The Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Constipation in Italy: Results from a Survey Conducted among Italian Gastroenterologists.

Chronic constipation (CC) is one of the most common disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). The management of CC requires specific skills due to its complex and multifactorial pathophysiology and its multistep treatment. The aims of this study were to evaluate the availability and the use of diagnostic tools for CC in Italy and the therapeutic management of CC by Italian gastroenterologists (GEs).

Women in Gastroenterology: What Is the Current Situation? Results of an Italian National Survey.

Background: Many women grow up dreaming of becoming doctors, preferring specialties that allow more focus on time outside the hospital and on family life. Nowadays, specialties, like gastroenterology, have still a significant gender gap.

Methods: Based on this known discrepancy, a web-based questionnaire was designed by the Young Component of the Scientific Committee of the Federation of Italian Scientific Societies of Digestive Diseases 2023 (FISMAD) to examine the current situation of female gastroenterologists in Italy.

Endoscopic management of gastric, duodenal and rectal NETs: Position paper from the Italian Association for Neuroendocrine Tumors (Itanet), Italian Society of Gastroenterology (SIGE), Italian Society of Digestive Endoscopy (SIED).

The present paper reflects the position of the Italian Association for Neuroendocrine Tumors (Itanet), the Italian Society of Gastroenterology (SIGE), and the Italian Society of Digestive Endoscopy (SIED) regarding the management of patients affected by gastric, duodenal, and rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) amenable to endoscopic treatment. The key questions discussed in this paper are summarized in Table 1. Data were extracted from the MEDLINE database through searches; expert opinions and recommendations are provided in accordance with the available scientific evidence and the authors' expertise.

SIED-GISCOR recommendations for colonoscopy in screening programs: Part I - Diagnostic.

The implementation of FIT programs reduces incidence and mortality from CRC in the screened subjects. The ultimate efficacy for CRC morbidity and mortality prevention in a FIT program depends on the colonoscopy in FIT+ subjects that has the task of detecting and removing these advanced lesions. Recently, there has been growing evidence on factors that influence the quality of colonoscopy specifically withing organized FIT programs, prompting to dedicated interventions in order to maximize the benefit/harm ratio of post-FIT colonoscopy.

The experience of the COMRE group (REctal COMmittee): can magnetic resonance imaging and endosonography really help the clinical pathway after NCRT in rectal cancer?

Background: MRI and rectal endosonography (EUS) are routinely used for preoperative tumor staging and assessment of response to therapy in patients with rectal cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the two techniques in predicting the pathological response compared to the resected specimen and the agreement between MRI and EUS and to define the factors that could affect the ability of EUS and MRI to predict pathological responses.

Materials And Methods: This study included 151 adult patients with middle or low rectal adenocarcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, followed by curative intent elective surgery in the Oncologic Surgical Unit of a hospital in the north of Italy between January 2010 and November 2020.

The Multidisciplinary Approach of Rectal Cancer: The Experience of "COMRE Group" Model.

Background: Total mesorectal excision (TME) is the gold standard to treat locally advanced rectal cancer. This monocentric retrospective study evaluates the results of laparotomic, laparoscopic and robotic surgery in “COMRE GROUP” (REctalCOMmittee). Methods: 327 selected stage I-II-III patients (pts) underwent TME between November 2005 and April 2020 for low or middle rectal cancer; 91 pts underwent open, 200 laparoscopic and 36 robotic TME.

[Importance of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in its association with mortality in patients with COVID-19: Experience in a health center in Argentina].

Background: COVID-19 rapidly progresses to acute respiratory failure and mortality. A pandemic needs an urgent requirement for low-cost and easy-access tools that assess the infection evolution. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inflammatory biomarker used in several diseases.

Impact of a pharmacist-driven transitions of care clinic for a multisite integrated delivery network.

Purpose: To assess the impact on readmission rates for CMS core measures (CCM) patients and patients receiving care under the Bundled Payment for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced Model resulting from implementing a pharmacist-led transitions of care (TOC) clinic in central Florida.

Methods: These study cohorts consisted of patients in 2 strata (CCM and BPCI), and pre-post comparisons were conducted within each stratum. CCM and BPCI patient stratification was based on diagnoses.

