Hidden Appendicoliths and Their Impact on the Severity and Treatment of Acute Appendicitis.

: In patients diagnosed with uncomplicated acute appendicitis (UAA), the absence of calcified deposits or stones, called appendicoliths, often leads to consideration of non-operative treatment (NOT), despite the notable treatment failure rate associated with this approach. Previous research has indirectly estimated the prevalence of appendicoliths to range between 15% and 38% retrospectively by CT scan, intraoperative palpation, and pathology report, thereby potentially missing certain concrements. Our hypothesis proposes that this reported prevalence significantly underestimates the occurrence of appendicoliths, which could explain the high failure rate of 29% of patients with appendicitis observed with NOT.

Influence of Certification Program on Treatment Quality and Survival for Rectal Cancer Patients in Germany: Results of 13 Certified Centers in Collaboration with AN Institute.

Introduction: The certification of oncological units as colorectal cancer centers (CrCCs) has been proposed to standardize oncological treatment and improve the outcomes for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The proportion of patients with CRC in Germany that are treated by a certified center is around 53%. Lately, the effect of certification on the treatment outcomes has been critically discussed.

The Pancreas as a Target of Metastasis from Renal Cell Carcinoma: Is Surgery Feasible and Safe? A Single-Center Experience in a High-Volume and Certified Pancreatic Surgery Center in Germany.

: Secondary malignant tumors of the pancreas are rare, representing 2-5% of all pancreatic malignancies. Nevertheless, the pancreas is one of the target organs in cases of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC). Additionally, recurrent metastasis may occur.

Algorithm and software for field distortion correction in a commercial SD-OCT for corneal curvature assessment.

Accurate assessment of corneal curvatures using frequency domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) with galvanometer scanners remains challenging due to the well-known scan field distortion. This paper presents an algorithm and software for correcting the distortion using only two simple measurements in which a readily available standard sphere is positioned in different depths in front of the OCT scanner. This offers a highly accessible and easily reproducible method for the field distortion correction (FDC).