Interferon alpha-2b(Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)

To report an unusual case of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) associated with human papilloma virus (HPV)-16 infection with an atypical morphology in a young otherwise healthy patient.

A 17 year-old healthy male was referred to our department for evaluation of a corneal infiltrate with anterior stromal neovascularization in the right eye. One year before, the patient underwent an excision of a corneo-conjunctival lesion that was located inferiorly in the same eye. Histopathological analysis had shown moderate and severe dysplasia of the conjunctival epithelium and resulted positive for HPV-16. We performed a diagnostic incisional biopsy of the limbal conjunctiva and of the corneal epithelium for histological examination and molecular testing for HPV and Chlamydia by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Histopathologic evaluation demonstrated low-grade dysplasia of conjunctiva. PCR testing of the corneal epithelium was positive for HPV-16, similarly to the first biopsy performed by another centre. The patient was successfully treated with topical interferon alfa-2b (1,000,000 IU/ml) for a total of six months. After the treatment, the corneal infiltrate improved dramatically with regression of neovascularization and improvement of corneal transparency and vision.

The present report described an atypical presentation of HPV-related OSSN due to its unusual morphology, young age of onset and absence of associated comorbidity.

Conservative treatment with topical interferon-alpha 2b could be used to treat successfully HPV-16 positive OSSN, with no corneal irregularity or potential loss of vision compared to surgical excision.

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is an extremely rare tumor, and no standard therapy has been established yet.

The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term results of combined therapy with sirolimus and interferon-alpha 2b (IFN-a 2b) (SI therapy).

From January 2022 to April 2023, 40 patients histologically diagnosed with hepatic EHE and progressive disease received SI therapy. All patients were regularly evaluated for the safety and efficacy of the SI therapy. Patients who received SI therapy for <3 months without a tumor status evaluation after treatment were excluded.

Twenty-nine patients with hepatic EHE were included in this study. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status was 0 in 19 (65.5%) patients and 1 in 10 (34.5%) patients. The median duration of the SI therapy was 8 months (range, 3–15 months). Twenty-three (79.3%) patients showed a decrease in tumor size, including 11 (37.9%) patients who achieved a partial response and one (3.4%) who achieved a complete response; the objective response rate was 41.4%. Stable disease was observed in 13 (44.8%) patients, with a disease control rate of 86.2%. Adverse events (AES) were observed in 18 patients, including leukopenia (31.0%), oral ulcers (13.8%), and liver injury (10.3%). No severe (grade ⩾ 3) AEs were recorded, and SI therapy was not interrupted for any patient due to AEs.

Sirolimus and IFN-a 2b may have synergistic effects in the treatment of hepatic EHE. SI therapy is a safe and effective treatment for hepatic EHE patients with good ECOG performance status.