The Facts and Myths for the Use of Lasers in Orthopedic Surgery.

For the past three decades, laser use has been investigated, mainly on implant applications, as well as hard and soft tissue processing on orthopedics. However, despite significant technological advances and achievements in Biophotonics, lasers have yet to emerge as a successful tool for hard-tissue manipulation (e.g.

Fusobacterium Nucleatum Causing Necrotizing Fasciitis of the Neck, Thorax, and Upper Limb: A Lemierre's-Like Case Presentation.

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rare "flesh-eating" entity with a high mortality rate due to late diagnosis. More specifically, this disease is deemed to be a subset of the aggressive skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) resulting in necrosis of the muscle fascia and subcutaneous tissues. It is usually caused by Gram-positive cocci specifically strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococci or the combination of Gram-negative and anaerobic bacteria.

Hook-wire assisted localization of a completely endophytic renal mass during three-dimensional laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: Presentation of our technique.

Introduction: Totally endophytic renal masses may be invisible during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, posing challenge to surgeons regarding tumor's identification and resection.

Case Presentation: A 22-year-old male was incidentally diagnosed with a completely endophytic, cT1a renal mass. Percutaneous Computed Tomography-guided insertion of a hook-wire was performed prior to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.

Do We Need the Replacement of YSI 2300? A View from the Clinical Laboratory.

In this issue of , Baumstark et al. evaluated the analytical performance of a bench-top laboratory glucose analyzer (SUPER-GL) intended for replacement for the YSI2300-STAT analyzer, that served for several decades as a comparator method in clinical and analytical studies of blood glucose monitoring systems (BGMS). The authors concluded that the SUPER-GL's overall performance is comparable to that of YSI2300-STAT, and has the potential to be a candidate comparator analyzer.

Primary Extranodal Skeletal-Muscle Non-Hodgkin B Cell Lymphoma: Clinical Presentation and Diagnostic Approach.

Primary extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas that involve skeletal muscles (PSML) are infrequent with non- specific features or symptoms. Therefore, their diagnosis can be immensely convoluted since they mimic other soft tissue tumors and diseases (34). In this study, the case of a 61-year-old male patient, who presented with a history of a 6-week left thigh oedema and concomitant pain in our Emergency Department, is discussed.

Delayed identification of high-degree atrioventricular block with prolonged asystole revealed after the removal of an implantable loop recorder owing to battery depletion.

There is a need for prolonged monitoring and close follow-up in cases of recurrent unexplained syncope and no diagnosis at the time of ILR explanation. Also, a second ILR should be implanted in cases with no clear diagnosis of syncope that probably has a cardiac origin.

Menstrual Disorders and Androgen-Related Traits in Young Women with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: a Clinical Study.

Objective: To investigate possible causes of menstrual disorders and androgen-related traits in young women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

Methods: Fifty-three women with T1DM (duration 8.0±5.

Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing in Orthopedics Education.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a newly established concept in orthopedics compared with other industries. Surgical applications of 3D printing and tissue engineering have been investigated since the early 2000s, almost two decades after Charles Hull had patented the first device currently in use for additive manufacturing, also known as rapid prototyping or more commonly 3D printing, and whose initial formal appellation was stereolithography (SLA). Despite technological progress, substantial principles have largely remained unaltered.

The Role of Surgical Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic. A Mini-Review.

Introduction - The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is considered to be highly contagious and restriction of transmission requires the utilization of protective equipment like surgical masks from both healthcare workers and public. The aim of this review is to investigate the role of surgical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods - A literature research was conducted via PubMed to detect articles featuring the potential protective role of surgical masks when they were worn by healthcare workers or by the general public.

Retinal neurodegeneration, macular circulation and morphology of the foveal avascular zone in diabetic patients: quantitative cross-sectional study using OCT-A.

Purpose: Using OCT-A to investigate the association between neurodegeneration and vascular morphology in diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Cross-sectional study. One hundred and sixty-two patients were enrolled and following fundoscopy were assigned to two groups according to DR severity: 54 patients to the group of no clinical signs of DR (noDR) and 54 to the non-proliferative DR (NPDR) group.

Anatomical Variations of the Left Subclavian Artery and Their Significance in Clinical Practice.

We study variations of the aortic arch (AA) and its first branches, the brachiocephalic, common carotid, and subclavian arteries. Specifically, we describe anatomical variations of the left subclavian artery (LSA) and their significance in clinical practice. Such variations are commonly associated with congenital anomalies of the right-sided AA (RAA) and/or great vessels.

Ongoing clinical trials on axillary management.

