Amos Lal

Prospects of chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in ovarian cancer

Despite advances in various chemotherapy regimens, current therapeutic options are limited for ovarian cancer patients. Immunotherapy provides a promising and novel treatment option for ovarian cancer. Recently, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown promising results in hematological tumors and current research is going on in various solid tumors like ovarian cancer. CAR T cells are genetically engineered T cells with major histocompatibility complex-independent, tumor-specific, immune-mediated cytolytic actions against cancer cells. Initial studies of CAR T cell therapy have shown promising results in ovarian cancer, but there are some obstacles like impaired T cell trafficking, lack of antigenic targets, cytokine release syndrome and most important immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Optimization of design, improving tumor microenvironment and combinations with other therapies may help us in improving CAR T cell efficacy. In this review article, we highlight the current knowledge regarding CAR T cell therapy in ovarian cancer. We have discussed basic functioning of CAR T cells, their rationale and clinical outcome in ovarian cancer with limitations.

Primary endobronchial amyloidosis: A rare case of endobronchial tumor

Primary localized endobronchial amyloidosis is a rare entity, as pulmonary amyloidosis most commonly occurs as a part of systemic AL amyloidosis. It can be asymptomatic or can present with nonspecific symptoms such as progressive dyspnea, cough, wheezing and rarely respiratory failure. It is frequently misdiagnosed as asthma, COPD or pneumonia. Solitary endobronchial amyloidosis having a nodular appearance can mimic endobronchial tumor. The diagnosis is usually delayed by 8–37 months. The average life expectancy for primary tracheobronchial amyloidosis is approximately 9 years, so the early diagnosis of this disease is very critical to improve the prognosis of patients. We are presenting a case of 65 year old male which was initially diagnosed and treated as asthma exacerbation with minimal improvement. Further workup was done with CT chest, bronchoscopy and biopsy because of persistent shortness of breath, which revealed primary localized solitary endobronchial amyloidosis.

Unusual cause of chest pain, Bornholm disease, a forgotten entity; case report and review of literature

Chest pain is a common symptom culminating in hospital admissions and specialist referrals. Although cardiac work up is pursued in most of the cases, cardiac etiology is found to be the culprit in minority of the cases. Acute chest pain is a clinical syndrome that may be caused by almost any condition affecting the thorax, abdomen, or internal organs. On occasions this extensive and expensive diagnostic work up can be avoided with awareness of commoner and non-lethal reasons. We report a case of a woman with Bornholm disease secondary to Coxsackievirus B5 (CB5) infection and supplementary review of literature till date.

Azygos lobe: A rare cause of right paratracheal opacity

A 55 year old male presented with a complaint of dyspnea and non productive cough. He was found to have right paratracheal opacity on Chest X ray. Chest CT scan revealed right sided azygos lobe. An azygos lobe is a rare congenital variant of the right lung, usually diagnosed as an incidental finding.

Recurrent Pulmonary Embolism and Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Secondary to Aspergillus , in a Compost Plant Worker: Case Report and Review of Literature

Activation of blood coagulation pathways as a component of an allergic response has been studied in animal models. In patients with allergic diseases, clot qualities have been noted to be different in terms of denser fibrin clot with reduced plasmin-mediated clot lysis. Correlation between occupational hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) with thromboembolic events is scarce in the general patient population. We present a case of a 52-year-old man with recurrent venous thromboembolism with HP secondary to bioaerosol exposure in a compost plant. Biochemical evaluation found no evidence of underlying hypercoagulable state, with only remarkable findings of elevated levels of total serum immunoglobulin E and raised Aspergillus sp. IgG antibodies. The patient decided to change his working environment to one without exposure to compost or other fungal elements. His symptoms and pulmonary function tests gradually improved without any subsequent intervention. The patient chose against the advice of his care providers to discontinue warfarin anti-coagulation that had been recommended for lifelong duration after recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism. At a 4-year follow-up he has remained free of any further episodes of venous thromboembolic events without any anti-coagulation. Repeated imaging studies after cessation of exposure demonstrated clearance of multiple lung nodules and improvement in DLco.

