Comparison of Sitting versus Nonsitting Position for the Resection of Brain Metastases in the Posterior Fossa in a Contemporary Cohort.

Background:  For surgery of brain metastases, good immediate postoperative functional outcome is of utmost importance. Improved functional status can enable further oncologic therapies and adverse events might delay them. Pros and cons of either sitting or prone positioning for resective surgery of the posterior fossa are debated, but contemporary data on direct postoperative outcome are rare.

A direct comparison of multi-energy x-ray and proton CT for imaging and relative stopping power estimation of plastic andphantoms.

Proton therapy administers a highly conformal dose to the tumour region, necessitating accurate prediction of the patient's 3D map of proton relative stopping power (RSP) compared to water. This remains challenging due to inaccuracies inherent in single-energy computed tomography (SECT) calibration. Recent advancements in spectral x-ray CT (xCT) and proton CT (pCT) have shown improved RSP estimation compared to traditional SECT methods.

Baseline MRI Examination in the NAKO Health Study—Findings on Feasibility, Participation and Dropout Rates, Comfort, and Image Quality.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) yields important information on the development and current status of many different diseases. Whole-body MRI was accordingly made a part of the multicenter, population-based NAKO Health Study. The present analysis concerns the feasibility of the baseline MRI examination and various aspects of quality assurance over the period 2014-2019.

Wound healing after intracutaneous vs. staple-assisted skin closure in lumbar, non-instrumented spine surgery: a multicenter prospective randomized trial.

Purpose: Superficial surgical site infection (SSSI) is a prominent problem in spine surgery. Intracutaneous sutures and staple-assisted closure are two widely used surgical techniques for skin closure. Yet, their comparative impact on wound healing and infection rates is underexplored.

Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Actinic Keratosis. What is New for The Management for Sun-Damaged Skin.

Actinic keratosis (AK) is considered a chronic skin disease mostly caused by long-term exposure to UV radiation and other risk factors such as immunosuppression, leading to an individual susceptibility for skin cancer manifestation. The treatment of AK is laborious and costly, and the incidence of skin cancer is forecasted to double until the year 2030 in an aging society.Risk factors in AK for malignant transformation in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are not fully understood, but studies suggest that histological features, such as atypia in the basal epidermal third and basal proliferation (PRO score) in AK play a pivotal role for development of malignancy.

Communication skills of medical students: Evaluation of a new communication curriculum at the University of Augsburg.

Objectives: Teaching communication skills plays a pivotal role in medical curricula. The aim of this article is to describe and evaluate a new communication curriculum developed at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg (KomCuA), which was conceptualized by an interdisciplinary team based on recommended quality standards (i.e.

Risk Stratification Before Living Donor Kidney Transplantation in Patients With Preformed Donor-specific Antibodies by Different Crossmatch Methods.

Background: Preformed donor-specific HLA antibodies (DSA) are a well-known risk factor in kidney transplantation. There is still considerable debate, however, about the optimal risk stratification among patients with preformed DSA. Additionally, data on the prognostic value of different crossmatch assays in DSA-positive patients are scarce.

Clinical and Molecular Risk Factors in Extracranial Malignant Rhabdoid Tumors: Toward an Integrated Model of High-Risk Tumors.

Purpose: Extracranial malignant rhabdoid tumors (eMRT) are a challenging entity. Despite the use of multimodal treatment approaches, therapy failure occurs in 55% to 67% of these. Molecular markers for identification of patients at increased risk for relapse or refractory (R/R) disease are not available.

Characterization of atrial arrhythmias following mitral valve repair: Incidence and risk factors.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the occurrence, type and correlation of early and late atrial arrhythmias following mitral valve repair in patients with no preoperative history of atrial arrhythmias.

Methods: Patients undergoing mitral valve (MV) repair for degenerative disease were included. Early and late postoperative electrocardiograms were evaluated for the incidence and type of atrial arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation [AF] or atrial tachycardia [AT]).

Added value of FDG-PET for detection of progressive supranuclear palsy.

