First clinical evaluation of a new innovative ureteral access sheath (Re-Trace™): a European study

Purpose

The use of a ureteral access sheath (UAS) during flexible retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) has become increasingly popular. Our aim was to evaluate the accessibility of a new UAS device, allowing the transformation of the working guidewire into a safety guidewire.

Methods

A prospective, multicenter study was conducted between January and February 2010 in six European tertiary reference centers. Patients needing flexible RIRS were eligible to participate in the study. In all cases, insertion of the Re-Trace? (12/14Fr, Coloplast, Denmark) was attempted at the beginning of the procedure. Insertion success was defined as placement of the UAS in the lumbar ureter with successful disengagement of the working guidewire, which turned into a safety guidewire. Influence of gender and pre-stenting status was analyzed by univariate analysis.

Results

137 UASs were used in 75 male and 62 female patients. 25.5 % of ureters were pre-stented: men were 2.17 more often pre-stented than women. The overall Re-Trace? insertion rate was 82.5 %. Success rate was not significantly different between men and women (77.3 vs. 88.7 %, respectively, p = 0.11). Pre-stenting status did not significantly influence the success rate (p = 0.31). When analyzing the combined influence of pre-stenting status and gender, the worst success rates seemed to be obtained in men without pre-stenting, but no significant differences were found between groups.

Conclusions

Re-Trace? UAS showed good overall insertion rates. This evaluation validated the new concept of guidewire disengagement: A single wire automatically switches from working to safety role.     

Predicting Survival of Patients with Node-positive Prostate Cancer Following Multimodal Treatment

Background

According to the TNM staging system, patients with prostate cancer (PCa) with lymph node invasion (LNI) are considered a single-risk group. However, not all LNI patients share the same cancer control outcomes.

Objective

To develop and internally validate novel nomograms predicting cancer-specific mortality (CSM)–free rate in pN1 patients.

Design, setting, and participants

We evaluated 1107 patients with pN1 PCa treated with radical prostatectomy, pelvic lymph node dissection, and adjuvant therapy at two tertiary care centers between 1988 and 2010.

Outcome measurements and statistical analysis

Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models tested the relationship between CSM and patient clinical and pathologic characteristics, which consisted of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value, pathologic Gleason score, pathologic tumor stage, status of surgical margins, number of positive lymph nodes, and status of adjuvant therapy. A Cox regression coefficient-based nomogram was developed and internally validated.

Results and limitations

All 1107 patients received adjuvant hormonal therapy (aHT). Additionally, 35% of patients received adjuvant radiotherapy (aRT). The 10-yr CSM-free rate was 84% in the entire cohort and 87% in patients treated with aRT plus aHT versus 82% in patients treated with aHT alone (p = 0.08). At multivariable analyses, PSA value, pathologic Gleason score, pathologic tumor stage, surgical margin status, number of positive lymph nodes, and aRT status were statistically significant predictors of CSM (all p ≤ 0.04). Based on these predictors, nomograms were developed to predict the 10-yr CSM-free rate in the overall patient population and in men with biochemical recurrence. These models showed high discrimination accuracy (79.5–83.3%) and favorable calibration characteristics. These results are limited by their retrospective nature.

Conclusions

Some patients with pN1 PCa have favorable CSM-free rates at 10 yr. We developed and internally validated the first nomograms that allow an accurate prediction of the CSM-free rate in these patients at an individual level.     

Changes in spino-pelvic alignment after surgical treatment of high-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis by a posterior approach: a report of 41 cases

Purpose

To analyze changes in spino-pelvic parameters (SPPs) after surgery of high-grade lumbar isthmic spondylolisthesis (HDIS).

Methods

We analyzed 41 patients affected by HDIS operated upon by attempt of reduction and posterior spinal fusion with pedicle screw systems with or without interbody fusion. Pelvic tilt (PT), lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic incidence (PI), and sacral slope (SS) were measured, and patients were further divided into balanced and unbalanced pelvis subgroups.

Results

SS passed from 46.8° ± 9.8° preoperatively to 50.1° ± 10.1° (p = 0.02). PT passed from 26.7° ± 6.7° preoperatively to 22.9° ± 7.5° (p = 0.003). Unbalanced patients showed significantly higher PT and lower SS compared to the balanced patients preoperatively, and these corrected after surgery. Patients with instrumentation failure (n = 5) had significant increase in PT values postoperatively (p = 0.018).

Conclusions

We confirmed the positive effect of surgery on the SPPs in patients affected by HDIS, which showed different patterns of corrections with surgery for balanced and unbalanced pelvis patients.

