From knife to needle - the trend of vascular neurosurgery in Belgium.

Introduction: The management of neurovascular pathologies has changed globally over the last few decades. Endovascular treatments are increasing, and fewer surgical procedures are performed.

Research Question: Evaluate the evolution of vascular neurosurgery in Belgium over the last 30 years and compare with other countries.

Impact of Exercise on Atrial Functional Mitral Regurgitation and its Ddeterminants. An Exercise Echocardiographic Study.

Atrial functional mitral regurgitation (AFMR) is a distinct form of MR in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Its pathophysiology remains elusive, and data on exercise-related AFMR are scarce. We sought to investigate the impact of acute exercise on AFMR severity and to identify its determinants.

Current Status of CT Imaging Before Common Transcatheter Interventions for Structural Heart Disease.

Over the past decade, several trials and observational studies have validated the use of minimally invasive cardiac interventions as viable treatment options for various cardiac diseases. Transcatheter techniques for severe aortic valve stenosis have rapidly emerged as alternatives to surgical aortic valve replacement in certain patient populations. Additionally, non-surgical treatment options have expanded for conditions affecting other cardiac valves, such as the mitral valve.

Effectiveness of the AF-EduCare and AF-EduApp approach to improve atrial fibrillation knowledge and risk factor awareness in patients with atrial fibrillation: a randomized controlled trial.

Aims: Developing an integrated care pathway for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is of pivotal importance, given the different treatment strategies. Moreover, knowledge about the condition is an important factor in engaging patients in their care. Patient education formed the core of the integrated AF-EduCare/AF-EduApp approach.

Influence of lens thickness on the accommodative range in healthy eyes.

Background: The maximum accommodative range is a useful indication of visual function. It decreases with age, but the exact cause of this decrease is not fully understood. It is associated with the increasing rigidity of the lens and changes to the lens shape, as well as the geometry of the zonular attachments.

Predictors of hepatic flares after nucleos(t)ide analogue cessation - Results of a global cohort study (RETRACT-B study).

Background & Aims: Flares after nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) cessation are common and potentially harmful. Predictors of flares are required for risk stratification and to guide off-treatment follow-up.

Method: This multicenter cohort study included virally suppressed patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who were hepatitis B e antigen negative at NA cessation.

Review of current and emerging estrogen receptor agonists for vaginal atrophy.

Introduction: Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) predominantly affects postmenopausal women due to hormonal decline but can also occur in premenopausal women with conditions such as primary ovarian insufficiency or exposure to anti-estrogen medications. Contributing factors include smoking and certain medical treatments. Symptoms like dyspareunia and loss of sexual function affect many women but are underreported due to stigma and lack of awareness.

Evaluating the Impact of N-Glycan Sequon Removal in the p27 Peptide on RSV F Protein Immunogenicity and Functionality.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections in young children, elderly and immunocompromised patients worldwide. The RSV fusion (F) protein, which has 5-6 N-glycosylation sites depending on the strain, is a major target for vaccine development. Two to three of these sites are located in the p27 peptide, which is considered absent in virions.

Genomic Investigation and Comparative Analysis of European High-Risk Clone of ST2.

Multidrug-resistant is a major concern in healthcare institutions worldwide. Several reports described the dissemination of high-risk clones that are responsible for a high number of difficult-to-treat infections. In our study, 19 multidrug-resistant strains from Budapest, Hungary, were investigated based on whole-genome sequencing (WGS).

Assessing Educational Impact of Worldwide Webinar on Management of Myopia Progression in Children.

Objective: To assess the educational impact of a worldwide webinar approach to myopia progression management in children <8 years and 8-12 years old.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: A self-administered survey was conducted for attendees of a 3 h worldwide webinar held in two parts on consecutive days on the management of myopia progression in children.

Robotic Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Pancreatic Head Tumour: A Single-Centre Analysis.

: The robotic approach is an appealing way to perform minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy. We compare robotic cases' short-term and oncological outcomes to a historical cohort of open cases. : Data were collected in a prospective database between 2016 and 2024; complications were graded using the ISGPS definition for the specific pancreas-related complications and the Clavien-Dindo classification for overall complications.

