Prostatic Artery Embolization—Anatomic Predictors of Technical Outcomes

PurposeTo determine if cone-beam CT and digital subtraction angiography analysis of pelvic arterial anatomy has predictive value for radiation exposure and technical success of prostatic artery embolization (PAE).Materials and MethodsThis prospective, nonrandomized, single-center study included 104 consecutive patients with lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cone-beam CT was performed in 160/208 (76.9%) hemipelves to determine prostatic artery (PA) origin. Classification of pelvic arterial tortuosity was possible in 73/104 (70.2%) patients. Learning curves of 2 interventionalists who performed 86.5% of PAEs were analyzed.ResultsTortuosity of pelvic arteries was classified as mild in 25 (34.2%) patients median age 64 years, moderate in 40 (54.8%) patients median age 69 years, and severe in 8 (11.0%) patients median age 70 years (mild vs moderate, P = .002; mild vs severe, P = .019); median fluoroscopy times were 24, 36, and 46 minutes (P = .008, P = .023); median contrast volumes were 105, 122.5, and 142 mL (P = .029, P = .064); and bilateral PAE rates were 84.0%, 77.5%, and 62.5% (P = .437), respectively. PA origin from superior vesical artery was most frequent (27.5%) and showed higher dose area product (median 402.4 vs 218 Gy ∙ cm², P = .033) and fluoroscopy time (median 42.5 vs 27 min, P = .01) compared with PA origin from obturator artery, which was least frequent. Interventionalist experience revealed significant impact on procedure times (median 159 vs 130 min, P = .006).ConclusionsTortuosity of pelvic arteries was more frequent in older patients and predicted worse technical outcomes of PAE. PA origin from obturator artery was associated with lower dose area product and fluoroscopy time, especially compared with PA origin from superior vesical artery. Interventionalist experience showed significant influence on technical outcome.     

The effect of different statistical approaches on image quality data obtained from radiological examinations

IntroductionSelection of optimal image acquisition protocols in medical imaging remains a grey area, the superimposed use of the Likert scale in radiological image quality evaluations creates an additional challenge for the statistical analysis of image quality data.Using a simulation study, we have trialled a novel approach to analysing radiological image quality Likert scale data.MethodsA simulation study was undertaken where simulated datasets were generated based on the distribution of Likert scale values according to varying image acquisition protocols from a real dataset. Simulated Likert scale values were pooled in four different ways; the mean, median, mode and the summation of patient Likert scale values of which the total was assigned a categorical Likert scale value. Estimates of bias, MAPE and RMSPE were then calculated for all four pooling approaches to determine which method most accurately represented an expert's opinion.ResultsWhen compared to an expert's opinion, the method of summation and categorisation of Likert scale values was most accurate 49 times out of the 114 (43.0%) tests. The mean 28 times out of 114 (24.6%), the median 23 times out of 114 (20.2%) and the mode 17 times out of 114 (14.9%).ConclusionWe conclude that our method of summation and categorisation of Likert scale values is most often the best representation of the simulated data compared to the expert's opinion.Implications for practiceThere is scope to reproduce this simulation study with multiple observers to reflect clinical reality more accurately with the dynamic nature of multiple observers. This also prompts future investigation into other anatomical areas, to see if the same methods produce similar results.     

Permanent prostate brachytherapy for Japanese men: Results from initial 100 patients with prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the initial results of brachytherapy for prostate cancer with permanent iodine-125 implant in Japan. METHODS: The results obtained with brachytherapy in the initial 100 Japanese patients treated at Nagano Municipal Hospital were reviewed. Patients with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of less than 10 ng/mL and a Gleason's scores of 5, 6, 3 + 4 were classified as having a low risk of recurrence. Patients with a PSA level of 10-20 ng/mL and/or a Gleason's score of 4 + 3 were classified as having an intermediate risk for recurrence. Seventy-eight of the low-risk patients and 19 of the intermediate-risk patients were treated by seed implants alone, or seed implants combined with preceding external radiation, respectively. A total of 53 patients received neoadjuvant hormone therapy. The efficacy and morbidity of brachytherapy were investigated using the serum PSA, International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life score and uroflowmetry data. RESULTS: The average V100 and D90 obtained by post-implant dosimetry was 94.3 and 113.7%, respectively. Serum PSA decreased gradually after treatment, although it had still not reached a nadir after 1 year. There was little difference of the PSA level between the patients with and without neoadjuvant hormone therapy even at 1 year after seed implantation. There were no PSA biochemical failure or clinical recurrence during the follow-up period. Voiding symptoms worsened until 3 months after treatment, and then gradually improved. Acute urinary retention occurred transiently in one patient (1%). Rectal bleeding and severe diarrhea did not occur. CONCLUSION: Brachytherapy is a feasible and effective option for the treatment of prostate cancer in Japanese men. Brachytherapy may have a different effect in Japanese patients with respect to voiding symptoms. Urinary retention was rare, but voiding symptoms were persistent in Japanese patients. Neoadjuvant hormone therapy deserves investigation to determine whether it can achieve better results, especially in patients with an intermediate risk.     