Background: Diagnostic criteria for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) include midbrain atrophy in MRI and hypometabolism in [F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) as supportive features. Due to limited data regarding their relative and sequential value, there is no recommendation for an algorithm to combine both modalities to increase diagnostic accuracy. This study evaluated the added value of sequential imaging using state-of-the-art methods to analyse the images regarding PSP features.

An implementation manual for an interprofessional enhanced recovery after surgery protocol in cardiac surgery following international established frameworks.

Introduction: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols represent a paradigm shift in perioperative care, aim to optimize patient outcomes and accelerate recovery. This manual presents findings from implementing the INCREASE study, a bicentric prospective randomized controlled trial focusing on ERAS in minimally invasive heart valve surgery.

Methods: Utilizing the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR), the study examined contextual factors, intervention components, and implementation strategies.

Barbed suture in neck dissection: a randomized clinical study on efficacy, safety and aesthetic outcome.

Purpose: The resection of lymph nodes/neck dissection is a typical part of the surgical treatment of head and neck malignancies. The aim of this study was to compare subcutaneous closure using single knotted, braided suture (Vicryl, standard arm) with continuous self-locking, monofilament barbed suture (V-Loc, experimental arm).

Methods: Neck Lock was a randomized clinical trial at a single tertiary referral center.

Biodistribution and Radiation Dosimetry for 68 Ga-DOTA-CCK-66, a Novel CCK 2 R-Targeting Compound for Imaging of Medullary Thyroid Cancer.

Abstract: Cholecystokinin 2 receptor (CCK 2 R) is a promising target for imaging and treatment of medullary thyroid cancer due to its overexpression in over 90% of tumor cells. 68 Ga-DOTA-CCK-66 is a recently introduced PET tracer selective for CCK 2 R, which has shown favorable pharmacokinetics in vivo in preclinical experiments. In order to further investigate safety and suitability of this tracer in the human setting, whole-body distribution and radiation dosimetry were evaluated.

Navigating through the healthcare system with atopic dermatitis: Analysing patient journeys in Germany.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD), which can significantly impact quality of life, is a complex, heterogeneous skin disease affecting all ages and therefore can lead to very different patient journeys. Understanding the patient journey within the healthcare system is essential for improving care outcomes.

Objectives: To explore the patient journey of individuals with AD in Germany, with a specific focus on the utilization of Internet resources throughout this process.

Developmental Curves of the Paediatric Brain Using FLAIR MRI Texture Biomarkers.

Analysis of FLAIR MRI sequences is gaining momentum in brain maturation studies, and this study aimed to establish normative developmental curves for FLAIR texture biomarkers in the paediatric brain. A retrospective, single-centre dataset of 465/512 healthy paediatric FLAIR volumes was used, with one pathological volume for proof-of-concept. Participants were included if the MRI was unremarkable as determined by a neuroradiologist.

Assessing outcomes in traumatic brain injury: Helsinki score versus Glasgow coma scale.

Background: The precision of assessment and prognosis in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is paramount for effective triage and informed therapeutic strategies. While the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) remains the cornerstone for TBI evaluation, it overlooks critical primary imaging findings. The Helsinki Score (HS), a novel tool designed to incorporate radiological data, offers a promising approach to predicting TBI outcomes.

Soft tissue tumor imaging in adults: whole-body staging in sarcoma, non-malignant entities requiring special algorithms, pitfalls and special imaging aspects. Guidelines 2024 from the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR).

Objectives: The revised European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) consensus guidelines on soft tissue tumor imaging represent an update of 2015 after technical advancements, further insights into specific entities, and revised World Health Organization (2020) and AJCC (2017) classifications. This second of three papers covers algorithms once histology is confirmed: (1) standardized whole-body staging, (2) special algorithms for non-malignant entities, and (3) multiplicity, genetic tumor syndromes, and pitfalls.

Materials And Methods: A validated Delphi method based on peer-reviewed literature was used to derive consensus among a panel of 46 specialized musculoskeletal radiologists from 12 European countries.