Current state and future perspectives of spinal navigation and robotics-an AO spine survey.

Introduction: The use of robotics in spine surgery has gained popularity. This study aims to assess the current state of robotics and raise awareness of its educational implications.

Research Question: What are the current adoption trends and barriers to the implementation of robotic assistance in spine surgery?

Material And Methods: An online questionnaire comprising 27 questions was distributed to AO spine members between October 25th and November 13th, 2023, using the SurveyMonkey platform (https://www.

Renal pseudotumor mimicking renal cell carcinoma in an elderly patient with ovarian carcinoma: Case report and literature review.

This case report is about an 84-year-old female patient with a history of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma who was diagnosed with a renal pseudotumor. Initial imaging in February 2023 showed signs of a renal cell carcinoma and possible lung metastases. A CT-guided biopsy and histopathological analysis ruled out malignancy and confirmed a benign inflammatory pseudotumor.

Comparison of a Novel Ultra-Widefield Three-Color Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope to Other Retinal Imaging Modalities in Chorioretinal Lesion Imaging.

Purpose: To compare the assessment of clinically relevant retinal and choroidal lesions as well as optic nerve pathologies using a novel three-wavelength ultra-widefield (UWF) scanning laser ophthalmoscope with established retinal imaging techniques for ophthalmoscopic imaging.

Methods: Eighty eyes with a variety of retinal and choroidal lesions were assessed on the same time point using Topcon color fundus photography (CFP) montage, Optos red/green (RG), Heidelberg SPECTRALIS MultiColor 55-color montage (MCI), and novel Optos red/green/blue (RGB). Paired images of the optic nerve, retinal, or choroidal lesions were initially diagnosed based on CFP imaging.

Spectral Differentiation of Hyperdense Non-Vascular and Vascular Renal Lesions Without Solid Components in Contrast-Enhanced Photon-Counting Detector CT Scans-A Pilot Study.

: The number of incidental renal lesions identified in CT scans of the abdomen is increasing. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether hyperdense renal lesions without solid components in a portal venous CT scan can be clearly classified as vascular or non-vascular by material decomposition into iodine and water. This retrospective single-center study included 26 patients (mean age 72 years ± 9; 16 male) with 42 hyperdense renal lesions (>20 HU) in a contrast-enhanced Photon-Counting Detector CT scan (PCD-CT) between May and December 2022.

Are we systematically overdosing women? Revisiting standardized contrast protocols for thoracoabdominal CT scans.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the iodine contrast in blood and solid organs differs between men and women and to evaluate the effect of BMI, height, weight, and blood volume (BV) on sex-specific contrast in staging CT.

Materials And Methods: Patients receiving a venous-phase thoracoabdominal Photon-Counting Detector CT (PCD-CT) scan with 100- or 120-mL CM between 08/2021 and 01/2022 were retrospectively included in this single-center study. Image analysis was performed by measuring iodine contrast in the liver, portal vein, spleen, left atrium, left ventricle, pulmonary trunk, ascending and descending aorta on spectral PCD-CT datasets.

Pregnancy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Data from a Real-World Cohort in Germany.

: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently manifests at a young age, during the peak fertility years. Understanding the risks of negative pregnancy outcomes associated with IBD is crucial for effective pregnancy management and support. Additionally, it is essential to provide patients with the necessary knowledge to make informed choices and foster their confidence in navigating pregnancy while maintaining effective disease management.

Virtual Monoenergetic Imaging of Thoracoabdominal Computed Tomography Angiography on Photon-Counting Detector Computertomography: Assessment of Image Quality and Leveraging Low-keV Series for Salvaging Suboptimal Contrast Acquisitions.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of image improvement of ECG-gated, high-pitch computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the thoracoabdominal aorta before transaortic valve replacement (TAVR) on a novel dual-source photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) in the setting of suboptimal low-contrast attenuation.

Methods: Continuously examined patients who underwent an ECG-gated, high-pitch CTA of the aorta on a PCD-CT with a contrast decrease of at least 50% between the ascending aorta and the common femoral arteries (CFA) were included. Patient characteristics were documented.

Rescue therapy after failed thrombectomy in medium/distal vessel occlusions: A retrospective analysis of an international, multi-center registry.

Background: There are limited therapeutic options in cases of failed reperfusion (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction [mTICI] score < 2b) after stent-retriever and/or aspiration based endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke. Despite the absence of data supporting its use, rescue therapy (balloon angioplasty and/or stent implantation) is often utilized in such cases. Studies are limited to large vessel occlusions, while the outcomes and complications after rescue therapy in medium/distal vessel occlusions (MDVOs) have not been reported.

The effects of psychosocial aftercare following pediatric chronic pain treatment withstand the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: long-term outcomes of a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) is the best therapy available for children and adolescents affected by severe chronic pain. Psychosocial aftercare (PAC) offered for 6 months after IIPT can improve treatment outcomes for up to 12 months.

Objectives: The current study is the first to explore whether PAC is superior to treatment as usual at a long-term follow-up of 18 to 33 months after discharge-including when facing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Development of a core outcome set of quality indicators for enhanced recovery after surgery in minimally invasive cardiac heart valve surgery by interprofessional Delphi consensus.

