Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: How to Identify the Best Responders to Surgery?

Surgery is the only definitive treatment for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM), however, the degree of neurological recovery is often unpredictable. Here, we assess the utility of a multidimensional diagnostic approach, consisting of clinical, neurophysiological, and radiological parameters, to identify patients likely to benefit most from surgery. Thirty-six consecutive patients were prospectively analyzed using the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) score, MEPs/SSEPs and advance and conventional MRI parameters, at baseline, and 3- and 12-month postoperatively.

Ulnar neuropathy at the elbow: Reappraisal of the wrist-upper arm latency difference between ulnar and median nerves.

Objectives: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the latency difference (DLat) between ulnar and median nerves of the arm after stimulation at the wrist; one of the easiest techniques proposed for recognizing ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE). As latency difference is not a standardized technique, we set up a multicenter study to recruit large numbers of normal subjects and patients with UNE or generalized neuropathy.

Methods: Six centers participated in the study with data obtained from three groups of participants, controls (CTRLs), patients with UNE and patients with generalized neuropathy (GNP).

Imaging Clot Characteristics in Stroke and its Possible Implication on Treatment.

Ischemic cerebral stroke is an increasingly treatable entity due to the recent developments in intravascular clot extraction, with recent research indicating that the efficacy of the chosen thrombectomy device may be affected by the composition of the occluding clot. This literature review summarizes the results from analytical clot imaging studies, and in vitro and in vivo thrombectomies, to assess whether the choice of thrombectomy device can be optimized to the composition of the occluding clot. The literature has shown that the composition of the clot impacts its mechanical properties and interactions with the device.

[Endovascular therapy of acute ischemic stroke].

Endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke has introduced several paradigm shifts in the therapy of cerebral artery occlusion. Until recently, intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator was the only evidence-based treatment option. Recent trials have proven the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment and additional clinical studies are expanding the indication for this therapeutic approach.

Developmental trajectories of neuroanatomical alterations associated with the 16p11.2 Copy Number Variations.

Most of human genome is present in two copies (maternal and paternal). However, segments of the genome can be deleted or duplicated, and many of these genomic variations (known as Copy Number Variants) are associated with psychiatric disorders. 16p11.

Rivaroxaban pharmacodynamics in healthy volunteers evaluated with thrombin generation and the active protein C system: Modeling and assessing interindividual variability.

Background: Rivaroxaban is a direct factor Xa inhibitor with substantial inter-individual pharmacokinetic (PK) variability. Pharmacodynamic (PD) variability, especially assessed with thrombin generation (TG), has been less documented.

Objectives: (i) To assess TG parameter time profiles in healthy volunteers, with TG being studied under different conditions and (ii) to model the relationship between rivaroxaban concentrations and TG parameters and subsequently estimate interindividual variability.

Use of day and night urinary iodine excretion to estimate the prevalence of inadequate iodine intakes via the estimated average requirement cut-point method.

The objectives were to determine urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in day and night samples collected over a 24-hour period and evaluate the usual dietary iodine intake distribution from this collection. We propose a method by which the prevalence of inadequacy can be calculated from a single 24-hour collection, reducing the burden on participants and the study costs. The samples from 1128 participants were collected between 2009 and 2013 within the framework of the Swiss Kidney Project on Genes observational cohort study; 1024 samples were suitable for statistical evaluation of iodine analysis.

[From bunker construction to patient treatment: quality controls applied to modern radiotherapy techniques].

Installation and use of a new radiotherapy device require an adequate quality and safety policy. The process leading to the commissioning of an accelerator following the construction of a bunker includes, among other tasks, the installation of the accelerator, the verification of compliance with the specifications, the signature of the acceptance specification as well as the process of characterization and modeling of the accelerator before its clinical use. The emergence of modern radiotherapy techniques, such as intensity modulated conformational radiotherapy and stereotactic radiotherapy, has resulted in more complex quality controls.

Neck management in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas: where do we stand?

Head and neck squamous-cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) have a significant lymph node tropism. This varies considerably depending on the primary tumor site and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) status of the disease. The best therapeutic option, between up-front lymph node dissection and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) +/- followed by lymph node dissection in case of persistent lymphadenopathy or regional relapse, remains unclear.

Molecular apocrine tumours in EORTC 10994/BIG 1-00 phase III study: pathological response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and clinical outcomes.

Background: We explored, within the EORTC10994 study, the outcomes for patients with molecular apocrine (MA) breast cancer, and defined immunohistochemistry (IHC) as androgen-receptor (AR) positive, oestrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) negative. We also assessed the concordance between IHC and gene expression arrays (GEA) in the identification of MA cancers.

Methods: Centrally assessed biopsies for AR, ER, PR, HER2 and Ki67 by IHC were classified into six subtypes: MA, triple-negative (TN) basal-like, luminal A, luminal B HER2 negative, luminal B HER2 positive and "other".

