Clinical Surveillance After Macroscopically Complete Surgery for Low-Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasms (LAMN) with or Without Limited Peritoneal Spread: Long-Term Results in a Prospective Series

Background

Low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm (LAMN) is the most common primary lesion of pseudomyxoma peritonei, a disease whose standard treatment is cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. The optimal management of LAMN is not well defined. This study prospectively assessed a clinical surveillance strategy for LAMN with or without limited peritoneal spread.

Methods

During 2003–2017, the study prospectively enrolled 41 patients treated by macroscopically complete surgery for LAMN with or without limited peritoneal spread (pelvis and right lower quadrant). Follow-up assessment included thoracic-abdomino-pelvic computed tomography scan and serum tumor markers scheduled after surgery, then every 6 months for 5 years, and yearly thereafter. All specimens were reviewed by a dedicated pathologist.

Results

Appendectomy and five right colectomies were performed for 36 patients. Nine patients also underwent macroscopically complete cytoreduction of mucinous peritoneal disease, and four patients had hysterectomy plus bilateral salphingo-oophorectomy. Appendiceal rupture was evaluable in 38 of the 41 patients, being present in 21 patients (51.2%). Mucin, cells, or both outside the appendix were observed in 24 patients (58.5%). The median follow-up period was 58 months (range 9.3–162 months). The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was 95.1%. Only two patients experienced peritoneal recurrences (4.9%), respectively 18 and 22 months after appendectomy. Their primary lesions were LAMNs with and without appendix wall rupture or extra-appendiceal mucin, respectively. No death occurred.

Conclusion

These findings strongly suggest that radically resected LAMN, even with limited peritoneal spread, carries a low recurrence risk. Furthermore, appendix wall perforation and the presence of mucin, cells, or both outside the appendix were not associated with a higher risk of metachronous peritoneal dissemination. In this setting, clinical and radiologic surveillance is a viable choice.

     

Neoadjuvant sorafenib,gemcitabine, and cisplatin administration preceding cystectomy in patients with muscle-invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma: An open-label,single-arm,single-center,phase 2 study

Background

Outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with muscle-invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma (MIUBC) should be improved. Sorafenib was combined with gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy (SGC) in an open-label, single-arm, phase 2 trial (NCT01222676).

A critical appraisal of the quality of low back pain practice guidelines using the AGREE II tool and comparison with previous evaluations: a EuroAIM initiative

Purpose

To assess the methodologic quality of guidelines for the management of low back pain (LBP) and compare their recommendations.

Methods

No ethics committee approval was needed for this systematic review. In March 2017, a systematic search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, National Guideline Clearinghouse, and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to find practice guidelines of assessment and management of LBP. The evaluation of guidelines quality was performed independently by four authors using the AGREE II tool, and the results were compared with previous appraisals performed in 2004 and 2009.

Results

Of 114 retrieved guidelines, eight were appraised. All except one reached the level of “acceptable” in overall result, with two of them reaching the highest scores. Only two guidelines reached a level of “acceptable” in every domain; the others had at least one domain with low scores. The guidelines had the higher scores (range?=?63–94%) on “Scope and purpose” and “Clarity of presentation” (47–89%). “Stakeholder Involvement” has the highest variability between the guidelines results (40–96%). “Rigor of Development” reached an intermediate mean result (34–90%), “Applicability” (42–70%), and “Editorial Independence” (38–85%). Only three guidelines had a radiologist among authors and reached higher scores compared to guidelines without a radiologist among the authors. Compared to previous assessments, low-level guidelines were 53% in 2004, 36% in 2009, and 13% in 2017.

Conclusions

Considering all guidelines, only one had a “low” overall score, while half of them were rated as of “high” quality. Future guidelines might take this into account to improve clinical applicability.

Graphical abstract

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Bariatric Surgery to Reduce Mortality in US Adults. A Public Health Perspective from the Analysis of the American National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Linked to the US Mortality Register

Background

Type II obesity represents a major pandemic and public health threat in high-income countries. Type II obesity increases the risk of all-cause and specific-cause mortality, and it is widely acknowledged that bariatric surgery represents the only effective therapeutic option in these patients. The aim of the present study was to estimate US population attributable risk for all-cause and cause-specific mortality in type II obese subjects undergoing weight loss as resulting from bariatric surgery alone and supplemented with behavioral intervention.