Objectives: A core outcome set (COS) giving indicators of the quality of the process for minimally invasive valve surgery embedded into enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols should be developed.

Methods: Using web-based questionnaires, a Delphi process with three rounds was conducted from January to December 2022. Prior to the rounds, a systematic database search was performed identifying potential quality parameters.

Association between BMI and cause-specific long-term mortality in acute myocardial infarction patients.

Aims: To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) at acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and all-cause as well as cause-specific long-term mortality.

Methods: The analysis was based on 10,651 hospitalized AMI patients (age 25-84 years) recorded by the population-based Myocardial Infarction Registry Augsburg between 2000 and 2017. The median follow-up time was 6.

A retrospective, multicentric, nationwide analysis of the impact of splenectomy on survival of pancreatic cancer patients.

Objective: Splenectomy is regularly performed in total and distal pancreatectomy due to technical reasons, lymph node dissection and radicality of the operation. However, the spleen serves as an important organ for competent immune function, and its removal is associated with an increased incidence of cancer and a worse outcome in some cancer entities (Haematologica 99:392-398, 2014; Dis Colon Rectum 51:213-217, 2008; Dis Esophagus 21:334-339, 2008). The impact of splenectomy in pancreatic cancer is not fully resolved (J Am Coll Surg 188:516-521, 1999; J Surg Oncol 119:784-793, 2019).

Generating 3D brain tumor regions in MRI using vector-quantization Generative Adversarial Networks.

Medical image analysis has significantly benefited from advancements in deep learning, particularly in the application of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) for generating realistic and diverse images that can augment training datasets. The common GAN-based approach is to generate entire image volumes, rather than the region of interest (ROI). Research on deep learning-based brain tumor classification using MRI has shown that it is easier to classify the tumor ROIs compared to the entire image volumes.

Self-assessment and learning motivation in emergency point-of-care ultrasound: an online pilot investigation in German physicians.

Introduction: Learning motivation is essential to obtain and maintain ultrasound competencies in emergency medicine. One's competencies herein and the need for ongoing training are best evaluated by self-assessment. This may be flawed by overconfidence effects - the belief to be better than others or better than tests reveal.

Low income, being without employment, and living alone: how they are associated with cognitive functioning-Results from the German national cohort (NAKO).

Aim was to investigate to what extent cognitive functioning differs by three socioeconomic conditions: low income, being without employment, and living alone. A total of N = 158,144 participants of the population-based German National Cohort (NAKO) provided data on socioeconomic conditions and completed cognitive tests. Multivariable confounder-adjusted regression analyses indicated that cognitive functioning was lower in those with low income (b = -0.

Differences in Management and Outcomes in Atraumatic Splenic Rupture Compared to Traumatic Injury Following Blunt Abdominal Trauma.

: To evaluate the differences in treatment and outcomes between traumatic and atraumatic splenic lacerations. : This retrospective study included all patients with a diagnosis of splenic lacerations confirmed by computed tomography that presented from 01/2010 to 03/2023 at one tertiary hospital. The exclusion criteria included missing image data and death in the first 24 h due to extensive trauma.

Air Pollution and Myocardial Infarction-A New Smoker's Paradox?

Ambient air pollution is a significant public health concern, known to affect cardiovascular health adversely. Research has identified both long-term and short-term cardiovascular risks associated with various air pollutants, including those linked to acute coronary syndromes. However, the observed effects are rather small, with most data sourced from highly polluted regions.

Assessing Patient Health Dynamics by Comparative CT Analysis: An Automatic Approach to Organ and Body Feature Evaluation.

The integration of machine learning into the domain of radiomics has revolutionized the approach to personalized medicine, particularly in oncology. Our research presents RadTA (RADiomics Trend Analysis), a novel framework developed to facilitate the automatic analysis of quantitative imaging biomarkers (QIBs) from time-series CT volumes. RadTA is designed to bridge a technical gap for medical experts and enable sophisticated radiomic analyses without deep learning expertise.

Feasibility of hand disinfection in paediatric advanced life support (PALS): A simulation study.

Background: Hand disinfection is often omitted during emergencies because it may delay life-saving treatments. As healthcare-associated infections significantly worsen patient outcomes, the categorical omission of hand disinfection in emergencies should be re-evaluated. Real-world observations on this subject tentatively indicate compliance rates of <10%.

Improved survival of advanced melanoma patients receiving immunotherapy with concomitant antithrombotic therapy - A multicenter study on 2419 patients from the prospective skin cancer registry ADOReg.

Background: Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized melanoma treatment, but the high number of non-responders still emphasizes the need for improvement of therapy. One potential avenue for enhancing anti-tumor treatment is through the modulation of coagulation and platelet activity. Both have been found to play an important role in the tumor microenvironment, tumor growth and metastasis.

Does size matter? Center-specific characteristics and survival after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia: an analysis of the German Registry for Stem Cell Transplantation and Cell Therapy.

We investigated the effect of center-specific variables on overall survival (OS) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Eligible were adult patients reported to DRST registry receiving first alloHCT for AML from a related or matched (>= 9/10 HLA-match) unrelated donor 2015-2021. Primary endpoint was OS at 12 months from alloHCT.