Greek translation and cultural adaptation of the scored patient-generated subjective global assessment: A nutritional assessment tool suitable for cancer patients.

Background And Aims: Patients with cancer frequently present with disease-related malnutrition and functional decline. The scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA©) is a malnutrition screening and assessment tool commonly used in patients with cancer. The aim of the current study was to translate and culturally adapt the original English PG-SGA for the Greek setting, including assessment of comprehensibility, difficulty and content validity in patients and healthcare professionals.

Management of paranasal sinus osteomas: A comprehensive narrative review of the literature and an up-to-date grading system.

Background: Surgical excision represents the unequivocal treatment modality for symptomatic paranasal sinus osteomas. However, the optimal surgical approach and the extent of the surgery, as well as the management stance in the case of an asymptomatic tumor, remain controversial.

Methods: The MeSH terms 'Osteoma', 'Nasal Cavity', and 'Paranasal Sinuses' were used to retrieve articles concerning the management of paranasal sinus osteomas that were published in the last 30 years, the vast majority of which comprised case reports of one or two cases.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Achalasia: Two Distinct Nosologic Entities or a Possible Etiopathogenic Association?

Background: Despite the fact that researchers have made significant progress in elucidating the pathophysiology of esophageal diseases, the understanding of esophageal motility alterations in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is in its infancy and current published medical literature remains rather scarce on this topic. A growing body of scientific data regarding associations between esophageal motor disorders, such as achalasia and EoE, exists nowadays.

Summary: It seems that the association of EoE and achalasia does not constitute a cause and effect relationship, as it is not clear whether esophageal motility abnormalities are the result of EoE or vice versa.

Presentation and surgical management of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis.

Background: Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) is a rare benign chronic inflammatory disease of the gallbladder that often presents as cholecystitis and most of the times requires surgical management. In addition, distinguishing XGC from gallbladder cancer preoperatively is still a challenge. The aim of the present systematic review was to outline the clinical presentation and surgical approach of XGC.

Evaluation of molecular and genetic predisposing parameters at diverticular disease of the colon.

Background: Diverticular disease (DD) refers to the presence of diverticula throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, mainly along colon. DD might evolve into diverticulitis that is accompanied by severe clinical presentation, which includes abscess formation, perforation, stricture, obstruction and/or fistula.

Aim: The aim of the present review is to summarize the role of molecular and genetic factors in DD development, as well as their possible contribution towards new prognostic indicators, diagnostic algorithms and new therapeutic approaches.

Long-term clinical outcome of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients who discontinued nucleos(t)ide analogues.

Background & Aims: Discontinuation of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) remains a debatable issue in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to address the outcome of HBeAg-negative CHB patients who discontinued NA therapy.

Methods: This prospective study included 57 non-cirrhotic HBeAg-negative Caucasian CHB patients who discontinued NA therapy after median virological remission of 6 years.

Transvenous extraction of permanent pacemaker and defibrillator leads: Reduced procedural complexity and higher procedural success rates in patients with infective versus noninfective indications.

Introduction: Transvenous lead extraction (TLE) is critical in the long-term management of patients with cardiac implanted electronic devices (CIEDs). The aim of the study is to evaluate the outcomes of TLE and to investigate the impact of infection.

Methods And Results: Data of patients undergoing extraction of permanent pacemaker and defibrillator leads during October 2014-September 2019 were prospectively analyzed.

Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Management in the COVID-19 Era: Risk of Infection, Adapted Role of Endoscopy, and Potential Treatment Algorithm Alterations.

Introduction: The safety of upper gastrointestinal cancer patients in the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is extremely important and most surgeons need to establish a contingency management.

Aim: In this study, we present the surgical outlines of patients suffering from upper gastrointestinal cancers.

Materials And Methods: Data were obtained from PubMed, Cochrane Database of Controlled Trials, and SCOPUS of reports up to September 2020.

Patch-based classification of gallbladder wall vascularity from laparoscopic images using deep learning.

Purpose: In this study, we propose a deep learning approach for assessment of gallbladder (GB) wall vascularity from images of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Difficulty in the visualization of GB wall vessels may be the result of fatty infiltration or increased thickening of the GB wall, potentially as a result of cholecystitis or other diseases.

