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Background Host inflammation has been studied in patients with ischemic stroke (IS) due to large vessel occlusions. Inflammatory markers were shown to correlate with large artery atherosclerosis and worse outcomes after ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusions. However, the association between inflammation and cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is controversial. Mostly studied are the white matter hyperintensities; however, results regarding association of white matter hyperintensities with inflammatory markers are conflicting. We aimed to investigate the association between cerebral microbleed (CMB) load, as an indicator of SVD, and inflammation indices in patients with IS. Results We identified 127 patients with IS admitted within 7 days of symptom onset. CMBs were detected in 37% (n: 47) of patients. Patient’s age and Fazekas score were independently associated with CMB load. Inflammatory biomarkers were not associated with the presence or quantitative burden of CMBs. Conclusions White matter damage and patient’s age predicted CMB presence and number, respectively, in IS patients. However, inflammatory markers failed to show any association with such SVD signs. Prospective studies with a higher number of stroke patients are needed in order to justify our findings.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become the standard of care for the treatment of patients with driver mutation absent advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present study aimed to develop a reliable, reproducible, and practical scoring system to prognosticate and predict response to ICI response in patients with advanced NSCLC.Patients and methods: All patients who were diagnosed as having unresectable/advanced stage NSCLC and were treated with at least one cycle of ICIs at the Medical Oncology Departments of Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital (Nicosia, Cyprus) and Near East University Hospital (Nicosia, Cyprus) were included in the study. The association between variables and OS was evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Variables with a P-value less than 0.05 in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate model. A prognostic scoring system was developed. Survival estimates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The value of the Concordance index (C-index) and the area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the discriminative ability of scoring systems.Results: One hundred fifty consecutive patients with unresectable/metastatic NSCLC who received PD-1 inhibitors between March 2017 and November 2022 were included. In the multivariate Cox regression model, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) were significantly associated with OS. We generated a new score using CRP ³1.0 mg/dL, ECOG PS ³2, and LDH level >ULN. Relative weight was based on the HRs of multivariate analyses (CRP ³1.0 mg/dL 2 points, ECOG PS ³2 2.5 points, and LDH level >ULN 1.5 points). The cohort was divided into three risk groups based on the sum of factors present: 0-2.5 (good risk), 3.5-4.5 (intermediate risk), or 6 (poor risk). The median OS was 18.9, 7.4, and 2.9 months for good, intermediate, and poor risk categories, respectively (log-rank test, p<0.001). The Harrell C-index of CEL to predict OS and PFS was 0.73 and 0.69, respectively, indicating significant predictability. The AUC of the scoring index for predicting the responses was 0.765 (95% CI: 0.685-0.845). Conclusion:The CEL score is a promising prognostic and predictive index consisting of serum CRP levels (C), ECOG PS (E), and serum LDH levels (L). This represents another step forward in the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC.

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Background Diagnosis of tuberculomas can be difficult in the absence of pulmonary involvement due to numerable mimics. Case report We report an immunocompetent 20-year-old female patient, who was admitted with new-onset generalized seizure. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multiple ring-enhancing lesions. There was no reported systemic symptom such as weight loss, fever or night sweating. Polymerase chain reaction for SARS-COV-2 was negative. Computed tomography of thorax was normal. With an initial diagnosis of neurocysticercosis, she was treated with albendazole for one month. Follow-up cranial MRI showed no improvement. On follow-up visit, an enlarged cervical lymph node was recognized. Biopsy of the lymph node led to the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Two months after the onset of anti-tuberculosis therapy, follow-up cranial MRI showed near-complete resolution. Conclusion Investigation of any involvement of disease other than the central nervous system can enable accurate and timely diagnosis of tuberculomas in the absence of pulmonary involvement.