The European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS) of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Fourth report: Focus on standardized outcome ratios.

Objectives: This fourth report aimed to provide insights into patient characteristics, outcomes, and standardized outcome ratios of patients implanted with durable Mechanical Circulatory Support across participating centers in the European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS) registry.

Methods: All registered patients receiving durable mechanical circulatory support up to August 2024 were included. Expected number of events were predicted using penalized logistic regression.

Treatment Options for Nosocomial Ventriculitis/Meningitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Ventriculo-meningitis or nosocomial meningitis/ventriculitis is a severe nosocomial infection that is associated with devastating neurological sequelae. The cerebrospinal fluid isolates associated with the infection can be Gram-positive or -negative, while the spp. is rarely identified.

Retinopathy in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a multisystemic disease, i.e., influencing various organ systems beyond the liver and, thus, contributing to comorbidities.

Gene Polymorphisms and Cancer Risk in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

gene polymorphisms (677C>T and 1298A>C) correlate with various types of cancer across all age groups; however, a small number of studies have included solely children and adolescents. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to present and synthesize all the available evidence on the association between gene polymorphisms and the incidence of all types of cancer in children and adolescences. After a systematic search of all of the available data, original case-control studies involving children or adolescents with a confirmed diagnosis of any type of cancer and a molecular genetic test of gene polymorphisms were included.

CT perfusion and MRI: A combined approach for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis and follow-up after locoregional treatment.

Objective: CT liver perfusion (CTLP) has been well validated for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) detection, characterization, and treatment response evaluation. However, its role in HCC management algorithms remains unclear. This study aims to assess the diagnostic performance of CTLP alone or as an adjunct to MRI in patients considered for- or undergoing locoregional treatment for HCC.

Human Fungal Infections: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges.

Fungal infections, either invasive and disseminated or cutaneous and superficial, are an important and increasing cause of morbidity [...

Common Genetic Variants in Rare Disorders: Hematology and Beyond.

Emerging evidence suggests that common genetic variants play a significant role in various rare but life-threatening hematological and non-hematological conditions [...

Current update on the neurological manifestations of long COVID: more questions than answers.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a global surge in patients presenting with prolonged or late-onset debilitating sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, colloquially termed long COVID. This narrative review provides an updated synthesis of the latest evidence on the neurological manifestations of long COVID, discussing its clinical phenotypes, underlying pathophysiology, while also presenting the current state of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Approximately one-third of COVID-19 survivors experience prolonged neurological sequelae that persist for at least 12-months post-infection, adversely affecting patients' quality of life.

CT angiography of acute aortic syndrome in patients with chronic kidney disease.

The term acute aortic syndrome (AAS) refers to a range of different entities, including dissection, intramural haematoma and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer. Patients with chronic renal disease and particularly those with dominant polycystic kidney disease are susceptible to this pathology, given the underlying renal arteriopathy and hypertension. Imaging plays a crucial role in diagnosing, grading and guiding management of these patients, with computed tomography angiography (CTA) being on the frontline.

Factors Associated with Corneal Hysteresis in an Elderly White Population: The Thessaloniki Eye Study.

Prcis: In 801 participants, corneal hysteresis (CH) was positively associated with female gender and central corneal thickness, and negatively with age and axial length. Diabetes showed no significant association with CH in the adjusted models.

Purpose: To provide values of corneal hysteresis (CH) in an elderly, healthy Greek population and to investigate its association with demographic, ocular, and systemic factors.

Association Between Polymorphisms in DNA Repair Genes and Glioma Susceptibility: A Meta-Analysis of Four Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (rs3212986, rs13181, rs25487, and rs861539).

Cases with central nervous system tumors represent a small amount of all tumors, and the diagnosis of high-grade gliomas (HGGs) is mostly difficult as they frequently show intratumoral morphological heterogeneity. Genetic factors, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), have an important role in modifying glioma susceptibility. We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to investigate the ERCC1 (rs3212986), ERCC2 (rs13181), XRCC1 (rs25487), and XRCC3 (rs861539) genes to see if they are any risk factors for glioma susceptibility.