Methods

The American National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey linked to the US death registry updated to 2011 was used to estimate type II obesity prevalence and all-cause and specific cause of death for type II obese adults undergoing weight loss. Multivariate adjusted proportional hazard Cox models were used to estimate mortality risks. Statistical analyses were performed on the most updated version of the database (June 2017).

Results

A monotone positive trend for type II obesity was observed during the period 1999–2014 (p < 0.001). According to trend analysis, the rate of type II obesity in US adults is expected to rise up to 8.5%. Two- to sevenfold increased risk of all-cause and specific-cause mortality was observed for type II obese participants when compared to type I obese and overweight participants. Population attributable risk for all-cause and specific-cause mortality for type II obese subjects undergoing weight loss was ranging between 6 and 34%.

Conclusions

Bariatric surgery supplemented with behavioral intervention can result in a relevant reduction of mortality if extensively applied to the US population.

     

Pediatric medial epicondyle fractures with intra-articular elbow incarceration

BackgroundIntra-articular incarceration of the epicondylar fragment occurs in 5–18 % of all cases of medial epicondyle fracture. It requires stable fixation to allow early motion, since elbow stiffness is the most common complication following medial epicondyle fracture. In this retrospective study, we report the clinical and functional outcomes and the complications that occurred following open reduction and screw fixation of medial epicondyle fractures with intra-articular fragment incarceration.MethodsThirteen children who had a fracture of the medial epicondyle with incarceration of the fragment in the elbow joint (type III) were surgically treated in our university hospital between 1998 and 2012. There were eight male and five female patients. The mean age at the time of injury was 13 years (range 9–16). Operative treatment consisted of open reduction and internal fixation with one or two 4.0-mm cannulated screws under fluoroscopic control.ResultsAll of the patients were clinically reviewed at an average follow-up of 29 months. The overall range of motion limitation was about 5° for flexion–extension and 2° for pronation–supination. The score was excellent in all patients (mean 96.3). Complications occurred in four (31 %) children: two cases of symptomatic screw head prominence, irritation with partial lesion of the distal triceps myotendinous junction in one patient, and median nerve entrapment syndrome in one patient.ConclusionsIn conclusion, open reduction and screw fixation yielded excellent clinical and functional outcomes for the treatment of medial epicondyle fractures with intra-articular fragment incarceration. However, particular attention is should be paid when treating these potentially serious injuries in order to minimize the risk of possible complications.

Level of evidence

Therapeutic IV.     

Association between γ marker,human leucocyte antigens and killer immunoglobulin‐like receptors and the natural course of human cytomegalovirus infection: a pilot study performed in a Sicilian population

Natural killer (NK) cells provide a major defence against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection through the interaction of their surface receptors, including the activating and inhibitory killer immunoglobulin‐like receptors (KIRs), and human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules. Also γ marker (GM) allotypes, able to influence the NK antibody‐dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity, appear to be involved in the immunological control of virus infections, including HCMV. In some cases, their contribution requires epistatic interaction with other genes of the immune system, such as HLA. In the present report, with the aim of gaining insight into the immune mechanisms controlling HCMV, we have studied the possible associations among humoral and NK responses, and HCMV infections. In a previous study we assessed whether the KIR and HLA repertoire might influence the risk of developing symptomatic (n = 60) or asymptomatic (n = 60) disease after primary HCMV infection in the immunocompetent host. In the present study, the immunocompetent patients with primary symptomatic HCMV infection were genotyped for GM3/17 and GM23 allotypes, along with the 60 participants with a previous asymptomatic infection as controls. Notwithstanding the presence of missing data record, advanced missing data recovery techniques were able to show that individuals carrying the GM23 allotypes, both homozygous and heterozygous, GM17/17, HLA‐C2 and Bw4^T KIR‐ligand groups are associated with the risk of developing symptomatic infection. Our findings on the role of both cellular and humoral immunity in the control of HCMV infection should be of value in guiding efforts to reduce HCMV‐associated health complications in the elderly, including immunosenescence, and in transplantation.