Consenso multidisciplinar para el manejo de la tromboembolia de pulmón

We have updated recommendations on 12 controversial topics that were published in the 2013 National Consensus on the diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment of patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). A comprehensive review of the literature was performed for each topic, and each recommendation was evaluated in two teleconferences. For diagnosis, we recommend against using the Pulmonary Embolism Rule Out Criteria (PERC) rule as the only test to rule out PE, and we recommend using a D-dimer cutoff adjusted to age to rule out PE. We suggest using computed tomography pulmonary angiogram as the imaging test of choice for the majority of patients with suspected PE. We recommend using direct oral anticoagulants (over vitamin K antagonists) for the vast majority of patients with acute PE, and we suggest using anticoagulation for patients with isolated subsegmental PE. We recommend against inserting an inferior cava filter for the majority of patients with PE, and we recommend using full-dose systemic thrombolytic therapy for PE patients requiring reperfusion. The decision to stop anticoagulants at 3 months or to treat indefinitely mainly depends on the presence (or absence) and type of risk factor for venous thromboembolism, and we recommend against thrombophilia testing to decide duration of anticoagulation. Finally, we suggest against extensive screening for occult cancer in patients with PE.     

神经源性声带运动障碍与喉神经电生理

声带运动障碍的病因和临床表现复杂多变，涉及多学科，从病因上分为神经源性和非神经源性。对于神经源性声带运动障碍的诊治，首先通过喉镜等检查明确有无声带运动障碍及严重程度，值得注意的是声带纵向张力变化障碍也属于运动障碍的范畴；然后采用喉肌电图（LEMG）检查进行定性分析，在确诊神经源性损伤后，进一步对神经损伤部位进行定位诊断并查找导致神经损伤的病因；同时根据喉部神经电生理评估结果，判断预后。最后综合上述的评估结果制定相应的治疗策略。     

Papillary thyroid carcinoma with a high tumor mutation burden has a poor prognosis

BackgroundTumor mutation burden (TMB) as a prognostic marker for immunotherapy has shown prognostic value in many cancers. However, there is no systematic investigation on TMB in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).MethodsBased on the somatic mutation data of 487 PTC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), TMB was calculated, and we classified the samples into high-TMB (H-TMB) and low-TMB (L-TMB) groups. Bioinformatics methods were used to explore the characteristics and potential mechanism of TMB in PTC.ResultsHigh TMB predicts shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.001). TMB was positively correlated with age, stage, tumor size, metastasis, the male sex and tall cell PTC. Compared to the L-TMB group, the H-TMB group presented with lower immune cell infiltration, a higher proportion of tumor-promoting immune cells (M0 macrophages, activated dendritic cells and monocytes) and a lower proportion of antitumor immune cells (M1 macrophages, CD8⁺ T cells and B cells). Additionally, the characteristics displayed by different TMB groups were not driven by critical driver mutations such as BRAF and RAS.ConclusionsPTC patients with high TMB have a worse prognosis. By stratifying PTC patients according to their TMB, advanced PTC patients who are candidates for immunotherapy could be selected.     

The Effect of Helicobacter pylori on Gastric Cancer Treated with Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Curative Resection

Helicobacter pylori has been associated with diverse pathologies of varying severity. We investigated the H. pylori infection status and its association with the pathologic features and clinical outcomes in stage III gastric cancer patients treated with adjuvant therapy after curative resection. Between 2004 and 2009, the records of 76 consecutive patients were retrospectively reviewed. H. pylori infection was confirmed by examination of pathological specimen. The relationship between H. pylori and the clinicopathological features was analyzed by Fisher exact test, Student’s t test, and Kaplan-Meier method. Of the 76 patients, 16 patients (21.1 %) were confirmed for H. pylori infection. The median age was 59 years. Twenty-three patients received chemotherapy and remainder received chemoradiotherapy. H. pylori status did not correlate with the clinicopathologic features. It was greater in non-neoplastic tissue than the tumor tissue (21.1 vs 7.9 %). Median follow-up was 21 months. During this period, 88.2 % patients had experienced tumor recurrence, and 85.5 % patients had died. Recurrence was observed in 87.5 % patients and in 88.3 % patients in H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative patients, respectively (P = 0.92). Disease-free survival was 28.4 ± 7.9 months and overall survival was 31.5 ± 7.4 months in H. pylori-positive patients compared with 28.3 ± 3.7 and 33.2 ± 3.4 months, respectively, in H. pylori-negative patients. H. pylori infection status did not have effect on the overall or disease-free survival (p = 0.85 and P = 0.86), respectively. H. pylori status might not be useful as a prognostic and predictive factor for clinical outcomes.     

