Benign Tumors of Nose and Paranasal Sinuses: Diagnosis and Treatment Options

Melanoma is a malignant skin tumor that results in poor disease prognosis due to unsuccessful treatment options. During the early stages of tumor progression, surgery is the primary approach that assures a good outcome. However, in the presence of metastasis, melanoma hasbecome almost immedicable, since the tumors can not be removed and the disease recurs easily in a short period of time. However, in recent years, the combination of nanomedicine and chemotherapeutic drugs has offered promising solutions to the treatment of late-stage melanoma. Extensive studies have demonstrated that nanomaterials and their advanced applications can improve the efficacy of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs in order to overcome the disadvantages, such as drug resistance, low drug delivery rate and reduced targeting to the tumor tissue. In the present review, we summarized the latest progress in imaging diagnosis and treatment of melanoma using functional nanomaterials, including polymers, liposomes, metal nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles and carbon-based nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are reported widely in melanoma chemotherapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and hyperthermia.

Download Full-text

Posterior circulation stroke: an easily overlooked complication of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation

BMJ Case Reports ◽

10.1136/bcr-2020-234661 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. e234661

Author(s):

Tahir Nazir ◽

Mohiuddin Sharief ◽

James Farthing ◽

Irfan M Ahmed

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Catheter Ablation ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Posterior Circulation ◽

Diagnosis And Treatment ◽

Neurological Deficits ◽

Cerebellar Infarction ◽

Af Ablation ◽

Posterior Circulation Stroke ◽

Ventricular Response

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has established itself as a safe and proven rhythm control strategy for selected patients with AF over the past decade. Thromboembolic complications of catheter ablation are becoming rare in anticoagulated patients with a risk of stroke reported as 0.3%. A particular challenge is posed by clinical presentation due to ischaemic stroke involving the posterior circulation following catheter ablation because of its substantial differences from the carotid territory stroke, making the timely diagnosis and treatment very difficult. It is crucial to keep an index of clinical suspicion in patients presenting with neurological deficits related to vertebrobasilar circulation following ablation. We describe the case of a man who presented with dizziness and palpitations after radiofrequency catheter ablation of AF. He was found to be in AF with a rapid ventricular response. His dizziness was initially attributed to the cardiac dysrhythmia. As his symptoms continued despite heart rate control, he underwent further investigations and was eventually diagnosed with a posterior circulation stroke resulting in left cerebellar infarction. He was treated with antiplatelet therapy and improved significantly over the following few days. We review and present an up-to-date brief literature review on the complications of catheter ablation of AF and describe pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment options for posterior circulation stroke after AF ablation. This case aims to raise awareness among clinicians about posterior circulation stroke after AF ablation.

Download Full-text

Glioblastoma and MiRNAs

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13071581 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 1581

Author(s):

Swalih P. Ahmed ◽

Javier S. Castresana ◽

Mehdi H. Shahi

Keyword(s):

Brain Tumors ◽

Human Body ◽

Diagnostic Tool ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Diagnosis And Treatment ◽

Therapeutic Success ◽

Knowing That ◽

Almost All ◽

Cell Signaling Pathways

Glioblastoma (GB) is one of the most common types of lethal brain tumors. Although several treatment options are available including surgery, along with adjuvant chemo and radiotherapy, the disease has a poor prognosis and patients generally die within 14 months of diagnosis. GB is chemo and radio resistant. Thus, there is a critical need for new insights into GB treatment to increase the chance of therapeutic success. This is why microRNA (miRNA) is being potentially considered in the diagnosis and treatment of glioblastoma. The objective of our review is to provide a holistic picture of GB up-regulated and down-regulated miRNA, in relationship with the expression of other genes, cell signaling pathways, and their role in GB diagnosis and treatment. MiRNA treatment is being considered to be used against GB together with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Moreover, the use of miRNA as a diagnostic tool has also begun. Knowing that miRNAs are isolated in almost all human body fluids and that there are more than 3000 miRNAs in the human genome, plus the fact that each miRNA controls hundreds of different mRNAs, there is still much study needed to explore how miRNAs relate to GB for its proliferation, progression, and inhibition.

Download Full-text