Introduction: Within the last 50 years the management of patients with breast cancer has changed dramatically with a significant de-escalation of the role and magnitude of surgery, both for the management of the primary tumor and for the management of the axilla. In the management of the axilla of patients with early stage breast cancer (EBC) and clinically uninvolved axilla (cN0), axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) was gradually replaced by sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) saving more than 60-70% of patients from an unnecessary dissection. Further studies confirmed that isolated tumor cells or micrometastases found on the SLN had no further benefit from ALND sparing even more patients from an unnecessary ALND.

Transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approach in laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for posterior cT1 renal tumors: A retrospective, two-centers, comparative study.

Objectives: To compare perioperative, oncological and functional outcomes of Laparoscopic Transperitoneal Partial Nephrectomy (LTPN) and Retroperitoneal Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy (LRPN) for posterior, cT1 renal masses (RMs).

Materials And Methods: Databases of two urologic institutions applying different laparoscopic surgical approaches on posterior cT1 RMs between June 2016 and November 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Data on patient demographics, perioperative data and tumor histology were collected and further analyzed statistically.

Characterization of 16S rRNA methylase genes in Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Athens Metropolitan area, 2015-2016.

The aim of this study was to characterize the 16S rRNA methylase (RMT) genes in aminoglycoside-resistant Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates in 2015-2016 in hospitals in Athens, Greece. Single-patient, Gram-negative clinical isolates resistant to both amikacin and gentamicin (n = 292) were consecutively collected during a two-year period (2015-2016) in five tertiary care hospitals in Athens. RMT genes were detected by PCR.

Atrial fibrillation induced by appropriate ventricular antitachycardia pacing in an ICD recipient.

In this short communication we briefly describe a 69-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator who suffered a prolonged episode of palpitations. The interrogation of the device revealed an episode of ventricular tachycardia successfully treated with antitachycardia pacing. However, just before ventricular tachycardia termination, atrial fibrillation ensued.

"Missing" acute coronary syndrome hospitalizations during the COVID-19 era in Greece: Medical care avoidance combined with a true reduction in incidence?

Background: Reports from countries severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic suggest a decline in acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-related hospitalizations. The generalizability of this observation on ACS admissions and possible related causes in countries with low COVID-19 incidence are not known.

Hypothesis: ACS admissions were reduced in a country spared by COVID-19.

Rectal versus intramuscular diclofenac in prevention of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis: experience of a Greek tertiary referral center.

Background: Independent patient-related and procedure-related factors increase the risk of pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (post-ERCP pancreatitis [PEP]). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have demonstrated efficacy in reducing the incidence of PEP. This study investigated the difference in the incidence of PEP between intramuscular and rectal prophylactic administration of diclofenac before ERCP.

A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Study of the Incidence of Major Macular Diseases That Cause Visual Impairment and Require Therapeutic Intervention in Greece: The ADVICE Study.

Purpose: This multicenter, epidemiological, cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the annual cumulative incidence of major macular diseases that cause visual impairment and require therapeutic intervention in the routine care of Greece.

Methods: The study was carried out between December 2012 and May 2015 in 20 ophthalmology clinics. Over a one-year recruitment period per study site, all treatment naïve adult patients newly diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration, visual impairment due to diabetic macular edema or macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion requiring therapeutic management and who had not been diagnosed or treated for the same disease in the past were enrolled after providing informed consent.

Laparoscopic Resection of a Non-functional, Extra-adrenal Paraganglioma: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Non-functional, extra-adrenal, retroperitoneal paraganglioma is a rare, neuroendocrine, and potentially malignant tumor. Its diagnosis and treatment may be challenging. A 69-year-old female patient was admitted because of a left para-aortic, solid, 4.

Insulin resistance, androgens, and lipids are gradually improved in an age-dependent manner in lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome: insights from a large Caucasian cohort.

Purpose: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), considered a lifelong condition, manifests mainly as a cluster of hyperandrogenic symptoms during the early reproductive years, with the affected woman gradually developing an adverse cardiometabolic profile over the years. However, some data point to the possibility of differences in the evolution of PCOS according to a woman's weight. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the metabolic and hormonal profiles of women with PCOS over time.

Lower Limb Pain Attributed to Bone Marrow Edema Syndrome: A Commonly Ignored Pathology.

Bone marrow edema syndrome (BMES) is a highly uncommon, self-limited syndrome of unclear etiology. The syndrome most commonly affects middle-aged men. Magnetic resonance imaging is essential for the diagnosis because of the characteristic pattern of bone marrow edema.