Liver Transplantation in a Monolung Patient: A Strategy of Sequential Treatments of Multiple Lung Tuberculosis Cavitations and Hepatocellular Carcinoma on Hepatitis B Related Virus Cirrhosis

The presence of extrahepatic infection is a contraindication for liver transplantation, even more if supported by an advanced pulmonary tuberculosis with persistent cavitation not curable with medical treatment. We report a case of a young patient with hepatocellular carcinoma on hepatitis B virus related liver cirrhosis and multiple lung tuberculosis cavitations. The patient was referred to our centre for liver transplantation. We adopted a strategy with sequential treatments. First a left extra-pericardial pneumonectomy was performed without opening the infected cavern, followed by a therapy with rifampicin, isoniazid and ethambutol for a period of nine months. After the cure of tuberculosis, the monolung patient eventually was listed for liver transplantation. An accurate planning of a multistep therapeutical strategy, an appropriate anesthetic man- agement and a meticulous surgical technique allowed to successfully transplant a young patient suffering from three life-threatening diseases: cavitary tuberculosis, hepatitis B virus cirrhosis and hepatocellular car- cinoma. Thirty months after liver transplantation the patient is in good health, with normal liver function, forced expiratory volume in one second of 42% (1.53 liters) and without any tuberculosis disease reactiva- tion

Lomitapide does not alter PCSK9 and Lp(a) levels in homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patients: analysis on cytokines and lipid profile

Lomitapide, a drug for the treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patients, reduced total and LDL cholesterol but no significant changes were observed on PCSK9 and Lp(a) plasma levels. Some changes of inflammatory mediators were also observed, including hsCRP, which may suggest an anti-inflammatory effect

Outcome of patients on oral anticoagulation undergoing coronary artery stenting: data from discharge to 12 months in the Warfarin and Coronary Stenting (WAR-STENT) Registry

To obtain further, and more focused, information on the efficacy and safety of the antithrombotic regimens, including triple therapy (TT) of warfarin, aspirin, and clopidogrel; dual therapy (DT) of warfarin and single antiplatelet agent (aspirin or clopidogrel); and dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) of aspirin and clopidogrel, prescribed to patients on oral anticoagulation (OAC) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with stent (PCI-S)

One week of levofloxacin plus dexamethasone eye drops for cataract surgery: an innovative and rational therapeutic strategy

Background: Cataract surgery is the most common operation performed worldwide. A fixed topical corticosteroid-antibiotic combination is usually prescribed in clinical practice for 2 or more weeks to treat post surgical inflammation and prevent infection. However, this protracted schedule may increase the incidence of corticosteroid-related adverse events and notably promote antibiotic resistance. Methods: This International, multicentre, randomized, blinded-assessor, parallel-group clinical study evaluated the non-inferiority of 1-week levofloxacin/dexamethasone eye drops, followed by 1-week dexamethasone alone, vs. 2-week gold-standard tobramycin/dexamethasone (one drop QID for all schedules) to prevent and treat ocular inflammation and prevent infection after uncomplicated cataract surgery. Non-inferiority was defined as the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) around a treatment difference >-10%. The study randomized 808 patients enrolled in 53 centres (Italy, Germany, Spain and Russia). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients without anterior chamber inflammation on day 15 defined as the end of treatment. Endophthalmitis was the key secondary endpoint. This study is registered with EudraCT code: 2018-000286-36. Results: After the end of treatment, 95.2% of the patients in the test arm vs. 94.9% of the control arm had no signs of inflammation in the anterior chamber (difference between proportions of patients = 0.028; 95% CI: -0.0275/0.0331). No case of endophthalmitis was reported. No statistically significant difference was evident in any of the other secondary endpoints. Both treatments were well tolerated. Conclusions: Non-inferiority of the new short pharmacological strategy was proven. One week of levofloxacin/dexamethasone prevents infection, ensures complete control of inflammation in almost all patients and may contain antibiotic resistance

Lipoprotein(a) and family history for cardiovascular disease in paediatric patients: A new frontier in cardiovascular risk stratification. Data from the LIPIGEN paediatric group

Background and aims: Little is known about the role of Lp(a) in the assessment of cardiovascular risk in the paediatric population. Trying to clarify the clinical relevance of Lp(a) in risk stratification, the aim of the study is to evaluate the association between Lp(a) plasma levels in children with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and positive family history for premature cardiovascular disease (pCVD) in first-and second-degree relatives. Methods: 653 Caucasian children and adolescents (334 females and 319 males), aged 2-17 years, with diagnosis of FH from a paediatric cohort included in the LIPIGEN Network, were selected. We compared family history of pCVD, lipid and genetic profile in two groups based on Lp(a) levels below or above 30 mg/dL. To determine the independent predictors of pCVD, a multivariate logistic regression was used, with all clinical characteristics and blood measurements as predictors. Results: Subjects with Lp(a) > 30 mg/dl more frequently reported positive family history of pCVD compared to subjects with Lp(a) 30 mg/dl was an independent predictor of family history of pCVD. Comparing subjects with or without family history of pCVD, we reported significant differences for Lp(a) > 30 mg/dl (46.25% vs 17.65%, p 30 mg/dl where more likely to have a positive family history of pCVD. Lp(a) screening in children and adolescents with FH may enhance risk assessment and help identify those subjects, children and relatives, at increased pCVD risk

Fluorescence-based bowel anastomosis perfusion evaluation: results from the IHU-IRCAD-EAES EURO-FIGS registry

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the dreaded complications following surgery in the digestive tract. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging is a means to intraoperatively visualize anastomotic perfusion, facilitating fluorescence image-guided surgery (FIGS) with the purpose to reduce the incidence of AL. The aim of this study was to analyze the current practices and results of NIRF imaging of the anastomosis in digestive tract surgery through the EURO-FIGS registry

ERas and COLorectal endoscopic surgery: an Italian society for endoscopic surgery and new technologies (SICE) national report

Background Several reports demonstrated a strong association between the level of adherence to the protocol and improved clinical outcomes after surgery. However, it is difficult to obtain full adherence to the protocol into clinical practice and has still not been identified the threshold beyond which improved functional results can be reached. Methods The ERCOLE (ERas and COLorectal Endoscopic surgery) study was as a cohort, prospective, multi-centre national study evaluating the association between adherence to ERAS items and clinical outcomes after minimally invasive colorectal surgery. The primary endpoint was to associate the percentage of ERAS adherence to functional recovery after minimally invasive colorectal cancer surgery. The secondary endpoints of the study was to validate safety of the ERAS programme evaluating complications' occurrence according to Clavien-Dindo classification and to evaluate the compliance of the Italian surgeons to each ERAS item. Results 1138 patients were included. Adherence to the ERAS protocol was full only in 101 patients (8.9%), > 75% of the ERAS items in 736 (64.7%) and > 50% in 1127 (99%). Adherence to > 75% was associated with a better functional recovery with 90.2 +/- 98.8 vs 95.9 +/- 33.4 h (p = 0.003). At difference, full adherence to the ERAS components 91.7 +/- 22.1 vs 92.2 +/- 31.6 h (p = 0.8) was not associated with better recovery. Conclusions Our results were encouraging to affirm that adherence to the ERAS program up to 75% could be considered satisfactory to get the goal. Our study could be considered a call to simplify the ERAS protocol facilitating its penetrance into clinical practice