Peptidylarginine Deiminase 2 in Host Immunity: Current Insights and Perspectives.

Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) are a group of enzymes that catalyze post-translational modifications of proteins by converting arginine residues into citrullines. Among the five members of the PAD family, PAD2 and PAD4 are the most frequently studied because of their abundant expression in immune cells. An increasing number of studies have identified PAD2 as an essential factor in the pathogenesis of many diseases.

Comparison of Diagnostic Rates and Concordance with Subsequent Surgical Resections between Conventional Smear and ThinPrep Preparations versus ThinPrep Only in Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration (T-FNA) Specimens.

Background: Thyroid fine needle aspiration (T-FNA) is a mainstay in management of thyroid nodules. However, the preparation of T-FNA specimens varies across institutions. Prior studies have compared diagnostic rates between different specimen preparations of T-FNA specimens and their associated advantages and disadvantages.

Endoscopic and fluoroscopic-guided closure of the eustachian tube using a biliary cytology brush and liquid embolic agent for a persistent CSF leak after schwannoma resection.

Vestibular schwannoma is a known cause of progressive sensorineural hearing loss. Treatment options include observation, radiation therapy and surgical resection. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula is a known postsurgical complication that can lead to CSF otorrhoea, rhinorrhoea or CSF leakage from the surgical wound.

Analysis of Factors Associated with Return-to-Work After Lumbar Surgery up to 2-Years Follow-up: A Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) Study.

Study Design: Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) prospectively collects data on all patients undergoing operations for degenerative and/or deformity indications.

Objective: We aimed to identify which factors are significantly associated with return-to-work after lumbar surgery at long-term follow-up.

Summary Of Background Data: Prior publications have created a clinically relevant predictive model for return-to-work, wherein education, gender, race, comorbidities, and preoperative symptoms increased likelihood of return-to-work at 3 months after lumbar surgery.

Ethics in Interventional Radiology: A Case-Based Primer.

As the field of interventional radiology assumes a larger role in patient care, the specialty has a growing responsibility to recognize and understand ethical dilemmas within the field. We present a case-based primer on common ethical issues in IR, including requests for potentially inappropriate procedures, surrogate decision making, informed consent, and managing conflicts of interest and procedural complications. This primer is intended to be used as a guide for discussion-based training in ethics in IR while inspiring further research in applied ethics in IR.

Micro-habits for life-long learning.

Radiology is a demanding career that requires a thorough understanding of evolving knowledge in both medical imaging and technology. Competing interests such as-familial obligations, clinical practice, committee meetings, and research projects-often leave little time for self-care and regular review of current medical literature. Healthy habits can be difficult to maintain, but micro-habits are more manageable and their benefits compound over time.

Ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm: An uncommon presentation of shock to the pediatric emergency department.

This case report describes a rare etiology of cardiogenic shock, particularly in the pediatric population. A healthy 17 year old male presents from an outside hospital in undifferentiated shock requiring vasopressor support. Ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm was diagnosed by echocardiogram and the patient went emergently to the operating room for surgical repair.

Psychiatric Evaluation and Management in Pediatric Spinal Cord Injuries: a Review.

Purpose Of Review: To summarize current key recommendations in the evaluation and management of mental health disorders associated with spinal cord injuries (SCI) among pediatric patients, based on a review of recent evidence-based literature and clinical experience.

Recent Findings: Anticipating potential mental health risks among youth with SCI and implementing early multidisciplinary management improves physical and mental health outcomes. When caregivers of youth with SCI model healthy coping strategies, it promotes healthy coping strategies in patients themselves.

Disparities in outcomes after spine surgery: a Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative study.

Objective: Most studies on racial disparities in spine surgery lack data granularity to control for both comorbidities and self-assessment metrics. Analyses from large, multicenter surgical registries can provide an enhanced platform for understanding different factors that influence outcome. In this study, the authors aimed to determine the effects of race on outcomes after lumbar surgery, using patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in 3 areas: the North American Spine Society patient satisfaction index, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) on the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for low-back pain, and return to work.

Managing Falls: Implementation of a Three-Intervention Initiative to Improve Quality of Care for Patients With Cancer.

Background: All healthcare institutions prioritize falls as a major safety issue. Falls are of particular concern on inpatient oncology units where patients are substantially at risk for injury related to falls.