Gonococcal cellulitis: an (un)friendly bite

BackgroundGonococcal infection can present with wide spectrum of symptoms, most commonly involving the genitals. This case highlights a rare presentation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection primarily with skin involvement without uro-genital disease.CaseA 33-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with complaints of painful swelling of his penis. In the emergency room, he underwent incision and drainage of the abscess under local anaesthesia. After microbiological evaluation, he was found to have skin abscess caused by N. gonorrhoeae and was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone and changed to oral agent amoxicillin–clavulanate with complete resolution.ConclusionThe manifestations of gonococcal infection have changed significantly over the last few years, with more involvement of extra genital sites attributed to changes in sexual practices. Our patient was treated for cellulitis and abscess caused by N. gonorrhoeae in the absence of systemic or urethral disease. Recommendations regarding treatment of gonococcal infection have been widely published. However, there is a paucity of evidence-based guidelines regarding the therapy of primary cutaneous gonococcal infection. Pooled data from similar cases may help determine the optimum therapy.

Organizing pneumonia related to electronic cigarette use: A case report and review of literature

Electronic cigarettes (e cigarettes) are battery operated devices that produce aerosol by heating a solution typically made up of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin and flavouring agents. The use of e cigarettes has risen dramatically in recent years especially among adolescents and young adults. These devices have been marketed as safer alternatives to tobacco smoking by their manufactures despite lack of adequate safety data.

First Case of Pleural Empyema Caused by Staphylococcus simulans: Review of the Literature

Staphylococcus simulans is a coagulase-negative organism, mainly an animal pathogen. Reports of human infection have been infrequent, mainly in patients with repeated animal contact. We report the first case of pleural empyema in an elderly woman. S. simulans tends to cause more severe infection because of a biofilm layer which helps in adherence and colonization of smooth surfaces, especially prosthetic devices, shunts, and catheters. The challenging problem even after CoNS isolation and identification is the assessment of their clinical relevance. Major factors that inhibit the penetration of antibiotics is the large-sized effusions/empyema, thickness of pleura, and the nature of antibiotic itself. Source control for septic patients remains the cornerstone of treatment along with optimal antimicrobial coverage. Staphylococcus simulans, a coagulase-negative staphylococcus, is emerging as an important cause of virulent infections with high mortality in humans. Given its propensity for multidrug resistance, including vancomycin, there is an imperative for early and accurate identification of the isolate. Despite aggressive treatment, the patient succumbed to her illness.

Isolated Polycystic Liver Disease: An Unusual Cause of Recurrent Variceal Bleed

Isolated polycystic liver disease is a rare disorder. Majority of the patients with isolated polycystic liver disease are asymptomatic with incidental detection of liver cysts on imaging studies done for other purposes. Minority of patients develop symptoms which are mostly secondary to enlarging cysts size and hepatomegaly. Rarely, these patients develop portal hypertension and can present with its clinical manifestations and consequences in the form acute variceal bleeding or recurrent ascites. We present a rare case of 67-year-old female patient with significant history of polycystic liver disease who presented to the hospital with recurrent hematemesis and melena. She underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy which showed multiple large esophageal varices requiring banding.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis in a young man: an unusual course

We present a case of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) as a rare complication of herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis. A young man with no pertinent medical history was diagnosed with HSV encephalitis. After initial treatment, he showed improvement in symptomatology until day 6 when he acutely developed new neurological deficits. An urgent MRI brain showed changes in left temporal lobe consistent with HSV encephalitis and lack of flow void in superior sagittal sinus. Subsequent magnetic resonance venography confirmed the diagnosis of superior sagittal sinus thrombosis along with thrombosis of bilateral frontoparietal cortical draining veins. Anticoagulation was immediately initiated and oral anticoagulation was continued for 1u2009year. He made complete recovery subsequently. Our case serves as a reminder for the treating clinicians to consider CVST in patients with HSV encephalitis who develop an unexpected new neurological deficits during early phase of appropriate treatment.