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Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of leukemia that affects older adults in the Western world. Symptomatic nervous system invasion in undiagnosed CLL is rare, poorly understood, challenging to treat, and associated with decreased survival. The average survival of CLL patients with central nervous system (CNS) involvement is 3.79 years as compared to six years in CLL patients without CNS involvement. Autopsy studies demonstrated a high incidence of undiagnosed CLL with CNS involvement, suggesting that CNS involvement is either underdiagnosed or subclinical. Although the most common site of CNS involvement is the leptomeninges, our case demonstrates an extremely rare form of CNS diffuse large B-cell parenchymal involvement in a patient with a concurrent diagnosis of systemic CLL.

Objectives: To assess the correlation between craniovertebral junction)CVJ(abnormalities and syringomyelia in patients with Chiari malformation type-1)CM1(. Methods: This was a retrospective study including patients with CM1. Identification of cases was done by searching a radiology database at a university hospital from 2012 to 2017. Patients were divided Original Article into 2 groups based on whether CVJ abnormalities were present)CVJ+(or absent)CVJ-(. The patients' demographic and clinical data were reviewed. All magnetic resonance imaging studies were examined by a certified neuroradiologist. Results: Sixty-four consecutive patients with CM1 were included. The mean age was 24±17 years; 59% were females. The CVJ+ group had more female patients)p=0.012(. The most frequent CVJ abnormality was platybasia)71%(, followed by short clivus)44%(and cervical kyphosis)33%(. The CVJ abnormalities were more in Syringomyelia cases)p=0.045(. However, the results were not significant when hydrocephalus cases were excluded. Conclusion: Among CM1 patients, CVJ abnormalities were found more in patients with syringomyelia. Future studies with larger sample size are required to further study the correlation between CVJ abnormalities and both syringomyelia and hydrocephalus in CM1 patients.

Introduction and importance Pilomatrixoma is a superficial benign skin tumor that originates from the matrix cells of the hair follicles. It presents more frequently during the first two decades of life and usually involves the head and neck, most often in the eyelid or eyebrow area. Case presentation We present a case of pilomatrixoma, which appeared at the age of 14 years with history of recurrent inflammation and discharge mimicking a ruptured epidermal cyst. Discussion Pilomatrixomas are often confused clinically with other benign masses, encountered in the clinical practice more frequently like dermoid cysts and epidermal inclusion cysts. The rate of accurate preoperative diagnosis ranges between 0%–30% and the correct diagnosis can be established only after excision and histopathological examination. Our case demonstrates an atypical presentation of pilomatrixoma as an epidermal inclusion cyst. Conclusion Ophthalmologists and ocular pathologists should be aware of the atypical presentation of pilomatrixomas to ensure early accurate diagnosis and curative treatment.

OBJECTIVE Although evaluating tissue elasticity has various clinical applications, spinal cord elasticity (SCE) in humans has never been well documented. In this study, the authors aimed to evaluate the impact of compression on human SCE in vivo. METHODS The authors prospectively assessed SCE using intraoperative shear wave elastography (SWE). All consecutive patients undergoing spinal cord (SC) decompression (laminectomy or corpectomy) between June 2018 and June 2019 were included. After intraoperative exposure of the patient’s dura mater, at least three SWE measurements of the SC and its coverings were performed. Intraoperative neurological monitoring in the form of motor and somatosensory evoked potentials was utilized. Cases were divided into two groups based on the state of SC compression following bone removal (laminectomy or corpectomy): patients with adequate decompression (the decompressed SC group [DCG]) following bone removal and patients with remining compression, e.g., compressing tumor or instability (the compressed SC group [COG]). RESULTS A total of 25 patients were included (8 females and 17 males) with a mean age of 48.28 ± 21.47 years. Most cases were degenerative diseases (10 cases) followed by tumors (6 cases), and the compression was observed at cervical (n = 14), thoracic (n = 9), and conus medullaris (n = 2) levels. The COG (6 cases) expressed significantly higher elasticity values, i.e., greater stiffness (median 93.84, IQR 75.27–121.75 kPa) than the decompressed SC in DCG (median 9.35, IQR 6.95–11.22 kPa, p < 0.001). Similarly, the compressed dura mater in the COG was significantly stiffer (mean ± SD 121.83 ± 70.63 kPa) than that in the DCG (29.78 ± 18.31 kPa, p = 0.042). Following SC decompression in COG, SCE values were significantly reduced (p = 0.006; adjusted for multiple comparisons). Intraoperative monitoring demonstrated no worsening from the baseline. CONCLUSIONS The current study is to the authors’ knowledge the first to quantitatively demonstrate increased stiffness (i.e., elasticity value) of the human SC and dura mater in response to external compression in vivo. It appears that SCE is a dynamic phenomenon and is reduced following decompression. Moreover, the evaluation of human SCE using the SWE technique is feasible and safe. Information from future studies aiming to further define SCE could be valuable in the early and accurate diagnosis of the compressed SC.