Cross-Sectional Serosurvey of Companion Animals Housed with SARS-CoV-2–Infected Owners,Italy

We conducted a serologic survey among dogs and cats in Italy to detect antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We found that SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was higher among cats (16.2%) than dogs (2.3%). In addition, seroprevalence was higher among animals living in close contact with SARS-CoV-2–positive owners.     

Normal sperm parameters per se do not reliably account for fertility: A case–control study in the real-life setting

A proportion of men are infertile despite having normal medical history/physical examination and normal semen analysis. We aimed to assess whether normal sperm parameters per se account for male factor fertility. 1,957 infertile men were compared with 103 age-comparable fertile controls. Semen analysis was based on 2010 World Health Organization reference criteria. Of all, 12.1% of infertile men and 40.8% of fertile men presented with normal sperm parameters. Among fertile men, 36.9% had isolated sperm abnormalities and 22.3% men showed two or more concomitant sperm abnormalities. Serum total testosterone was higher in infertile men with normal sperm parameters compared to those with ≥2 sperm abnormalities or azoospermia, but similar to those with isolated sperm abnormalities (p ≤ .001). Circulating hormones were similar among sperm parameters groups in fertile men. At multivariable analyses, testicular volume (OR 1.12, p ≤ .001) and FSH (OR 0.8, p ≤ .001) were associated with normal sperm parameters. Overall, the longer the infertility period, the greater the number of sperm parameters abnormalities (p < .01). In conclusion, we found that 12% of infertile men and only 41% of fertile men present with normal sperm parameters. Normal sperm parameters per se do not reliably account for fertility in the real-life setting.     

Intracranial capillary hemangiomas: literature review in pediatric and adult population

Neurosurgical Review - Capillary hemangiomas (CHs) of the central nervous system represent a rare diagnosed pathology. CHs are benign vascular tumors whose most common manifestations are dermal and...     

Transorbital endoscopic approaches to the skull base: a systematic literature review and anatomical description

Neurosurgical Review - Transorbital endoscopic approaches are increasing in popularity as they provide corridors to reach various areas of the ventral skull base through the orbit. They can be used...     

Ultrasound-Guided Periprosthetic Biopsy in Failed Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Novel Approach to Test Infection in Patients With Dry Joints

BackgroundTo diagnose periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) preoperatively, ultrasound-guided joint aspiration (US-JA) may not be performed when effusion is minimal or absent. We aimed to report and investigate the diagnostic performance of ultrasound-guided periprosthetic biopsy (US-PB) of synovial tissue to obtain joint samples in patients without fluid around the implants.MethodsOne-hundred nine patients (55 men; mean age: 68 ± 13 years) with failed total hip arthroplasty (THA) who underwent revision surgery performed preoperative US-JA or US-PB to rule out PJI.ResultsSixty-nine of 109 patients had joint effusion and underwent US-JA, while the remaining 40 with dry joint required US-PB. Thirty-five of 109 patients (32.1%) had PJI, while 74/109 (67.9%) had aseptic THA failure. No immediate complications were observed in both groups. Technical success of US-PB was 100%, as the procedure was carried on as planned in all cases. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of US-JA were 52.2%, 97.8%, 92.3%, 80.3%, and 82.6%, while for US-PB, they were 41.7%, 100%, 100%, 80%, and 82.5%, respectively, with no significant difference (P = .779). Using the final diagnosis as reference standard, we observed a moderate agreement with both US-JA (k = 0.56) and US-PB (k = 0.50).ConclusionWe present a novel US-guided technique to biopsy periprosthetic synovial tissue of failed THA to rule out PJI. We found similar diagnostic performance as compared with traditional US-JA. This supports future larger studies on this procedure that might be applied in patients without joint effusion.     

