Use of Dermoscopy among Greek Dermatologists in Everyday Clinical Practice: A National Questionnaire-Based Study.

: Dermatoscopy has been established as an important diagnostic tool for a wide range of skin diseases. This study aims to evaluate the use of dermatoscopy in clinical practice among Greek dermatologists. : A nationwide questionnaire-based survey was conducted collecting data on the frequency of dermatoscopic examinations, the types of lesions examined, training and educational resources, as well as factors influencing the choice to incorporate dermatoscopy into daily clinical routines.

The Arising Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Cholangiocarcinoma: A Rundown of the Current Knowledge Regarding Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches.

Cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) constitute a heterogeneous group of highly malignant epithelial tumors arising from the biliary tree. This cluster of malignant tumors includes three distinct entities, the intrahepatic, perihilar, and distal CCAs, which are characterized by different epidemiological and molecular backgrounds, as well as prognosis and therapeutic approaches. The higher incidence of CCA over the last decades, the late diagnostic time that contributes to a high mortality and poor prognosis, as well as its chemoresistance, intensified the efforts of the scientific community for the development of novel diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches.

Cardiotrophin-1 in Asymptomatic Hypertensive Patients With Mild Diastolic Dysfunction: Potential Prognostic Value in Early Stages of Hypertensive Heart Disease.

Background: Regardless of the advancements in modern technology and treatment options, heart failure (HF) exhibits impervious mortality and morbidity rates. Arterial hypertension poses one of the greatest risks for developing HF, yet the exact pathophysiological path and changes that lead from isolated hypertension to HF are still unclear. Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) serves as a promising prognostic biomarker for the onset of HF in hypertensive patients.

Bone Marrow Iron Stores Are Not Associated with Increased Risk for Invasive Fungal Infections in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome in Transformation: Is There a Relationship?

Iron plays an important role in the pathogenesis of infections, including invasive fungal infections (IFIs). Studies suggested that iron overload might represent an additional risk factor for IFIs among patients with hematological malignancies. We conducted a prospective, multi-center study amongst adult patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in transformation to determine whether baseline iron overload as measured using the bone marrow iron store (BMIS) score is an independent risk factor for the development of IFIs.

Secular trends of health care resource utilization and costs between Brugada syndrome and congenital long QT syndrome: A territory-wide study.

Background: Health care resource utilization (HCRU) and costs are important metrics of health care burden, but they have rarely been explored in the setting of cardiac ion channelopathies.

Hypothesis: This study tested the hypothesis that attendance-related HCRUs and costs differed between patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS) and congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS).

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive BrS and LQTS patients at public hospitals or clinics in Hong Kong, China.

Application of next generation sequencing in cardiology: current and future precision medicine implications.

Inherited cardiovascular diseases are highly heterogeneous conditions with multiple genetic loci involved. The application of advanced molecular tools, such as Next Generation Sequencing, has facilitated the genetic analysis of these disorders. Accurate analysis and variant identification are required to maximize the quality of the sequencing data.

The Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Children Undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a valuable diagnostic tool but often requires sedation to complete, especially in children. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is an a2 agonist, for which there are experimental findings that support its potential neuroprotective effects. Given the potential risks of anesthetic drugs, we ran this study to examine DEX's effectiveness and cardiopulmonary safety as a sedative drug for children undergoing MRI.

Curcumin-QingDai Combination for Patients With Active Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background & Aims: We evaluated the efficacy of herbal combination of curcumin-QingDai (CurQD) in active ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: Part I was an open-label trial of CurQD in patients with active UC, defined by a Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index score of 5 or higher and a Mayo endoscopic subscore of 2 or higher. Part II was a placebo-controlled trial conducted in Israel and Greece, randomizing active UC patients at a 2:1 ratio to enteric-coated CurQD 3 g/d or placebo for 8 weeks.

HERACLIS-HDV cohort for the factors of underdiagnosis and prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection in HBsAg-positive patients.