Methods: The dataset included 800 patches and 181 region outlines of the GB wall extracted from 53 operations of the Cholec80 video collection.

The Impact of Cirrhosis on Pancreatic Cancer Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Cirrhosis has been considered a contraindication to major abdominal surgeries, due to increased risk for postoperative morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of pancreatectomy in cirrhotic versus non-cirrhotic patients.

Methods: The present systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines.

Esophageal defect repair by artificial scaffolds: a systematic review of experimental studies and proportional meta-analysis.

Background: The traditional technique of gastrointestinal reconstruction of the esophagus after esophagectomy presents plenty of complications. Hence, tissue engineering has been introduced as an effective artificial alternative with potentially fewer complications. Three types of esophageal scaffolds have been used in experimental studies so far.

Esophageal cancer: challenges, concerns, and recommendations for management amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since December 2019, the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread worldwide, raising great concern, particularly in immunosuppressed cancer patients. The pandemic situation remains extremely dynamic, which necessitates proactive management decisions from oncologists and oncologic surgeons in effort to mitigate the risk of both SARS-CoV-2 infection and cancer metastasis. Esophageal cancer, in particular, is one of the deadliest types of malignancy worldwide, reflecting both aggressive biology and a lack of adequate treatment.

Multidisciplinary treatment of esophageal cancer: The role of active surveillance after neoadjuvant chemoradiation.

The optimal treatment of esophageal cancer is still controversial. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by radical esophagectomy is a standard treatment. Morbidity after esophagectomy however is still considerable and has an impact on patients' quality of life.

Impact of Chromosome 9 Numerical Imbalances in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Pilot Grid-Based Centromere Analysis.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is considered an aggressive malignancy, mainly due to its increased propensity to provide local and distant lymph node metastases. Gross chromosome instability (CI; polysomy/aneuploidy/monosomy), combined or not with specific gene alterations, is implicated in the development and progression of solid malignancies, including OSCC. In order to further study the relationship between these genetic alterations and the aggressive biological behavior of OSCCs, we investigated the frequency and impact of chromosome 9 numerical imbalances in these tumors.

Current status of esophageal cancer treatment.

Esophageal cancer (EC) remains one of the most common and aggressive diseases worldwide. This review discusses some debates in the modern management of the disease. Endoscopic procedures for early cancer (T1a-b) are now embedded in routine care and the challenge will be to more accurately select patients for endoscopic resection with or without adjuvant therapy.

Implementation of minimally invasive gastrectomy for gastric cancer in a western tertiary referral center.

Background: Minimally invasive techniques have gradually come to take a leading position in the surgical treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. In order to define an effective process for the implementation of similar techniques in the treatment of gastric cancer, patient caseload represents a pivotal factor for education and training, but is a prerequisite not fulfilled in most Western countries. Additionally, as opposed to the East, a variety of additional factors such as the usually advanced stage of the disease and differences in patient characteristics are prevailing and raise further obstacles.

Patients undergoing surgery for oligometastatic oesophageal cancer survive for more than 2 years: bootstrapping systematic review data.

Objectives: Oesophageal cancer oligometastasis is a state of limited systemic disease characterized by ˂5 metastases. Without surgery average survival is 4-12 months. We sought to estimate patient prognosis following the surgical resection of oligometastatic disease from oesophageal cancer.

Carotid Disease and Ageing: A Literature Review on the Pathogenesis of Vascular Senescence in Older Subjects.

Aging is a natural process that affects all systems of the human organism, leading to its inability to adapt to environmental changes. Advancing age has been correlated with various pathological conditions, especially cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Carotid artery (CA) is mainly affected by age-induced functional and morphological alterations causing atheromatous disease.

Primary colonic squamous cell carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature.

Colonic squamous cell carcinoma is extremely rare, with no clear pathogenesis. It usually presents as an emergency. We present the surgical management of a descending colon squamous cell carcinoma, together with a review of the available cases of colonic squamous cell carcinoma in the literature.

Could nutritional and functional status serve as prognostic factors for COVID-19 in the elderly?

Geriatric patients seem to be the most vulnerable group in COVID-19. These patients are usually characterized by impaired mobilization and malnutrition. In addition, obesity has been correlated with increased mortality rates after COVID-19 infection, highlighting the role of nutrition in prognosis of COVID-19 as well.