Background Assessment of quality of life (QOL) of patients with end-stage renal disease has become increasingly important, both in order to evaluate the influence of the disease on patients and the type of renal replacement therapy they require. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess QOL in patients undergoing hemodialysis and evaluated the effects of various sociodemographic factors affecting QOL of such patients in Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis at two major centers in Nepal. Demographic data including age, sex, ethnicity, educational status, marital status, employment, income, duration of illness, and duration on hemodialysis were collected. QOL was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. Four domains (physical, psychological, social, and environmental) and two items (overall perception of QOL and health) of the WHOQOL-BREF were the primary end points of this study. Bivariate relationship between sociodemographic factors and QOL scores were analyzed using independent samples t -test and one-way analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of QOL. Results Following QOL scores were recorded: environmental domain (53.17±15.59), psychological domain (51.23±18.61), social domain (49.86±21.64), and physical domain (45.93±16.90). Older age was associated with a better QOL score in the social domain ( p =0.005), and employed patients scored better in the environmental domain ( p =0.019). Unemployed patients and those of the Terai/Madhesi ethnic group had significantly low scores in overall perception of health ( p <0.05) as compared to other groups. Low income status and increased duration on hemodialysis were found to be the only independent negative predictors of QOL in patients with hemodialysis ( p <0.05). Conclusion Patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis had overall low QOL scores in all four domains. Age, ethnicity, employment status, income, and duration on hemodialysis affected one or more domains of QOL in such patients. Low income status and increased duration on hemodialysis were the only independent negative predictors of QOL of patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

A hydatid cyst of the liver is a significant yet neglected public health problem in Nepal. The present study was carried out to evaluate the demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, and management of the patients of the hydatid cyst of the liver in the setting of a developing country. It was a retrospective, descriptive analysis of 53 patients admitted in the department of surgery with the diagnosis of hydatid cyst of the liver based on clinical manifestations, imaging studies, or serology between 2016 and 2019. The median age of the patients was 36 years, with the age group of 25-45 years being the most commonly affected (23, 43.4%). 58.5% of the patients were female. Abdominal pain (49, 92.5%) and a palpable liver (17, 32.1%) were the most common complaint and physical finding in our study population, respectively. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography scan were the major imaging studies used to establish a diagnosis. A unilocular and anechoic cystic lesion was the most frequent imaging finding. The right lobe of the liver harbored the cysts in the maximum number of patients. Surgery was the preferred modality of treatment (23, 43.4%), with pericystectomy being the most common form of surgical intervention. The hydatid cyst of the liver is a common cause of morbidity in Nepal. Clinical evaluation supplemented by imaging studies is required for diagnosis, and surgery remains the treatment of choice in most cases. To explain the epidemiological pattern of the disease, multicentric studies involving a larger sample of patients should be conducted.

BackgroundTransverse myelitis, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and nephropathy are established but rare complications of hepatitis B virus infection that can potentially be triggered by an antibody-mediated vasculitis as a result of a viral infection. The following is a case report detailing a patient presenting with all three of the above presentations who is cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive and a chronic carrier of hepatitis B.Case presentationA 33-year-old Nepalese man presented to our hospital with headache, swelling of his body, paraplegia, and back pain that developed over a period of 10 days. Laboratory studies showed proteinuria and elevated levels of serum urea and creatinine. Viral serology was suggestive of chronic inactive hepatitis B carrier state. A computed tomography scan of his head revealed features suggestive of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Magnetic resonance imaging of his dorsal spine showed diffuse T2 high signal intensity within his spinal cord extending from second to 12th thoracic vertebral level which was suggestive of transverse myelitis. The origin of these symptoms was attributed to immune complex-mediated vasculitis after serum analysis for cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody came out positive. He was managed with steroids administered orally and intravenously and entecavir administered orally.ConclusionThis case highlights the possibility of a hepatitis B virus-induced vasculitis as the cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage, transverse myelitis, and nephropathy.

Key Clinical MessagePancreatic cystic neoplasm is difficult to distinguish from pseudocyst as clinical and radiological evidences may not be sufficient to make an accurate diagnosis. This may result in misdiagnosis with inappropriate management. Hence, every effort should be made for their distinction to avoid internal drainage procedures for neoplasms instead of extirpation.

Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare variant of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) representing 1–2% of all NHL cases. PCNSL is defined as a lymphoma that occurs in the brain, spinal cord, leptomeninges, or eyes. Efforts to treat PCNSL by traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy have generally been unsuccessful as a significant proportion of patients have frequent relapses or are refractory to treatment. The prognosis of patients with Refractory or Relapsed (R/R) PCNSL is abysmal. The optimal treatment for R/R PCNSL is poorly defined as there are only a limited number of studies in this setting. Several studies have recently shown that ibrutinib, a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, has promising results in the treatment of R/R PCNSL. However, these are preliminary studies with a limited sample size. In this systematic review, we explored and critically appraised the evidence about the efficacy of the novel agent ibrutinib in treating R/R PCNSL.