Background And Aims: Hepatitis D virus (HDV) underdiagnosis remains common. We assessed the HDV screening and prevalence rates in HBsAg-positive patients seen at tertiary liver centres throughout Greece as well as factors affecting HDV diagnosis.

Methods: All adult HBsAg-positive patients seen within the last 5 years were included.

What is the role of CHCHD2 in adrenal tumourigenesis?

Purpose: CHCHD2 is an antiapoptotic mitochondrial protein acting through the BCL2/BAX pathway in various cancers. However, data on the regulatory role of CHCHD2 in adrenal tumourigenesis are scarce.

Methods: We studied the expression of CHCHD2, BCL2, and BAX in human adrenocortical tissues and SW13 cells.

Carcinoma Cuniculatum of the Maxilla Mimicking Nonhealing Extraction Sockets at the Right Molar Region - An Interesting Case.

Background: Carcinoma cuniculatum is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma, mostly affecting the skin but also sparsely reported to occur in the oral cavity. Oral carcinoma cuniculatum (OCC) tends to be misdiagnosed as verrucous carcinoma; this may lead to inadequate treatment and recurrence due to the locally aggressive nature of the tumor. This report presents the case of a 56-year-old man with a progressively enlarging painful OCC at the maxillary right molar region, exhibiting both exophytic (red, soft, nodular mass) and endophytic (superficial ulceration and bone exposure, mimicking nonhealing extraction sockets) growth patterns.

Cardiorenal multimorbidity in hospitalized cardiology patients: The Hellenic Cardiorenal Morbidity Snapshot (HECMOS) study.

Purpose: Cardiovascular disease is commonly accompanied by renal dysfunction. Multimorbidity in hospitalized patients impacts unfavorably on prognosis and hospital stay. We aimed to illustrate the contemporary burden of cardiorenal morbidity across inpatient cardiology care in Greece.

Sedation during endoscopic procedures: a Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology Position Statement.

Administration of sedation by non-anesthesiologists during gastrointestinal endoscopy remains highly controversial in Greece. The aim of this set of 16 position statements prepared by experts in the field on behalf of the Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology is to aid gastroenterologists in their everyday clinical practice and provide evidence for the best use of drugs for the sedation of patients who undergo an endoscopy. The statements address issues such as the level of sedation required, the best drugs used, their mode of action, their side-effects and possible ways to counter their action, and were adopted if at least 80% of all participants agreed upon them.

In vitro activities of omadacycline, eravacycline, cefiderocol, apramycin, and comparator antibiotics against Acinetobacter baumannii causing bloodstream infections in Greece, 2020-2021: a multicenter study.

Resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii to multiple clinically important antimicrobials has increased to very high rates in Greece, rendering most of them obsolete. The aim of this study was to determine the molecular epidemiology and susceptibilities of A. baumannii isolates collected from different hospitals across Greece.

Update of European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases coronavirus disease 2019 guidelines: diagnostic testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Scope: Since the onset of COVID-19, several assays have been deployed for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) published the first set of guidelines on SARS-CoV-2 in vitro diagnosis in February 2022. Because the COVID-19 landscape is rapidly evolving, the relevant ESCMID guidelines panel releases an update of the previously published recommendations on diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2.

Low pre-ART CD4 count is associated with increased risk of clinical progression or death even after reaching 500 CD4 cells/μL on ART.

Introduction: Clinical disadvantages of initiating ART at low CD4 counts have been clearly demonstrated but whether any excess risk remains even after reaching relatively high/safe CD4 levels remains unclear. We explore whether individuals starting ART with <500 CD4 cells/μL who increased their CD4 count above this level, have, from this point onwards, similar risk of clinical progression to serious AIDS/non-AIDS events or death with individuals starting ART with ≥500 CD4 cells/μL.

Methods: Data were derived from a multicenter cohort (AMACS).