The Thermal Ablation with MRgFUS: From Physics to Oncological Applications.

The growing interest in minimal and non-invasive therapies, especially in the field of cancer treatment, highlights a significant shift toward safer and more effective options. Ablative therapies are well-established tools in cancer treatment, with known effects including locoregional control, while their role as modulators of the systemic immune response against cancer is emerging. The HIFU developed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance enables treatment precision, improves real-time procedural control, and ensures accurate outcome assessment.

Length of hospital stay, delayed pneumonia diagnosis and post-discharge mortality. The Pneumonia in Italian Acute Care for Elderly units (PIACE)-SIGOT study.

Background: High-income countries are currently decreasing length of hospital stay (LOS), with the aim of improving resource utilization. Little is known about the contribution of LOS to short-term post-discharge mortality in older patients with pneumonia.

Aim: to identify factors independently associated with LOS and to determine whether LOS predicts 3-month post-discharge death in older patients hospitalized for pneumonia.

PET/CT Imaging of Infectious Diseases: Overview of Novel Radiopharmaceuticals.

Infectious diseases represent one of the most common causes of hospital admission worldwide. The diagnostic work-up requires a complex clinical approach, including laboratory data, CT and MRI, other imaging tools, and microbiologic cultures. PET/CT with F-FDG can support the clinical diagnosis, allowing visualization of increased glucose metabolism in activated macrophages and monocytes; this tracer presents limits in differentiating between aseptic inflammation and infection.

Further Clarification of Pain Management Complexity in Radiotherapy: Insights from Modern Statistical Approaches.

Background: The primary objective of this study was to assess the adequacy of analgesic care in radiotherapy (RT) patients, with a secondary objective to identify predictive variables associated with pain management adequacy using a modern statistical approach, integrating the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) algorithm and the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis.

Methods: This observational, multicenter cohort study involved 1387 patients reporting pain or taking analgesic drugs from 13 RT departments in Italy. The Pain Management Index (PMI) served as the measure for pain control adequacy, with a PMI score < 0 indicating suboptimal management.

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound versus percutaneous thermal ablation in local control of bone oligometastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The percutaneous thermal ablation techniques (pTA) are radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, and microwave ablation, suitable for the treatment of bone oligometastases. Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a noninvasive ablation technique.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness and safety of MRgFUS and pTA for treating bone oligometastases and their complications.

PET Molecular Imaging: Old Habits Do Not Die, They Only Evolve into New Applications.

The first studies on human applications of radioisotopes for the in vivo targeting of pathophysiological processes began in the late 1930s in Western Europe and the USA with Tc [...

Adequacy of Pain Management in Patients Referred for Radiation Therapy: A Subanalysis of the Multicenter ARISE-1 Study.

Background: Pain is a prevalent symptom among cancer patients, and its management is crucial for improving their quality of life. However, pain management in cancer patients referred to radiotherapy (RT) departments is often inadequate, and limited research has been conducted on this specific population. This study aimed to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of pain management when patients are referred for RT.

Positron Emission Tomography Molecular Imaging of the Major Neurodegenerative Disorders: Overview and Pictorial Essay, from a Nuclear Medicine Center's Perspective.

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide key structural information on brain pathophysiology. Positron emission tomography (PET) measures metabolism in the living brain; it plays an important role in molecular neuroimaging and is rapidly expanding its field of application to the study of neurodegenerative diseases. Different PET radiopharmaceuticals allow characterization and quantization of biological processes at the molecular and cellular levels, from which many neurodegenerative diseases develop.

Hidradenitis suppurativa and psoriasis: the odd couple.

Psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa are chronic inflammatory skin diseases that can develop together, negatively impacting on the patient's quality of life. We aimed to review the most up-to-date information regarding the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation and possible therapeutical choices in patients with both psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa, thus linking these two autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions. A narrative review of articles dating from 2017 to 2022 has been performed using the PubMed database.

COVID-19 vaccine related hypermetabolic lymph nodes on PET/CT: Implications of inflammatory findings in cancer imaging.

We observed several patients presenting 2-[F]FDG uptake in the reactive axillary lymph node at PET/CT imaging, ipsilateral to the site of the COVID-19 vaccine injection. Analog finding was documented at [F]Choline PET/CT. The aim of our study was to describe this source of false positive cases.

Adequacy of Pain Treatment in Radiotherapy Departments: Results of a Multicenter Study on 2104 Patients (Arise).

Aim: The frequent inadequacy of pain management in cancer patients is well known. Moreover, the quality of analgesic treatment in patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) has only been rarely assessed. In order to study the latter topic, we conducted a multicenter, observational and prospective study based on the Pain Management Index (PMI) in RT Italian departments.