A rare case of immune thrombocytopenia secondary to breast cancer.

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) is in rare cases secondary to solid tumors, particularly breast cancer. In these cases, the clinical course of the ITP may follow the clinical course of the primary tumor, and remission of the ITP may be induced by treatment of the primary tumor.

Paediatric musculoskeletal infections with Panton-Valentine leucocidin.

Aims Of The Study: Paediatric musculoskeletal infections by Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-producing Staphylococcus aureus constitute a rare, but highly critical event. They are characterised by a rapid course of marked inflammation, worsening under conservative therapy and a high rate of recurrence. This study aimed to illustrate the importance of paediatric PVL-producing S.

The impact of trisomy 21 on treatment modalities and outcome in adults with congenital heart disease in Switzerland.

Trisomy 21 (T21) is associated in 40-45% of cases with heart defects, most commonly shunt lesions. These defects, if not repaired, can lead to irreversible shunt-induced pulmonary hypertension (i.e.

Colon cancer and IgG4-related disease with orbital inflammation and bilateral optic perineuritis: A case report.

Rationale: Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an inflammatory condition of unknown cause. Cancer might be related to the development of certain IgG4-RD but to date, little literature documents it.

Patient Concerns: A 78-year old man presented with unilateral proptosis responsive to steroids, initially attributed to nonspecific orbital inflammation.

Management of locally advanced anal canal carcinoma with intensity-modulated radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy.

The best curative option for locally advanced (stages II-III) squamous-cell carcinomas of the anal canal (SCCAC) is concurrent chemo-radiotherapy delivering 36-45 Gy to the prophylactic planning target volume with an additional boost of 14-20 Gy to the gross tumor volume with or without a gap-period between these two sequences. Although 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy led to suboptimal tumor coverage because of field junctions, this modality remains a standard of care. Recently, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) techniques improved tumor coverage while decreasing doses delivered to organs at risk.

Combined radiogrammetry and texture analysis for early diagnosis of osteoporosis using Indian and Swiss data.

Osteoporosis is a bone disorder characterized by bone loss and decreased bone strength. The most widely used technique for detection of osteoporosis is the measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). But DXA scans are expensive and not widely available in low-income economies.

[Intrauterine device and pelvic inflammatory disease: Myth or reality?].

Introduction: Intrauterine device (IUD) is a reliable contraceptive method that is long term reversible, and well tolerated. Numerous studies prove its efficiency and report rare complications that are attributed to it. However, its use is limited due to fear that it can cause a pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Severe Strongyloidiasis in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: Should We Preventively Treat the Recipient, the Donor, or Both?

Strongyloidiasis is caused by a soil-transmitted helminth that is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries. The parasite can complete its life cycle without leaving the host, allowing autoinfection and persistence. The risk of infection in travelers is low, but the disease may become lethal following immunosuppression.

Current Perspectives on Erythema Multiforme.

Recognition and timely adequate treatment of erythema multiforme remain a major challenge. In this review, current diagnostic guidelines, potential pitfalls, and modern/novel treatment options are summarized with the aim to help clinicians with diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making. The diagnosis of erythema multiforme, that has an acute, self-limiting course, is based on its typical clinical picture of targetoid erythematous lesions with predominant acral localization as well as histological findings.

The Barrow Neurological Institute Grading Scale as a Predictor for Delayed Cerebral Ischemia and Outcome After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Data From a Nationwide Patient Registry (Swiss SOS).

Background: The Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) scale is a novel quantitative scale measuring maximal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) thickness to predict delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). This scale could replace the Fisher score, which was traditionally used for DCI prediction.

Objective: To validate the BNI scale.

[Pityriasis rubra pilaris].

Pityriasis rubra pilaris is a rare heterogeneous dermatosis associating three clinical signs to different degrees: follicular corneal papules, reddish-orange palmoplantar keratoderma and erythematosquamous lesions that may in some cases be very extensive, interspersed with patches of healthy skin. The aetiology is unclear, and in most cases, the trigger factors consist of trauma or infection, probably in subjects with an existing predisposition. In other cases, the condition is associated with immunological disorders or, in familial cases, genetic keratinisation abnormalities similar to ichthyosis.

Early diagnosis of osteoporosis using radiogrammetry and texture analysis from hand and wrist radiographs in Indian population.

Unlabelled: We propose an automated low cost tool for early diagnosis of onset of osteoporosis using cortical radiogrammetry and cancellous texture analysis from hand and wrist radiographs. The trained classifier model gives a good performance accuracy in classifying between healthy and low bone mass subjects.

Introduction: We propose a low cost automated diagnostic tool for early diagnosis of reduction in bone mass using cortical radiogrammetry and cancellous texture analysis of hand and wrist radiographs.