Pleural effusion after thoracic radiation therapy is an important adverse event affecting the patient\'s quality of life. A 58-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with the complaint of exertional dyspnea for several months. Chest radiography revealed left pleural effusion, most likely related to radiotherapy to mediastinal and left cervical lymph nodes in the treatment of localized Hodgkin lymphoma 25 years ago. She was followed for the next eight years and experienced a slow exacerbation of pleural effusion. Here, we report a case of extremely late-onset pleural effusion after thoracic radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is associated with late complications that can impair the quality of life (QoL) of patients for years after transplant. The purpose of the present study was to determine the difference in the QoL of adults that underwent allo-HSCT in childhood and adolescence compared with not transplanted adults.
METHODS: In this prospective case-control cross-sectional study, we included patients aged ≥18 years that received an allo-HSCT during childhood or adolescence and subsequently survived at least 2 years after transplantation. The control group consisted of blood donors matched for age and sex. QoL assessment was performed using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey, Portuguese version 2.
RESULTS: Thirty-four transplanted patients and controls were included. 58.8% were male, and the median age at transplant was 13.5 years (range, 4-17 years). The median follow-up was 11.5 years (range, 2.0-23.0 years). The most common late effect was skeletally followed by endocrine complications. Patients with these late complications had the worst QOL in the following dimensions: physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, general health, and mental health. When compared to the control group, patients had a lower score in two dimensions: physical functioning and role physical.
CONCLUSIONS: Although skeletal and endocrine complications of transplant patients in childhood have an impact on physical functioning, most parameters of QoL of these patients in adulthood are similar to healthy individuals of the same age and gender. Early detection and long-term monitoring of late complications can prevent impairment of the QoL.

Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a well-established technique worldwide, with minimal incidence of associated major and minor complications. Surgical closure of PDA is equally effective with negligible mortality risk. We describe a case of an adult with unexpected diagnosis of PDA occluder device embolization in main pulmonary artery, presenting after 12 years of initial device deployment during childhood. Due to persistent duct flow, patient developed severe pulmonary hypertension and congestive heart failure. In this report, we are focusing on perioperative management of surgical retrieval of the embolized device along with the need of intermediate and sometimes long term follow up of patients planned for percutaneous closure, in order to avoid procedure-related complications and associated morbidity and mortality risk. At the same time, the socio-economic aspects of the patient should also be considered in decision-making in terms of choice of transcatheter versus surgical closure of the shunt.

UNASSIGNED: A 75-year-old woman with a past medical history significant for non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy status post orthotopic heart transplant, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic kidney disease stage III, chronic anaemia, and chronic diarrhoea presented with nausea, vomiting, and an unexplained fall 23 years after original transplantation.
UNASSIGNED: During her hospital stay, she had multiple episodes of sinus arrest with syncope, preceded by seizure like activity. She was stabilized, and broad work up revealed an occult brain mass that was ultimately resected and consistent with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease.
UNASSIGNED: Features that make this case study unique include the late onset and location of the malignancy, the absence of Epstein-Barr virus involvement, and asystole that was potentially neurologically mediated and induced by a brain space occupying mass. This case offers insight into potential late parasympathetic reinnervation of transplanted hearts, adds to the growing literature regarding the connection between the brain and the heart, and reviews potential complications in patients with a remote history of heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous atrial septal defect (ASD) closure carries a not negligible burden of complications, such as the erosion of cardiac structures surrounding the device. Complications related to erosion are rare and often occur during the first 6 months after implantation.
METHODS: A 40-year-old female patient underwent percutaneous ASD closure in 2006. After 12 years of uneventful follow-up, in March 2018, a device dislodgement causing atrial shunting was incidentally discovered and was attributed to device-induced atrial septal erosion. The patient successfully underwent surgical removal of the device and correction of the interatrial defect.
CONCLUSIONS: Our purpose is to underline the importance of staged long-term imaging follow-up, even many years after a successful procedure and to highlight the possible risk factors leading to this worrisome condition. In addition, we sought to underline the possible risks associated with deficient aortic rim and explain pros and cons of different approaches.

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