The role of the socio-economic environment on medical outcomes after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: According to the World Health Organization, coronary artery disease (CAD), including ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), is the most common cause of death worldwide as well as in Europe and Austria. There is valid data on the impact of conventional risk factors on the medical outcomes for STEMI patients. However, only few studies examine the role of the socio-economic environment for medical outcomes.

Feasibility and Outcomes of the Early Start Denver Model Implemented with Low Intensity in a Community Setting in Austria.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of early autism intervention with the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) implemented with low intensity in a community service in Europe.

Methods: Subjects were boys (n = 13, ages 34-54 months, mean age 43.3 months) consecutively diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in a regional autism center in Austria.

Transjugular aspiration liver biopsy performed by hepatologists trained in HVPG measurements is safe and provides important diagnostic information.

Background: Transjugular liver biopsy (TJLB) represents an alternative to percutaneous liver biopsy especially in patients with impaired coagulation and ascites.

Aims: To describe safety and diagnostic yield of aspiration TJLB performed by hepatologists experienced in hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurements.

Methods: 445 TJLB of 399 patients between 01/2007-12/2016 were retrospectively assessed.

Serum 1,3-Beta-D-Glucan Values During and After Laparoscopic and Open Intestinal Surgery.

Background: 1,3-beta-D Glucan (BDG) assay has good accuracy for distinguishing patients with invasive fungal infections from patients without. Some procedures and medications affect BDG levels, resulting in false-positive BDG results. The extent of intestinal surgery on BDG kinetics is unknown.

Incidence of late-acquired stent malapposition of drug eluting stents with second generation permanent and biodegradable polymer coatings-A prospective, randomized comparison using optical coherence tomography.

Objectives And Background: Polymer coatings of drug-eluting stents (DES) may induce allergic reactions and inflammation, resulting in late-acquired stent malapposition (LASM) with the risk of stent thrombosis. This study evaluated, if biodegradable polymer (BP) reduces the incidence of LASM compared to permanent polymer (PP) after treatment with newer generation DES.

Methods And Results: Fifty patients with 59 lesions were randomized (2:1) to elective treatment with second generation PP-DES (n = 32, 39 stents), either Everolimus-eluting or Zotarolimus-eluting stents, or with BP-DES (Biolimus-eluting stents [BES]; n = 18, 20 stents) and underwent optical coherence tomography directly after implantation and after 1 year.

Surgical decompression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) for Meralgia paresthetica treatment: Experimental or state of the art? A single-center outcome analysis.

Meralgia paresthetica (MP) is a rare lateral femoral cutaneous nerve-(LFCN)-mononeuropathy. Treatment for this disorder includes conservative and operative approaches; the latter is considered if conservative therapy fails. The most commonly used surgical approaches are decompression/neurolysis and avulsion/neurectomy.

LIPEMIA RETINALIS DURING CHEMOTHERAPY WITH ADJUNCTIVE GLUCOCORTICOID TREATMENT IN A PATIENT WITH COLON CARCINOMA.

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to describe a case of lipemia retinalis due to decompensating hyperlipidemia that occurred during chemotherapy in a patient with metastatic colon carcinoma.

Methods: Retrospective case report.

Results: A 55-year-old non-insulin-dependent diabetic man with well-controlled hyperlipidemia presented himself with temporarily blurred vision in both eyes occurring during chemotherapy.

Minimizing the Short-term Reoperation Rate in Abdominoplasty Procedures by Prolonged Postoperative Immobilization.

Background: Abdominoplasty is a common procedure in postbariatric surgery. Over the years, a high number of technical refinements of the procedure have been established to improve safety and reduce associated complications. Nevertheless, the complication rate is high.

Long-Term Results of Combination Treatment with Single-Dose Ranibizumab plus Photodynamic Therapy for Retinal Angiomatous Proliferation.

Purpose: To present functional and anatomic outcomes of combination therapy with ranibizumab and photodynamic therapy (PDT) in a series of retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) cases.

Methods: A total of 17 eyes of 17 patients with RAP were included. Thirteen eyes were treatment naïve and 4 were already on ranibizumab monotherapy.

Split-thickness skin grafting for reconstruction of auricular skin defects: a statistical analysis.

Background And Objectives: Surgical reconstruction following the removal of large malignant auricular lesions is challenging. While many options for defect closure have been described, in the elderly population usually affected flap surgery, long anesthesia times, patient compliance, and anticoagulant therapy pose additional risks. An alternative quick, simple, and effective method of defect closure is therefore highly desirable.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor for unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy.

Purpose: To describe a case of unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy (UAIM) response to intravitreal therapy with aflibercept (Eylea).

Methods: Retrospective case report.

Results: A 36-year-old woman with sudden visual impairment and central scotoma was found to have a UAIM in her left eye.

OCT-Angiography for monitoring and managing neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To evaluate the combined use of optical coherence tomography and angiography (OCT-A) for imaging choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Materials And Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted from May 2015 to April 2017. Included in the study were 54 patients (n = 63 eyes), all of whom had CNV secondary to nAMD and all of whom had been examined by OCT-A.

Effect of postoperative radiotherapy in pT1pN1cM0 and pT2p/cN0cM0 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives/hypothesis: Consulting of patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma, classified as pT1pN1cM0 and pT2p/cN0cM0, about postoperative radiotherapy is a precarious task as data are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of postoperative radiotherapy for patients with intermediate-stage oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Study Design: Multicentric retrospective study.

Clusterin/apolipoprotein J is independently associated with survival in patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: Clusterin/apolipoprotein J (CLU) is a ubiquitous expressed glycoprotein with cytoprotective properties capable to prevent myocardial injury in experimental studies. We hypothesized that decreasing levels of CLU might be involved in progression of chronic heart failure (HF) and therefore represent a potential biomarker for prognosis in this vulnerable group of patient.

Objective: We aimed to determine the prognostic value of plasma CLU in patients with HF.

The current preferred female lip ratio.

Background: Perception of beauty is influenced by the individual's demographic background and characteristics. However, objective measurements and ratios remain the foundation for aesthetic evaluations. This study aimed to elucidate if there exists a universally applicable ideal upper to lower lip ratio.

Trigger Finger Caused by Extraskeletal Chondroma.

Chondroma is a relatively rare, but well-reported benign neoplasm. This lesion normally occurs attached to bone; however, they may be rarely found without association to bone and embedded in soft tissue. The authors describe the case of a 76-year-old man in whom flexor tendon triggering was associated with an extraskeletal chondroma between the annular ligament and the flexor tendon.

Regression of epiretinal membrane after optic nerve atrophy.

Purpose: To describe a case of epiretinal membrane (ERM) regression after optic nerve atrophy.

Methods: Retrospective case report.

Results: A 56-year-old man with progressive visual impairment was found to have an ERM with associated retinal thickening and distortion (documented with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography [OCT]).

Treatment sequence of synchronously (liver) metastasized colon cancer.

No standards for staging, systemic therapy or the timing of an operation are defined for patients newly diagnosed with synchronous metastases and a primary in the colon. An expert group of radiologists, medical, radiation and surgical oncologists therefore came together to discuss staging and treatment sequence for these patients and came up with a recommendation based on current evidence of potential therapeutic options. The discussion was organized to debate recommendations centred on 5 topics and therefore the position paper is built upon these titles and their subtitles.

Prevalence of 2.2 per mille of significant hearing loss at school age suggests rescreening after NHS.

Objectives: The study aims to determine the prevalence of different degrees of significant hearing loss in a complete sample of Austrian school-age children born between 1997 and 2001 living in the federal state of Carinthia and to evaluate the role of Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS) in the identification of later hearing loss.

Methods: In Carinthia, all school-age children with significant hearing loss (mean pure tone average in the better ear above 40 dB) are registered by the Department of Education. From five complete birth cohorts from 1997 to 2001 (n = 28.