How reliable is assessment of true vocal cord-arytenoid unit mobility in patients affected by laryngeal cancer? a multi-institutional study on 366 patients from the ARYFIX collaborative group.

Purpose: In clinical practice the assessment of the "vocal cord-arytenoid unit" (VCAU) mobility is crucial in the staging, prognosis, and choice of treatment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). The aim of the present study was to measure repeatability and reliability of clinical assessment of VCAU mobility and radiologic analysis of posterior laryngeal extension.

Methods: In this multi-institutional retrospective study, patients with LSCC-induced impairment of VCAU mobility who received curative treatment were included; pre-treatment endoscopy and contrast-enhanced imaging were collected and evaluated by raters.

Assessing the steroid-sparing effect of biological agents in randomized controlled trials for lupus: a scoping review.

Prompt disease control of flares in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a priority in treatment strategy planning. However, the long-term dosage-related collateral effects of glucocorticoids (GCs) have pushed researchers towards the identification and utilization of novel biological agents that could both induce and maintain low disease activity and remission, especially in the context of lupus nephritis (LN). This scoping review aims at assessing the current evidence of the potential steroid-sparing effect of biologic therapies by reviewing phase II and phase III randomized, placebo-controlled trials involving SLE/LN patients.

Transitioning to Palliative Care in an Italian Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Network.

Background: Recent data indicate that end-of-life management for patients affected by acute decompensated heart failure in cardiac intensive care units is aggressive, with late or no engagement of palliative care teams.

Objective: To assess current palliative care and end-of-life practices in a contemporary Italian multicenter registry of patients with cardiogenic shock due to acute decompensated heart failure.

Methods: A survey-based approach was used to collect data on palliative care and end-of-life management practices.

Impact of the pandemic on surgical oncology in Piedmont, Italy: A retrospective observational study.

Background And Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic affected surgical oncology healthcare in a large sample from Piedmont, Northern Italy. Patients admitted for regular hospitalization were included (n = 99 651). Data from 2020 were compared to the averages from 2016 to 2019, stratified by tumor site, year, month, and admission method, using interrupted time series analysis post-March 2020.

Non-coding RNA and gene expression analyses of papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity (PRNRP) reveal distinct pathological mechanisms from other renal neoplasms.

Papillary renal neoplasm with reversed polarity (PRNRP) is a recently described rare renal neoplasm. Traditionally, it was considered a variant of papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC). However, several studies reported significant differences between PRNRP and PRCC in terms of clinical, morphological, immunohistochemical and molecular features.

Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Test Bench for Investigating Tumor Complexity.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC), by far the most common renal cancer subtype, is an aggressive tumor variant, serving in recent years as a prolific test bench in cancer research [...

Increased prevalence of high-risk coronary plaques in metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease patients: A meta-analysis.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography (CTCA) can assess both the extent and the features of coronary plaques. We aimed to gather evidence about the prevalence and features of coronary plaques among MASLD patients.

Assessment of post-thrombectomy brain hemorrhage in acute ischemic stroke with dual-energy CT: how reliable is it in clinical practice?

Purpose: Acute ischemic stroke is currently among the main causes of mortality in Western countries. The current guidelines suggest different flowcharts of diagnostic work-up and treatment modalities, including endovascular thrombectomy. Immediately after intra-arterial recanalization, a brain CT scan is usually performed to assess for the presence of peri-procedural complications; in this setting, it is very hard, if possible, to differentiate blood from iodinated contrast material, which is normally present in ischemic tissue because of BBB disruption.

Obstetric echodynamics: Approaching a new field of multidisciplinary action.

Maternal cardiovascular adaptation during pregnancy is essential for fetal development. Structural and functional changes, including increased blood volume, heart rate, and myocardial hypertrophy, are crucial for optimal tissue perfusion. Recent evidence supports viewing maternal and fetal cardiovascular systems as a unified functional unit, emphasizing the significance of hemodynamic evaluation in pregnancy.

