Vaccination campaign strategies in recently arrived migrants: experience of an Italian reception centre.

Introduction: Control of vaccine preventable diseases, while constituting a priority of European health policies, is challenged by migrations from countries with suboptimal levels of immunization coverage. We report here two different types of vaccination campaign strategy in one of the bigger Italian asylum seekers' centres. The vaccination service staff of the local national health institute came monthly during the first three years of observation, while in the last year, the vaccinations were offered directly upon arrival of migrants in the asylum seekers' centre.

Laser Ablation Versus Radiofrequency Ablation for Benign Non-Functioning Thyroid Nodules: Six-Month Results of a Randomized, Parallel, Open-Label, Trial (LARA Trial).

No direct prospective studies comparing laser ablation (LA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for debulking benign non-functioning thyroid nodules (BNTNs) exist. We aimed at comparing the efficacy and safety of both techniques in patients with solid or predominantly solid BNTN. This six-month, single-use, randomized, open-label, parallel trial compared the following primary endpoints between the RFA and LA groups six months after treatment: (i) nodule volume reduction expressed as a percentage of nodule volume at baseline; (ii) proportion of nodules with more than 50% reduction (successful rate).

Vulvar Pigmented Epithelioid Melanocytoma With a Novel HTT-PKN1 Fusion: A Case Report.

Pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma is a highly pigmented, predominantly dermal melanocytic neoplasm composed by epithelioid and spindled melanocytes. It is characterized by a limited number of specific genomic alterations principally involving protein kinase A regulatory subunit alpha (PRKAR1A) and fusion of protein kinase C alpha isoform (PRKCA). However, in some of these neoplasms, no genetic aberrations have been detected.

Micro-FTIR spectroscopy as robust tool for psammoma bodies detection in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

The presence of psammoma bodies (PBs), concentric lamellated calcified structures, in thyroid tissues is considered a reliable diagnostic marker for Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and has been correlated to aggressive tumour behaviours such as multifocality and lymph node metastasis. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy already proved to be a powerful tool for biological tissues study thanks to its ability to spatially resolve information on the chemical composition of the analysed samples. FTIR maps were collected from thyroid tumour resections and analysed by multivariate unsupervised Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Clustering (K-means and fuzzy c-means clustering) techniques.

Morphometric analysis of atypical glandular cells correctly classifies normal, reactive, and atypical cells in cervical smears.

The 2014 Bethesda System diagnostic criteria for atypical glandular cells (AGC) aid in the classification of atypical cells in cervical cytology. Anyway, AGC diagnosis remains challenging, due to low frequencies of this finding (approximately 0.5%-1% of Pap test results), abundance of AGC mimics, and significant interobserver variability.

Polypoid Atypical Spitz Tumor With a Fibrosclerotic Stroma, CLIP2-BRAF Fusion, and Homozygous Loss of 9p21.

We report a case of a polypoid atypical Spitz tumor with a prominent fibrosclerotic stromal component, harboring a CLIP2-BRAF fusion, which has hitherto been not reported in melanocytic lesions. The neoplasm occurred in a 78-year-old male patient and appeared microscopically as a predominantly dermal, barely symmetrical, polypoid lesion composed mainly of epithelioid cells showing moderate degree of nuclear pleomorphism with ample amphophilic cytoplasm arranged in nests, fascicles, or single units. The mitotic rate was 2/mm, and the mitoses were confined to the upper portion of the lesion.

CytoMatrix for a reliable and simple characterization of lung cancer stem cells from malignant pleural effusions.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation with the properties of extensive self-renewal, capability to generate differentiated cancer cells and resistance to therapies. We have previously shown that malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) from patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represent a valuable source of cancer cells that can be grown as three-dimensional (3D) spheroids enriched for stem-like features, which depend on the activation of the Yes-associated protein-transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (YAP-TAZ)/Wnt-βcatenin/stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) axis. Here, we describe a novel support, called CytoMatrix, for the characterization of limited amounts of cancer cells isolated from MPEs of patients with NSCLC.

Spitz Tumors With ROS1 Fusions: A Clinicopathological Study of 6 Cases, Including FISH for Chromosomal Copy Number Alterations and Mutation Analysis Using Next-Generation Sequencing.

Spitz tumors represent a heterogeneous group of melanocytic neoplasms with a spectrum of biological behavior ranging from benign (Spitz nevus) to malignant (spitzoid melanoma). Prediction of the behavior of these lesions based on their histological presentation is not always possible. Recently, mutually exclusive activating kinase fusions, involving ALK, NTRK1, NTRK3, RET, MET, ROS1, and BRAF, have been found in a subset of spitzoid lesions.

Baseline haematological and biochemical reference values for healthy male adults from Mali.

Introduction: Haematological reference values are very important for diagnostic orientation and treatment decision. The aim of this study was to establish haematological reference values for Malian healthy adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional study including 161 male Malians aged between 19 and 54 years old was performed.

Correction to: Efficacy of radiofrequency ablation in autonomous functioning thyroid nodules. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The authors of this paper declare that their correct family and first names and their correct affiliations are shown in this correction paper.

