Comparison of antithrombotic strategies in patients with cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale: an updated meta-analysis

Purpose

Patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO) and cryptogenic ischemic stroke (CS) are at risk for stroke recurrence. The optimal antithrombotic strategy in patients who undergo medical management is still debated.

Methods

We systematically searched the literature for studies that reported on cerebrovascular event recurrences and/or death in patients with PFO treated with oral anticoagulation (OAC) or antiplatelet therapy (APT) for secondary prevention of CS. The efficacy endpoints were stroke recurrence and the composite of stroke, transient ischemic attack or all-cause death. Major bleedings represented the safety endpoint.

Results

A total of 16 studies with 3953 patients (OAC?=?1527, APT?=?2426) were included. Weighted mean follow-up was 2.9 years. OAC was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of stroke compared with APT (RR 0.65; 95% CI 0.44–0.95; ARR 2%, NNT 49), while no difference was found regarding the composite outcome (RR 0.78; 95% CI 0.57–1.07) and the safety outcome (RR 1.57; 95% CI 0.85–2.90; p?=?0.15).

Conclusions

OAC was more effective than APT in reducing the risk of stroke recurrence in patients with PFO and CS, without a significant increase in the risk of major bleedings. Our findings support the need for further randomized data focused on the comparison of antithrombotic strategies in this setting.

     

Total knee arthroplasty with rotating-hinge Endo-Model prosthesis: clinical results in complex primary and revision surgery

Introduction

Rotating-hinge knee implants are highly constrained devices able to provide the stability needed for arthroplasty in case of severe bone loss and complex instability. Notable doubts still exist in using rotating-hinge devices, mainly due to risk of mechanical failure and risk of infection.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively evaluated the functional and clinical outcomes in a series of patients treated with the rotating-hinge Endo-Model prosthesis either for primary or revision total knee arthroplasty. Between 1997 and 2009 we implanted 123 Endo-Model prosthesis (118 patients) at our institution. At the time of this study we could evaluate 45 prosthesis (25 primary and 20 revision TKAs) from the clinical and radiological site, with average follow-up of 42.2 months.

Results

During the follow-up period, three patients reported complications, which in two cases finally led to revision with explantation. Mean survival of the implants attested at 93.3 %. The average post-operative clinical Knee Society score in the evaluated series was 94.2, the functional one 78.7. The average range of motion was 0°–108°. No signs of joint instability or misalignment were noted. Pain was present in a minority of patients, but always at a mild/occasional extent. No evidences of loosening or implant failure have been reported. No substantial divergences in the outcomes have been found across different patient categories after stratification in agreement with the Knee Society.

Conclusions

Coherent with previously published works, we confirm the Endo-Model prosthesis to provide excellent pain relief, restoration of walking capacity and intrinsic knee stability both in complex primary and in revision knee arthroplasty, with good or excellent results in the majority of patients and acceptable complication rate.     

Brief report: Prognostic importance of cellular DNA content in T1-2 N0 laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas treated with radiotherapy

One hundred fifty-two unselected, consecutive patients with T1-2N0 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma received radical radiation therapy at the Division of Radiotherapy, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, Italy. Thirty-one (20.4%) of the patients showed disease recurrence or persistence (R/P) after radiotherapy. Flow-cytometric DNA ploidy measurements were performed in 72 cases; 20 had tumor R/P and 52 did not. Tumor R/P occurred more frequently (in 17 [85%] of 20 cases) in patients with diploid tumors. The hazard ratio of recurrence in diploid tumors as compared with aneuploid tumors, after inclusion of all the other significant prognostic factors in a Cox proportional hazards model, was 8.9 (P<.01). Therefore DNA ploidy seems to be an important marker of tumor R/P in patients with T1-2N0 laryngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy.     

Isolated hepatocyte transplantation for Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 1

Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 1 (CN1) is an inherited disorder characterized by the absence of hepatic uridine diphosphoglucuronate glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT), the enzyme responsible for the conjugation and excretion of bilirubin. We performed allogenic hepatocyte transplantation (AHT) in a child with CN1, aiming to improve bilirubin glucuronidation in this condition. A 9-year-old boy with CN1 was prepared with plasmapheresis and immunosuppression with prednisolone and tacrolimus. When a graft was made available, 7.5 x 10(9) hepatocytes were isolated and infused into the portal vein percutaneously. After 2 weeks phenobarbitone was added to promote the enzymatic activity of UDPGT of the transplanted hepatocytes. Nocturnal phototherapy was continued throughout the studied period. Total bilirubin was considered a reliable marker of allogenic cell function. There was no significant variation of vital signs nor complications during the infusion. Mean +/- SD bilirubin level was 530 +/- 38 micromol/L before and 359 +/- 46 micromol/L after AHT (t-test, p < 0.001). However, the introduction of phenobarbitone was followed by a drop of tacrolimus level with increase of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and increase of bilirubin. After standard treatment of cellular rejection bilirubin fell again but from then on it was maintained at a greater level. After discharge the patient experienced a further increase of bilirubin that returned to predischarge levels after readmission to the hospital. This was interpreted as poor compliance with phototherapy. Only partial correction of clinical jaundice and the poor tolerability to nocturnal phototherapy led the parents to refuse further hepatocyte infusions and request an orthotopic liver transplant. After 24 months the child is well, with good liver function on tacrolimus and prednisolone-based immunosuppression. Isolated AHT, though effective and safe, is not sufficient to correct CN1. Maintenance of adequate immunosuppression and family compliance are the main factors hampering the success of this procedure.     

Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and DTIC in advanced diffuse lymphocytic poorly differentiated lymphoma

From January 1975 to December 1979, 14 consecutive patients with advanced (stage III-IV) diffuse lymphocytic, poorly differentiated lymphoma (DLPD) were treated with adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and DTIC (ABVD). Either maintenance combination chemotherapy with CVP or radiotherapy over bulky disease was added in the cases with complete response (CR). Fifty per cent of the patients achieved CR and 80% achieved objective responses. Among CRs, 100% were alive at 2 years, 70% of them without evidence of disease. Overall, 75% of the patients were alive at 2 years, 30% without evidence of disease. Toxicity was acceptable and no drug-related deaths occurred. ABVD is not the ideal combination for DLPD, but it should be taken into consideration in patients with advanced DLPD in which first line combination chemotherapy regimens are not successful.     

DEXA evaluation of total hip arthroplasty with neck-preserving technique: 4-year follow-up

Abstract Periprosthetic bone remodeling, and its evaluation, are the keys of long-term survival of cementless total hip arthroplasty. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the most accurate method to measure bone mineral density, evaluating the effects of bone-prosthesis interactions. We studied, 4 years after implantation, 10 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty with the CFP prosthetic stem and TOP acetabular cup (Waldemar Link, Hamburg, Germany). Our results demonstrate minimal periprosthetic bone loss compared to that normally observed with conventional stems. A few cases exhibited an increase in BMD. We believe that primary stability, prosthetic design, preservation of natural neck anteversion and off-set, better function related to muscle lever arm, and physiological bone loading with natural stress distribution are the keys of this succesful mini-invasive total hip replacement system.