Case Reports in Oncological Medicine

Primary spinal cord melanoma (PSCM) and primary pleural melanoma (PPM) are extremely rare entities with scarce cases reported in the literature. We present a case of a 54-year-old male diagnosed with possible primary pleural melanoma and primary spinal melanoma, managed with partial surgical resection, postoperative radiotherapy, and chemotherapy consisting of Ipilimumab, nivolumab, and temozolomide. This leads to decreased symptoms and improved quality of life of the patient. In this case report, we review the literature on PSCM and PPM in detail, addressing the pertinent clinical aspects as well as current and upcoming therapeutic options.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent malignant and aggressive type of glioma. Most cases of GBM present as a single solitary solid tumor; however, there are rare instances in which it may present as a cystic lesion. Here, we report an even rarer case of GBM presenting as bilateral multicystic lesions, mimicking infectious etiology. Our case highlights the importance of identifying clinical features of cystic GBM to ensure early diagnosis and treatment. A literature review was conducted in PubMed, looking at the common characteristics and treatment options for cystic GBM.

Background. Mixed cryoglobulinemia syndrome (MCS) is a rare entity with a variety of causes but has not been associated with testicular germ cell tumors. We present here a case of a patient with a nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT) presenting as a type III mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. Case Presentation. A 58-year-old male exhibited typical clinical features of vasculitis, including weakness, fatigue, palpable purpura, multiple mononeuropathy, and a low C4 level. An MCS diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of cryoglobulins (6%) with polyclonal IgM and IgG components and biopsy proven leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Concomitantly, a stage IIIC (TxNxM1bS1) germ tumor with marked elevation of serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (2764 mUI/mL) was diagnosed. An aggressive treatment was needed, including methylprednisolone pulses, plasmapheresis, rituximab, followed by orchiectomy, and chemotherapy (bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin). After tumor resection and treatment, cryoglobulins decrease to 0%, suggesting a paraneoplastic origin of the vasculitis. Conclusion. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of MCS possibly attributable to a NSGCT. This case further elaborates on the presentation of mixed cryoglobulinemia vasculitis and adds to the published literature on the topic.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is the most common benign pediatric laryngeal neoplasm. Various adjuvant medical therapies have failed to reliably decrease surgical frequency in this challenging airway disease. Recently, systemic bevacizumab has shown promise in advanced, treatment-resistant papillomatosis. We describe the use of systemic bevacizumab in two children with severe RRP unresponsive to other therapies. Voice and breathing improved dramatically in both patients with minimal side effects. Both patients have not required surgery in 24 months and 16 months, respectively. Systemic bevacizumab is a promising long-term treatment for severe RRP, with oncology playing an important role in patient care.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, rapidly growing, and aggressive dermatological neoplasm. It is commonly reported in Caucasian ethnicities, and almost 50% of the patients have a concomitant malignancy and are on immunosuppressive chemotherapy. Here, we present a 79-year-old woman with a history of relapsed Stage II, grade III follicular lymphoma, receiving maintenance rituximab infusions. She presented with a raised erythematous papule on her left cheek. An excisional biopsy of the lesion confirmed a diagnosis of Merkel cell carcinoma. After which, she underwent a wider excision with 1-2 cm margins. PET scan did not reveal any FDG-avid uptake lesions that would be concerning for metastatic disease. However, she underwent a sentinel lymph node biopsy which was also negative. Thus, the diagnosis was finalized as Stage I (T1 N0 M0) MCC. There are only two reported cases in literature about the significant progression of Merkel cell carcinoma in patients who coincidentally were receiving rituximab as a part of treatment for another disease. This raises questions for future investigation and research on whether there is a direct association between rituximab use specifically and the rapid growth of MCC.

Adrenal gland metastatic disease is the most commonly occurring malignancy of the adrenal glands. Although metastatic disease is common, adrenal hemorrhage is a rare but potentially fatal manifestation of malignancy. The objectives of this case report are to highlight the unusual presentation of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma as spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage in a 64-year-old female who was otherwise asymptomatic. As well as to support the reasoning that metastatic disease should be considered as a differential in patients with this clinical presentation as this may have altered this fatal outcome.