Multidisciplinary Postoperative Validation of F-FDG PET/CT Scan in Nodal Staging of Resected Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the validity of PET/CT scans in the preoperative identification of lymph node metastases (LNM) and compare them with postoperative outcomes.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we included 87 patients with a solitary lung nodule or biopsy-proven non-small cell lung cancer treated in our institution from 2009 to 2015. Patients were divided into two groups and four subgroups, depending on pre- and postoperative findings.

Pediatric ventilation liberation: evaluating the role of endotracheal secretions in an extubation readiness bundle.

Background: An evidence gap exists regarding the role of endotracheal secretions in pediatric extubation decisions. This study aims to evaluate whether endotracheal secretion burden independently correlates with pediatric extubation failure.

Methods: This is a single-center, prospective cohort study of children aged <19 years requiring intubation.

F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography May Exclude Malignancy in Sonographically Suspicious and Scintigraphically Hypofunctional Thyroid Nodules and Reduce Unnecessary Thyroid Surgeries.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) is useful in the further characterization of sonographically suspicious and scintigraphically hypofunctional thyroid nodules.

Methods: Sixty-five patients with sonographically suspicious thyroid nodules that were hypofunctional on 99m-Tc-pertechnetate scintigraphy (diameter >1 cm) were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent evaluation with FDG-PET/CT.

[Current therapy of polyarticular forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis].

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease in infancy and childhood. Approximately 20 % of patients with JIA suffer from the polyarticular form of the disease, which causes a substantial disease burden and long-term sequelae. Therapeutic approaches have used steroids and conventional disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) but over the last decade new drugs have become available for the treatment of JIA, in particular biologic DMARD.

[Prediction of prognosis of pancreatic cancer based on the homing area].

The homing area is a genetically defined location where primary malignancy originates and local recurrences occur. In order to be completely successful, curative resections of malignant tumors have to eradicate the homing area. This is possible in colon resection where the borders of the homing area are distant from the tumor and the lymph nodes can easily be resected to remove possible node metastases.