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Purpose To address the lack of prospective data on the real-life clinical application of trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) in Europe, the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) initiated the prospective observational study CIRSE Registry for SIR-Spheres® Therapy (CIRT). Materials and Methods Patients were enrolled from 1 January 2015 till 31 December 2017. Eligible patients were adult patients treated with TARE with Y90 resin microspheres for primary or metastatic liver tumours. Patients were followed up for 24 months after treatment, whereas data on the clinical context of TARE, overall survival (OS) and safety were collected. Results Totally, 1027 patients were analysed. 68.2% of the intention of treatment was palliative. Up to half of the patients received systemic therapy and/or locoregional treatments prior to TARE (53.1%; 38.3%). Median overall survival (OS) was reported per cohort and was 16.5 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 14.2–19.3) for hepatocellular carcinoma, 14.6 months (95% CI 10.9–17.9) for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. For liver metastases, median OS for colorectal cancer was 9.8 months (95% CI 8.3–12.9), 5.6 months for pancreatic cancer (95% CI 4.1–6.6), 10.6 months (95% CI 7.3–14.4) for breast cancer, 14.6 months (95% CI 7.3–21.4) for melanoma and 33.1 months (95% CI 22.1–nr) for neuroendocrine tumours. Statistically significant prognostic factors in terms of OS include the presence of ascites, cirrhosis, extra-hepatic disease, patient performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group), number of chemotherapy lines prior to TARE and tumour burden. Thirty-day mortality rate was 1.0%. 2.5% experienced adverse events grade 3 or 4 within 30 days after TARE. Conclusion In the real-life clinical setting, TARE is largely considered to be a part of a palliative treatment strategy across indications and provides an excellent safety profile. Level of evidence Level 3. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02305459.

Introduction Quality in medical care must be measured in order to be improved. Trauma management is part of health care, and by definition, it must be checked constantly. The only way to measure quality and outcomes is to systematically accrue data and analyze them. Material and methods A systematic revision of the literature about quality indicators in trauma associated to an international consensus conference Results An internationally approved base core set of 82 trauma quality indicators was obtained: Indicators were divided into 6 fields: prevention, structure, process, outcome, post-traumatic management, and society integrational effects. Conclusion Present trauma quality indicator core set represents the result of an international effort aiming to provide a useful tool in quality evaluation and improvement. Further improvement may only be possible through international trauma registry development. This will allow for huge international data accrual permitting to evaluate results and compare outcomes.

Background: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) is the treatment of choice for intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Doxorubicin-loaded drug-eluting beads (DEB)-TACE is expected to improve the performance of conventional TACE (cTACE). The aim of this study was to compare DEB-TACE with cTACE in terms of time-to-tumour progression (TTP), adverse events (AEs), and 2-year survival. Methods: Patients were randomised one-to-one to undergo cTACE or DEB-TACE and followed-up for at least 2 years or until death. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation was repeated ‘on-demand'. Results: We enrolled 177 patients: 89 underwent DEB-TACE and 88 cTACE. The median number of procedures was 2 in each arm, and the in-hospital stay was 3 and 4 days, respectively (P=0.323). No differences were found in local and overall tumour response. The median TTP was 9 months in both arms. The AE incidence and severity did not differ between the arms, except for post-procedural pain, more frequent and severe after cTACE (P

The case of a patient with long-standing severe heart failure that was ultimately found to be secondary to a large communication between the right renal artery stump and the inferior vena cava is reported. The occurrence of an arteriovenous fistula should be suspected in patients who underwent previous nephrectomy since early diagnosis would avoid relevant cardiac complications and the demise of a patient suffering from a disease that may be corrected surgically or percutaneously. We describe a combined approach that allowed the percutaneous decompression of the inferior vena cava and relief of the volume overload to the heart prior to the surgical ligation of the arteriovenous fistula. This approach should be considered a valuable option for treating long-standing high output postnephrectomy arteriovenous fistulas.