Lung ultrasound and supine chest X-ray use in modern adult intensive care: mapping 30 years of advancement (1993-2023).

In critically ill patients with acute respiratory failure, thoracic images are essential for evaluating the nature, extent and progression of the disease, and for clinical management decisions. For this purpose, computed tomography (CT) is the gold standard. However, transporting patients to the radiology suite and exposure to ionized radiation limit its use.

Contemporary outcomes of chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention in Europe: the ERCTO registry.

Background: Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) of chronic total occlusions (CTO) have reached high procedural success rates thanks to dedicated equipment, evolving techniques, and worldwide adoption of state-of-the-art crossing algorithms.

Aims: We report the contemporary results of CTO PCIs performed by a large European community of experienced interventionalists. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of different risk factors for procedural major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and trends of employment of specific devices like dual lumen microcatheters, guiding catheter extensions, intravascular ultrasound and calcium-modifying tools.

Twenty questions from the surgeon to the radiologist to better plan an open partial horizontal laryngectomy.

Open partial horizontal laryngectomies (OPHLs) represent a valuable therapeutic option for tumors of the intermediate T-category and, in selected cases, for locally advanced tumors with low-volume extra-laryngeal extension. The eligibility of patients treated with this type of surgery has increased with the introduction of the modular approach to OPHL planning. This strategy follows the introduction of the classification proposed by the European Laryngological Society, based on the extent of horizontal resection.

Sex-based analysis of NSTEMI processes of care and outcomes by hospital: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: Contemporary studies demonstrate that non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) processes of care vary according to sex. Little is known regarding variation in practice between geographical areas and centres.

Methods: We identified 305 014 NSTEMI admissions in the United Kingdom (UK) Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP), 2010-17, including female sex (110 209).

2023 ACR/EULAR classification criteria in existing research cohorts: an international study.

Objective: To assess the impact of the updated ACR/EULAR APS classification criteria on two large research cohorts.

Methods: Consecutive patients who tested persistently positive for at least one aPL in the last three years were enrolled. The first APS Sydney index event was considered and computed for the comparison between Sydney and 2023 APS criteria.

Transcranial Doppler and Color-Coded Doppler Use for Brain Death Determination in Adult Patients: A Pictorial Essay.

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is a repeatable, at-the-bedside, helpful tool for confirming cerebral circulatory arrest (CCA). Despite its variable accuracy, TCD is increasingly used during brain death determination, and it is considered among the optional ancillary tests in several countries. Among its limitations, the need for skilled operators with appropriate knowledge of typical CCA patterns and the lack of adequate acoustic bone windows for intracranial arteries assessment are critical.

Ultrasound-Assisted, Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis for Acute Intermediate/High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism: Design of the Multicenter USAT IH-PE Registry and Preliminary Results.

Catheter-based revascularization procedures were developed as an alternative to systemic thrombolysis for patients with intermediate-high- and high-risk pulmonary embolisms. USAT IH-PE is a retrospective and prospective multicenter registry of such patients treated with ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed thrombolysis, whose preliminary results are presented in this study. The primary endpoint was the incidence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) at follow-up.

Palisading adenocarcinoma. Case report on a newly recognized tumor in the salivary glands.

A palisading adenocarcinoma arising in the left submandibular salivary gland in a 65-year old woman is presented here. This tumor has been identified only very recently and its recognition as a true entity in the list of salivary gland tumors is still pending. Its distinct clinical-pathological context includes a predilection for women, sublingual or submandibular gland involvement, low-grade cytology with pseudo-neuroendocrine features, and sharp immunohistochemical expression.

Early Evolution in Cancer: A Mathematical Support for Pathological and Genomic Evidence in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) is an aggressive form of cancer and a paradigmatic example of intratumor heterogeneity (ITH). The hawk-dove game is a mathematical tool designed to analyze competition in biological systems. Using this game, the study reported here analyzes the early phase of CCRCC development, comparing clonal fitness in homogeneous (linear evolutionary) and highly heterogeneous (branching evolutionary) models.