Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) consensus review for uterine serous carcinoma.

Objectives: Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) represents a rare and aggressive histologic subtype of endometrial cancer, associated with a poor prognosis. This article critically reviews the literature pertinent to the epidemiology, pathology, molecular biology, diagnosis, management, and perspectives of patients with USC.

Methods: As one of a series of The Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) Rare Tumor Working Group in London, November 2013, we discussed about USC many times with various experts among international GCIG groups.

Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) consensus review for small cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Small cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC) is a rare histological entity of uterine cervical cancer. Compared with other common histological types, squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma, the outcome of SCCC is poor because of the high incidence of nodal or distant metastasis even with early stage. In this review, current consensus of epidemiology, pathology, and initial treatment for SCCC will be discussed.

Interrelationship of superficial siderosis and microbleeds in cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

Objective: We sought to explore the mechanisms leading to cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)-related cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) by examining its neuroimaging and genetic association with cerebral microbleeds (CMBs).

Methods: MRI scans of 84 subjects with probable or definite CAA participating in a longitudinal research study were graded for cSS presence and severity (focal, restricted to ≤ 3 sulci vs disseminated, ≥ 4 sulci), and CMB count. APOE ε variants were directly genotyped.

Antimicrobial activity and molecular analysis of azoderivatives of β-diketones.

The emergence and increase in the number of multidrug resistant microorganisms have highly increased the need of therapeutic trials, necessitating a deep exploration on novel antimicrobial response tactics. This study is intended to screen and analyze the activity of a novel set of azoderivatives of β-diketones and their known analogs for antimicrobial properties. The compounds were analyzed to determine their minimum inhibitory concentration.

Comparison and consensus guidelines for delineation of clinical target volume for CT- and MR-based brachytherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer.

Objective: To create and compare consensus clinical target volume (CTV) contours for computed tomography (CT) and 3-Tesla (3-T) magnetic resonance (MR) image-based cervical-cancer brachytherapy.

Methods And Materials: Twenty-three experts in gynecologic radiation oncology contoured the same 3 cervical cancer brachytherapy cases: 1 stage IIB near-complete response (CR) case with a tandem and ovoid, 1 stage IIB partial response (PR) case with tandem and ovoid with needles, and 1 stage IB2 CR case with a tandem and ring applicator. The CT contours were completed before the MRI contours.

Enrollment of research subjects through telemedicine networks in a multicenter acute intracerebral hemorrhage clinical trial: design and methods.

Background: Enrollment of subjects in acute stroke trials is often hindered by narrow timeframes, because a large proportion of patients arrive via transfers from outside facilities rather than primary arrival at the enrolling hospital.

Rationale: Telemedicine networks have been increasingly used for provision of care for acute stroke patients at facilities outside of major academic centers. Treatment decisions made through telemedicine networks in patients with acute ischemic stroke have been shown to be safe, reliable, and effective.

A system to use electromagnetic tracking for the quality assurance of brachytherapy catheter digitization.

Purpose: To investigate the use of a system using electromagnetic tracking (EMT), post-processing and an error-detection algorithm for detecting errors and resolving uncertainties in high-dose-rate brachytherapy catheter digitization for treatment planning.

Methods: EMT was used to localize 15 catheters inserted into a phantom using a stepwise acquisition technique. Five distinct acquisition experiments were performed.

The explanatory role of stroke as a mediator of the mortality risk difference between older adults who initiate first- versus second-generation antipsychotic drugs.

Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat dementia-related symptoms in older adults, and observational studies show higher risks of death and stroke associated with the use of first-generation antipsychotic drugs (FGAs) compared with second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs). However, the extent to which stroke explains the differential mortality risk between FGA use and SGA use in older adults is unclear. We followed those who initiated use of antipsychotic drugs (9,777 FGA users and 21,164 SGA users) aged 65 years or older, and who were enrolled in Medicare and either the New Jersey or Pennsylvania pharmacy assistance program during 1994 to 2005, over 180 days for the outcomes of stroke and death.

Adjuvant chemotherapy with external beamradiation therapy for high-grade, node-positive endometrial cancer.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes including disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for women with node-positive, high-grade adenocarcinoma of the uterus.

Methods: Database review identified 73 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIIC 1/2 grade 3 endometrial cancer diagnosed from 1995 to 2009. Study inclusion required total abdominal hysterectomy/bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and negative chest imaging.

Genome-wide analysis of multi-ancestry cohorts identifies new loci influencing intraocular pressure and susceptibility to glaucoma.

Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is an important risk factor in developing glaucoma, and variability in IOP might herald glaucomatous development or progression. We report the results of a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of 18 population cohorts from the International Glaucoma Genetics Consortium (IGGC), comprising 35,296 multi-ancestry participants for IOP. We confirm genetic association of known loci for IOP and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and identify four new IOP-associated loci located on chromosome 3q25.

Common variants near ABCA1, AFAP1 and GMDS confer risk of primary open-angle glaucoma.

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a major cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. We performed a genome-wide association study in an Australian discovery cohort comprising 1,155 cases with advanced POAG and 1,992 controls. We investigated the association of the top SNPs from the discovery stage in two Australian replication cohorts (932 cases and 6,862 controls total) and two US replication cohorts (2,616 cases and 2,634 controls total).