Annular and arciform lesions of the palms as unique manifestations of secondary syphilis.

We describe a patient presenting with annular-arciform symmetric lesions of the palms as the unique manifestation of secondary syphilis. The polymorphism of skin lesions in secondary syphilis depends entirely on the degree of inflammatory infiltrate, the level of vascular involvement and the resulting ischemia of the skin. Besides the transient and diffuse maculo-papules (roseola syphilitica), secondary syphilis skin lesions may have different morphology and shape.

Frontal Variant of Alzheimer's Disease: A Report of a Novel PSEN1 Mutation.

Alzheimer's disease may mimic frontotemporal dementia. We describe a case of presenile dementia who presented with peudo-psychotic symptoms carrying a PSEN1 mutation (P355 S), which was not known to be pathogenic. PET-FDG showed bilateral frontotemporal hypometabolism, but at MRI, multiple microbleeds were detected, suggestive of amyloid angiopathy.

Radiofrequency Procedure (SECCA®) for Fecal Incontinence: One-Year Experience.

Introduction: Radiofrequency is a treatment option for patients suffering from fecal incontinence.

Objective: To assess the one-year follow-up results following the radiofrequency procedure for fecal incontinence.

Design: Prospective, single-center, observational study.

Targeted next-generation sequencing helps to decipher the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is mainly associated with myosin, heavy chain 7 (MYH7) and myosin binding protein C, cardiac (MYBPC3) mutations. In order to better explain the clinical and genetic heterogeneity in HCM patients, in this study, we implemented a target-next generation sequencing (NGS) assay. An Ion AmpliSeq™ Custom Panel for the enrichment of 19 genes, of which 9 of these did not encode thick/intermediate and thin myofilament (TTm) proteins and, among them, 3 responsible of HCM phenocopy, was created.

A calcified lipoma of the foot in a 100-year-old Italian woman.

Lipomas are the most common benign soft-tissue tumors found in the body. They tend to occur in areas of abundant adipose tissue, which explains why they are rarely found in the sole. Very few published cases of lipomas in the sole exist.

Significance of sarcomere gene mutations analysis in the end-stage phase of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

End-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ES-HC) has an ominous prognosis. Whether genotype can influence ES-HC occurrence is unresolved. We assessed the spectrum and clinical correlates of HC-associated mutations in a large multicenter cohort with end-stage ES-HC.

Congenital accessory mitral valve tissue anomaly in a patient with genetically confirmed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Accessory mitral valve tissue is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly that was initially described in children in association with other cardiac congenital abnormalities and, more recently, has also been reported in adults. The authors report a patient with genetically confirmed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who also had a highly mobile, free-floating membrane-like structure in contiguity with the ventricular side of the anterior mitral valve leaflet, a feature consistent with the diagnosis of accessory mitral valve tissue.

Unusual Osteoblastic Secondary Lesion as Predominant Metastatic Disease Spread in Two Cases of Uterine Leiomyosarcoma.

Uterine smooth muscle tumors range from benign leiomyomata to low- and high-grade leiomyosarcomas. A leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant smooth muscle tumor that infrequently metastasizes to the bone. In fact, initial presentation or recurrence as osseous metastases is extremely uncommon in patients with a history of leiomyosarcoma.

The H1 haplotype of the tau gene (MAPT) is associated with mild cognitive impairment.

Mild cognitive impairment is often considered a transitional condition prodromal to Alzheimer's disease. The dissection of genetic risk factors predisposing to mild cognitive impairment is paramount to assess the individual predisposition and reliably evaluate the effectiveness of early therapeutic interventions. We designed a cross-sectional analysis to test whether the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment is influenced by variations of the tau protein gene.

Clinical and pathological response to primary chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer grouped according to hormonal receptors, Her2 status, grading and Ki-67 proliferation index.

Objectives: Biological markers that reliably predict clinical and pathological response to primary systemic therapy may have considerable clinical potential; this study evaluated response compared to expression of ER, PgR and Her2, grading and Ki-67 proliferation index before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC).

Patients And Methods: Fifty-five patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy for LABC. The incidence of clinical and pathological responses was assessed with respect to basal clinical stage, absent/low vs.