Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation as an additional treatment for women suffering from therapy-resistant provoked vestibulodynia: a feasibility study.

Introduction: The current approach to women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) comprises a multidimensional, multidisciplinary therapeutic protocol. As PVD is considered to be a chronic pain disorder, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can be used as an additional therapy for women with otherwise therapy-resistant PVD.

Aims: The aims of this study were to evaluate whether TENS has a beneficial effect on vulvar pain, sexual functioning, and sexually-related personal distress in women with therapy-resistant PVD and to assess the effect of TENS on the need for vestibulectomy.

18F-fluoride PET/CT scan for quantification of bone metabolism in the inner ear in patients with otosclerosis--a pilot study.

Background: In otosclerosis, CT of the temporal bone is used to confirm the diagnosis. Whereas CT is a static diagnostic tool displaying the demineralization caused by otosclerosis, imaging of bone metabolism by (18)F-fluoride PET may provide quantitative information. This could be useful for prognosis and stratification of patients.

Multimarker strategy for short-term risk assessment in patients with dyspnea in the emergency department: the MARKED (Multi mARKer Emergency Dyspnea)-risk score.

Objectives: The study aim was to determine the prognostic value of a multimarker strategy for risk-assessment in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with dyspnea.

Background: Combining biomarkers with different pathophysiological backgrounds may improve risk stratification in dyspneic patients in the ED.

Methods: The study prospectively investigated the prognostic value of the biomarkers N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), Cystatin-C (Cys-C), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and Galectin-3 (Gal-3) for 90-day mortality in 603 patients presenting to the ED with dyspnea as primary complaint.

Loss of chromosome 9 in tissue sections of transitional cell carcinomas as detected by interphase cytogenetics. A comparison with RFLP analysis.

Interphase cytogenetics by in situ hybridization (ISH) using a panel of centromere-associated DNA probes for chromosomes 1, 7, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, and 18 was performed on 5 microns thick frozen tissue sections of transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) of the urinary bladder. By this approach, chromosome ploidy, numerical chromosome aberrations, imbalance between chromosomes, and heterogeneity of aberrations within individual tumours were determined. In 15 of 24 TCCs, loss or underrepresentation of chromosome 9, compared with the ISH copy numbers of at least five other chromosomes, was demonstrated.

Detection of chromosomal imbalances in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder by comparative genomic hybridization.

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was applied for a comprehensive screening of chromosomal aberrations in 14 transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder of different grade and stage. The results were compared in a number of selected cases with those obtained by restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses and targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization. Distinct amplifications, found with CGH, were located on 3p22-24, 10p13-14, 12q13-15, 17q22-23, 18p11, and 22q11-13.