Anatomic and Functional Reconstruction of the Abdominal Wall in Prune Belly Syndrome: A Case Report.

Prune belly syndrome (PBS), or Eagle-Barrett syndrome, is a rare congenital disorder marked by abdominal wall muscle deficiency, urinary tract anomalies, and cryptorchidism, causing significant abdominal wall laxity and functional impairment. This case report discusses an innovative approach to abdominal wall reconstruction in a 19-year-old male patient with PBS and associated conditions, including chronic renal failure and spina bifida. Previously, he underwent distal ureterectomy and vesicoureteral reimplantation at the age of two years to correct urinary tract dilation and bilateral orchiopexy.

Visual Improvement Following Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Orbital Apex Vascular Tumor.

Orbital apex lesions represent a clinical challenge since they are difficult to remove surgically and may induce significant functional defects. The orbital apex is an area of convergence of neurovascular elements passing through the various local osseous foramina and the congestion of several critical anatomical structures in a confined space increases the risk of intraoperative complications. Radiotherapy is an alternative treatment option in such cases but may also induce radiation toxicity.

Current and emerging bone resorption inhibitors for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a metabolic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and strength, and increased risk for fragility fractures. It is a major health issue in aging populations, due to fracture-associated increased disability and mortality. Antiresorptive treatments are first line choices in most of the cases.

Prognostic Value of Serum TMAO Measurement in Patients with STEMI: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: Gut microbiota-derived metabolite Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is increasingly recognized as a potential novel prognostic biomarker for cardiovascular disease. Our research work aimed to investigate the potential utility of TMAO measurement in patients with STelevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI).

Methods: We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed from inception to the 1st of February 2024 to identify all studies examining the association between plasma TMAO levels and disease complexity or clinical outcomes in STEMI patients.

Inflammatory Pseudotumor of the Spleen in a Patient With Psoriatic Arthritis: A Diagnostic Challenge in the COVID-19 Era.

The baseline inflammatory microenvironment in various organs of patients, which is shaped by pre-existing conditions and circulating drugs at the time before viral antigen exposure, may affect the severity of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) infection and the nature of its complications. Inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) of the spleen may represent one such complication that merits further investigation. We describe the case of a patient, who was under long-term treatment with a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and developed an inflammatory mass in the spleen, accompanied by systemic manifestations.

Investigating the Matrix of Factor V Leiden (G1691A), Factor II Prothrombin (G2021A), MTHFR C677T and A1298G Polymorphisms in Greek Population: A Preliminary Study.

Background: Thrombophilia, characterized by an increased risk of thrombosis, can result from genetic polymorphisms in clotting factors. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of factor V Leiden (G1691A), factor II prothrombin (G20210A), and MTHFR (C677T and A1298C) polymorphisms in a Greek population, evaluating not only their association with thrombophilia, but also broader health implications.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving one hundred apparently healthy adults from Thessaloniki, Greece.

3D Printing in ENT Training: Current State-of-the-Art and Perspectives.

Objectives: Three-dimensional (3D) printing has been incorporated into medical research and numerous applications have been reported since its development in the 1980s. Ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery is one of the fields that 3D printing is gaining increasing popularity, as it can contribute to surgical training, patient education and bioengineering. This article aims at providing an updated review of 3D printed models applications in improving ENT trainees' surgical skills.

Continuous Meniscal Repair Technique Allows for Shorter Operative Time and Learning Curve Compared With Traditional Vertical Mattress Technique in Controlled Arthroscopic Training in Porcine Model.

Purpose: To compare the amount of time used to perform meniscal suturing on a standardized lesion using either a traditional or continuous arthroscopic suturing technique.

Methods: A preclinical study was carried out with 21 medical doctors who underwent training in the 2 modalities of meniscal repair by arthroscopy in an animal model laboratory. Participants performed both types of sutures with a previously standardized lesion.

Atherosclerotic Risk Factor Prevalence in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: The risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) is comparable to that of the general population and is driven by traditional ASCVD risk factors.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of traditional ASCVD risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus [DM], obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity) in ACHD and compare it with the general population.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted up to May 15, 2024, to identify studies (with or without control group) reporting the prevalence of ASCVD risk factors in ACHD.

Neurohormonal Effects of Intravenous Dopamine in Patients with Acute Heart Failure.

: Many clinical trials have shown beneficial effects of low-dose dopamine on renal function, diuresis and symptom relief, or cardiac function in hospitalized patients with acute decompensated heart failure (HF). The aim is to assess the neurohormonal effects and the effects on clinical outcomes of the addition of low-dose dopamine in furosemide treatment in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated HF. : A total of 62 patients hospitalized for acute decompensation of HF, were randomly allocated to one of the following three groups: i.

