Brain region volumes and their relationship with disability progression and cognitive function in primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Background And Purpose: Evidence on regional changes resulting from neurodegenerative processes underlying primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) is still limited. We assessed brain region volumes and their relationship with disability progression and cognitive function in PPMS patients.

Methods: This was an MRI analysis of 43 patients from the prospective Understanding Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (UPPMS) cohort study.

Radiologically isolated syndrome: targeting miRNAs as prognostic biomarkers.

Some clinical and biological characteristics have been described as prognostic factors for clinical conversion into clinically definite multiple sclerosis in radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) population. The aim of this study was to assess signatures of circulating miRNAs in those patients according to their conversion status after 5 years of follow-up. OpenArray plates assessing 216 miRNA candidates were run in 15 RIS patients, and their relative abundances were analyzed.

Polypropylene and polyvinylidene fluoride transobturator slings for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence: 1-Year outcomes from a multicentre randomized trial.

Aims: To compare the effectiveness and safety of polypropylene (PP) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) transobturator tapes (TOT) for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Methods: This is a multicentre randomized trial. Women with SUI or stress-predominant mixed urinary incontinence and scheduled for a TOT procedure were randomized to PP or PVDF slings.

Polygenic Markers in Patients Diagnosed of Autosomal Dominant Hypercholesterolemia in Catalonia: Distribution of Weighted LDL-c-Raising SNP Scores and Refinement of Variant Selection.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is associated with mutations in the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (), apolipoprotein B (), and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 () genes. A pathological variant has not been identified in 30-70% of clinically diagnosed FH patients, and a burden of LDL cholesterol (LDL-c)-raising alleles has been hypothesized as a potential cause of hypercholesterolemia in these patients. Our aim was to study the distribution of weighted LDL-c-raising single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scores (weighted gene scores or wGS) in a population recruited in a clinical setting in Catalonia.

Combination of Congenital and Deep Penetrating Nevus by Acquisition of β-Catenin Activation.

Deep penetrating nevus (DPN) is an intradermal, sometimes compound benign melanocytic lesion, which involves the reticular dermis, occasionally reaching the subcutis, which can raise concern for melanoma both clinically and histologically. Recently, it has been genetically defined by the combination of MAPK activating and β-catenin activating mutations. We sought to investigate genetic alterations in 2 cases of combined nevi of congenital melanocytic and DPN.

Evaluation of bacterial biomarkers to aid in challenging inflammatory bowel diseases diagnostics and subtype classification.

Background: The challenges for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) diagnostics are to discriminate it from gut conditions with similar symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), to distinguish IBD subtypes, to predict disease progression, and to establish the risk to develop colorectal cancer (CRC). Alterations in gut microbiota have been proposed as a source of information to assist in IBD diagnostics. (), its phylogroups, and () have been reported as potential biomarkers, but their performance in challenging IBD diagnostic situations remains elusive.

Scale for the Evaluation of Risk of Aggressiveness in Psychiatric Intensive Care Units.

Introduction: The multifactorial origin of violent behaviors generates the need to use prediction tools adapted to different contexts, patient profiles and types of aggression. The main objective of this work was to design an instrument to detect the risk of violence and aggression quickly and effectively in patients with mental disorder in psychiatric intensive care units.

Material And Methods: The sample consisted of 722 admissions of 629 patients from the psychiatric intensive care units.

Sicca Syndrome Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Optimal Management Still Pending.

Commenting on a recently published article on sicca syndrome linked to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, this letter to the editor shares another viewpoint on the management of this immune‐related adverse event.

Dissemination of health technologies: Trends in the use of diagnostic test in breast cancer screening.

Objective: To analyse trends in the use of diagnostic test in breast cancer screening programs in Spain.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective study of 542,695 women who had undergone at least one screening mammogram in any of the screening centres of three administrative regions in Spain, between 1996 and 2011. Process measures were: overall recall rate, overall invasive test rate, and rates of each type of invasive test (fine-needle aspiration biopsy, core-needle biopsy and surgical biopsy).

Systemic phenotype of sarcoidosis associated with radiological stages. Analysis of 1230 patients.