Objectives: This article describes a multifaceted fall-prevention initiative that can be implemented on oncology units using evidence-based interventions in the key areas of communication, toileting, and hourly rounding.

Tranexamic Acid in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Hemarthrosis after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction procedures can delay rehabilitation and have toxic effects on the cartilage and synovium. Tranexamic acid is widely used in adult reconstruction procedures; however, its use in ACL reconstruction is a novel topic of study.

Purpose: To analyze the available literature on hemarthrosis, pain, functional outcomes, and complications after administration of tranexamic acid in ACL reconstruction procedures.

Lung-RADS Version 1.1: Challenges and a Look Ahead, From the Special Series on Radiology Reporting and Data Systems.

In 2014, the American College of Radiology (ACR) created Lung-RADS 1.0. The system was updated to Lung-RADS 1.

Treatment of Aggression in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by markedly impaired social interaction, impaired communication, and restricted/repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. In addition to challenges caused by core symptoms, maladaptive behaviors such as aggression can be associated with ASD and can further disrupt functioning and quality of life. For adults with ASD, these behaviors can portend adverse outcomes (e.

Patient experiences with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a conceptual model of symptoms and impacts on quality of life.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary myocardial disorder defined by left ventricular hypertrophy that cannot be explained by another cardiac or systemic disease. There is a general lack of knowledge about patients' perspectives on the symptoms and day-to-day limitations they experience as a result of HCM. We therefore sought an in-depth understanding of patients' experiences of obstructive (oHCM) and nonobstructive (nHCM) forms of the disease, including symptoms and their quality of life impacts, and to develop a conceptual model to capture them.

Efficacy and Tolerability of Eravacycline in Bacteremic Patients with Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infection: A Pooled Analysis from the IGNITE1 and IGNITE4 Studies.

Eravacycline is a novel, fully synthetic fluorocycline antibiotic that was evaluated for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) in two phase 3 clinical trials. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the clinical cure and microbiologic response at the test-of-cure (TOC) visit and the safety of eravacycline in patients with cIAI and baseline bacteremia who received eravacycline versus comparators. Pooled data of patients with bacteremia from the Investigating Gram-Negative Infections Treated with Eravacycline (IGNITE) 1 and IGNITE4 studies were analyzed.

Stress-Related Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Multicenter Retrospective Observational Study.

Background/objective: Stress-related mucosal bleeding (SRMB) occurs in approximately 2-4% of critically ill patients. Patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) have a (diffuse) space-occupying lesion, are critically ill, often require mechanical ventilation, and frequently receive anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy after aneurysm embolization, all of which may be risk factors for SRMB. However, no studies have evaluated SRMB in patients with aSAH.

Essential information on surgical heart valve characteristics for optimal valve prosthesis selection: Expert consensus document from the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)-The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)-American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Valve Labelling Task Force.

Comprehensive information on the characteristics of surgical heart valves (SHVs) is essential for optimal valve selection. Such information is also important in assessing SHV function after valve replacement. Despite the existing regulatory framework for SHV sizing and labelling, this information is challenging to obtain in a uniform manner for various SHVs.

Effect of Propranolol on 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake in Brown Adipose Tissue in Children and Young Adults with Neoplastic Diseases.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of propranolol at mitigating FDG uptake in brown adipose tissue (BAT) of pediatric patients with known or suspected malignancies.

Methods: PET/CT scans of 3 cohorts of patients treated from 2005 to 2017 were scored for the presence of FDG uptake by BAT at 7 sites: right or left neck/supraclavicular area, right or left axilla, mediastinum, posterior thorax, and abdomen/pelvis. Uptake was scored as follows: 0, none; 1, mild uptake < liver; 2, moderate uptake = liver; and 3, intense uptake > liver.

Essential Information on Surgical Heart Valve Characteristics for Optimal Valve Prosthesis Selection: Expert Consensus Document From the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)-The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)-American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Valve Labelling Task Force.

Comprehensive information on the characteristics of surgical heart valves (SHVs) is essential for optimal valve selection. Such information is also important in assessing SHV function after valve replacement. Despite the existing regulatory framework for SHV sizing and labelling, this information is challenging to obtain in a uniform manner for various SHVs.