Surgical Treatment of Neuroendocrine Liver Metastases

Management of Neuroendocrine liver metastases (NELM) is challenging. The presence of NELM worsens survival outcome and almost 10% of all liver metastases are neuroendocrine in origin. There is no firm consensus on the optimal treatment strategy for NELM. A systematic search of the PubMed database was performed from 1995–2010, to collate the current evidence and formulate a sound management algorithm. There are 22 case series with a total of 793 patients who had undergone surgery for NELM. The overall survival ranges from 46–86% at 5 years, 35–79% at 10 years, and the median survival ranges from 52–123 months. After successful cytoreductive surgery, the mean duration of symptom reduction is between 16–26 months, and the 5-year recurrence/progression rate ranges from 59–76%. Five studies evaluated the efficacy of a combination cytoreductive strategy reporting survival rate of ranging from 83% at 3 years to 50% at 10 years. To date, there is no level 1 evidence comparing surgery versus other liver-directed treatment options for NELM. An aggressive surgical approach, including combination with additional liver-directed procedures is recommended as it leads to long-term survival, significant long-term palliation, and a good quality of life. A multidisciplinary approach should be established as the platform for decision making

Liver Transplantation in an Adult with Citrullinaemia Type 2

Citrullinaemia is a urea cycle defect that results from a deficiency of the enzyme arginosuccinate synthetase. Type 1 disease is diagnosed in childhood, whereas Type 2 disease is adult onset. We report the outcome of a patient with citrullinemia Type 2 who received a liver transplant at our center and the implications of this diagnosis in liver transplantation

Surgical Treatment of Neuroendocrine Liver Metastases

Management of Neuroendocrine liver metastases (NELM) is challenging. The presence of NELM worsens survival outcome and almost 10% of all liver metastases are neuroendocrine in origin. There is no firm consensus on the optimal treatment strategy for NELM. A systematic search of the PubMed database was performed from 1995–2010, to collate the current evidence and formulate a sound management algorithm. There are 22 case series with a total of 793 patients who had undergone surgery for NELM. The overall survival ranges from 46–86% at 5 years, 35–79% at 10 years, and the median survival ranges from 52–123 months. After successful cytoreductive surgery, the mean duration of symptom reduction is between 16–26 months, and the 5-year recurrence/progression rate ranges from 59–76%. Five studies evaluated the efficacy of a combination cytoreductive strategy reporting survival rate of ranging from 83% at 3 years to 50% at 10 years. To date, there is no level 1 evidence comparing surgery versus other liver-directed treatment options for NELM. An aggressive surgical approach, including combination with additional liver-directed procedures is recommended as it leads to long-term survival, significant long-term palliation, and a good quality of life. A multidisciplinary approach should be established as the platform for decision making

What Faculty and Students Value When Evaluating Human Digital Anatomy Platforms: A Mixed-Methods Study

OBJECTIVES There is an increasing availability of digital technologies for teaching and learning of human anatomy. Studies have shown that such applications allow for better spatial awareness than traditional methods. These digital human anatomy platforms offer users myriad features, such as the ability to manipulate 3D models, conduct prosection, investigate anatomical regions through virtual reality, or perform knowledge tests on themselves. This study examined what faculty members’ value when using digital human anatomy platforms for teaching and what students value when using these platforms for learning. METHODS Six anatomy faculty members and 21 students were selected to participate in this study. After using the three digital anatomy platforms for at least 1 week, a survey was conducted to record their feedback in 4 categories: usability, interactive features, level of detail, and learning support. Respondents’ Qualitative feedback within each category was also analyzed to strengthen the study's findings. RESULTS The study's findings showed that faculty members and students have different priorities when evaluating digital anatomy platforms. Faculty members valued platforms that provided better accuracy and detailed anatomical structures, while students prioritized usability above the rest of the features. CONCLUSION Given that faculty and students have different preferences when selecting digital anatomy platforms, this article proposed that educators maximize the specific affordances offered by the technology by having a clear pedagogy and strategy on how the technology will be incorporated into the curriculum to help students achieve the desired learning outcomes