Accuracy and Efficacy of Ultrasound Guided Glenohumeral Joint Injections: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To perform a systematic review comparing the accuracy and the efficacy of ultrasound-guided versus landmark-guided and other image-guided glenohumeral joint injections.

Methods: Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science were searched up to June 24, 2023. Independent authors reviewed and selected qualifying randomized controlled studies, cohort studies, and case control/case series comparing either the accuracy and/or clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided versus landmark-guided and other image-guided glenohumeral joint injections.

Contemporary outcomes of octa-nonagenarians with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: Octa-nonagenarians with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represent a high-risk group due to frequently poor performance status, adverse genomics (e.g., TP53 mutations, complex karyotype), a high incidence of secondary AML, and inability to undergo an allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Accuracy and Efficacy of Intra-Articular Knee Injections/Aspirations Under Ultrasound versus Landmark Guidance: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: To review the current literature on the accuracy and efficacy of ultrasound (US)- and landmark (LM)-guided intra-articular knee injections.

Methods: A systematic review was performed following the Cochrane process from April 2023 to August 2023 utilizing PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. Branched logic was used to include articles containing terms regarding the knee AND ultrasound AND injections.

Experimental composable key distribution using discrete-modulated continuous variable quantum cryptography.

Establishing secure data communication necessitates secure key exchange over a public channel. Quantum key distribution (QKD), which leverages the principles of quantum physics, can achieve this with information-theoretic security. The discrete modulated (DM) continuous variable (CV) QKD protocol, in particular, is a suitable candidate for large-scale deployment of quantum-safe communication due to its simplicity and compatibility with standard high-speed telecommunication technology.

Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Can Be Treated With Chemotherapy-Free Regimens Without Transplant.

The incorporation of ponatinib into the frontline regimens of Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) deepened the molecular responses and improved outcomes. Patients with Ph-positive ALL who achieve a complete molecular response (CMR, undetectable BCR::ABL1 transcripts by RT-PCR) by 3 months of therapy have a better survival compared to those with persistent disease. Studies showed that the next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay, with a sensitivity up to 1 × 10, is more sensitive than RT-PCR for the detection of measurable residual disease (MRD) in Ph-positive ALL and therefore carries a better prognostic value.

Incorporation of Immunotherapy Into Adult B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Therapy.

Blinatumomab and inotuzumab ozogamicin have demonstrated efficacy in treating relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and improving outcomes compared with conventional chemotherapy. Encouraging results have been observed in both younger and older patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive and Ph-negative B-ALL treated with these immunotherapy agents across several clinical trials. Treatment with inotuzumab ozogamicin and/or blinatumomab leads to high rates of deep measurable residual disease negativity and may enhance survival compared with chemotherapy-only approaches, reducing the need for intensive chemotherapy, and potentially the need for allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Microscopic Polyangiitis With a Twist: A Rare Case of CRAO and Brainstem Infarction.

Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) is a rare autoimmune vasculitis of small vessels. It is often linked with ANCA. Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is characterized by sudden, painless vision loss and is typically connected with embolic or inflammatory causes.

Clonal evolution of hematopoietic stem cells after autologous stem cell transplantation.

The impact of exogenous stressors, such as cancer chemotherapies, on the genomic integrity and clonal dynamics of normal hematopoiesis is not well defined. We conducted whole-genome sequencing on 1,276 single-cell-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) colonies from ten patients with multiple myeloma treated with chemotherapies and six normal donors. Melphalan treatment significantly increased the mutational burden, producing a distinctive mutation signature, whereas other chemotherapeutic agents had minimal effects.

Risk of early death after acute leukemia diagnosis among adolescents and young adults.

Background: Advances in care have led to improvements in survival for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) diagnosed with cancer; however, the risk of early death remains high for certain cancers, particularly acute leukemias. Risk factors for early death in AYAs diagnosed with acute leukemia have not been well studied.

Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry was used to assess risk of early death (within 2 months of diagnosis) in AYAs diagnosed with acute leukemia (n = 16 153).

When Wernicke's encephalopathy mimics stroke: A case report of atypical thalamic involvement.

Wernicke's Encephalopathy (WE) is a metabolic disorder caused by thiamine deficiency, most commonly linked to chronic alcohol use. It typically presents with a triad of ataxia, mental confusion, and oculomotor abnormalities, with classic MRI findings showing symmetric hyperintensities in the mammillary bodies, thalamus, and periaqueductal region. The authors report a case of a 55-year-old male with WE presenting atypical unilateral thalamic hyperintensities on MRI, initially misdiagnosed as ischemic stroke.

Clinical Practice Recommendations on the Role Of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia on Behalf of the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR T-cell) is a new treatment option for relapsed and/or refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Novel therapies including Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTK), covalent or noncovalent, and an inhibitor of the B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 protein (BCL-2), venetoclax, have replaced chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) regimens in the front-line and the R/R setting, and have relegated allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) to later treatment stages. Updating the 2016 clinical practice recommendations on allo-HCT in CLL is necessary to help guide contemporary clinical practice.

A Phase I/II Trial of Ruxolitinib with Chemotherapy for Patients with Relapsed and/or Refractory Philadelphia-like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Background: Philadelphia chromosome-like (Ph-like) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) represents a high-risk subtype of B-ALL. The disease is driven by a range of kinase-activating mutations, resulting in a similar gene expression profile to that of Ph-positive ALL, and one which may be targetable by JAK- or ABL-directed kinase inhibition.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a phase I/II trial to explore the safety and efficacy of ruxolitinib or dasatinib in combination with Hyper-CVAD chemotherapy for patients ≥ 10 years of age with relapsed and/or refractory Ph-like ALL (clinicaltrials.

Vaginal Duplication Cyst - A Rare Isolated Anomaly Masquerading as a Colonic Duplication Cyst.

Vaginal duplication cysts are rare congenital anomalies, especially in pediatric patients, often mimicking other pelvic cystic lesions. We report a 2-month-old female with a lower abdominal lump, urinary retention, and defecation issues. Imaging suggested a rectal duplication cyst, but laparoscopy revealed a vaginal duplication cyst adherent to the posterior vaginal wall.

Molecular characterization and predictors of relapse in patients with Ph + ALL after frontline ponatinib and blinatumomab.

Background: Several studies have suggested that chemotherapy-free regimens consisting of blinatumomab and a BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor are highly effective in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph + ALL). However, the clinical and molecular characteristics that predict for relapse with these chemotherapy-free regimens are largely unknown.

Methods: We conducted a prospective phase II clinical trial of the combination of blinatumomab and ponatinib in 76 patients with newly diagnosed Ph + ALL.

Identifying the Relative Contributions of Shoulder Dysfunction in Patients with Subacromial Pain Syndrome.

Objective: To identify and quantify the factors associated with shoulder dysfunction in patients with subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS).

Design: This was a cross-sectional study with data collected at a single time point.

Setting: Two large, urban, academic medical centers in the United States.