The Prognostic Role of Peritumoral Edema in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma: A Retrospective Analysis

ObjectivePrevious studies on glioblastomas (GBMs) have not reached a consensus on peritumoral edema (PTE)’s influence on survival. This study evaluated the PTE index’s prognostic role in newly diagnosed GBMs using a well-designed method.MethodsSelected patients were reviewed after a rigorous screening process. Their general information was obtained from electronic medical records. The imaging metrics (MTD, TTM, TTE) representing tumor diameter, laterality, and PTE extent were obtained by manual measurement in Syngo FastView software. The PTE index was a ratio of TTE to MTD. Multiple variables were evaluated using analysis of variance and Cox regression model.ResultsOf 143 patients, 62 were included in this study. MGMT promoter methylation and tumor laterality were both independent prognostic factors (p = 0.020, 0.042; HR = 0.272, 2.630). The lateral tumors’ index was higher than that of the medial tumors (57.7% vs. 42.6%, p = 0.027). Low-index tumors were located in relatively medial positions compared with high-index tumors (TTM, 4.9 vs. 12.8, p = 0.032). This finding indicated that the PTE index tended to increase with tumor laterality. Moreover, the patients with low-index tumors had a significant survival disadvantage in the univariate analysis but not in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.023, 0.220). However, further analysis found that the combination of tumor laterality and PTE statistically stratified the survival outcome. The patients with lateral high-index tumors survived significantly longer (p = 0.022, HR = 1.927).ConclusionsIn contrast with the previous studies, this study recommends combining PTE and tumor laterality for survival stratification in newly diagnosed GBMs.     

Características clínicas y pronóstico de la lesión medular traumática en pacientes mayores de 75 años

ObjectiveTo analyze the incidence and characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in geriatric population of Galicia (Spain), hospital management and functional prognosis.MethodsComparative retrospective study. Patients admitted with acute traumatic SCI during the time period between January 2010 and December 2016 were included. Two groups established: The elderly over and under 75 years of age, with the latter acting as a control group.ResultsThree hundred seventy-nine patients were studied (27.2% ≥75 years). The main etiology in the >75 years group were falls: 80.6%. There were 65.7% who presented incomplete spinal cord injuries with mean motor index (MI) of 44.9/100. Upon discharge, 90.8% were dependent. Hospital mortality was 34.9%. Those >75 years suffered from more cervical injuries (74.8 vs. 51.2%; p<0.001), longer delay in diagnosis (31.1 vs. 9.2%; p<0.001) and higher hospital mortality (34.9 vs. 3.2%; p<0.001). Fewer surgical interventions were performed, with a longer delay. Percentages for admission into ICU, mechanical ventilation and performing a tracheostomy proved to be similar. There were no significant differences found in the evolution according to the ASIA scale or the MI.Conclusions1) The frequency of traumatic SCI in the elderly in Galicia is high; 2) Neurological evolution is similar to younger patients but the level of dependence is higher; 3) The level of care provided is similar in both groups, except for the surgical indication, and 4) Hospital mortality is high.     

Clinicopathologic significance of LAIR-1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Aim

Leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor-1 (LAIR-1) is an immune inhibitory receptor which is expressed within most types of hematopoietic cells and negatively regulates immune responses. Recently, we found LAIR-1 expression to be present within tumors of nonhematopoietic lineages. However, the roles of LAIR-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have yet to be examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of LAIR-1 in HCC tissue and assess its clinical significance at this site.