Integraal Kankercentrum West, Leiden, afd. Kankerregistratie, The Netherlands.
Published: March 2010
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the level of compliance with the revised treatment guideline for melanoma (2005) and the extent to which the points of concern from the previous guideline evaluation in 2001 had been implemented.
Design: Retrospective observational cohort study.
Method: The evaluation was performed using data from the pathology reports of patients diagnosed with melanoma of the skin between 1 April and 30 September 2007 at hospitals that fall under the Comprehensive Cancer Centres for the South and West of the Netherlands.
Results: In 85% of the patients the melanoma was treated according to the guideline in two sessions: a diagnostic excision followed by a therapeutic re-excision. These figures were 69% for melanoma in situ, and 87% for invasive melanoma. The other patients were treated in one session. In the pathology reports of the patients with an invasive melanoma the rates of pathological documentation were: margin of the diagnostic excision: 64%, Breslow thickness: 97%, presence or absence of ulceration: 77%. In the Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre West Netherlands region, the margin of re-excision was determined: this margin satisfied the guideline in 86% of patients with an invasive melanoma.
Conclusion: Compared to the previous guideline evaluation in 2001, the excision policy had improved. In the pathology report, the excision margin and the presence or absence of ulceration should be better documented.
Background: Anti-glutamate kainate receptor subunit 2 (anti-GluK2) antibodies mediated encephalitis is very rare in both children and adults. This study aimed to describe the second report of the anti-GluK2 encephalitis worldwide, the first youngest patient worldwide, and the first case ever in Asia. Besides, this study provides a summary of the clinical manifestations of all previous reported cases.
The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is a frequent cause of hyponatremia that presents substantial management challenges in clinical settings. Despite a range of treatment options, including fluid restriction, demeclocycline, and vasopressin antagonists, urea remains underutilized, particularly in North America, despite its well-documented efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Urea corrects hyponatremia by promoting osmotic diuresis without causing significant fluid shifts, making it an ideal treatment for both acute and chronic SIADH.
Background Catamenial pneumothorax (CP) is characterized by pneumothorax associated with menstrual cycles and thoracic endometriosis. This study aimed to review the outcomes and trends for surgical treatment of CP in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. Methodology We included females aged 18 to 50 years who underwent surgery for CP between January 2012 and December 2022.
Aortic dissection (AD) is a medical emergency that occurs as a result of a compromise in the structural integrity of the aorta. If left untreated, AD can have severe consequences such as organ dysfunction or even death. Malperfusion syndrome is a major complication of aortic dissection with mesenteric malperfusion syndrome being a rare but devastating form that can lead to mesenteric ischemia and is associated with poor prognosis despite timely management.
Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal and Emergency Medicine, Aarau, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address:
Procalcitonin is a useful biomarker for infection. Over the past two decades, there has been much research on the clinical applications of procalcitonin, yet the majority of these studies have been conducted in the intensive care setting. Despite the extensive use of procalcitonin in emergency departments, there have been no guidelines focusing specifically on these clinical settings.