Systematic review: REM sleep, dysphoric dreams and nightmares as transdiagnostic features of psychiatric disorders with emotion dysregulation - Clinical implications.

Background: Fragmented rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disrupts the overnight resolution of emotional distress, a process crucial for emotion regulation. Emotion dysregulation, which is common across psychiatric disorders, is often associated with sleep disturbances. This systematic review explores how REM sleep and nightmares affect emotion processing and regulation in individuals with psychiatric disorders where emotion dysregulation is a key concern, suggesting novel sleep-related treatment pathways.

Context-aware analysis enhances autoscoring accuracy of home sleep apnea testing.

Study Objectives: Home sleep apnea testing based on peripheral arterial tonometry (P-HSAT) is increasingly being deployed because of its ability to test for multiple nights. However, P-HSATs do not have access to modalities such as airflow and cortical arousals and instead rely on alternative sources of information to detect respiratory events. This results in an a-priori performance disadvantage.

TILTomorrow today: dynamic factors predicting changes in intracranial pressure treatment intensity after traumatic brain injury.

Practices for controlling intracranial pressure (ICP) in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) vary considerably between centres. To help understand the rational basis for such variance in care, this study aims to identify the patient-level predictors of changes in ICP management. We extracted all heterogeneous data (2008 pre-ICU and ICU variables) collected from a prospective cohort (n = 844, 51 ICUs) of ICP-monitored TBI patients in the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in TBI study.

Sexual dimorphism in pathogenic variant-harbouring individuals.

Background: Individuals harbouring pathogenic variants are at risk for aneurysms/dissections throughout the arterial tree. Based on prior reports of sex differences in thoracic aortic aneurysm/dissection, we investigated the sexual dimorphism for vascular events in variant-harbouring patients.

Methods: We analysed two large pedigrees comprising 84 individuals segregating pathogenic missense variants affecting the same p.

Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Electrocardiography for Prediction of Incident Hypertension.

Importance: Hypertension underpins significant global morbidity and mortality. Early lifestyle intervention and treatment are effective in reducing adverse outcomes. Artificial intelligence-enhanced electrocardiography (AI-ECG) has been shown to identify a broad spectrum of subclinical disease and may be useful for predicting incident hypertension.

Gene expression profiling in PBMCs for acute rejection in lung transplant recipients reveals myeloid responses.

The acute rejection (AR) diagnosis depends on transbronchial biopsy, which is semi-invasive and not easily performed Our study used the Nanostring gene expression technology on PBMCs obtained from lung transplant recipients (LTRs) to search for biomarkers. We identified distinct differential gene profiles between patients with stable status (STA) and AR. Subsequently, we independently evaluated monocyte compositions in PBMCs using flow cytometry and assessed the levels of 7 chemokines in serum using Luminex.

Vestibular Implant Surgery: How to Deal With Obstructed Semicircular Canals-A Diagnostic and Surgical Guide.

Background: A vestibular implant can partially restore vestibular function by providing motion information through implanted electrodes. During vestibular implantation, various obstructions of the semicircular canals, such as protein deposits, fibrosis, and ossification, can be encountered. The objective was to explore the relationship between preoperative imaging and intraoperative findings of semicircular canal obstruction and to develop surgical strategies for dealing with obstructions of the semicircular canal(s) in patients eligible for vestibular implantation.

The inner elbow skin microbiome contains among its core taxa and varies with age, season and lifestyle.

The human skin microbiome plays an essential role in protecting against pathogens and other external substances. This open ecosystem is also influenced by personal and environmental factors, but the precise impact of these factors, such as lifestyle and season, is understudied. We focused here on the inner elbow, a skin site prone to inflammatory conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

Interpretation and classification of FBN1 variants associated with Marfan syndrome: consensus recommendations from the Clinical Genome Resource's FBN1 variant curation expert panel.

Background: In 2015, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) developed standardized variant curation guidelines for Mendelian disorders. Although these guidelines have been widely adopted, they are not gene- or disease-specific. To mitigate classification discrepancies, the Clinical Genome Resource FBN1 variant curation expert panel (VCEP) was established in 2018 to develop adaptations to the ACMG/AMP criteria for FBN1 in association with Marfan syndrome.