Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support in Cardiogenic Shock Patients after Cardiac Procedures: Selection Algorithm and Weaning Strategies.

Mechanical circulatory support has proven effective in managing postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock by stabilizing patients' hemodynamics and ensuring adequate organ perfusion. Among the available device modalities, the combination of extracorporeal life support and a microaxial flow pump for left ventricular unloading has emerged as a valuable tool in the surgical armamentarium. In this publication, we provide recommendations for the application and weaning of temporary mechanical circulatory support in cardiogenic shock patients, derived from a consensus among leading cardiac centers in German-speaking countries.

Can Whole-Body Baseline CT Radiomics Add Information to the Prediction of Best Response, Progression-Free Survival, and Overall Survival of Stage IV Melanoma Patients Receiving First-Line Targeted Therapy: A Retrospective Register Study.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the combination of radiomics and clinical parameters in a machine-learning model offers additive information compared with the use of only clinical parameters in predicting the best response, progression-free survival after six months, as well as overall survival after six and twelve months in patients with stage IV malignant melanoma undergoing first-line targeted therapy.

Methods: A baseline machine-learning model using clinical variables (demographic parameters and tumor markers) was compared with an extended model using clinical variables and radiomic features of the whole tumor burden, utilizing repeated five-fold cross-validation. Baseline CTs of 91 stage IV malignant melanoma patients, all treated in the same university hospital, were identified in the Central Malignant Melanoma Registry and all metastases were volumetrically segmented ( = 4727).

Comparison of early and late Ga-FAPI-46-PET in 33 patients with possible recurrence of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas.

Positron emission tomography with Gallium (Ga) labeled inhibitors of fibroblast activation protein (Ga-FAPI-PET) is a promising imaging technique for patients with recurrent pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). To date, it is not clear if different acquisition timepoints for Ga-FAPI-PET may result in comparable imaging information and if repetitive Ga-FAPI-PET imaging may add diagnostic value to single timepoint acquisition for recurrent PDAC. Here we analyzed retrospectively early (20 min p.

German, Austrian, and Swiss guidelines for systemic treatment of gastric cancer.

The updated edition of the German, Austrian and Swiss Guidelines for Systemic Treatment of Gastric Cancer was completed in August 2023, incorporating new evidence that emerged after publication of the previous edition. It consists of a text-based "Diagnosis" part and a "Therapy" part including recommendations and treatment algorithms. The treatment part includes a comprehensive description regarding perioperative and palliative systemic therapy for gastric cancer and summarizes recommended standard of care for surgery and endoscopic resection.

Analysis of endovascular therapy for peripheral arterial disease in all German hospitals.

The quality of vascular care has significantly improved in part by the expansion of endovascular techniques for the treatment of symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) in recent years. In Germany these are primarily provided by the three disciplines of vascular surgery, angiology, and interventional radiology (IR). However, the relative contribute of angiologists to the total number of cases performed is unknown.

No evidence for neuronal damage or astrocytic activation in cerebrospinal fluid of Neuro-COVID-19 patients with long-term persistent headache.

Headache is one of the most common neurological manifestations of COVID-19, but it is unclear whether chronic headache as a symptom of Post-COVID-19 is associated with ongoing CNS damage. We compared cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of markers of CNS damage and inflammation in Post-COVID-19 patients with persistent headache to hospitalized acute COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms and to non-COVID-19 disease-controls. CSF levels of neurofilament light chain, Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 and Tau were similar in patients with persistent headache in post-COVID-19 compared to acute COVID-19 patients and all control groups.

Health related Quality of Life over time in German sarcoma patients. An analysis of associated factors - results of the PROSa study.

Introduction: Sarcomas are rare cancers and very heterogeneous in their location, histological subtype, and treatment. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of sarcoma patients has rarely been investigated in longitudinal studies.

Methods: Here, we assessed adult sarcoma patients and survivors between September 2017 and February 2020, and followed-up for one year in 39 study centers in Germany.

High expression of insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) distinguishes colorectal mixed and pure neuroendocrine carcinomas from conventional adenocarcinomas with diffuse expression of synaptophysin.

Complementary to synaptophysin and chromogranin A, insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) has emerged as a sensitive marker for the diagnosis of neuroendocrine neoplasms. Since there are no comparative data regarding INSM1 expression in conventional colorectal adenocarcinomas (CRCs) and colorectal mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas/neuroendocrine carcinomas (MANECs/NECs), we examined INSM1 in a large cohort of conventional CRCs and MANECs/NECs. In conventional CRC, we put a special focus on conventional CRC with diffuse expression of synaptophysin, which carry the risk of being misinterpreted as a MANEC or a NEC.

Adjuvant treatment and outcome of stage III melanoma patients: Results of a multicenter real-world German Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group (DeCOG) study.

