A Rare Case of Muco-epidermoid Carcinoma Parotid in a 6-Year-Old Girl and Review of Literature

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the commonest malignant salivary gland tumor affecting the parotid gland in adults and children. In children and adolescents, there is a peak incidence in the second decade. We came across a 6-year-old girl with intermediate-grade MEC parotid gland, which is very unusual below 10 years of age. A global literature search revealed only 3 other similar cases in children below 10 years of age. She presented with a 2-year history of left parotid gradually increasing hard swelling involving the overlying skin and underlying sternocleidomastoid muscle which was confirmed on a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan of the face and neck as well as a core biopsy to be a MEC left parotid. The patient underwent a left radical parotidectomy sacrificing the main trunk of the facial nerve while carefully preserving its distal branches along with a left selective neck dissection (SND) followed by facial reanimation using primary neurorrhaphy. Histopathology confirmed an intermediate-grade MEC pT4aN2bMx with close deep lobe margin warranting adjuvant radiotherapy. Albeit very rare, salivary gland neoplasms may occur in children in the first decade of life. Appropriate planning regarding oncological resection with/without facial reanimation, appropriate rehabilitation followed by adjuvant treatment based on histopathology ensures a good prognosis.

Direct exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and cigarette smoke increases infection severity and alters the stem cell-derived airway repair response

Most demographic studies are now associating current smoking status with increased risk of severe COVID-19 and mortality from the disease but there remain many questions about how direct cigarette smoke exposure affects SARS-CoV-2 airway cell infection. We directly exposed mucociliary air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures derived from primary human nonsmoker airway basal stem cells (ABSCs) to short term cigarette smoke and infected them with live SARS-CoV-2. We found an increase in the number of infected airway cells after cigarette smoke exposure as well as an increased number of apoptotic cells. Cigarette smoke exposure alone caused airway injury that resulted in an increased number of ABSCs, which proliferate to repair the airway. But we found that acute SARS-CoV-2 infection or the combination of exposure to cigarette smoke and SARS-CoV-2 did not induce ABSC proliferation. We set out to examine the underlying mechanism governing the increased susceptibility of cigarette smoke exposed ALI to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Single cell profiling of the cultures showed that infected airway cells displayed a global reduction in gene expression across all airway cell types. Interestingly, interferon response genes were induced in SARS-CoV-2 infected airway epithelial cells in the ALI cultures but smoking exposure together with SARS-CoV-2 infection reduced the interferon response. Treatment of cigarette smoke-exposed ALI cultures with Interferon β-1 abrogated the viral infection, suggesting that the lack of interferon response in the cigarette smoke-exposed ALI cultures allows for more severe viral infection and cell death. In summary, our data show that acute smoke exposure allows for more severe proximal airway epithelial disease from SARS-CoV-2 by reducing the mucosal innate immune response and ABSC proliferation and has implications for disease spread and severity in people exposed to cigarette smoke.

SARS-CoV-2 infection of primary human lung epithelium for COVID-19 modeling and drug discovery

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the latest respiratory pandemic resulting from zoonotic transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Severe symptoms include viral pneumonia secondary to infection and inflammation of the lower respiratory tract, in some cases causing death. We developed primary human lung epithelial infection models to understand responses of proximal and distal lung epithelium to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Differentiated air-liquid interface cultures of proximal airway epithelium and 3D organoid cultures of alveolar epithelium were readily infected by SARS-CoV-2 leading to an epithelial cell-autonomous proinflammatory response. We validated the efficacy of selected candidate COVID-19 drugs confirming that Remdesivir strongly suppressed viral infection/replication. We provide a relevant platform for studying COVID-19 pathobiology and for rapid drug screening against SARS-CoV-2 and future emergent respiratory pathogens.

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY

A novel infection model of the adult human lung epithelium serves as a platform for COVID-19 studies and drug discovery.

SARS-CoV-2 infection of primary human lung epithelium for COVID-19 modeling and drug discovery

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the latest respiratory pandemic resulting from zoonotic transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Severe symptoms include viral pneumonia secondary to infection and inflammation of the lower respiratory tract, in some cases causing death. We developed primary human lung epithelial infection models to understand responses of proximal and distal lung epithelium to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Differentiated air-liquid interface cultures of proximal airway epithelium and 3D organoid cultures of alveolar epithelium were readily infected by SARS-CoV-2 leading to an epithelial cell-autonomous proinflammatory response. We validated the efficacy of selected candidate COVID-19 drugs confirming that Remdesivir strongly suppressed viral infection/replication. We provide a relevant platform for studying COVID-19 pathobiology and for rapid drug screening against SARS-CoV-2 and future emergent respiratory pathogens.

One Sentence Summary

A novel infection model of the adult human lung epithelium serves as a platform for COVID-19 studies and drug discovery.

Large proximal ureteral stones: Ideal treatment modality?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Ideal treatment modality for patients with large impacted proximal ureteral stone remains controversial. We compared laparoscopic transperitoneal ureterolithotomy (Lap-TPUL) and semirigid ureteroscopy for large proximal ureteric stones to evaluate their efficacy and safety.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From November 2012 to December 2014, we enrolled 122 patients with large (≥1.5 cm) proximal ureteral stone in the study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group A (60 patients), retrograde ureteroscopic lithotripsy using a semirigid ureteroscope; Group B (62 patients), transperitoneal LU (Lap-TPUL).

RESULTS

The overall stone-free rate was 71.6% and 93.5% for Group A and Group B respectively (P = 0.008). Auxiliary procedure rate was higher in Group A than in Group B (27.3% vs. 5.6%). The complication rate was 11.2% in Group B versus 25% in Group A. Mean procedure time was higher in laparoscopy group as compared to ureterorenoscopy (URS) groups (84.07 ± 16.80 vs. 62.82 ± 12.71 min). Hospital stay was 4.16 ± 0.67 days in laparoscopy group and 1.18 ± 0.38 days in URS group (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic transperitoneal ureterolithotomy is a minimally invasive, safe and effective treatment modality and should be recommended to all patients of impacted large proximal stones, which are not amenable to URS or extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy or as a primary modality of choice especially if patient is otherwise candidate for open surgery.

Posterior pericardiotomy reduces the incidence of supra-ventricular arrhythmias following coronary artery bypass surgery

A prospective study of 100 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery was performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a posterior pericardiotomy in reducing the incidence of pericardial effusions and, consequently, reducing the incidence of supraventricular arrhythmias in the post-operative period. Pericardial effusion occurred in 4 of 50 patients following a posterior pericardiotomy, whereas effusion occurred in 20 of 50 patients in whom a pericardiotomy was not created (P < 0.0005). Supra-ventricular arrhythmias occurred in 4 patients in the pericardiotomy group and 18 in the group treated without pericardiotomy (P < 0.005). No complications resulted from this procedure. We conclude that pericardiotomy is a simple, safe and effective method for reducing the incidence or pericardial effusion and thereby post-operative supra-ventricular arrhythmias.