The Value of Systemic Inflammatory Indices for Predicting Early Postoperative Complications in Colorectal Cancer.

: Systemic inflammatory indices have been largely investigated for their potential predictive value in multiple inflammatory, infectious, and oncological diseases; however, their value in colorectal cancer is still a subject of research. This study investigates the dynamics of pre- and postoperative values of NLR, PLR, SII, and MLR in patients with colorectal cancer and their predictive value for early postoperative outcomes. : A 2-year retrospective cohort study was performed on 200 patients operated for colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Correlations Between the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio, Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio, and Serum Lipid Fractions With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Introduction Age-related macular degeneration, a chronic and progressive disease, is one of the leading causes of vision loss globally among the elderly population. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed regarding its pathogenesis, including the presence of lipid metabolism alteration. Dysfunctional lipid handling within retinal pigment epithelial cells has been implicated in the accumulation of lipofuscin and subsequent induction of oxidative stress and inflammation, all contributing to retinal degeneration.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy - A Systematic Review.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a modern concept that aims to improve the perioperative patient care by implementing an evidence-based, patient-centered team approach. This paper aims to analyze the outcome, variations and limits of the ERAS-protocols used for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We performed a systematic review on PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science to document the outcomes of applying various ERAS protocols in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).

Predictive Factors for Difficult Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies in Acute Cholecystitis.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the gold standard treatment in acute cholecystitis. However, one in six cases is expected to be difficult due to intense inflammation and suspected adherence to and involvement of adjacent important structures, which may predispose patients to higher risk of vascular and biliary injuries. In this study, we aimed to identify the preoperative parameters with predictive value for surgical difficulties.

When Not to Operate on Acute Cases-A Surgeon's Perspective on Rapid Assessment of Emergency Abdominopelvic Computed Tomography.

Clinical problem solving evolves in parallel with advances in technology and discoveries in the medical field. However, it always reverts to basic cognitive processes involved in critical thinking, such as hypothetical-deductive reasoning, pattern recognition, and compilation models. When dealing with cases of acute abdominal pain, clinicians should employ all available tools that allow them to rapidly refine their analysis for a definitive diagnosis.

When Critical View of Safety Fails: A Practical Perspective on Difficult Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

The incidence of common bile duct injuries following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) remains three times higher than that following open surgery despite numerous attempts to decrease intraoperative incidents by employing better training, superior surgical instruments, imaging techniques, or strategic concepts. This paper is a narrative review which discusses from a contextual point of view the need to standardise the surgical approach in difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomies, the main strategic operative concepts and techniques, complementary visualisation aids for the delineation of anatomical landmarks, and the importance of cognitive maps and algorithms in performing safer LC. Extensive research was carried out in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Elsevier databases using the terms "difficult cholecystectomy", "bile duct injuries", "safe cholecystectomy", and "laparoscopy in acute cholecystitis".

The Value of White Cell Inflammatory Biomarkers as Potential Predictors for Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).

The pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy is still challenging, with recent evidence proving the key role of inflammation in the damage of the retinal neurovascular unit. This study aims to investigate the predictive value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and systemic inflammation index (SII) for diabetic retinopathy (DR) and its severity. We performed a retrospective study on 129 T2DM patients, divided into three groups: without retinopathy (NDR), non-proliferative DR (NPDR), and proliferative DR (PDR).

Transabdominal Preperitoneal Versus Lichtenstein Procedure for Inguinal Hernia Repair in Adults: A Comparative Evaluation of the Early Postoperative Pain and Outcomes.

Inguinal hernia repairs are one of the most common procedures in general surgery. In addition to classical open surgery, laparoscopic techniques, such as transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) and total extraperitoneal (TEP) hernia repair, have gained acceptance and are increasingly used for inguinal hernia repairs, and these three techniques are the only standards for inguinal hernia repairs. This study aimed to compare the results of inguinal hernia repairs in adult patients using the TAPP patch technique and Lichtenstein techniques regarding the level of pain perceived one day after surgery and the number of days of hospitalization.

Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in Diabetic Retinopathy-Current Knowledge and Future Therapeutic Targets.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the major causes of blindness today, despite important achievements in diagnosis and therapy. The involvement of a gut-retina axis is thought to be a possible risk factor for several chronic eye disease, such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, uveitis, and, recently, diabetic retinopathy. Dysbiosis may cause endothelial disfunction and alter retinal metabolism.

Role of glutathione-S-transferase gene P1 in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in patients with 'grey level' prostate-specific antigen values.

