Israel Medical Association Journal

Background: The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine-13 (PCV-13) has reduced the burden of invasive pneumococcal disease.

Objective: To characterize true positive blood cultures of children who presented to our hospital following implementation of the PCV-13 vaccine.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on positive blood cultures of children presenting with fever from 2010–2017. Subjects were divided into two age groups: a younger group 3–36 months and an older group 3–18 years. Patients were classified as either having or not having a focus of infection at the time of their bacteremia. Pneumococcal isolates were typed at Israel's Streptococcal Reference Laboratory.

Results: The samples included 94 true positive blood cultures. Focal infection with concomitant bacteremia was more common than bacteremia without a focus both overall: 67/94 (71%) vs. 27/94 (28.7%), P <0.001 as well as in the two groups: 32/48 (66%) vs. 16/48 (33%), P = 0.02 in the younger group and 35/46 (76%) vs. 11/46 (24%), P = 0.001 in the older group. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common pathogen overall, 27/94 (29%), and in the younger group, 21/48 (44%), but rare in the older group, 6/46 (13%). In the latter, Brucella species predominated, 12/46 (26%), along with Staphylococcus aureus 12/46 (26%).

Conclusions: Our findings are consistent with other studies reporting decreased pneumococcal bacteremia, bacteremia primarily accompanying focal infection, and changing etiological agents among PCV-13-vaccinated children. Brucella species was prominent in older children with osteoarticular infections. Ongoing surveillance is warranted to better understand the implications of PCV-13.

Background: Autologous hematological stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a novel therapy for systemic sclerosis (SSc) that has been validated in three randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: To report the first Israeli experience with HSCT for progressive SSc and review the current literature.

Methods: Five SSc patients who were evaluated in our department and were treated by HSCT were included. Medical records were evaluated retrospectively. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded. Continuous data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation. Categorical variables are presented as frequencies and percentages.

Results: Five SSc patients were treated with HSCT. Four patients were adults (mean age 53 ± 12 years) and one was a 12-year-old pediatric patient. All patients were female. HSCT was initiated 1.4 ± 0.8 years after diagnosis. Two patients were RNA POLIII positive, two were anti-topoisomerase 1 positive, and one only antinuclear antibodies positive. All patients had skin and lung involvement. The mean modified Rodnan Skin Score was 29 ± 4.7 before HSCT, which improved to 10.4 ± 9.6 after HSCT. The forced vital capacity improved from 68 ± 13% to 90 ± 28%. Diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide increased by 6%. Among severe adverse events were cyclophosphamide-related congestive heart failure, antithymocyte globulin-related capillary leak syndrome, and scleroderma renal crisis. All symptoms completely resolved with treatment without sequela. No treatment related mortality was recorded.

Conclusions: HSCT is an important step in the treatment of progressive SSc in Israel. Careful patient selection reduces treatment related morbidity and mortality.

Background: Primary retroperitoneal neoplasms (PRN) arise from diverse retroperitoneal tissues. Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) comprise the majority and are well studied. Other non-sarcomatous PRN are very rare and less familiar.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinicopathologic and radiologic features of non-sarcomatous PRN, as well as the outcome of complete tumor resection (TR).

Methods: Retrospective data were collected on consecutive patients (June 2006 to January 2015) who underwent resection of retroperitoneal lesions at our department. Final pathology of non-sarcomatous PRN was included.

Results: The study population included 36 patients (26% with PRN). PRN were neurogenic (17%), fat-containing (3%), and cystic (6%). The preoperative diagnosis was correct in only 28%. All patients underwent TR via laparotomy (72%) or laparoscopy (28%), for mean operative time of 120 ± 46 minutes. En bloc organ resection was performed in 11%. Complete TR was achieved in 97%. Intra-operative spillage occurred in 8%. Intra-operative, 90-day postoperative complications, and mortality rates were 11%, 36%, and 0%, respectively. The mean length of stay was 6.5 ± 5.5 days. The median overall survival was 53 ± 4.9 months.

Conclusions: Familiarity with radiologic characteristics of PRN is important for appropriate management. Counter to STS, other PRN are mostly benign and have an indolent course. Radical surgery is not required, as complete TR confers good prognosis. Expectant management is reserved for small, asymptomatic, benign neoplasms.

