Despina Calamar-Popovici

Prof. Dr. Despina Calamar-Popovici


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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4 July 2024 in Life
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Doina GeorgescuDoina Georgescu
Doina Georgescu
Daniel Florin LighezanDaniel Florin Lighezan
Daniel Florin Lighezan
ALAna Lascu
Ana Lascu
Roxana BuzasRoxana Buzas
Roxana Buzas
AFAlexandra Corina Faur
Alexandra Corina Faur
Oana AncusaOana Ancusa
Oana Ancusa
Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome/veno-occlusive disease (SOS/VOD) is a rare liver vascular condition, potentially life-threatening, with clinical signs of portal hypertension, frequently reported in relation to bone marrow transplantation and possibly in non-transplantation-related chemotherapy. We report the case of a 65-year-old female patient who insidiously developed fatigue, mild tenderness of the right upper abdominal quadrant, hepato-splenomegaly and slight weight gain consecutive to ascites development, as well as persistent elevation of transaminases and mild thrombocytopenia. To note, she had a previous history of colorectal cancer (CRC) with liver metastases and several courses of chemotherapy. Abdominal duplex and elastography measurements made the diagnosis of cirrhosis improbable. A lot of lab work-ups were performed in order to rule out several diseases and conditions. Further, transjugular access was used to perform the measurement of the hepatic venous pressure gradient and liver biopsy that confirmed SOS/VOD. In late 2023, she was diagnosed with endometrial adenocarcinoma, requiring chemotherapy again. At present, the liver condition is stationary, but the prognosis is, however, uncertain. In conclusion, we presented the atypical case of a female patient who developed portal hypertension syndrome associated with the late onset of SOS/VOD, after 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin chemotherapy for CRC and liver metastases, subsequently diagnosed with endometrial adenocarcinoma, which posed many diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Given the potentially bad outcome, an early diagnosis of SOS/VOD in patients receiving drugs of risk is important not only to stratify further risk, but also to initiate an appropriate therapy in order to improve the prognosis.

31 October 2026 in Hematology Reports
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
OSOana Silvana Sarau
Oana Silvana Sarau
IIIoana Ionita
Ioana Ionita
DHDelia Ioana Horhat
Delia Ioana Horhat
DCDespina Calamar-Popovici
Despina Calamar-Popovici
DODacian Nicolae Oros
Dacian Nicolae Oros
MVMirela Voicu
Mirela Voicu
Background: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) involving the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) region encompasses several established lymphoma entities with heterogeneous anatomical presentations. This study describes the clinicopathological features of a selected institutional cohort. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective case series of adult patients with NHL documented in institutional records during 2019–2021. Extranodal ENT-organ involvement was distinguished from cervical nodal disease without documented ENT-organ infiltration. Clinical, pathological, staging, treatment, and available follow-up information were reviewed descriptively. Results: Nineteen distinct patients were included (twelve in 2019, three in 2020, four in 2021). The median recorded age was 64 years, and 10 patients (52.6%) were male. Fourteen patients (73.7%) had extranodal ENT-organ involvement, and five (26.3%) had cervical nodal involvement only. The palatine tonsil was the most frequent index site (42.1%). Follicular lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma were each recorded in four patients (21.1%). All final pathological diagnoses were recorded as B-cell lymphoma entities, although individual immunophenotypic findings were incomplete. Conclusions: This single-center retrospective case series highlights the anatomical and histopathological heterogeneity of NHL involving ENT-region structures. Larger multicenter studies with standardized clinicopathological assessment and longitudinal follow-up are needed to further characterize these presentations and their clinical outcomes.

27 October 2026 in Diagnostics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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BGBogdana Ghimpău
Bogdana Ghimpău
SLSandra Lazar
Sandra Lazar
DODacian Nicolae Oros
Dacian Nicolae Oros
AIAlexia Ionita
Alexia Ionita
DCDespina Calamar-Popovici
Despina Calamar-Popovici
IIIoana Ionita
Ioana Ionita
Available artificial intelligence (AI) applications in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) mainly address diagnosis, prognosis, treatment need, or measurable residual disease rather than comparative treatment selection. This state-of-the-art review examines the gap and proposes a CLL-specific clinical decision-support architecture. A focused evidence map was assembled by title-and-abstract screening of 245 unique PubMed records retrieved using a documented 2014–September 2026 search strategy. Fifty-five original CLL-relevant AI and machine learning (ML) reports were retained for descriptive mapping. Existing tools are heterogeneous and rarely establish comparative causal effects under competing regimens. We define individualized selection using clinically eligible treatment sets, explicit treatment contrasts, regimen-specific outcomes, calibration and uncertainty checks, and post hoc longitudinal patient-preference filtering. The architecture is conceptual, not a trained or externally validated treatment-selection algorithm; prospective studies will be necessary to demonstrate clinical utility.

22 October 2026 in Diseases
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
OSOana Silvana Sarau
Oana Silvana Sarau
DCDespina Calamar-Popovici
Despina Calamar-Popovici
DODacian Nicolae Oros
Dacian Nicolae Oros
DCDoina Chioran
Doina Chioran
DHDelia Ioana Horhat
Delia Ioana Horhat
HBHoria Silviu Branea
Horia Silviu Branea
Background: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) involving the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) region comprises a heterogeneous group of nodal and extranodal lymphoid malignancies with distinct clinicopathological features. This review aimed to provide an integrated overview of clinical presentation, pathology, diagnostic workup, staging, and treatment. Methods: A structured narrative search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, MDPI, and Google Scholar covered publications from January 2015 to July 2026; earlier landmark studies were included when clinically pivotal. Evidence was synthesized by histological subtype, anatomical site, and three pragmatic patterns of ENT involvement: primary extranodal ENT lymphoma, cervical nodal or Waldeyer’s ring presentation, and secondary ENT involvement in systemic disease. An exploratory keyword co-occurrence analysis of 2732 Scopus-indexed publications (2015–2026) was performed using VOSviewer. Results: The review focuses on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, follicular lymphoma, extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma. ENT manifestations are often non-specific and may mimic inflammatory, infectious, or epithelial disorders. Diagnosis requires adequate tissue sampling and integrated assessment of morphology, immunophenotype, imaging, and, when indicated, molecular or virus-associated studies. Treatment is guided by histological subtype, systemic stage, biological risk, previous therapy, and patient fitness, while anatomical site influences biopsy planning, local complications, radiotherapy, and functional preservation. Bibliometric mapping showed interconnected clinicopathological and therapeutic themes with increasing emphasis on molecular, biomarker, and immunotherapy-related research. Conclusions: NHL involving the ENT region should not be approached as a homogeneous entity. The three-pattern framework may facilitate diagnostic evaluation, staging, treatment planning, and multidisciplinary management.