Basal rates of autophagy can be markedly accelerated by environmental stresses. Recently, autophagy has been involved in cancer-induced muscle wasting. Aim of this study has been to evaluate if autophagy is induced in the skeletal muscle of cancer patients. The expression (mRNA and protein) of autophagic markers has been evaluated in intraoperative muscle biopsies. Beclin-1 protein levels were increased in cachectic cancer patients, suggesting autophagy induction. LC3B-I protein levels were not significantly modified. LC3B-II protein levels were significantly increased in cachectic cancer patients suggesting either increased autophagosome formation or reduced autophagosome turnover. Conversely, p62 protein levels were increased in cachectic and non-cachectic cancer patients, suggesting impaired autophagosome clearance. As for mitophagy, both Bnip3 and Nix/Bnip3L show a trend to increase in cachectic patients. In the same patients, Parkin levels significantly increased, while PINK1 was unchanged. At gene level, Beclin-1, p-62, BNIP3, NIX/BNIP3L and TFEB mRNAs were not significantly modulated, while LC3B and PINK1 mRNA levels were increased and decreased, respectively, in cachectic cancer patients. Autophagy is induced in the skeletal muscle of cachectic cancer patients, although autophagosome clearance appears to be impaired. Further studies should evaluate whether modulation of autophagy could represent a relevant therapeutic strategy in cancer cachexia.

The authors report on 84 patients with single melanoma brain metastasis surgically treated from 1997 to 2007. There were 46 males and 38 females; mean age was 41 years (range 24-58 years). All patients were surgically treated, and 52 of them received postoperative adjuvant therapy consisting of whole-brain radiation therapy (36), radiosurgery (9), or a combination of these two techniques (7). Brain recurrences were observed in 44 cases, of which 9 were local. Of the latter, seven were re-operated while the remaining two were treated by radiosurgery. At 1-year follow-up, the survival rate was 52% (32 patients) whereas only 12 patients (14%) were still alive after 2 years. None of the patients in which removal was subtotal survived for more than 6 months after surgical treatment. Three years after the onset of the brain metastasis, five patients (6%) were still alive. Survival was significantly influenced by treatment with regard to overall survival reported in other series. A review of literature, together with our own series, suggests that radical surgical treatment of the lesion possibly employing the internal no-touch technique has significantly increased survival in our patients (p < 0.05) and that the association of postoperative radiotherapy and re-operation in the event of recurrent metastatic lesions is advisable even though statistical significance was not reached (p > 0.05).

Aim: Diverticular disease is widespread worldwide. Mainstay approach is non-operative treatment with bowel rest and broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics. However, extra-colic abscess larger than 4 cm may require percutaneous trans-abdominal drainage. We report a single centre case series of patients underwent to trans-luminal endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage of pelvic abscess in diverticular disease with temporary placement of lumen apposing metal stent (LAMS). Methods: All patients referred to our tertiary centre from January 2019 to July 2020 were enrolled in a prospective data base that was retrospectively analysed. Procedural steps were as follows: pre-operative computed tomography scan, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, EUS-guided deployment of LAMS for 15 days, LAMS removal and deployment of pigtail stent in case of pseudo-cavity persistence. Results: Ten patients (6F) with an average of 59.6 years were enrolled with deployment of 10 LAMS. One patient was excluded after EUS evaluation and 1 patient had 2 LAMS for 2 separate abscesses. Technical and clinical success was achieved in 88.8% (8/9). Conclusions: Management of diverticulitis has shifted from primary surgical intervention towards a non-operative approach of bowel rest and broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics in conjunction with interventional procedures to drain abscesses whenever necessary. EUS-guided drainage with LAMS for the management of diverticular abscesses seems an efficient treatment modality for encapsulated abscesses more than 4 cm in size and close to colonic wall. In expert centres, it may avoid radiologic intervention and/or surgery in a relevant percentage of cases.

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A 67-year-old female was admitted to our department with difficulty in speech, disorientation, memory loss and seizures. Blood laboratory tests revealed diabetes insipidus. This patient had been treated with steroids for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) for 30 years. Due to this treatment neurological symptoms had been understated causing a long delay in performing ulterior researches. A brain MRI revealed a mass lesion in the hypothalamic area. A biopsy was performed and histopathological diagnosis was malignant large B cell lymphoma. Subsequently, she received methotrexate therapy but died of pneumonia during the second cycle. Primary central nervous system lymphoma in association with SLE is a rare occurrence but it should be considered in the diagnostic process when neurological symptoms occur. A brain MRI must be performed and corticosteroids should be interrupted. A biopsy of the cerebral mass lesion permits diagnosis and appropriate therapy may be administered.