Anastomotic Leak and Perioperative Outcomes of Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic influenced the healthcare system tremendously, as well as the number of elective surgical procedures worldwide. The aim of this study is to investigate the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on esophagectomies. : The MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar bibliographical databases were systematically searched.

Sources of error in direct radionuclide cystography in children and the need for a standardized, manometric apparatus.

Direct radionuclide cystography (DRC) is a safe and reliable method for the detection and follow-up of vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR). Since the first DRC was performed, during the early 60, the method has undergone many refinements. Themanometric approach, which was first introduced in 1984, provides a correlation between the bladder pressure and VUR visualization.

Vitamin D Alleviates Anxiety and Depression in Elderly People with Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Older people are prone to frailness, present poor adherence to pharmacotherapy, and often have adverse drug effects. Therefore, it is important to develop effective and safe interventions to mitigate the burden of anxiety and depression disorders in this population. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the anxiety and depression status of elderly people with prediabetes.

Blood pressure and glomerular filtration rate in youth with tuberous sclerosis complex.

Unlabelled: Renal involvement is very common in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and is characterized by the development of angiomyolipoma and cysts. The aims of the present study were to assess kidney function and clinical features of renal involvement in TSC, including kidney function and blood pressure (BP) levels in children, adolescents and young adults. Non-selected patients with a definite diagnosis of TSC attending the paediatric neurology outpatient department of a tertiary hospital were included in a cross-sectional study.

Cholethorax with biliopleural communication detected on [99mTc]mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy.

Bilious pleural effusion or cholethorax is a rare type of exudative pleural effusion. Here is presented a case of right-sided cholethorax, in which the direct communication between the pleural effusion with the biliary duct was visible only on the posteriori images of dynamic hepatobiliary scintigraphy with [99mTc]mebrofenin.

Radionuclide techniques for the detection of vesicoureteral reflux and their clinical significance.

We discuss and try to evaluate the detection of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) by radionuclide techniques and especially direct radionuclide cystography (DRC). Direct radionuclide cystography is applied for more than half a century mainly in children. Vesicoureteral reflux has a complex pathology not yet completely understood and is often related to urinary tract infection (UTI) and renal parenchyma scarring that can lead to long-term renal function impairment.

Myocardial ischemia in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis assessed with single photon emission tomography-myocardial perfusion imaging.

Background: Non-specific cardiac symptoms in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) could indicate early cardiovascular disease.

Materials And Methods: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), with 99mTc tetrofosmin stress-rest single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT), in 13 RA female patients with atypical cardiac symptoms, was compared to 44 weight- and age-matched females with similar cardiac complaints (control group). Smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity and cardiac heredity were recorded and compared between the study and control group.

Comparison of creatinine and cystatin formulae with Chromium-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid glomerular filtration rate in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

Background And Aim: Evaluation of renal function, that is, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), has become very important, but conventional mathematical formulae for GFR assessment are inaccurate in patients with cirrhosis. The aim of the present study was to compare serum creatinine (sCr)-based and serum cystatin C (cysC)-based estimated GFR (eGFR) formulae with Chromium-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid GFR ( Chr-GFR) in patients with stable decompensated cirrhosis.

Methods: In 129 Caucasian patients with decompensated cirrhosis, we assessed sCr-based GFRs [Modification of Diet in Renal Disease and chronic kidney disease-epidemiology (CKD-EPI)-sCr formulae], cysC-based GFRs [Hoek, Larsson, and CKD-EPI-cysC equations], and the mathematical formulae, which combined both sCr and cysC [i.

The diagnostic performance of (99m)Tc-HMPAO radiolabeled leucocytes scintigraphy in the investigations of infection. A single center experience.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of (99m)Tc-HMPAO-labeled white blood cells scintigraphy (RL-WBC scan) in a variety of infectious processes. Despite the technical difficulties of labeling WBCs without altering their viability/pathophysiologic integrity and the lengthy imaging procedure, the RL-WBC scan has gained an evolving role in the detection of occult infection.

Methods: Retrospective review of 66 patient files (34 males and 32 females) that underwent this functional imaging test from September 2013 until September 2015.

A probabilistic assessment of the diagnosis of paraganglioma/pheochromocytoma based on clinical criteria and biochemical/imaging findings.

Unlabelled: Paragangliomas (PGL) and pheochromocytomas (P) are rare neural-crest-derived neoplasms. Very recently guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of PGL/P have been presented by the US Endocrine Society. In the following overview we assessed the implementation of these guidelines with probabilistic reasoning (calculating with Fagan nomograms the post-test probability of PGL/P for a given pre-test probability).

Umbilical metastasis as primary manifestation of cancer: a small series and review of the literature.

Umbilical metastasis is a rare manifestation of intra-abdominal cancer. It appears either as the first sign of a primary malignancy or as metastatic site of an already diagnosed cancer, representing an ominous prognostic finding. We report three cases of umbilical metastasis as the first sign of an underlying malignancy.

Emotional impairment in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a (99m)Tc-HMPAO SPET brain study.

Behavioral abnormalities have been reported in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) but their aetiology is not yet clearly defined. We report on the case of a 48 years old woman with long standing bulbar onset ALS referred to our department for brain perfusion scan for the evaluation of behavioral and emotional disorders. The patient's scores on the neuropsychological tests were satisfactory while magnetic resonance imaging showed no structural brain abnormalities.

A "reverse" Maffucci's syndrome: case report and short review of the literature.

Maffucci's syndrome is a congenital, non-hereditary mesodermal dysplasia associated with multiple enchondromas and after some years accompanied by hemangiomas. We describe a rare case of "reverse" Maffucci's syndrome in a 42-year-old woman who has suffered from multiple hemangiomas for the last 24 years. The last two years she complained for heel pain.