Background: To analyze the association between Scadding radiological stages of sarcoidosis at diagnosis and the disease phenotype (epidemiology, clinical presentation and extrathoracic involvement) in one of the largest cohorts of patients with sarcoidosis reported from southern Europe.

Methods: The SARCOGEAS-Study Group includes a multicenter database of consecutive patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis according to the WASOG 1999 criteria. Extrathoracic disease at diagnosis was defined according to the 2014 instrument and the clusters proposed by Schupp et al.

Novel P397S MAPT variant associated with late onset and slow progressive frontotemporal dementia.

Mutations in the MAPT gene cause frontotemporal dementia with tau deposits. We report the novel p.P397S MAPT variant in eight subjects from five apparently nonrelated families suffering from frontotemporal dementia with autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance.

Changes in mammographic density over time and the risk of breast cancer: An observational cohort study.

Background: The effect of changes in mammographic density over time on the risk of breast cancer remains inconclusive.

Methods: We used information from four centres of the Breast Cancer Screening Program in Spain in the period 1996-2015. We analysed individual level data from 117,388 women first screened age 50-54, with at least two screening examinations.

Alterations in the Abundance and Co-occurrence of and in the Colonic Mucosa of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Subjects.

and , cohabitants in the intestinal mucosa, are considered members of a healthy microbiota and reduction of both species occurs in several intestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease. Little is known however about a possible link between the reduction in quantity of these species, and in which circumstances this may occur. This study aims to determine the abundances and co-occurrence of the two species in order to elucidate conditions that may compromise their presence in the gut.

Functional imaging in pancreatic disease.

In addition to the classical morphological evaluation of pancreatic disease, the constant technological advances in imaging techniques based fundamentally on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have enabled the quantitative functional and molecular evaluation of this organ. In many cases, this imaging-based information results in substantial changes to patient management and can be a fundamental tool for the development of biomarkers. The aim of this article is to review the role of emerging functional and molecular techniques based on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of pancreatic disease.

Validation of the Caregiver Skills (CASK) scale in Catalonia: Concordance between caregivers in attitudes and behaviours.

Objective: The aim of this study was to validate a Spanish version of the Caregiver Skills scale (CASK) in a sample of eating disorder (ED) caregivers. A further aim was to examine the concordance/discrepancy between them (namely, between the mothers and fathers of ED patients).

Method: Two hundred sixty-five ED caregivers were recruited from ED centers in Catalonia, Spain.

Diagnostic Performance of Transvaginal Ultrasound for Detecting Cervical Invasion In Women With Endometrial Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the role of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) for diagnosing cervical invasion in the preoperative assessment of endometrial carcinoma.

Methods: A search for studies evaluating the role of TVUS for assessing cervical invasion in endometrial carcinoma from January 1990 to December 2016 was performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, www.ClinicalTrials.

Management of severe strongyloidiasis attended at reference centers in Spain.

Introduction: Strongyloides stercoralis is a globally distributed nematode that causes diverse clinical symptoms in humans. Spain, once considered an endemic country, has experienced a recent increase in imported cases. The introduction of serology helps diagnosis and is currently replacing microbiological techniques in some settings, but its sensitivity is variable and can be low in immunocompromised patients.

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome with Ventricular Hypertrophy in a Brazilian Family.

BACKGROUND PRKAG2 syndrome diagnosis is already well-defined as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW), ventricular hypertrophy (VH) due to glycogen accumulation, and conduction system disease (CSD). Because of its rarity, there is a lack of literature focused on the treatment. The present study aimed to describe appropriate strategies for the treatment of affected family members with PRKAG2 syndrome with a long follow-up period.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis: Can we identify a peripheral pattern?

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis is a bone disease characterized by ossification of spinal ligaments and peripheral entheses. Currently, we still use the classic classification criteria that do not include extraspinal manifestations. A number of authors agree on the need to revise them.

Automatic ultrasound technique to measure angle of progression during labor.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of an automatic ultrasound technique for assessment of the angle of progression (AoP) during labor.

Methods: Thirty-nine pregnant women in the second stage of labor, with fetus in cephalic presentation, underwent conventional labor management with additional translabial sonographic examination. AoP was measured in a total of 95 acquisition sessions, both automatically by an innovative algorithm and manually by an experienced sonographer, who was blinded to the algorithm outcome.