Cortical localization of microbleeds in cerebral amyloid angiopathy: an ultra high-field 7T MRI study.

The extent of cortical involvement of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)-related microbleeds (CMBs) remains unclear. We examined five consecutive patients with probable CAA and three non-demented elderly subjects with ultra-high field 7T MRI, to identify the precise location of CAA-related CMBs. In five CAA patients, 169 of a total of 170 lobar CMBs were located in cortical areas on 7T MRI, while a precise cortical versus juxtacortical localization was unable to be determined for 50/76 CMBs observed by conventional MRI.

APOE ε variants increase risk of warfarin-related intracerebral hemorrhage.

Objective: We aimed to assess the effect of APOE ε variants on warfarin-related intracerebral hemorrhage (wICH), evaluated their predictive power, and tested for interaction with warfarin in causing wICH.

Methods: This was a prospective, 2-stage (discovery and replication), case-control study. wICH was classified as lobar or nonlobar based on the location of the hematoma.

Effect of type II diabetes mellitus on treatment outcomes of tuberculosis.

Context: There is conflicting evidence of effect of diabetes on treatment of tuberculosis (TB). There is a need to investigate effect of diabetes on outcomes of TB treatment under field conditions in India.

Aims: To compare treatment outcomes among TB patients with diabetes with those without diabetes.

CT angiography spot sign in intracerebral hemorrhage predicts active bleeding during surgery.

Objective: To determine whether the CT angiography (CTA) spot sign marks bleeding complications during and after surgery for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods: In a 2-center study of consecutive spontaneous ICH patients who underwent CTA followed by surgical hematoma evacuation, 2 experienced readers (blinded to clinical and surgical data) reviewed CTAs for spot sign presence. Blinded raters assessed active intraoperative and postoperative bleeding.

Cerebral microbleeds in a multiethnic elderly community: demographic and clinical correlates.

Background: Microbleeds, small perivascular collections of hemosiderin manifested radiologically as hypointensities on gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are important markers of small vessel pathology. Despite their clinical relevance, little is known about their prevalence and demographic correlates, particularly among ethnically diverse older adults. We examined demographic and clinical correlates of regional microbleeds in a multi-ethnic cohort and examined categorization schemes of microbleed distribution and severity.

EM-Navigated Catheter Placement for Gynecologic Brachytherapy: An Accuracy Study.

Gynecologic malignancies, including cervical, endometrial, ovarian, vaginal and vulvar cancers, cause significant mortality in women worldwide. The standard care for many primary and recurrent gynecologic cancers consists of chemoradiation followed by brachytherapy. In high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, intracavitary applicators and/or interstitial needles are placed directly inside the cancerous tissue so as to provide catheters to deliver high doses of radiation.

Posterior white matter disease distribution as a predictor of amyloid angiopathy.

Objectives: We sought to examine whether a posterior distribution of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) is an independent predictor of pathologically confirmed cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and whether it is associated with MRI markers of CAA, in patients without lobar intracerebral hemorrhage.

Methods: We developed a quantitative method to measure anteroposterior (AP) distribution of WMH. A retrospective cohort of patients without intracerebral hemorrhage and with pathologic evaluation of CAA was examined to determine whether posterior WMH distribution was an independent predictor of CAA (n=59).

Complications of pelvic radiation in patients treated for gynecologic malignancies.

Radiation therapy is a critical treatment modality in the management of patients with gynecologic tumors. New highly conformal external-beam and brachytherapy techniques have led to important reductions in recurrence and patient morbidity and mortality. However, patients who receive pelvic radiation for gynecologic malignancies may experience a unique constellation of toxicity because of the anatomic locations, combination with concurrent chemotherapy and/or surgery, as well as potential surgical interventions.

The correlation between reading and mathematics ability at age twelve has a substantial genetic component.

Dissecting how genetic and environmental influences impact on learning is helpful for maximizing numeracy and literacy. Here we show, using twin and genome-wide analysis, that there is a substantial genetic component to children's ability in reading and mathematics, and estimate that around one half of the observed correlation in these traits is due to shared genetic effects (so-called Generalist Genes). Thus, our results highlight the potential role of the learning environment in contributing to differences in a child's cognitive abilities at age twelve.

Cerebral microbleeds: overview and implications in cognitive impairment.

Cerebral microbleeds (MBs) are small chronic brain hemorrhages which are likely caused by structural abnormalities of the small vessels of the brain. Owing to the paramagnetic properties of blood degradation products, MBs can be detected in vivo by using specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. Over the last decades, the implementation of these MRI sequences in both epidemiological and clinical studies has revealed MBs as a common finding in many different populations, including healthy individuals.

The TeleStroke mimic (TM)-score: a prediction rule for identifying stroke mimics evaluated in a Telestroke Network.

Background: Up to 30% of acute stroke evaluations are deemed stroke mimics (SM). As telestroke consultation expands across the world, increasing numbers of SM patients are likely being evaluated via Telestroke. We developed a model to prospectively identify ischemic SMs during Telestroke evaluation.

Headache and arachnoid cysts.

Arachnoid cysts are commonly encountered when neuroimaging is obtained for headaches. Their clinical relevance is not always immediately clear and they may confound medical management.