Prostate cancer (PC) represents the second most frequent cancer diagnosis in men and, at the same time, is one of the top six causes of death worldwide. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of glutathione-S-transferase gene P1 (GST-P1) in patients that fall within the 'grey area' of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values. A retrospective observational study on 80 patients with prostate abnormal volumes and PSA values in the range 4-10 ng/ml was performed.

Systematic review of the role of indocyanine green near-infrared fluorescence in safe laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Review).

With the widespread introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the incidence of iatrogenic main bile duct lesions has significantly increased, with incidences ranging from 0.2 to 1.5% according to current studies.

Acute Mesenteric Ischemia in COVID-19 Patients.

Acute mesenteric ischemia is a rare but extremely severe complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The present review aims to document the clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings, management, and outcomes of acute intestinal ischemia in COVID-19 patients. A comprehensive search was performed on PubMed and Web of Science with the terms "COVID-19" and "bowel ischemia" OR "intestinal ischemia" OR "mesenteric ischemia" OR "mesenteric thrombosis".

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors in breast cancer (Review).

Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapy has been intensely researched in the last years, motivated by the favorable results obtained with monoclonal antibodies in HER2-enriched breast cancer (BC) patients. Most researched alternatives of anti-EGFR agents were tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and monoclonal antibodies. However, excluding monoclonal antibodies trastuzumab and pertuzumab, the remaining anti-EGFR molecules have exhibited disappointing results, due to the lack of specificity and frequent adverse side effects.

Impact of modern personalized treatment of breast cancer on surgical attitude and outcomes.

Multimodal treatment of breast cancer has made steady progress in recent years. The involvement of modern oncology, diagnostic imaging techniques and surgical treatment, have brought a definite benefit to patients, defining the multidisciplinary treatment of breast cancer. The introduction of immunohistochemical testing and genetic screening has led to the prioritization of therapy according to their results and a correct approach to initiating treatment.

Significance of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Platelet Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) in Diabetic Foot Ulcer and Potential New Therapeutic Targets.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a well-known complication of diabetes and a significant burden on the national health systems. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio are inexpensive and easily accessible biomarkers that have proved to be useful in several inflammatory, infectious and cardiovascular diseases. We carried out a comprehensive review examining the association of NLR and PLR with the onset and progression of DFU.

Optimization of a GF-AAS method for lead testing in blood and urine: A useful tool in acute abdominal pain management in emergency.

Suspicion of lead poisoning is confirmed by its concentration in blood and protoporphyrin red blood cells. At low concentrations, lead influences the synthesis of the heme in the sense of lowering it. Acute and chronic lead intoxication is extremely polymorphic in regards to its clinical manifestations, with digestive, hematological, cardiovascular, renal hepatic and neurological features.

Acute surgical abdomen during the COVID-19 pandemic: Clinical and therapeutic challenges.

The present study investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical presentation and therapeutic management of acute surgical abdomen. A retrospective study of emergency hospitalizations with a diagnosis of acute surgical abdomen between April and July 2020 vs. a similar period in 2019 was performed.

Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients With Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Systematic Review.

This review discusses the evidence on diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with diabetic foot ulceration (DFU). A systematic literature review was performed on PubMed, Medline, Springer Nature, and Scopus, following the PRISMA guidelines, using the following terms, individually or in combination: "diabetic foot ulcer" OR "diabetic foot syndrome" OR "DFU" and "diabetic retinopathy." The initial search yielded 648 articles published between 1975 and 2020.

Indocyanine Green-Enhanced Colorectal Surgery-between Being Superfluous and Being a Game-Changer.

Nowadays, surgical innovations incorporate new technological conquests and must be validated by evidence-based medicine. The use of augmented reality-assisted indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence has generated a myriad of intraoperative applications such as demonstration of key anatomical landmarks, sentinel lymph nodes, and real-time assessment of local blood flow. This paper presents a systematic review of the clinical evidence regarding the applications of ICG near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence in colorectal surgery.

Laparoscopic Surgery in COVID-19 Era-Safety and Ethical Issues.

(1) Background: The paper aims to review the available evidence regarding the health risk of the aerosolization induced by laparoscopy induced and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon minimally invasive surgery. (2) Materials and methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed on PubMed, Medline and Scopus until 10 July. (3) Results: Chemicals, carcinogens and biologically active materials, such as bacteria and viruses, have been isolated in surgical smoke.