Predictors and Long-Term Prognostic Significance of Bailout Stenting During Percutaneous Coronary Interventions With Sirolimus-Coated Balloon: A Subanalysis of the Eastbourne Study.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-coated balloon (DCB) has been expanding progressively in recent years. Convincing evidence demonstrated the ability of some DCB to promote positive vessel remodeling, with potential clinical benefits at follow-up. When PCI with DCB results in suboptimal angiographic results (residual stenosis >30% or type C to F dissection), bailout stenting (BS) implantation is recommended to mitigate the risk of abrupt vessel occlusion or restenosis.

Clinico-Pathological Features of Diffuse Midline Glioma, H3 K27-Altered in Adults: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature with an Additional Single-Institution Case Series.

Diffuse midline glioma (DMG), H3 K27-altered, is a WHO grade 4 malignant glioma located at midline structures, including the thalamus, brainstem and spinal cord. While H3 K27-altered DMG is more common in pediatric age in which it shows a uniformly aggressive clinical behavior, its occurrence is relatively unusual among adults, and its clinico-pathological and prognostic features are not fully characterized in this age group. In this present paper, a review of the literature, including all cases of adult H3 K27-altered DMG published from January 2010 to December 2023 was performed, and the following clinical parameters were evaluated: sex, age (median and range), anatomic site, median follow-up, leptomeningeal dissemination, local recurrence and treatment.

Minimally Invasive Versus Open Distal Gastrectomy for Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: Trial Sequential Analysis of Randomized Trials.

Background: Minimally invasive distal gastrectomy (MIDG) has been shown to be associated with improved short-term outcomes compared to open distal gastrectomy (ODG) in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). The impact of MIDG on long-term patient survival remains debated. Aim was to compare the MIDG vs.

Depemokimab, the first ultra-long-acting anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody for severe eosinophilic asthma.

Depemokimab, the first ultra-long-acting anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody, significantly reduced exacerbation rates in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma when administered biannually. While it offers potential benefits for patient adherence and convenience, the trials showed no improvement in symptoms and lung function. Further research is needed to determine its optimal place in therapy and identify patients who will benefit the most.

Comprehensive Overview of Retrograde-Antegrade Connection Techniques Without Externalization in Chronic Total Occlusion PCI: The Portal Techniques.

Background: Advancing the retrograde microcatheter (MC) into the antegrade guide catheter during retrograde chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be challenging or impossible, preventing guidewire externalization.

Objectives: To detail and evaluate all the techniques focused on wiring to achieve intubation of the distal tip of a microcatheter, balloon, or stent with an antegrade or retrograde guidewire, aiming to reduce complications by minimizing tension on fragile collaterals during externalization and enabling rapid antegrade conversion in various clinical scenarios.

Methods: We describe the two main techniques, tip-in and rendezvous, and their derivatives such a facilitated tip-in, manual MC-tip modification, tip-in the balloon, tip-in the stent, deep dive rendezvous, catch-it and antegrade microcatheter probing.

Ocrelizumab in Early-Stage Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: The Phase IIIb ENSEMBLE 4-Year, Single-Arm, Open-Label Trial.

Background And Objectives: Early treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) reduces disease activity and the risk of long-term disease progression. Effectiveness of ocrelizumab is established in relapsing MS (RMS); however, data in early RMS are lacking. We evaluated the 4-year effectiveness and safety of ocrelizumab as a first-line therapy in treatment-naive patients with recently diagnosed relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

Fertility and abortion: A population-based comparison between women with cancer and those in childbearing age.

Objectives: Concurrence of pregnancy and cancer diagnosis is increasingly frequent in Italy. The study aimed to compare women with pregnancy-associated cancers (PACs) to those of childbearing age, focusing on fertility, induced abortion, and miscarriage.

Methods: The population-based study included women aged 15-49 years, both with and without PAC, who were residents in the area covered by the 19 participating Cancer Registries between 2003 and 2015 and identified by individual deterministic linkage with the Hospital Discharge Database.

Five-Year Multiple Comparison of Transcatheter Aortic Valves: Insights From the OBSERVANT II study.

Background: Head-to-head comparisons of second and third generations of transcatheter heart valves (THVs) are mostly limited to 2-arm studies and to mid-term follow-up. The aim of this study was to simultaneously compare clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with 4 different THVs at 5 years.

