Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the testis: A case report

Multiparametric Ultrasound for Diagnosing Testicular Lesions: Everything You Need to Know in Daily Clinical Practice

BACKGROUND

Ultrasonography (US) represents the gold standard imaging method for the assessment of testicular lesions (TL). The gray-scale (GSUS) and color-Doppler (CDUS) ultrasound examination allow sonographers to investigate the size, margins, echotexture, and vascular features of TLs with the aim to differentiate benign from malignant lesions. Recently, the use of contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) and sonoelastography (SE) has led to further improvements in the differential diagnosis of TL. Although GSUS and CDUS are often sufficient to suggest the benign or malignant nature of the TL, CEUS can be decisive in the differential diagnosis of unclear findings, while SE can help to strengthen the diagnosis. The contemporary combination of GSUS, CDUS, CEUS, and SE has led to a new diagnostic paradigm named multiparametric US (mp-US), which is able to provide a more detailed characterization of TLs than single techniques alone. This narrative and pictorial review aimed to describe the mp-US appearance of several TLs.

METHODS

An extensive Medline search was performed to identify studies in the English language focusing on the mp-US evaluation of TLs.

RESULTS

A practical mp-US "identity card" and iconographic characterization of several benign and malignant TLs is provided herein.

CONCLUSIONS

The mp-US characterization of TL reported herein can be useful in daily clinical practice.

Proteomic and Metabolomic Analysis of Bone Marrow and Plasma from Patients with Extramedullary Multiple Myeloma Identifies Distinct Protein and Metabolite Signatures

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable haematological malignancy of plasma cells in the bone marrow. In rare cases, an aggressive form of MM called extramedullary multiple myeloma (EMM) develops, where myeloma cells enter the bloodstream and colonise distal organs or soft tissues. This variant is associated with refractoriness to conventional therapies and a short overall survival. The molecular mechanisms associated with EMM are not yet fully understood. Here, we analysed the proteome of bone marrow mononuclear cells and blood plasma from eight patients (one serial sample) with EMM and eight patients without extramedullary spread. The patients with EMM had a significantly reduced overall survival with a median survival of 19 months. Label-free mass spectrometry revealed 225 proteins with a significant differential abundance between bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMNCs) isolated from patients with MM and EMM. This plasma proteomics analysis identified 22 proteins with a significant differential abundance. Three proteins, namely vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1), pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF), and hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGFA), were verified as the promising markers of EMM, with the combined protein panel showing excellent accuracy in distinguishing EMM patients from MM patients. Metabolomic analysis revealed a distinct metabolite signature in EMM patient plasma compared to MM patient plasma. The results provide much needed insight into the phenotypic profile of EMM and in identifying promising plasma-derived markers of EMM that may inform novel drug development strategies.

Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma presenting as an adrenal tumor: case report and literature review

Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma, an extremely rare case which accounts for about 3% of all plasma cell neoplasms, often occurs in the head and neck region such as para nasal sinuses, nasal cavity and oral cavity, it also occurs in the lymph nodes, lungs, thyroid, intestine, liver, pancreas, testis, breast, or skin. Isolated primary plasmacytoma of adrenal is extremely rare and only nine documented cases have been reported in the literature. We are presenting the 10^th case which is the youngest patient until now with symptoms of fever and hepatosplenomegaly. A 19-year-old female was admitted with an irregular fever for 20 days. After a series of investigations were carried out there were no CRAB symptoms (hypercalcemia, renal failure, anemia and bone lesions), no free light chain and no more than 10% increase in plasma cell on bone marrow examination. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a tumor in the left adrenal region, and it was diagnosed to be a solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma on biopsy. She underwent the tumor resection one month after admission and recovered well after operation without fever and was discharged from hospital on the thirteenth post-operative day. She has been followed up for 5 years without any sign and symptom of tumor recurrence. Extramedullary plasmacytoma of adrenal gland in an extremely rare disease and usually diagnosed late in life but it can present in younger patients with variable symptoms. However, the surgical treatment yields excellent long-term results. So, complete surgical resection of the lesion is not only a good diagnostic measure, but also an intent-for-cure treatment for solitary adrenal extramedullary plasmacytoma.