A rare case of trisomy 13 mosaicism with only findings on first-trimester ultrasound single umbilical artery and increased nuchal translucency.

Background: Trisomy 13 is a chromosomal defect with high prenatal and postnatal mortality that may reach 87 % during the first year of life. More than 90 % of cases of fetuses with trisomy 13 may be detected by first-trimester ultrasound based on severe fetal structural malformations together with increased nuchal translucency thickness.

Case Description: We report a case of a fetus with trisomy 13 mosaicism with only anomalous findings on prenatal ultrasound of a single umbilical artery and increased nuchal translucency in the absence of major structural abnormalities.

Geriatric spontaneous trans-mesenteric herniation leading to death. Case report.

Introduction And Importance: Spontaneous trans-mesenteric hernia is a rare entity in adults. Its pre-operative diagnosis is challenging even with Computed Tomography Scanning. Most cases are diagnosed as incidental findings during laparotomy or postmortem.

Supportive care 2030 movement: towards unifying ambitions for global excellence in supportive cancer care-an international Delphi study.

Background: Supportive care to ensure optimal quality of life is an essential component of cancer care and symptom control across the lifespan. Ongoing advances in cancer treatment, increasing toxicity from many novel treatment regimes, and variations in access to care and cancer outcomes across the globe and resource settings present significant challenges for supportive care delivery. To date, no overarching framework has been developed to guide supportive care development worldwide.

Conservative Treatments in the Management of Acute Painful Vertebral Compression Fractures: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) frequently cause substantial pain and reduced mobility, posing a major health problem. Despite the critical need for effective pain management to restore functionality and improve patient outcomes, the value of various conservative treatments for acute VCF has not been systematically investigated.

Objective: To assess and compare different conservative treatment options in managing acute pain related to VCF.

Congenital heart disease cardiac catheterization at Uganda Heart Institute, a 12-year retrospective study of immediate outcomes.

Background: Cardiac catheterization is an invasive diagnostic and treatment tool for congenital heart disease (CHD) with potential complications.

Objective: To describe the immediate outcomes of patients who underwent cardiac catheterization for CHD at the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI).

Methods: The study was a retrospective chart review of 857 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization for CHD at UHI from 1st February 2012 to 30th June 2023.

Corneal and anterior segment parameters in patients with clinically unilateral pseudoexfoliation syndrome.

Background: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES) is an age-related systemic condition that predominantly affects ocular structures and is characterized by the deposition of material on the lens, ciliary body, zonules, corneal endothelium, iris, and pupillary margin. We compared the corneal endothelial morphology, anterior segment parameters, corneal densitometry, and corneal topographic characteristics between the clinically affected and apparently normal fellow eyes of patients with clinically unilateral PES.

Methods: This was a comparative, cross-sectional study of 34 patients with clinically unilateral PES.

Platelet-Rich Therapies in Hernia Repair: A Comprehensive Review of the Impact of Platelet Concentrates on Mesh Integration in Hernia Management.

Mesh-augmented hernia repair is the gold standard in abdominal wall and hiatal/diaphragmatic hernia management and ranks among the most common procedures performed by general surgeons. However, it is associated with a series of drawbacks, including recurrence, mesh infection, and adhesion formation. To address these weaknesses, numerous biomaterials have been investigated for mesh coating.

Clinical Impact of Connexin 43 Deregulation on Myocardial Infraction.

Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major and multifaceted health problem but also the first cause of death in modern Western societies. Furthermore, myocardial infarction (MI) constitutes a challenge for analysis in the field of molecular mechanisms, early diagnosis and therapeutic approaches, as its incidence increases every year worldwide. Concerning the histopathological diagnosis in the corresponding cases, a variety of immunohistochemistry (IHC) markers and methods are available to support conventional histology diagnosis.

Internal Herniation Causing Double Obstruction of the Small Bowel and Urinary Tract: A Rare Case Presentation.

Small bowel obstruction is one of the most common urgent surgical conditions, caused by a variety of factors, with adhesions, malignancies, and hernias, internal and external, being the most common. Many types of internal hernias have been described in the literature; however, internal hernia caused by the ureter as a secondary complication of ureteroplasty is rare and only a few cases have been reported worldwide. This presentation discusses an interesting case of small bowel obstruction accompanied by obstruction of the urinary tract due to an internal hernia caused by the ureter.

Relationship between preoperative FT3 levels and new-onset atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common arrhythmia after cardiac surgery. While thyroid dysfunction can predict POAF, the association between preoperative serum free triiodothyronine (FT3) levels and POAF in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) grafting remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative FT3 levels and POAF in OPCAB patients.