Mastocytosis is a heterogeneous group of diseases with a young median age at diagnosis. Usually indolent and self-limited in childhood, the disease can exhibit aggressive progression in mid-adulthood. Our objectives were to describe the characteristics of the disease when diagnosed among elderly patients, for which rare data are available.The French Reference Center conducted a retrospective multicenter study on 53 patients with mastocytosis >69 years of age, to describe their clinical, biological, and genetic features.The median age of our cohort of patients was 75 years. Mastocytosis variants included were cutaneous (n = 1), indolent systemic (n = 5), aggressive systemic (n = 11), associated with a hematological non-mast cell disease (n = 34), and mast cell leukemia (n = 2). Clinical manifestations were predominantly mast cell activation symptoms (75.5%), poor performance status (50.9%), hepatosplenomegaly (50.9%), skin involvement (49.1%), osteoporosis (47.2%), and portal hypertension and ascites (26.4%). The main biological features were anemia (79.2%), thrombocytopenia (50.9%), leucopenia (20.8%), and liver enzyme abnormalities (32.1%). Of the 40 patients tested, 34 (85%), 2 (5%), and 4 (10%) exhibited the KIT D816V mutant, other KIT mutations and the wild-type form of the KIT gene, respectively. Additional sequencing detected significant genetic defects in 17 of 26 (65.3%) of the patients with associated hematological non-mast cell disease, including TET2, SRSF2, IDH2, and ASLX1 mutations. Death occurred in 19 (35.8%) patients, within a median delay of 9 months, despite the different treatment options available.Mastocytosis among elderly patients has a challenging early detection, rare skin involvement, and/or limited skin disease; it is heterogeneous and has often an aggressive presentation with nonfortuitous associated myeloid lineage malignant clones, and thus a poor overall prognosis.

Background Few data are available on the prognosis of older patients who received corticosteroids for COVID-19. We aimed to compare the in-hospital mortality of geriatric patients hospitalized for COVID-19 who received corticosteroids or not. Methods We conducted a multicentric retrospective cohort study in 15 acute COVID-19 geriatric wards in the Paris area from March to April 2020 and November 2020 to May 2021. We included all consecutive patients aged 70 years and older who were hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 in these wards. Propensity score and multivariate analyses were used. Results Of the 1579 patients included (535 received corticosteroids), the median age was 86 (interquartile range 81-91)years, 56% of patients were female, the median Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was 2.6 (interquartile range 1-4), and 64% of patients were frail (Clinical Frailty Score 5-9). The propensity score analysis paired 984 patients (492 with and without corticosteroids). The in-hospital mortality was 32.3% in the matched cohort. On multivariate analysis, the probability of in-hospital mortality was increased with corticosteroids use (odds ratio [OR]=2.61 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.63-4.20]). Other factors associated with in-hospital mortality were age (OR=1.04[1.01-1.07], CCI (OR=1.18[1.07-1.29], activities of daily living (OR=0.85[0.75-0.95], oxygen saturation <90% on room air (OR=2.15[1.45-3.17], C-reactive protein level (OR=2.06[1.69-2.51] and lowest lymphocyte count (OR=0.49[0.38-0.63]). Among the 535 patients who received corticosteroids, 68.3% had at least one corticosteroid side effect, including delirium(32.9%), secondary infections(32.7%) and decompensated diabetes(14.4%). Conclusions In this multicentric matched-cohort study of geriatric patients hospitalized for COVID-19, the use of corticosteroids was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality.

In case of suspicion of tuberculosis, when bacteriologic and cytologic analysis is negative, laparoscopy with biopsies is helpful for correct diagnosis and appropriate management.

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A 70-year-old patient was admitted with rapidly progressive cognitive decline associated with limitations in activities of daily living, weight loss and cerebellar ataxia. The diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA) with vascular involvement was made, based on the presence of a metabolically active vasculitis of the brachiocephalic trunk on 18FDG-PET imaging. Temporal artery biopsy also revealed pan-arteritis. A progressive regression of cognitive disorders occurred under corticosteroid treatment and immunosuppressive therapy. Previously published case reports concerning this atypical presentation of GCA are scarce. They suggest that numerous cognitive symptoms, such as impairment of short-term memory, disorientation, delirium, impaired attention or visual hallucinations might be related to GCA. Thus, this diagnosis should be considered as a curable cause of unexplained cognitive impairment associated with weight loss and systemic inflammation.

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Background Few data are available regarding post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in non-cardiothoracic surgery, particularly orthopedic surgery. Hence, given the frequent incidence of POAF after surgery and its marked impact, we need to identify modifiable factors associated with POAF after hip fracture surgery in older patients. Methods We conducted a nested case–control study in the unit for perioperative geriatric care of an academic hospital in Paris from July 1, 2009 to December 31, 2019, enrolling all consecutive patients aged ≥ 70 years with hip fracture surgery and no history of permanent AF before admission (retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data). Patients with and without POAF were matched 1:5 on 5 baseline characteristics (age, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, cardiac failure). Results Of the 757 patients included, 384 were matched, and 64 had POAF. The incidence of POAF was 8.5%. The mean age was 86 ± 6 years, 298 (78%) patients were female, and the median Charlson Comorbidity Index was 6 (interquartile range 4–8). The median time from surgery to the occurrence of POAF was 2 days (1–4). On multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis (matched cohort), the modifiable factors present at admission associated with POAF were time to surgery > 48 h (odds ratio [OR] = 1.66, 95% confidence interval [1.01–2.81]) and > 2 units of packed red blood cells (OR = 3.94, [1.50–10.03]). Conclusions This study provides new information about POAF in older patients with hip fracture surgery, a surgical emergency whose complexity requires multidisciplinary care.