Echocardiography of the right heart in pulmonary arterial hypertension: insights from the ULTRA RIGHT VALUE study.

Aims: Outcome in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is determined by right ventricular (RV) function adaptation to increased afterload. Echocardiography is easily available to assist bedside evaluation of the RV. However, no agreement exists about the feasibility and most relevant measurements.

Mind the gap in kidney care: translating what we know into what we do.

Historically, it takes an average of 17 years to move new treatments from clinical evidence to daily practice. Given the highly effective treatments now available to prevent or delay kidney disease onset and progression, this is far too long. The time is now to narrow the gap between what we know and what we do.

Immediate repair of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery via a tension-free end-to-side anastomosis with the Vagus.

The unprecedented technical and technological evolution in thyroid surgery has labelled it as an extremely safe and efficient procedure, and indeed "typifies perhaps better than any other operation the supreme triumph of the surgeon's art."-William Halsted, 1852-1922. Surgeon's experience reflected by annual case load is the most important denominator in thyroid surgery.

Nighttime systolic blood pressure a major factor of retinal vascular caliber changes in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Changes in retinal vessel caliber are crucial for detecting early retinopathy, a significant cause of blindness in individuals with Diabetes Mellitus type 2 (T2DM). This study aims to evaluate the changes in retinal vessel caliber and identify factors associated with these changes in recently diagnosed T2DM patients.

Methods: The study included newly diagnosed T2DM patients (within 6 months of diagnosis) who were free of antidiabetic treatment (except metformin) and matched individuals based on age and blood pressure (BP).

Mind the gap in kidney care: Translating what we know into what we do.

Historically, it takes an average of 17 years to move new treatments from clinical evidence to daily practice. Given the highly effective treatments now available to prevent or delay kidney disease onset and progression, this is far too long. The time is now to narrow the gap between what we know and what we do.

Prognostic Value of Serum TMAO Measurement in Patients with STEMI: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: Gut microbiota-derived metabolite Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is increasingly recognized as a potential novel prognostic biomarker for cardiovascular disease. Our research work aimed to investigate the potential utility of TMAO measurement in patients with STelevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI).

Methods: We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed from inception to the 1st of February 2024 to identify all studies examining the association between plasma TMAO levels and disease complexity or clinical outcomes in STEMI patients.

An immunohistochemical study of thanatophoric dysplasia type 1 after fetus autopsy examination.

The current case report presents the postmortem examination findings of a 17-week-old female fetus displaying thanatophoric dysplasia type 1 (TD-1) due to a known fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene mutation. Gross and X-ray examination revealed significant abnormalities, including skeletal malformations with prominent TD-1 femur curvature. Microscopical evaluation indicated inadequate histological growth for the gestational age, with specific organ immaturity noted in multiple hematoxylin and eosin sections from internal organs, bone from epiphyses and diaphyses levels.

Diuretics in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Diuretic drugs act on electrolyte transporters in the kidney to induce diuresis and are often used in chronic kidney disease (CKD), given that nephron loss creates a deficit in the ability to excrete dietary sodium, which promotes an increase in plasma volume. This rise in plasma volume is exacerbated by CKD-induced systemic and intra-renal activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system, which further limits urinary sodium excretion. In the absence of a compensatory decrease in systemic vascular resistance, increases in plasma volume induced by sodium retention can manifest as a rise in systemic arterial blood pressure.

Circulating MicroRNAs Related to Arterial Stiffness in Adults with HIV Infection.

People with HIV (PWH) have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those without HIV. This study aimed to investigate the relative serum expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with arterial stiffness, a significant marker of cardiovascular disease. A total of 36 male PWH and 36 people without HIV, matched for age, body mass index, pack years, and dyslipidemia, were included in the study.