In this review, the authors re-examine the role of aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. They discuss the history of the use of aspirin in primary prevention, the current guidelines, and the recent evidence surrounding aspirin use as primary prevention in special populations such as those with moderate cardiovascular risk, diabetes mellitus, and the elderly

Background: Whole-body integrated positron emission tomography / contrast-enhanced computed tomography (PET/CT) scan is increasingly used in cutaneous lymphomas. However, the value of PET/CT in the detection of cutaneous lesions in primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (PCBCL) has barely been investigated.

Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of PET/CT in tracking cutaneous involvement in PCBCL.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 35 consecutive patients diagnosed with cutaneous B-cell lymphoma according to the World Health Organization classification who were evaluated with PET/CT as the initial staging procedure before treatment.

Results: Thirty-five patients met the study criteria. In two patients extracutaneous disease was detected by PET/CT and CT and confirmed by biopsy. Of the 33 patients with PCBCL, 26 (79%) had small cell PCBCL (18 marginal-zone, 8 follicle-center lymphoma) and 7 (21%) had large cell PCBCL (3 follicle-center, 3 leg-type, 1 indeterminate). PET/CT detected skin lesions in 3 of 26 patients (12%) with small-cell PCBCL as compared to 6 of 7 patients with large-cell PCBLC (86%), a 7.4-fold detection risk (95% confidence interval, 2.4–22, P = 0.004). The PET-positive subgroup was characterized by larger lesion size (P < 0.001) and a higher Ki-67 proliferation index (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The sensitivity of PET/CT for detecting cutaneous involvement of lymphomas is low for small-cell PCBCL but high for large-cell types, and thus may facilitate therapeutic strategies.

Background: The salutary effects of statin therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are well established. Although generally considered safe, statin therapy has been reported to contribute to induction of diabetes mellitus (DM).

Objectives: To assess the risk-benefit of statin therapy, prescribed for the prevention of CVD, in the development of DM.

Methods: In a population-based real-life study, the incidence of DM and CVD were assessed retrospectively among 265,414 subjects aged 40–70 years, 17.9% of whom were treated with statins. Outcomes were evaluated according to retrospectively determined baseline 10 year cardiovascular (CV) mortality risks as defined by the European Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation, statin dose-intensity regimen, and level of drug adherence.

Results: From 2010 to 2014, 5157 (1.9%) new cases of CVD and 11,637 (4.4%) of DM were observed. Low-intensity statin therapy with over 50% adherence was associated with increased DM incidence in patients at low or intermediate baseline CV risk, but not in patients at high CV risk. In patients at low CV risk, no CV protective benefit was obtained. The number needed to harm (NNH; incident DM) for low-intensity dose regimens with above 50% adherence was 40. In patients at intermediate and high CV risk, the number needed to treat was 125 and 29; NNH was 50 and 200, respectively.

Conclusions: Prescribing low-dose statins for primary prevention of CVD is beneficial in patients at high risk and may be detrimental in patients at low CV risk. In patients with intermediate CV risk, our data support current recommendations of individualizing treatment decisions.

Background: Risk factors for bleeding complications after percutaneous kidney biopsy (PKB) and the role of primary hemostasis screening are not well established.

Objectives: To determine the role of primary hemostasis screening and complication outcomes among individuals who underwent PKB.

Methods: We reviewed data of 456 patients who underwent PKB from 2010 to 2016 in a large university hospital. In 2015, bleeding time (BT) testing was replaced by light transmission aggregometry (LTA) as a pre-PKB screening test.

Results: Of the 370 patients who underwent pre-PKB hemostasis screening by BT testing, prolonged BT was observed in 42 (11.3%). Of the 86 who underwent LTA, an abnormal response was observed in 14 (16.3%). Overall, 155 (34.0%) patients experienced bleeding: 145 (31.8%) had minor events (hemoglobin fall of 1–2 g/dl, macroscopic hematuria, perinephric hematoma without the need for transfusion or intervention) and 17 (3.7%) had major events (hemoglobin fall > 2 g/dl, blood transfusion or further intervention). Abnormal LTA response did not correlate with bleeding (P = 0.80). In multivariate analysis, only prolonged BT (P = 0.0001) and larger needle size (P = 0.005) were identified as independent predictors of bleeding.

Conclusions: Bleeding complications following PKB were common and mostly minor, and the risk of major bleeding was low. Larger needle size and prolonged BT were associated with a higher bleeding risk. Due to the relatively low risk of major bleeding and lack of benefit of prophylactic intervention, the use of pre-PKB hemostasis screening remains unestablished.