National Information Campaign Revealed Disease Characteristic and Burden in Adult Patients Suffering from Atopic Dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease often associated with a significant impairment in the quality of life of affected patients. The Italian Society of Dermatology and Venereology (SIDeMaST) planned a national information campaign, providing direct access to 27 dermatologic centers dedicated to the management of AD. The aim of this study aimed was to outline critical aspects related to AD in the general population.

Post-Stroke Asymmetric Prurigo Nodularis Responding to Dupilumab Treatment: A Case Report.

Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a dermatological condition characterized by nodular hyperkeratotic lesions mainly on the legs and arms. Asymmetrical PN is a rare dermatological condition often associated with paralysis and stroke. In this paper, we present the case of a 77-year-old woman who developed post-ictal PN which responded to dupilumab, an anti-interleukin-4/13 drug approved for the management of AD, with an extreme reduction in itch sensation.

Contribution of clinical severity and geriatric risk factors in predicting short-term mortality of older hospitalized pneumonia patients: the Pneumonia in Italian Acute Care for Elderly units (PIACE) study.

Background: Clinical severity of pneumonia in older persons increases the risk for short-term mortality. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) may provide further insight in prognostic stratification.

Aims: To investigate whether CGA may improve prognostic stratification among older patients with pneumonia admitted to hospital.

Erythema Migrans-like COVID Vaccine Arm: A Literature Review.

COVID Vaccine Arm (CVA) is an adverse drug reaction from mRNA vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. CVA is characterized by erythema and edema on the vaccination site (usually deltoid area) that appears from 5 to 10 days after vaccination and is sometimes associated with itching or pain. The exact etiology of CVA is still unclear, but delayed hypersensitivity against an excipient seems to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Erbium Laser for Skin Surgery: A Single-Center Twenty-Five Years' Experience.

 (1) Introduction: The Erbium laser is a very versatile laser system used in dermatology. Its ability to be almost selectively absorbed by water makes it a perfect device for managing various cutaneous skin conditions. (2) Methods: In this paper, we report our twenty-five years' experience with the Erbium laser.

Nanosecond Q-Switched 1064/532 nm Laser to Treat Hyperpigmentations: A Double Center Retrospective Study.

(1) Benign hyperpigmentations are a common problem in cosmetic dermatology. Melasma, solar lentigo, and other acquired hyperpigmentations represent an aesthetic issue for an increasing number of patients. The gold standard in managing this condition is currently 1064/532 nanometers (nm) Q-Switched lasers.

Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy and Primary Brain Tumors: An Overview.

Primary brain tumors (PBTs) are some of the most difficult types of cancer to treat, and despite advancements in surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, new strategies for the treatment of PBTs are needed, especially for those with poor prognosis such as inoperable/difficult-to-reach lesions or relapsing disease. In regard to the last point, malignant primary brain tumors remain some of the most lethal types of cancer. Nuclear medicine may provide exciting new weapons and significant contributions in the treatment of PBTs.

Erythema Multiforme and COVID-19: What Do We Know?

: Erythema multiforme (EM) is an acute cutaneous eruption often associated with infections and more rarely with drugs. This review aimed to evaluate the association between erythema multiforme and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). : A systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scimago Scopus, and ISI/Web of Science was performed.

Q-Switched 1064/532 nm Laser with Nanosecond Pulse in Tattoo Treatment: A Double-Center Retrospective Study.

Tattoo removal is a well-established procedure in dermatology. Lasers represent the gold standard in the management of this condition nowadays. In this study, we report our experience on the use of a Q-switched nanosecond source.

Local Chemotherapy as an Adjuvant Treatment in Unresectable Squamous Cell Carcinoma: What Do We Know So Far?

: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common cancers involving skin and oral mucosa. Although this condition's gold-standard treatment is the surgical removal of the lesions, the physician must propose alternative treatments in some cases due to the patient's ineligibility for surgery. Among the available alternative therapies, local chemotherapy may represent an initial treatment in combination with radiotherapy or systemic chemotherapy due to the low frequency of side-effects and the lack of necessity for expensive devices.

Ixekizumab May Improve Renal Function in Psoriasis.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic dermatological condition characterized by lesions on extensor surfaces, hands, feet, and genital areas. Chronic renal failure is often associated with metabolic syndrome and inflammatory conditions, such as psoriasis.

Case Report: In this paper, we report a patient with stage-three chronic renal failure that improved his renal condition after treatment with ixekizumab, an anti-IL17A drug used in the treatment of various cutaneous and rheumatological conditions.