ICAR: endoscopic skull‐base surgery

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Quantitative evaluation of type I collagen in human cardiac tissue by real-time PCR: A possible usefulness in patients with a chronic cardiopathy

EUROMEDLAB 2003 Barcellona Spai

Bowel intussusceptions in adults: the role of imaging

Intestinal intussusception in adults is a rare condition, accounting for about 0.003-0.02 % of all hospital admissions. This condition in adults represents only 5 % of all cases of intussusceptions and is different from paediatric intussusception, which is usually idiopathic. In contrast, almost 90 % of cases in adults are secondary to various pathologies that serve as a lead point, such as polyps, Meckel's diverticulum, colonic diverticulum, or malignant or benign neoplasm. The aim of the present study was to assess the capabilities of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) in the diagnosis and correct characterisation of intussusception, especially in distinguishing between intussusceptions with a lead point and those without. Indeed, although the MSCT findings that help to differentiate between lead point and non-lead point intussusceptions have not been well studied, abdominal MSCT remains the most sensitive radiological tool to confirm bowel intussusceptions. Moreover, differentiating intussusceptions with a lead point condition from those without is crucial for directing the patient towards the most appropriate treatment, avoiding surgery when not necessary

Adrenal Function and Skeletal Regulation

The hormones produced by the adrenal gland have important effects on the bone both in physiological and pathological conditions. The role of cortisol secretion on the bone physiology during growth is not fully understood. During the adult life, the degree of the cortisol secretion, still in the normal range, seems to directly correlate with the bone mineral density in elderly individuals and in osteoporotic women. The overt and subclinical cortisol excess leads to an increased risk of fracture partially independent of the bone mineral density reduction and possibly related to a reduced bone quality. The individual sensitivity to cortisol due to the different polymorphisms of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) or of the 11\u3b2-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase may modulate the effect of glucocorticoids (GCs) on the bone, thus explaining, at least in part, the wide interindividual variability of the skeletal consequences of the hypercortisolism. The adrenal androgens excess in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) importantly affects the bone, leading not only to an early growth acceleration but to a reduction in the final adult height. On the other hand, the reduction of the adrenal androgens during aging has been considered among the pathophysiological mechanisms of the osteoporosis in the elderly, but the effects of the restoration of the androgen levels in the aging-related osteoporosis are conflicting. Finally, the presence of mineralocorticoid receptors has been demonstrated in osteoblast, osteoclast, and osteocyte, and an association exists between indexes of bone strength and some genes involved in aldosterone pathways. In keeping, the condition of hyperaldosteronism has been associated with an increased fracture risk

Predicting Kidney Failure, Cardiovascular Disease and Death in Advanced CKD Patients

Introduction: Predicting the timing and occurrence of kidney replacement therapy (KRT), cardiovascular events, and death among patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) is clinically useful and relevant. We aimed to externally validate a recently developed CKD G4+ risk calculator for these outcomes and to assess its potential clinical impact in guiding vascular access placement. Methods: We included 1517 patients from the European Quality (EQUAL) study, a European multicentre prospective cohort study of nephrology-referred advanced CKD patients aged ≥65 years. Model performance was assessed based on discrimination and calibration. Potential clinical utility for timing of referral for vascular access placement was studied with diagnostic measures and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: The model showed a good discrimination for KRT and “death after KRT,” with 2-year concordance (C) statistics of 0.74 and 0.76, respectively. Discrimination for cardiovascular events (2-year C-statistic: 0.70) and overall death (2-year C-statistic: 0.61) was poorer. Calibration was fairly accurate. Decision curves illustrated that using the model to guide vascular access referral would generally lead to less unused arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) than following estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) thresholds. Conclusion: This study shows moderate to good predictive performance of the model in an older cohort of nephrology-referred patients with advanced CKD. Using the model to guide referral for vascular access placement has potential in combating unnecessary vascular surgeries