Purpose: Clinical trials demonstrated significantly improved recurrence-free survival (RFS) of melanoma patients receiving adjuvant treatment. As data from controlled trials are based on selected populations, we investigated adjuvantly treated stage III melanoma patients under real-world conditions.

Patients And Methods: In a prior multicenter cohort study, stage III-IV melanoma patients were analysed for their choice of adjuvant therapy.

Dual-Energy CT in Cardiothoracic Imaging: Current Developments.

This article describes the technical principles and clinical applications of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in the context of cardiothoracic imaging with a focus on current developments and techniques. Since the introduction of DECT, different vendors developed distinct hard and software approaches for generating multi-energy datasets and multiple DECT applications that were developed and clinically investigated for different fields of interest. Benefits for various clinical settings, such as oncology, trauma and emergency radiology, as well as musculoskeletal and cardiovascular imaging, were recently reported in the literature.

Evaluation of Gas 6 as a Prognostic Marker in Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Introduction: Growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas 6) is a ligand that plays a role in proliferation and migration of cells. For several tumor entities, high levels of Gas 6 are associated with poorer survival. We examined the prognostic role of Gas 6 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), especially in papillary RCC (pRCC), which is still unclear.

Radiotherapy concepts for spinal metastases-results from an online survey among radiation oncologists of the German Society for Radiation Oncology.

Purpose: Spinal metastases (SM) are a common radiotherapy (RT) indication. There is limited level I data to drive decision making regarding dose regimen (DR) and target volume definition (TVD). We aim to depict the patterns of care for RT of SM among German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) members.

Virtual Monoenergetic Imaging of Lower Extremities Using Dual-Energy CT Angiography in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common metabolic disorder in the world and an important risk factor for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). CT angiography represents the method of choice for the diagnosis, pre-operative planning, and follow-up of vascular disease. Low-energy dual-energy CT (DECT) virtual mono-energetic imaging (VMI) has been shown to improve image contrast, iodine signal, and may also lead to a reduction in contrast medium dose.

Eight lessons from 2 years of use of the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status scale.

https://bit.ly/3KkI5Ak

A worldwide survey on incidence, management, and prognosis of oesophageal fistula formation following atrial fibrillation catheter ablation: the POTTER-AF study.

Aims: Oesophageal fistula represents a rare but dreadful complication of atrial fibrillation catheter ablation. Data on its incidence, management, and outcome are sparse.

Methods And Results: This international multicentre registry investigates the characteristics of oesophageal fistulae after treatment of atrial fibrillation by catheter ablation.

A proteo-transcriptomic map of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease signatures.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common, progressive liver disease strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome. It is unclear how progression of NAFLD towards cirrhosis translates into systematic changes in circulating proteins. Here, we provide a detailed proteo-transcriptomic map of steatohepatitis and fibrosis during progressive NAFLD.

The GCKR-P446L gene variant predisposes to raised blood cholesterol and lower blood glucose in the P446L mouse-a model for GCKR rs1260326.

Objectives: The Glucokinase Regulatory Protein GKRP, encoded by GCKR, enables acute regulation of liver glucokinase to support metabolic demand. The common human GCKR rs1260326:Pro446 > Leu variant within a large linkage disequilibrium region associates with pleiotropic traits including lower Type 2 diabetes risk and raised blood triglycerides and cholesterol. Whether the GCKR-P446 > L substitution is causal to the raised lipids is unknown.

Focal Cortex Stimulation With a Novel Implantable Device and Antiseizure Outcomes in 2 Prospective Multicenter Single-Arm Trials.

Importance: For the large population of people with drug-refractory epilepsy, alternative treatment approaches are needed. Clinical trial outcomes of a novel stimulation device, which is newly available in Europe for the treatment of patients with a predominant seizure focus, are reported for the first time.

Objective: To perform a pooled analysis of the results of 2 prospective, multicenter, single-arm trials, A Pilot Study to Assess the Feasibility of Neurostimulation With the EASEE System to Treat Medically Refractory Focal Epilepsy (EASEE II) and A Pilot Study to Assess the Feasibility of Patient-Controlled Neurostimulation With the EASEE System to Treat Medically Refractory Focal Epilepsy (PIMIDES I), assessing the safety and efficacy of epicranial focal cortex stimulation (FCS) with a novel implantable device (EASEE [Precisis]) as adjunctive treatment for adult patients with drug-refractory focal epilepsy.

Machine learning to predict major bleeding during anticoagulation for venous thromboembolism: possibilities and limitations.

Predictive tools for major bleeding (MB) using machine learning (ML) might be advantageous over traditional methods. We used data from the Registro Informatizado de Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE) to develop ML algorithms to identify patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) at increased risk of MB during the first 3 months of anticoagulation. A total of 55 baseline variables were used as predictors.