Efficacy of radiofrequency ablation in autonomous functioning thyroid nodules. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Whether thermal ablation is effective to treat toxic thyroid nodules (TTN) is still unknown. Aim of this review was to achieve more robust evidence on the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treating TTN in terms of TSH normalization, thyroid scintiscan, and volume reduction rate (VRR). A comprehensive literature search of PubMed/Medline and Scopus was performed in November 2018 to retrieve published studies.

Seriate cytology vs molecular analysis of peritoneal washing to improve gastric cancer cells detection.

Background: Intraperitoneal malignant cells detection in patients with gastric cancer is associated with a significant decrease in overall survival. The overall accuracy of cytological examination of peritoneal lavages, however, is quite low, and intraperitoneal recurrence has been observed even in patients with negative cytology. Immunocytochemistry and molecular techniques have been investigated to improve high-risk patients' identification with variable results.

WhatsApp in hospital? An empirical investigation of individual and organizational determinants to use.

The increasing use of messaging applications such as WhatsApp for both social and personal purposes has determined an increase in the widespread use of these technologies, even in healthcare. A growing number of healthcare professionals have adopted WhatsApp in their daily work in order to share information with peers and patients. Past research has highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of WhatsApp usage in healthcare settings; in particular two positions appear to coexist in the scientific debate: those that expose and underline all of the positive aspects of the phenomenon, and those which also highlight the negative aspects, linked in particular to the clinical risks for patients, data security and privacy protection.

Fine-needle aspiration to diagnose primary thyroid lymphomas: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a rare malignancy, and its prognosis depends significantly on its early diagnosis. While fine-needle aspiration (FNA) represents the gold standard to identify differentiated thyroid carcinoma, its reliability for the detection of PTL is still unclear. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of FNA in PTL.

Italian consensus for the classification and reporting of thyroid cytology: the risk of malignancy between indeterminate lesions at low or high risk. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Italian consensus for the classification and reporting of thyroid cytology has proposed to discriminate the cancer prevalence of high (Tir 3B) vs. low (Tir 3A) risk indeterminate nodules. To obtain more robust evidence on this topic, we performed a meta-analysis of the Odds Ratio (OR) of malignancy of Tir 3B vs.

Isavuconazole: Case Report and Pharmacokinetic Considerations.

Invasive fungal disease (IFD) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Voriconazole (VCZ) and posaconazole (PCZ) remain the most widely used antifungals for the prophylaxis and treatment of IFD. However, VCZ and PCZ are liable for drug-drug interactions and show a pharmacokinetic variability that requires therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM).

Additional value of integrated F-choline PET/4D contrast-enhanced CT in the localization of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands and correlation with molecular profile.

Purpose: The localization of hyperfunctioning parathyroid gland(s) (HPTG) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) with negative or inconclusive first-line imaging is a significant challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the role of integrated F-choline PET/4D contrast-enhanced computed tomography (4DCeCT) in these patients, compare its detection rate and sensitivity with those of F-choline PET/CT and (4DCeCT), and analyse the association between choline metabolism and morphological, biochemical and molecular parameters of HPTG.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 44 PHPT patients with negative or inconclusive first-line imaging.

Transcriptional analysis distinguishes breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma from other peripheral T-cell lymphomas.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a new provisional entity in the revised World Health Organization classification of lymphoid malignancies, the pathogenesis and cell of origin of which are still unknown. We performed gene expression profiling of microdissected breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma samples and compared their transcriptional profiles with those previously obtained from normal T-cells and other peripheral T-cell lymphomas and validated expression of selected markers by immunohistochemistry. Our results indicate that most breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphomas exhibit an activated CD4+ memory T-cell phenotype, which is associated with CD25 and FoxP3 expression.

The complexity of patients hospitalized in Internal Medicine wards evaluated by FADOI-COMPLIMED score(s). A hypothetical approach.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to develop a new predictive model to measure complexity of patients in medical wards.

Setting: 29 Internal Medicine departments in Italy.

Materials And Methods: The study cohort was made of 541 consecutive patients hospitalized for any cause, aged more than 40 years and with at least two chronic diseases.

The genetic diversity of hepatitis A genotype I in Bulgaria.

The purpose of this study was to analyze sequences of hepatitis A virus (HAV) Ia and Ib genotypes from Bulgarian patients to investigate the molecular epidemiology of HAV genotype I during the years 2012 to 2014. Around 105 serum samples were collected by the Department of Virology of the National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases in Bulgaria. The sequenced region encompassed the VP1/2A region of HAV genome.

PD-1 /PD-L1 checkpoint in hematological malignancies.

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), is a cell surface receptor with an important role in down-regulating the immune system and promoting self-tolerance by suppressing T cell inflammatory activity. PD-1/PDL1 axis represents a checkpoint to control immune responses and it is often used as a mechanism of immune escaping by cancers and infectious diseases. Many data demonstrate its important role in solid tumors and report emerging evidences in lymphoproliferative disorders.

Modified Colistin Regimen for Critically Ill Patients with Acute Renal Impairment and Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.

Colistin is a last resort antibiotic to treat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria infections. Colistin is administered intravenously in the form of its inactive prodrug colistin methanesulfonate (CMS). For patients with acute kidney impairment and continuous renal replacement therapy high extracorporeal clearance may cause a substantial removal of active colistin from the bloodstream, eventually decreasing its antibacterial efficacy.