     

Surgical strategy for primary hyperparathyreoidism with thyroid hemiagenesis

Background

Thyroid hemiagenesis is a rare congenital anomaly, and still more rarely associated with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). Due to the embryologic pathways of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, it remains unclear whether or not thyroid hemiagenesis may be linked to ipsilateral parathyroid agenesis, and consequently, surgical strategy for thyroid hemiagenesis associated pHPT (THAP) does not only depend on preoperative localization but also on the thyroid anomaly.

Methods

Including the present case report, a total of nine cases with THAP retrieved from the literature were reviewed. Seven of nine cases had thyroid hemiagenesis on the left side, three out of nine showed a parathyroid adenoma on the contralateral side to the thyroid hemiagenesis.

Conclusions

Based on these cases, it can be concluded that the embryologic pathways of the thyroid and parathyroid glands are different, and in cases of THAP, parathyroid exploration should follow standard recommendations for pHPT surgery.     

Diagnostic algorithm for HFpEF: how much is the recent consensus applicable in clinical practice?

Heart Failure Reviews - Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represents an important cardiovascular entity with increasing prevalence and relatively high mortality. The agreement...     

Management of sellar and parasellar tumors becoming symptomatic during pregnancy: a practical algorithm based on multi-center experience and systematic literature review

Introduction

Sellar/parasellar tumors (SPTs) very rarely become symptomatic during pregnancy. No specific guidelines exist for their management, that is extremely challenging as mother and fetus health can be jeopardized.

Materials and methods

Data of patients with SPTs becoming symptomatic during pregnancy treated at two Italian referral Centers were retrospectively collected. Systematic literature review was also performed.

Results

Our series consisted of 6 cases, 3 meningiomas, 1 ACTH-secreting adenoma, 1 pituicytoma and 1 craniopharyngioma. Mean age at presentation was 33.6?±?6.0 years. Five patients complained of visual disturbances, associated with headache in one case, that occurred between gestation week (GW) 22 and 34. In 5 cases, pregnancy was uneventful with the delivery of a healthy baby between GW 33 and 35, followed by endoscopic surgical tumor exeresis (n?=?4) or proton bean therapy (n?=?1). Another patient presented with stigmata typical of Cushing’s syndrome and rapidly worsening pre-eclampsia, that required pregnancy interruption and adenomectomy. Based on personal and literature cases, a practical algorithm was proposed to help clinicians dealing with these patients.

Conclusions

SPTs becoming symptomatic in pregnancy deserve careful monitoring and multidisciplinary management. Overall, wait-and-see approach is suggested, reserving surgery to patients with rapidly progressive/life-threatening situations, significant risk of permanent neurological impairment or malignant lesions.

     

Snuffbox approach for balloon aortic valvuloplasty: A case series

In the era of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), the spectrum of indications for balloon aortic valvuloplasty is growing, especially in old and frail patients. Mini-invasive approaches via radial access reduce vascular complications and length of hospital stay. The snuffbox approach has never been described for Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV). We performed a review of patients who underwent BAV using distal radial access between January 2019 and December 2019 in a single Italian Centre. All patients received a 30-day follow-up. The procedure was successfully conducted by anatomical snuffbox in all reported cases. All patients were mobilized within 10 h from the procedure without vascular access-related complications. Thirty-day color Doppler ultrasound showed distal radial artery patency in 89% of cases. In our case series, the snuffbox approach for balloon aortic valvuloplasty appeared to be safe and feasible. This approach could be a valid alternative especially in old and frail adults waiting for TAVR.     

Snake and Spider Toxins Induce a Rapid Recovery of Function of Botulinum Neurotoxin Paralysed Neuromuscular Junction

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) and some animal neurotoxins (β-Bungarotoxin, β-Btx, from elapid snakes and α-Latrotoxin, α-Ltx, from black widow spiders) are pre-synaptic neurotoxins that paralyse motor axon terminals with similar clinical outcomes in patients. However, their mechanism of action is different, leading to a largely-different duration of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) blockade. BoNTs induce a long-lasting paralysis without nerve terminal degeneration acting via proteolytic cleavage of SNARE proteins, whereas animal neurotoxins cause an acute and complete degeneration of motor axon terminals, followed by a rapid recovery. In this study, the injection of animal neurotoxins in mice muscles previously paralyzed by BoNT/A or /B accelerates the recovery of neurotransmission, as assessed by electrophysiology and morphological analysis. This result provides a proof of principle that, by causing the complete degeneration, reabsorption, and regeneration of a paralysed nerve terminal, one could favour the recovery of function of a biochemically- or genetically-altered motor axon terminal. These observations might be relevant to dying-back neuropathies, where pathological changes first occur at the neuromuscular junction and then progress proximally toward the cell body.