Infection by CagA-Positive Helicobacter pylori Strains and Bone Fragility: A Prospective Cohort Study

Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is a common and persistent disorder acting as a major cofactor for the development of upper gastrointestinal diseases and several extraintestinal disorders including osteoporosis. However, no prospective study assessed the effects of HP on bone health and fracture risk. We performed a HP screening in a population-based cohort of 1149 adults followed prospectively for up to 11 years. The presence of HP infection was assessed by serologic testing for serum antibodies to HP and the cytotoxin associated gene-A (CagA). The prevalence of HP infection did not differ among individuals with normal bone mineral density (BMD), osteoporosis, and osteopenia. However, HP infection by CagA-positive strains was significantly increased in osteoporotic (30%) and osteopenic (26%) patients respect to subjects with normal BMD (21%). Moreover, anti-CagA antibody levels were significantly and negatively associated with lumbar and femoral BMD. Consistent with these associations, patients affected by CagA-positive strains had a more than fivefold increased risk to sustain a clinical vertebral fracture (HR 5.27; 95% CI, 2.23–12.63; p < .0001) and a double risk to sustain a nonvertebral incident fracture (HR 2.09; 95% CI, 1.27–2.46; p < .005). Reduced estrogen and ghrelin levels, together with an impaired bone turnover balance after the meal were also observed in carriers of CagA-positive HP infection. HP infection by strains expressing CagA may be considered a risk factor for osteoporosis and fractures. Further studies are required to clarify in more detail the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms of this association. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).     

The combination cytology/epichek test in non muscle invasive bladder carcinoma follow-up: Effective tool or useless expence?

ObjectiveTo identify in which cases after cytological diagnosis, the Bladder EpiCheck test could represent an effective tool in non-muscle invasive bladder carcinoma or an useless expence.Materials and methods375 patients diagnosed with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, 269 with high grade urothelial carcinoma and 106 with carcinoma in situ, were treated and followed for 1 year. The treatment was an intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin in 305 patients and Mitomycin-C in 70 patients.During the follow-up patients were evaluated by voided urine cytology and white-light cystoscopy, according to the European Association of Urology Guidelines. Bladder EpiCheck test was performed together with cytology in all cases.ResultsAnalyzing Bladder Epicheck results for each category defined by the Paris System for Reporting Urinary Cytology, we found that the Episcore >60 correlates with histological diagnosis of high grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC) in atypical urothelial cells and Suspicious for High Grade Urothelial Carcinoma (P = 0.0002 Odds Ratio 0.05926 95% Confidence Interval from 0.01127 to 0.3116 and P = 0.0009 Odds Ratio 0.0315595% Confidence Interval from 0.001683 to 0.5914, Fisher's exact test, respectively), while in Negative for high grade urothelial carcinoma and HGUC patients Episcore is not helpful to identify cases with histological diagnosis of HGUC (P = 0.101 and P = 0.58 Fisher's exact test, respectively). Considering an Episcore ≥ 90 in the HGUC cytological group, this seems not to be correlated with a histological diagnosis of HGUC (P = 0.090 Fisher's exact test).ConclusionsCytology and Bladder EpiCheck test in combination may have the potential to reduce cystoscopies in the follow-up of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer only for cytological diagnoses of atypical urothelial cells and Suspicious for High Grade Urothelial Carcinoma . Moreover, in patients with a cytological diagnosis of Negative for high grade urothelial carcinoma or HGUC, cytology alone seems to be safe and cost-effective.     

Range of motion of foot joints following total ankle replacement and subtalar fusion

BackgroundIn severe cases of ankle and subtalar arthritis, arthrodesis of the subtalar joint is performed in combination with ankle arthroplasty. In these special cases gait analysis reveals real motion at the replaced tibiotalar joint.MethodsTwenty-three patients affected by ankle and subtalar arthritis, treated either with a 3-component or a 2-component prosthesis in combination with subtalar arthrodesis, were clinically evaluated preoperatively and at a minimum of 1-year follow-up. Gait analysis was performed postoperatively using a multi-segment foot protocol. Foot kinematics were compared to corresponding data from a healthy control group.ResultsClinical scores significantly improved from preoperative to follow-up. The clinically measured passive ankle dorsiflexion/plantarflexion significantly improved at the follow-up. Patients’ normalized walking speed and stride length were significantly lower than those in control. With exception of the ankle frontal-plane motion, sagittal-plane mobility of foot joints was about 50% than that in healthy joints.ConclusionsImprovement in clinical scores was found for both prostheses. Normal spatio-temporal parameters were not restored. In these patients, fusion of the subtalar joint appeared to be compensated by larger frontal-plane motion at the tibiotalar joint.Level of evidenceLevel III- retrospective comparative study.The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee as protocol MAT (protocol registration at clinicaltrials.gov NCT03356951).