Methods: Patients undergoing transfemoral TAVR with 4 second-generation THV platforms and enrolled in the multicentre prospective OBSERVANT II study from December 2016 to September 2018 were compared according to the THV received.

The international Hip Outcome Tool 12 questionnaire (iHOT-12): an Italian language cross-cultural adaptation and validation.

Background: Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures are essential for evaluating disease-related quality of life. The International Hip Outcome Tool 12 (iHOT12) assesses various aspects of hip-related symptoms, function, sports participation, and social limitations. This study aimed to adapt and validate an Italian version of the iHOT12 according to COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines.

International Consensus Statement on Platelet Function and Genetic Testing in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: 2024 Update.

Current evidence indicates that dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin plus a P2Y inhibitor is essential for the prevention of thrombotic events after percutaneous coronary interventions. However, dual antiplatelet therapy is associated with increased bleeding which may outweigh the benefits. This has set the foundations for customizing antiplatelet treatments to the individual patient.

A Machine Learning Model Based on Thyroid US Radiomics to Discriminate Between Benign and Malignant Nodules.

: Thyroid nodules are a very common finding, mostly benign but sometimes malignant, and thus require accurate diagnosis. Ultrasound and fine needle biopsy are the most widely used and reliable diagnostic methods to date, but they are sometimes limited in addressing benign from malignant nodules, mainly with regard to ultrasound, by the operator's experience. Radiomics, quantitative feature extraction from medical images and machine learning offer promising avenues to improve diagnosis.

Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among European Healthcare Workers and Effectiveness of the First Booster COVID-19 Vaccine, VEBIS HCW Observational Cohort Study, May 2021-May 2023.

European countries have included healthcare workers (HCWs) among priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination. We established a multi-country hospital network to measure the SARS-CoV-2 incidence and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among HCWs against laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. HCWs from 19 hospitals in 10 countries participated in a dynamic prospective cohort study, providing samples for SARS-CoV-2 testing at enrolment and during weekly/fortnightly follow-up.

TAVI with the ACURATE neo2 in severe bicuspid aortic valve stenosis: the Neo2 BAV Registry.

Background: The ACURATE neo2 is a contemporary transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) system approved for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis in Europe. The ACURATE neo2 has not been evaluated in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis.

Aims: We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ACURATE neo2 in patients with BAV stenosis.

Impact of intravascular ultrasound for coronary bifurcations treated with last generations stents: insights from the BIFURCAT-ULTRA registry.

Background: Bifurcation lesions are associated with higher rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

Aim: To investigate the impact of imaging-guided PCI in a real-world population with coronary bifurcation lesions.

Methods: From the ULTRA-BIFURCAT registry, we compared IVUS vs.

Recommendations for fast-track extubation in adult cardiac surgery patients: a consensus statement.

Introduction: Enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery in selected low-risk patients, has the potential to improve outcomes and reduce the burden of healthcare costs. Anesthesia-related challenges play a major role in the successful implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, with particular emphasis placed on fast-track extubation. Acknowledging the importance of this practice, the Italian Association of Cardiac Anesthesiologists and Intensive Care (ITACTAIC) has advocated for an initiative to establish a consensus offering practical recommendations for fast-track extubation after adult cardiac surgery.

Highlights from the Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation Conference 2024.

The Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly of the European Respiratory Society gathered in Berlin to organise the third Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation Conference in February 2024. The conference covered key points of acute and chronic respiratory failure in adults. During the 3-day conference ventilatory strategies, patient selection, diagnostic approaches, treatment and health-related quality of life topics were addressed by a panel of international experts.

Rare connective tissue diseases in patients with C1-inhibitor deficiency hereditary angioedema: first evidence on prevalence and distribution from a large Italian cohort study.

Introduction: In patients with Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) related to primary C1 inhibitor deficiency (C1INH), the defective clearance of immune complexes and apoptotic materials along with impairment of normal humoral response potentially leads to autoimmunity. Few studies report evidence on autoimmune diseases in C1INH-HAE, but no large population studies focus on rare connective tissue diseases (RCTDs). We aim at evaluating for the first time prevalence and distribution of RCTDs - Systemic Lupus Erytematosus (SLE), primary Sjogren Syndrome (SjS), primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), and mixed connective tissue diseases (MCTD) in a large Italian cohort of C1INH-HAE patients.