Valor de la escala ASPECTS de circulación posterior y del índice puente-mesencéfalo en imágenes de TC sin contraste y angiografía por TC en pacientes con oclusiones de la arteria basilar recanalizados tras trombectomía mecánica

Purpose

Endovascular treatment with mechanical thrombectomy devices demonstrated high recanalization rates but functional outcome did not correlate with high rates of recanalization obtained. Patient selection prior to the endovascular treatment is very important in the final outcome of the patient. The primary aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of posterior circulation Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (pc-ASPECTS) and Pons-Midbrain Index (PMI) scores in patients with Basilar Artery Occlusion (BAO) treated with successful angiographic recanalization after mechanical thrombectomy.

Editorial Commentary: Teriparatide and Rotator Cuff Healing—Maybe Hormones Can Help Tendons to Heal

Achieving tendon-bone healing continues to be challenging after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, particularly for larger tears, despite significant improvements in repair techniques and implants. Considerable effort has been invested in research to identify methods to improve healing, including patches and injectable biologics. Parathyroid hormone improves tendon-to-bone healing. Teriparatide is osteogenic, stimulating bone growth, and chondrogenic, promoting cartilage formation at the enthesis. However, it could be difficult to justify the expense and potential risk of systemic administration of a recombinant hormone to improve structural healing until improvement in clinical outcomes can be shown.     

Elevated Serum Cytokines and Trichomonas vaginalis Serology at Diagnosis Are Not Associated With Higher Gleason Grade or Lethal Prostate Cancer

Background

Inflammation and infections have been associated with prostate cancer progression. We assessed whether elevated serum cytokines or T. vaginalis seropositivity at the time of diagnosis was associated with higher grade or lethal prostate cancer.

Mildly decreased preoperative bilirubin levels are associated with infections after shoulder and knee arthroplasty

Increasing numbers of arthroplasties are also accompanied by postoperative infections. The main purpose was to evaluate preoperative serum bilirubin levels between patients with and without infections after shoulder and knee arthroplasties. For this retrospective case-control single-center study, a total of 108 patients were extracted from a prospectively collected database. Eighteen patients with infections after shoulder (n = 8) and knee (n = 10) arthroplasty were matched by age, gender, and implant type in a 1:5-scenario to 90 patients (40 shoulders and 50 knees) without postoperative infection. Demographic data, preoperative blood parameters, and postoperative infection-related outcomes were evaluated. Total bilirubin was the only preoperative parameter significantly different between the infection (8.21 ± 3.25 μmol/L or 0.48 ± 0.19 mg/dL) and noninfection (10.78 ± 4.62 μmol/L or 0.63 ± 0.27 mg/dL; P = .014) group, while C-reactive protein and other liver parameters were similar between the groups. Significantly more controls (92.1%) had preoperative bilirubin levels above 8.72 μmol/L or 0.51 mg/dL than cases (7.9%; P = .007). The 5-year infection survival-rate was 65.6% for patients with preoperative bilirubin levels < 8.72 μmol/L or < 0.51 mg/dL and 91.2% with ≥ 8.72 μmol/L or ≥ 0.51 mg/dL. Mildly decreased preoperative bilirubin levels with a cutoff at 8.72 μmol/L or 0.51 mg/dL were significantly associated to patients with infections after shoulder and knee arthroplasty. There were no differences in other blood parameters or comorbidities between patients with infections and their matched-controls.     

Standard Needle Magnetization for Ultrasound Needle Guidance: First Clinical Experiences in Fine‐Needle Aspiration Cytology of Thyroid Nodules

Fine‐needle aspiration cytology using a novel ultrasound needle guidance system on the basis of standard needle magnetization was consecutively performed in 30 (15 in‐plane and 15 out‐of‐plane) suspicious thyroid nodules. Nondedicated, commercially available needles were used. The technical effectiveness and safety of the system were satisfying; system failures were observed in 2 cases. The needle tip could be (at least occasionally) visualized inside the thyroid nodule in 96%, and the subjective procedure ratings were excellent in 57%. The out‐of‐plane technique was significantly superior in both respects (P = .021 and .027, respectively). Standard needle magnetization ultrasound needle guidance was easy to apply and cost‐effective and has the potential to improve fine‐needle aspiration cytology performance.     

Gatekeeper for coronary angiography: reply

We thank Geluk and Zijlstra for their kind words as well astheir considerations and proposals. The latter hits right intothe heart of the issue: should one stick to the ‘anatomic’paradigm urging us to detect and treat coronary stenoses andcalcifications rather than follow     

Freezing of gait in postmortem-confirmed atypical parkinsonism.

The frequency and pathophysiology of freezing of gait (FoG) in atypical parkinsonism is unknown. We analysed the frequency of FoG in postmortem-confirmed atypical parkinsonian disorders (APD) comprising corticobasal degeneration (CBD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Sixty-six patients with pathologically confirmed APD (CBD, n = 13; DLB, n = 14; MSA, n = 15; PSP, n = 24) formed the basis for a multicenter clinicopathological study. Clinical features at first and last clinical visit were abstracted from patient records on standardized forms following strict instructions. At the first visit (median 36 months after symptom onset), 24% of APD had FoG (CBD, 8%; DLB, 21%; PSP, 25%; MSA, 40%). Logistic regression analysis showed a significant association of FoG and urinary incontinence (P = 0.04) at first visit. At last visit, 47% of APD had FoG (CBD, 25%; PSP, 53%; DLB, 54%; MSA, 54%). Clinicopathological correlation based on routine postmortem examination failed to identify a consistent neuropathological substrate of FoG. This study demonstrates that (1) FoG is common in APD, and (2) urinary incontinence is significantly associated with FoG in these disorders. Whether FoG and urinary incontinence share similar neuropathological substrates remains to be determined by future studies.