Objective
To investigate the utility of non‐contrast head computed tomography (CT) in poisoned patients.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study of patients referred to a toxicology unit between August 2010 and December 2017. Our database yielded patients who underwent head CT at presentation to the ED. Pre‐specified information was compiled from the medical records.
Results
There were 6261 presentations of which 1142 underwent head CT (17%). Median age was 41 years, and 437 (38%) were female. There were 492 (43%) recreational ingestions and 466 (41%) deliberate self‐poisonings. The commonest agents were sedatives 376 (33%) and opioids 282 (24%); 334 (29%) cases were intubated. Signs of head injury were found in 153 cases (13%) and focal neurological signs in 68 (6%). No acute pathology was reported in 884 head CTs (77%), chronic changes in 193 (17%) and incidental findings in 26 (2%). Acute pathology was found in 39 (4%) patients: 15 with hypoxic‐ischaemic injury, three infarctions, nine with intra‐cranial haemorrhage, 11 facial bone fractures and one retro‐bulbar haematoma. No patient required an immediate surgical intervention, and only one patient had a change to clinical treatment. Acute head CT pathology was associated with at least one of the following clinical features: need for intubation, signs of head injury, seizure, headache, and unexpected neurological signs.
Conclusion
Non‐contrast head CT is a low‐yield investigation in patients presenting with poisoning. Consideration should be given as to whether the clinical presentation is consistent with the expected toxidrome and whether the patient would benefit from head CT.
Cutaneous lymphomas, both B-cell and T-cell, are not uncommonly seen in the skin, but those lymphomas exhibiting clonality for both B-cell and T-cell populations are scarce. Characterization of dual receptor rearrangement as primary composite lymphoma versus primary lymphoma with reactionary response is complex and often a challenge that goes unrecognized. In this study, we report a unique case of T-cell gene rearrangement positivity complicating the diagnosis of primary cutaneous low-grade B-cell lymphoma along with a review of reported cases containing dual receptor rearrangement to identify trends among final diagnostic decisions. As one might guess, for cutaneous lymphomas presenting with clonality for both T-cell and B-cell receptors, diagnosis can be difficult and confusing because the differential is broad. The literature suggests the majority of these cases may be cutaneous composite lymphomas. However, immunohistochemical, clinical, and histomorphologic features must all be assessed for an accurate diagnosis, which is critical for proper prognosis and therapy.
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