The evolving treatment landscape of multiple myeloma in Portugal: A nation-wide retrospective cohort study of real-world clinical practice.

Objectives: To characterize variations in real-world treatment patterns in multiple myeloma (MM) in Portugal over a 5-year period.

Methods: A retrospective cohort multicenter study using secondary data of national hospital drug consumption database from 11 Portuguese public hospitals between 2017 and 2022.

Results: Number of MM-treated patients increased 53% over 5 years (from 825 to 1266 patients).

Characterization and quantification of epilepsy patients with hospital episodes in Portugal: A multicenter retrospective study from Liga Portuguesa Contra a Epilepsia.

Introduction: Epilepsy affects around 50 million people worldwide and is associated with lower quality of life scores, an increased risk of premature death, and significant socio-economic implications. The lack of updated evidence on current epidemiology and patient characterization creates considerable uncertainty regarding the epilepsy burden in Portugal. The study aims to characterize and quantify the epilepsy patients who have been hospitalized, with medical or surgical procedures involved, and to analyze their associated comorbidities and mortality rates.

A Systematic Literature Review to Identify Patient Registries in Portugal.

Introduction: Patient registries are one of the main sources of real-world data (RWD), which enables different healthcare stakeholders to analyse and benchmark clinical practice and foster better care. Despite the growing need for RWD, the current use of patient registries in Portugal is not fully understood. This study aimed to identify and provide an overview of patient registries in Portugal.

Burden of Disease and Cost of Illness of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in Portugal.

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases' (IBD) increasing incidence and prevalence place a heavy health and economic burden on society.

Objectives: This study assesses the burden and cost of IBD in Portugal to support the definition of health policies, resource allocation, and patient care.

Methods: The burden of disease was expressed using disability-adjusted life years (DALY).

Low-Pressure Hydrocephalus and Shunt Malfunction Following a Lumbar Puncture in an Adult Reversed by an Epidural Blood Patch.

Background: Low-pressure hydrocephalus (LPH) is a relatively rare condition, and its presentation is similar to the classically seen high-pressure hydrocephalus, with headaches, cranial nerve dysfunction, ataxia, and disturbances of consciousness. Cerebral cerebrospinal fluid loss in the presence of altered brain viscoelastic properties has previously been suggested as the pathophysiologic process leading to ventriculomegaly, despite low or negative intracranial pressures and patent shunts. More recently, cerebral venous overdrainage has been proposed as a possible explanation in the pathogenesis of LPH, although its connection to lumbar punctures in patients with shunts has not been contemplated yet.

Fluoroscopy only for the placement of long iliac screws: A study on 14 patients.

Background: Iliac screw placement is challenging due to the particular anatomy of the ilium. Most series have reported the use of relatively short (≤90 mm in length) screws despite a long iliac buttress, which has an average length of 129 mm in females and 141 mm in males. This study describes a series of 14 patients who underwent placement of long iliac screws (≥100 mm in length) as part of a spinopelvic fusion utilizing fluoroscopy alone.

Progressively Enlarging Cerebellar Hematoma Concurrent with T-DM1 Treatment.

Background: Trastuzumab emtansine, an antibody-drug conjugate commonly abbreviated as T-DM1, is accepted as effective therapy for trastuzumab-resistant metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. T-DM1 significantly increases progression-free and overall survival when compared with lapatinib plus capecitabine in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane. Among the common side effects related to T-DM1, thrombocytopenia and mucosal hemorrhage are seen, although they are infrequently judged to be clinically significant.

Matriderm for Management of Scalp Necrosis Following Surgical Treatment of Giant Parietal Encephalocele.

Background: Management of encephaloceles is challenging when massive brain herniation is present. In such instances, an expansile cranioplasty may be attempted so as to preserve some herniated brain tissue. Complications such as wound dehiscence, cerebrospinal fluid leak, and scalp necrosis are postoperative concerns.

Cerebellar cortical vein thrombosis mimicking a vermian tumor: case report.

Cortical vein thrombosis is an uncommon cause of stroke and generally occurs in the supratentorial compartment. Spontaneous venous thrombosis with infarction in the posterior fossa usually occurs in association with either dural sinus thrombosis and/or thrombosis of the petrosal vein, usually with venous infarction of the cerebellar hemisphere. Our goal is to present the case of a patient with thrombosis of cerebellar cortical veins, without sinus involvement, which mimicked a vermian cerebellar tumor.

A Hemorrhagic Clival Chordoma with a Long Progression-Free Survival.

Background: Chordomas and ecchordosis physaliphora may on rare occasions present with intracranial hemorrhage. Their distinction usually relies on the results of the Ki-67 proliferative index, with a result lower than 1% favoring ecchordosis physaliphora. Intracranial hemorrhagic chordomas have been linked to unfavorable prognosis, due to acute neurologic deterioration and death, or progression after treatment.

Long iliac screw fixation in a case of isthmic spondyloptosis.

Background: We report the case of a patient with a spondyloptosis who presented with progressive deformity and worsening neurological deficits. The patient had two previous lumbosacral instrumented fusions.

Case Description: A salvage revision surgery was performed, in which long iliac screws along with anterior column support at L5-S1 were used to immobilize the lumbosacral junction.

Choroid plexus cauterization on treatment of hydranencephaly and maximal hydrocephalus.

Introduction: The standard treatment for hydranencephaly and maximal hydrocephalus consists of inserting shunts, although complications frequently occur. Choroid plexus cauterization (CPC) is an alternative, but its long-term efficacy and the factors associated with the success and failure of controlling head circumference (HC) are not well defined.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the long-term efficacy and factors related to the success rate of CPC in the treatment of hydranencephaly and maximal hydrocephalus.

Pure Neuroendoscopic Resection of Cystic Cerebellar Tumors.

Background: We describe the resection of cerebellar cystic tumors using pure neuroendoscopy. This technique consists of performing all of the procedures under an endoscopic view, with the instruments introduced into the operative field coaxially to the endoscope through a trocar.

Case Description: Three cases of cerebellar cystic lesions (two pilocytic astrocytomas and one hemangioblastoma) were approached using the pure neuroendoscopic technique.

Neuroendoscopic biopsy of brain lesions: accuracy and complications.

Object: The authors conducted a study to analyze the accuracy of neuroendoscopic biopsies of ventricular and periventricular lesions and record any difficulties or complications of the neuroendoscopic biopsy procedure.

Methods: A total of 50 patients with different diseases consecutively underwent endoscopic biopsy procedures. The biopsy result was considered diagnostic if the pathologist reported any specific finding on which clinicians could base decisions about treatment or observation.