for iron-related complications (IRCs) is an emerging medical problem in Korea, as in Western countries. We produced a preliminary estimate of the costs of treating patients for IRCs. METHODS: The medical records of patients who had received multiple transfusions were reviewed. Newly developed cardiomyopathy, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer were defined as IRCs. The costs of laboratory studies, medication, oxygenation, intervention, and education were calculated using working criteria we defined. Costs that had a definite causal relationship with IRCs were included to produce as accurate an estimate as possible. RESULTS: Between 2002 and 2006, 650 patients with hematologic diseases, including 358 with acute leukemia, 102 with lymphoma, 58 with myelodysplastic syndrome or myeloproliferative disease, 46 with multiple myeloma, and 31 with chronic leukemia, received more than 10 units of red blood cells. Nine patients developed IRCs. The primary diagnoses of eight patients were aplastic anemia and that of one patient was chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Two patients who had diabetes were excluded because one was treated at another hospital and the other was diagnosed as oxymetholone-induced diabetes. Of the seven patients included, liver cirrhosis developed in two, heart failure in four, and diabetes mellitus in three. Some of them had two diagnoses. The total cost attributed to IRCs for the seven patients was 47,388,241 KRW (approximately 50,000 USD). CONCLUSIONS: The medical costs of IRCs are considerable, and more effective iron-chelating therapy is necessary to save medical resources and improve patient care. More in the way of comprehensive health and economic studies of IRCs are needed to allow both clinicians and health-policy makers to make better decisions.
Adult ; Costs and Cost Analysis/methods ; Erythrocyte Transfusion/adverse effects ; Female ; Health Care Costs/*statistics & numerical data ; Hematologic Diseases/therapy ; Humans ; Iron/blood ; Iron Chelating Agents/*economics/therapeutic use ; Iron Overload/*economics/etiology/*therapy ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies