Role of the endoscope in cochlear implantation: A systematic review.

Objective: To review the role of the endoscope in cochlear implantation (CI).

Methods: MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library databases, as well as other sources, were searched by two independent reviewers. Studies including patients undergoing either exclusively endoscopic or endoscopically assisted CI were eligible for inclusion.

Quality of life in sinonasal tumors: an up-to-date review.

Purpose Of Review: To assess the impact of benign and malignant sinonasal tumors and their management on patients' Quality of Life (QOL) as measured by Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS).

Recent Findings: Although there is a growing consensus that endoscopic surgical management in carefully selected patients with sinonasal tumors is at least as (and probably more) effective than open resection, it is not clear to what extent this translates to better QOL outcomes. Earlier studies reported better outcomes in the emotional and physical function domains after endoscopic resection, and it seems that postsurgical morbidity is less in endoscopic compared to open approaches.

Lymphadenopathy and granulomas: benignancy of malignancy and differential diagnosis with endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial needle biopsy 19G needle fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a very useful tool for the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy of the mediastinum. Nowadays, EBUS can substitute video-assisted thoracic surgery when a 19G needle is used. Several studies have provided data for efficient diagnosis not only for lung cancer, but for also sarcoidosis, tuberculosis and lymphoma.

Twenty-year experience with salvage total laryngectomy: lessons learned.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of salvage total laryngectomy and identify areas for further improvement.

Method: A retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent salvage total laryngectomy between January 1999 and December 2018 was performed.

Results: Thirty-one patients were identified.

Tumor molecular profiling of NSCLC patients using next generation sequencing.

Non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer and a tumor with a broad spectrum of targeted therapies already available or in clinical trials. Thus, molecular characterization of the tumor using next generation sequencing (NGS) technology, has become a key tool for facilitating treatment decisions and the clinical management of NSCLC patients. The performance of a custom 23 gene multiplex amplification hot spot panel, based on Ion AmpliSeq™ technology, was evaluated for the analysis of tumor DNA extracted from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues.

Nationwide surveillance of resistance rates of Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates from Greek hospitals, 2012-2013.

Purpose To evaluate the in vitro efficacy of several anti-staphylococcal agents against a nationwide collection of contemporary Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates from several healthcare centres in Greece. Methods Thirty hospitals throughout Greece (18 in Attica) provided all clinical isolates of S.aureus from April 2012 to May 2013 to a central lab to be re-submitted to susceptibility testing.

Determination of and mutational status in Greek non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

It has been reported that certain patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that harbor activating somatic mutations within the tyrosine kinase domain of the () gene may be effectively treated using targeted therapy. The use of EGFR inhibitors in patient therapy has been demonstrated to improve response and survival rates; therefore, it was suggested that clinical screening for EGFR mutations should be performed for all patients. Numerous clinicopathological factors have been associated with EGFR and (KRAS) mutational status including gender, smoking history and histology.

Characteristics and outcome of patients with difficult weaning from mechanical ventilation: an 18 years' experience of a respiratory intermediate unit attached to a pulmonary department.

Background: Respiratory dysfunction often persists in post intensive care unit (ICU) patients and intermediate care facilities have been established to ensure the continuous of appropriate care.

Methods: The data of patients with difficult weaning from mechanical ventilation admitted to a respiratory intermediate unit (RIU) attached to a pulmonary department of a General Hospital, were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics, weaning from mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy, ICU readmission and RIU mortality were examined over a period of 18 years (1993- 2010) that was randomly divided into three six-year-periods.

Efficient utilization of EBUS-TBNA samples for both diagnosis and molecular analyses.

Background: The assessment of an increasing number of molecular markers is becoming a standard requirement from endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) specimens. However, it is unclear how many needle passes should be performed and the amount of lung cancer cells that should be sent for molecular analyses. The objective of this study was to determine if it is feasible to divide the material obtained by EBUS-TBNA to allow for molecular analysis without compromising the accuracy of mediastinal staging.

Successful embolization of iatrogenic ruptured coronary artery using Onyx: a new technique.

Iatrogenic perforation of coronary artery is rare during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however the complications are life-threatening. Patients in this clinical setting may be treated either by stent placement, closure of the perforation with fibrin glue or coils, or with emergency bypass surgery. Onyx, a new material that has been used successfully in cerebral arteries, represents a new and safe alternative.

A case of pulmonary infiltrates in a patient with colon carcinoma.

A 31-year-old white male with a known history of colon carcinoma was referred to the Interventional Pulmonary service for right lower lobe infiltrates and mucous plugging on computed tomography with concern for pneumonia. Bronchoscopy was performed revealing a broad based mass completely obstructing the bronchus intermedius. It was possible to pass a probe into the right lower lobe, and subsequent photoablation and mechanical debulking revealed that the mass was arising near the origin of the superior basal segment of the right lower lobe (RB6) and could be resected.

Research spotlight: sirolimus-coated stents for airway tracheal stenosis: a future 3D model concept with today's knowledge.

Currently, interventional pulmonology has the tools for efficient de-bulking of tracheal stenosis, which can either be the result of cancer tissue or benign tissue growth inside the respiratory tract. There are additionally other situations, such as thracheomalece and fistula formation, which require stent placement for efficient support in the tract wall. These are situations where the placement of a stent is necessary either directly upon diagnosis or after interventional treatment.

The base excess gap is not a valid tool for the quantification of unmeasured ions in cardiac surgical patients: a retrospective observational study.

Background: The base excess gap (BE(gap)) method is commonly used for the quantification of unmeasured ions in critically ill patients. However, it has never been validated against the standard quantitative acid-base approach.

Objective: To compare the BE(gap) as a tool for the prediction of the excess of unmeasured ions with the offset of strong ion gap (SIG) from its reference value.

2-diethylaminoethyl-dextran methyl methacrylate copolymer nonviral vector: still a long way toward the safety of aerosol gene therapy.

Revealing the lung tumor genome has directed the current treatment strategies toward targeted therapy. First line treatments targeting the genome of lung tumor cells have been approved and are on the market. However, they are limited by the small number of patients with the current investigated genetic mutations.

Aortic root aneurysm in an adult patient with aortic coarctation: a single-stage approach.

Coarctation of the aorta is a common congenital defect that may be undiagnosed until adulthood. Moreover, coarctation is associated with congenital and acquired cardiac pathology that may require surgical intervention. The management of an adult patient with aortic coarctation and an associated cardiac defect poses a great technical challenge since there are no standard guidelines for the therapy of such a complex pathology.

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis as a cause of new onset of seizures in a patient with non-small cell lung carcinoma: a case report.

Introduction: The etiology of seizure disorders in lung cancer patients is broad and includes some rather rare causes of seizures which can sometimes be overlooked by physicians. Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis is a rather rare cause of seizures in lung cancer patients and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of seizure disorders in this population.

Case Presentation: This case report describes the new onset of seizures in a 64-year-old male patient receiving chemotherapy for a diagnosed stage IV non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Fibrotic mechanisms in idiopathic rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis: the role of TGF-beta1 and C5b-9.

Background: Idiopathic IRPGN is a form of renal vasculitis in which a high chronicity index is present despite minimal impairment of renal function. The present study investigated the mechanisms underlining the relatively early appearance of fibrosis.

Methods: In all, 34 patients (17 males) with biopsy proven idiopathic RPGN were included.

Local excision as a treatment for tumors of ampulla of Vater.

Background: Although local excision (ampullectomy) was first described by Halsted in 1899, its adequacy as an alternative surgical treatment for the ampullary tumors is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of ampullectomy as a curative treatment for benign and malignant tumors arising from the ampulla, in a 14-year single-institution experience.

Methods: From 1990 to 2004, a total of 20 patients of adenocarcinoma (12) or adenoma (8) of the ampulla of Vater underwent local excision.

Effects of lanreotide on the healing of small bowel anastomoses following obstructive ileus in rats.

PURPOSE: Lanreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analogue, inhibits intestinal, bile and pancreatic secretions and decreases intestinal motility. The purpose of this experimental study was to evaluate the effects of lanreotide on the healing of intestinal anastomoses following small bowel obstruction. METHODS: Two groups of 16 Wistar rats (average weight 310 g) were used.