输卵管妊娠保守治疗适应证选择

目的　探讨彩色多普勒超声 (CDFI)筛选合适药物保守治疗异位妊娠的临床价值。方法　 5 0例生命体征平稳的异位妊娠患者 ,在行CDFI检查后接受甲氨蝶呤 (MTX) 5 0mg/m2 单次肌肉注射配合米非司酮 2 5mg ,Bid 3d口服 ,随访直至临床结局。分析成功与失败病例CDFI的特点和绒毛膜促性腺激素 (HCG)的水平 ,并制作CDFI评分。结果　CDFI能直接反映胚胎生命力 ,不同CD FI图像和血清HCG水平的病例 ,保守治疗成功率有很大差异。结论　CDFI评分可应用于适合保守治疗异位妊娠病例的筛选。对评分 >10者 ,因失败率高 ,不推荐药物保守治疗     

亲水性聚氨酯宫颈扩张棒在引产中的应用

初产妇30例,用亲水性聚氯酯泡沫宫颈扩张棒(简称“扩张棒”)作人工剥膜与破膜加催产素引产前扩张宫颈,同时以条件类同初产妇30例进行对照。扩张棒组置棒前宫颈成熟度评分为2.93±0.91,对照组为3.7±0.88,两组无显著差异:扩张后宫颈评分为6.13±1.22,与扩张前有显著差异(P<0.05)。扩张棒组引产成功率为92.6%,而对照组为64.3%,差异非常显著(P<0.01),同时能缩短产程。本组用扩张棒组引产的30例,无一例发生产时、产后感染。     

Modification des styles d'attachement après le premier amour

The newborn are subject to the bond between infants and their caregivers. The newborn receives the imprint of a style of attachment of which the function involves “proximity-maintenance” and “separation-protest”. The “secure-base” uses the attachment as a base from which the newly born is able to explore his environment. The continuity between childhood and adult relationships changes when romantic love and sexual appetite appear. A new kind of attachment with the love partner must develop and it has to support both attachment and sexuality. The youngster produces the same secure, avoiding, ambivalent or confused attachment as when he was an infant but, as opposed to that with his family, when the young person is attached to his partner he doesn't want to leave. In order to assess the link between the attachment with caregivers and the attachment with the first love, we proposed a questionnaire, a kind of “Love quiz”. First, the representation of attachment with their parents was assessed by four columns of ten questions. Each question referred to a style of attachment, for instance at the end of the interview, the column asking questions about avoidance displayed seven answers, whereas the secure column showed only three answers and the confused only one. Later, the same questionnaire was submitted in order to describe the new attachment with the first love. Results showed that the commitment to romantic love was similar to those observed among infants. But, after a while, the scores obtained in each column evolved: Fourteen out of twenty symptomatic adolescents improved their secure score; three remained in the same style of attachment and three others felt their first love as a traumatism. Out of eighteen no-symptomatic adolescents, fourteen were secure. Only four were insecure. After the first love, the rate of insecure adolescents increased to eight; four others were traumatised. The first love probably sets up a sensitive period in which biology, emotion and culture converge to enable us to be imprinted by a partner. An affect regulation with romantic partners is negotiated like a transaction between two styles of attachment. What is surprising is that the population of insecure adolescents benefited more from romantic love than the secure population by increasing their score in the attachment style. Adult relationships can be understood in terms of attachment. The first attachment is acquired during early interactions, and when the beginnings of life are difficult the first love gives them a second chance.     

One-year outcome after first-ever stroke according to stroke subtype, severity, risk factors and pre-stroke treatment. A population-based study from Tartu, Estonia

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the outcome at 1 year following a first-ever stroke based on a population-based registry from 2001 to 2003 in Tartu, Estonia. The outcome of first-ever stroke was assessed in 433 patients by stroke risk factors, demographic data and stroke severity at onset using the Barthel Index (BI) score and the modified Rankin Score (mRS) at seventh day, 6 months and 1 year. Female sex, older age, blood glucose value >10 mmol/l on admission and more severe stroke on admission were the best predictors of dependency 1 year following the first-ever stroke. At 1 year, the percentage of functionally dependent patients was 20% and the survival rate was 56%. The use of antihypertensive/antithrombotic medication prior to stroke did not significantly affect the outcome. The survival rate of stroke patients in Tartu is lower compared with other studied populations. The outcome of stroke was mainly determined by the initial severity of stroke and by elevated blood glucose value on admission. Patients with untreated hypertension had more severe stroke and trend for unfavourable outcome compared with those who were on treatment.     

中国肥厚型心肌病患者血栓栓塞事件风险预测模型的构建研究

背景 血栓栓塞（TE）事件是肥厚型心肌病（HCM）的重要并发症。目前针对HCM患者TE事件的风险预测,仅国外学者构建了两个模型：HCM Risk-CVA及French HCM score,然而,现有研究发现HCM Risk-CVA模型对于中国HCM患者的临床价值较为有限。目的 本研究拟构建适合中国HCM患者的TE事件风险预测模型。方法本研究系回顾性队列研究,收集2010—2018年在四川大学华西医院就诊的537例HCM患者的病例资料。本研究通过电话随访或电子病历系统查询患者就诊记录,每6～12个月随访1次,直至出现终点事件或死亡或研究拟定的评估日期（2019-12-31）,终点事件定义为复合性TE事件。采用单因素和多因素Cox回归分析构建风险预测模型,并使用自助重抽样的方法进行内部验证。结果 537例患者中,24例患者有不同程度的数据缺失,最终纳入513例患者。中位随访时间为4.2(1.3,6.2)年,随访过程中42例（8.18%）发生TE事件,年发病率为2.10%[95%CI(1.47%,2.73%)]。根据多因素Cox回归模型构建TE事件风险预测模型,最终纳入年龄、既往TE事件、心...