Clinical value of radiomics and machine learning in breast ultrasound: a multicenter study for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions

We aimed to assess the performance of radiomics and machine learning (ML) for classification of non-cystic benign and malignant breast lesions on ultrasound images, compare ML's accuracy with that of a breast radiologist, and verify if the radiologist's performance is improved by using ML

Three Different Types of Fat Grafting for Facial Systemic Sclerosis: A Case Series

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous, chronic connective tissue disease, characterized by skin fibrosis as well as vascular and visceral lesions. It can involve the lungs, heart, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and bones. The orofacial manifestations of SSc can cause functional, aesthetic, and social distress, resulting in significant psychological implications for the patients. In recent decades, fat grafting improved the aesthetic outcomes in terms of volume deficiency, contour asymmetry, and skin elasticity of the face thanks to the regenerative action of the stem cells contained within it. We describe five cases of a patient with SSc treated with fat grafting used to correct volume loss and facial elasticity of the lips and perioral region on the middle and lower third of the face. All the patients received regular postoperative checks at weeks 1 and 2. A multiple choice questionnaire was administered to assess the degree of tolerability of the procedure. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated by calculating the Cronbach alpha using the MedCalc Statistical Software version 20.113. The aim of our study is to describe three different types of fat grafting used to correct volume loss and restore facial elasticity of the lips and perioral region on the middle and lower third of the face

Pre-treatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios as predictors of occult cervical metastasis in clinically negative neck supraglottic and glottic cancer

Background. Among patients with diagnosis of Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LSCC), up to 37.5% of cases may have occult metastasis (OM), and this feature is linked to poor prognosis and high rate of local recurrence. The role of elective neck dissection (END) in clinically negative neck (cN0) LSCC remains controversial. It is of great value to search for low-cost and easily detectable indicators to predict the risk of OM in laryngeal cancer. Recent reports have shown that high values of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) represent a negative prognostic factor in head and neck cancers. The aim of our study has been to investigate the value of pre-treatment NLR and PLR with regard to predicting occult cervical metastasis in cN0 supraglottic and glottic LSCC. Materials and methods. Data of patients affected by LSCC, who had been surgically treated by means of laryngectomy (total, horizontal partial and supracricoid) and END between January 2006 and January 2021, were retrospectively reviewed, using information retrieved from a database dedicated to such procedures in a single tertiary care referral institute. Results. A total of 387 patients were treated for LSCC at our Institute from 2006 to 2021, but only 108 of them met the inclusion criteria. The median age at the time of diagnosis was 64 years (range, 39–89 years). All the tumors were treated with a laryngectomy and an END. A total of 27.7% of patients were found positive for neck node metastasis (the pN+ group), while 78/108 (72.3%) patients were found to be negative for the presence of neck metastasis (the pN0 group). High values of NLR, but not PLR, significantly correlated with the probability of OM, and according to the iterative algorithm of Newton–Raphson, an NLR value of 2.26 corresponds to a probability of OM of 20%. Conclusion. Our analysis revealed a statistical correlation between high NLR pre-treatment values and positive neck OM in patients with LSCC

Unruptured Aneurysms Italian Study (UAIS) background and method

Treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms still represents an unsettled question in neurosurgical and neuroradiological communities. Although nowadays the indication for treatment have become relatively clear, indeed uncertainity remains for what concerns the proper treatment modality (surgical or endovascular) in terms of both the risk and the mid and long-term efficacy of the two procedures. The "Unruptured Aneurysms Italian Study" is a cooperative prospective study which aims to delineate the "State of the Art" in a nation based population. It has been designed: 1) to depict the nationwide modality of treatment of Unruptured Aneurysms, 2) to assess in the most objective way the overall treatment-related mortality and morbidity as well as the surgical and endovascular risk in the respective patient populations (it is not a surgical versus endovascular study) and 3) to asses the efficacy of the different procedures in the mid and long term periods. The study started on June 2003 and to June 2006, 637 patients have been enrolled. The study will end when the 1000th patient is enrolled