Metastatic stage vs complications at radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy

BackgroundTo investigate perioperative complication rates at radical nephrectomy (RN) according to inferior vena cava thrombectomy (IVC-T) status and stage (metastatic vs non-metastatic) within kidney cancer patients.Materials and methodsWe ascertained perioperative complication rates within the National Inpatient Sample database (2016–2019). First, log-link linear Generalized Estimating Equation function (GEE) regression models (adjusted for hospital clustering and weighted for discharge disposition) tested complication rates in IVC-T patients, according to metastatic stage. Subsequently, a subgroup analysis relied on RN patients with or without IVC-T. Here, multivariable logistic regression models tested complication rates in RN patients according to IVC-T status, after propensity score matching including metastatic stage.ResultsOf 26,299 RN patients, 461 (2%) patients underwent IVC-T. Of those, 252 (55%) were non-metastatic vs 209 (45%) were metastatic. Rates of acute kidney injury (AKI), transfusion, cardiac, thromboembolic and other medical complications in non-metastatic vs metastatic patients were 40 vs 40%, 25 vs 22%, 21 vs 23%, 19 vs 14% and 38 vs 40%, respectively (all p ≥ 0.2). Metastatic stage in IVC-T patients did not predict differences in complications in log-link linear GEE regression models (all p > 0.1). However, in logistic regression models with propensity score matching, relying on the overall cohort of RN patients, IVC-T status was associated with higher complication rates (all p < 0.001): AKI (Odds ratio [OR]:2.60; 95%-CI [95%-Confidence interval: 1.97–3.44), transfusions (OR:2.40; 95%-CI: 1.72–3.36), cardiac (OR:2.27; 95%-CI: 1.49–3.47), thromboembolic (OR:9.07; 95%-CI: 5.21–16.58) and other medical complications (OR:2.01; 95%-CI: 1.52–2.66).ConclusionsThe current analyses indicate that presence of concomitant IVC-T is associated with higher complication rate at RN. Conversely, metastatic stage has no effect on recorded complication rates.     

Inferior Vena Cava Filters: Aligning Practice With Evidence to Improve Patient Outcomes

BackgroundDespite indications for the removal of temporary inferior vena cava (IVC) filters, many filters are unintentionally left in place, predisposing patients to adverse outcomes.ObjectiveThis quality improvement study set out to determine the impact of an IVC filter retrieval protocol on filter retrieval rates and patients lost to follow-up for patients who had undergone placement of a temporary IVC filter.MethodsFollowing a quasi-experimental design, data of all consecutive patients who underwent insertion of a temporary IVC filter for a period of 24-month preprotocol and 12-month postprotocol were compared.ResultsFilter retrieval rates of eligible filters increased from 64.2% to 100%; patients lost to follow-up decreased from 35.9% to 0% (p < .01, both outcomes).ConclusionAdoption of a comprehensive IVC filter protocol by the service that implants these devices can improve filter retrieval rates and decrease patients being lost to follow-up.     

Interhemispheric visual competition after multisensory reversal of hemianopia

Unilateral lesions of visual cortex have the secondary consequence of suppressing visual circuits in the midbrain superior colliculus (SC), collectively producing blindness in contralesional space (“hemianopia”). Recent studies have demonstrated that SC visual responses and contralesional vision can be reinstated by a non‐invasive multisensory training procedure in which spatiotemporally concordant visual‐auditory pairs are repeatedly presented within the blind hemifield. Despite this recovery of visual responsiveness, the loss of visual cortex was expected to result in permanent deficits in that hemifield, especially when visual events in both hemifields compete for attention and access to the brain's visuomotor circuitry. This was evaluated in the present study in a visual choice paradigm in which the two visual hemifields of recovered cats were simultaneously stimulated with equally valent visual targets. Surprisingly, the expected disparity was not found, and some animals even preferred stimuli presented in the previously blind hemifield. This preference persisted across multiple stimulus intensity levels and there was no indication that animals were less aware of cues in the previously blind hemifield than in its spared counterpart. Furthermore, when auditory cues were combined with visual cues, the enhanced performance they produced on a visual task was no greater in the normal than in the previously blind hemifield. These observations suggest that the multisensory rehabilitation paradigm revealed greater inherent visual information processing potential in the previously blind hemifield than was believed possible given the loss of visual cortex.     

偏瘫性肩痛患者腋囊的MRI观测及临床意义

目的通过MRI技术观察偏瘫患者肩疼痛腋囊形态变化,为影像诊断提供依据。方法对47例偏瘫性肩疼痛患者(疼痛组)和47例正常肩部(对照组),运用MRI技术对肩关节腋囊进行测量,观察腋囊下肱盂韧带信号。结果偏瘫性肩疼痛的腋囊厚度(4.1±1.45)mm,高于对照组。腋囊腔高度(8.70±1.80)mm,腋囊腔宽度(4.31±0.56)mm,小于对照组。偏瘫性肩痛下肱盂韧带呈高信号出现率达21%,腋囊厚度与VAS呈正相关,与肩关节外展外旋呈负相关。结论脑中风中后期肩周炎是引起偏瘫性肩疼痛患者的常见原因,腋囊厚度是限制肩关节活动度的重要因素。     

下腔静脉损伤的救治经验：附12例报告

目的: 探讨下腔静脉损伤的修复方法。方法:对12例下腔静脉损伤患者临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果:闭合性损伤9例，开放性损伤3例。入院时均伴有休克。均诊断为腹腔内脏损伤，无1例诊断为下腔静脉损伤。12例均手术治疗，直视下修复5例，大网膜填塞后肝实质大块褥式缝合2例，纱布填塞5例。术后并发症7例（58.3%）：胆漏1例，隔下脓肿合并反应性右侧胸腔积液2例，创伤性肝囊肿1例，腔静脉血栓形成1例，大出血2例；死亡3例，病死率25.0%。 结论:腔静脉损伤病情凶险，处理困难，病死率高，改良的全肝血流阻断下行纱布填塞止血效果好，抢救成功率高，值得推广。     

Thyroid Artery Erosion by Esophageal Cancer: Management with Interventional Radiology

Management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding because of erosion of vessels by esophageal cancer may be challenging. We present herein the angiographic images of a 49-year-old patient who was admitted with massive bleeding from a tumor-eroded inferior thyroid artery. Attempts to control the bleeding by means of flexible endoscopy and insertion of a Sengstaken–Blakemore tube had failed. The diagnosis was impressively demonstrated by multislice computed tomography with intravenous contrast in the arterial phase and multiplanar reconstructions (computed tomography angiography) and by digital subtraction angiography. The bleeding was successfully treated with superselective catheterization and coiling of the eroded vessel.