Motor complications in thoracic herpes zoster were evaluated in 52 patients by electromyographic examination of the paraspinal muscles. At the initial EMG examination, abnormal findings were observed in 18 patients (35%). In 8 patients the myomers involved coincided in location with affected dermatomes, while in 10 patients, in addition to the involvement of myomers corresponding to affected dermatomes, there also appeared an involvement of one or more contiguous myomers not corresponding to affected dermatomes. Our study demonstrated that motor involvement in thoracic HZ is much more common than previously suggested and its incidence (35%) appears to be greater than that reported in both cervical and lumbosacral HZ.

A case of cerebral angioma: non-invasive assessments. A 65-year-old woman, suffering from epileptic seizures since the age of 6, was examined. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasounds, SEPs and EEG brain mapping by means of median nerve stimulation, were performed, followed by a NMR of the brain, which revealed an arteriovenous malformation in the left hemisphere (frontal and parietal lobe). By comparing the results of the neurophysiological tests, the diagnostic value of TCD, confirmed by the neuroradiologic findings, was established. EEG and SEPs were also abnormal, but their actual effectiveness in clinical studies is discussed. We conclude that these electrophysiological examinations do not allow a reliable diagnosis as with TCD.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a rare disease of unknown etiology. The clinical and radiological diagnoses have to be confirmed by histological examination of biopsy specimens. The authors now present a case of a 19-year-old man with recurrent epigastric pain and vomiting, whose sonographic features and eosinophilia suggested the diagnosis of EGE, which was subsequently confirmed by histology. Sonographic follow-up permitted an effective evaluation of the evolution of the disease under steroid therapy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe psychosocial impact on healthcare workers (HCWs). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at evaluating the association between individual features and depressive symptoms reported by HCWs during the pandemic. We searched Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo up to 23 June 2020. We included cross-sectional studies testing the association between individual correlates and depressive symptoms in HCWs during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria, involving 14,173 HCWs (3,070 with depressive symptoms). Women (OR = 1.50; 95 %CI: 1.28–1.76; I2 = 40.0 %), individuals with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 (OR = 2.10; 95 %CI: 1.64–2.69; I2 = 0 %), and those with an infected family member or friend (OR = 1.67; 95 %CI: 1.37–2.04; I2 = 0%) were more likely to report depressive features, which, instead, were less frequent among doctors (compared with nurses) (OR = 0.80; 95 %CI: 0.66–0.98; I2 = 48.2 %) and HCWs who felt adequately protected (OR = 0.48; 95 %CI: 0.32–0.72; I2 = 36.3 %). Our study provided timely evidence on the correlates of depressive symptoms among HCWs during the pandemic. Early screening is crucial to develop tailored health interventions, redesigning the response to COVID-19.

Background The balance between neurotoxic and neuroprotective effects of kynurenine pathway (KP) components has been recently proposed as a key element in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD) and related mood episodes. This comprehensive overview explored the link of KP with symptom severity and other clinical features of BD. Methods We searched Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo electronic databases for studies assessing the association of peripheral and/or central concentrations of KP metabolites with putative clinical features, including symptom severity and other clinical domains in BD. Results We included the findings of 13 observational studies investigating the possible variations of KP metabolites according to symptom severity, psychotic features, suicidal behaviors, and sleep disturbances in BD. Studies testing the relationship between KP metabolites and depression severity generated mixed and inconsistent findings. No statistically significant correlations with manic symptoms were found. Moreover, heterogeneous variations of the KP across different clinical domains were shown. Few available studies found (a) higher levels of cerebrospinal fluid kynurenic acid and lower of plasma quinolinic acid in BD with psychotic features, (b) lower central and peripheral picolinic acid levels in BD with suicide attempts, and (c) no significant correlations between KP metabolites and BD-related sleep disturbances. Conclusions An imbalance of KP metabolism toward the neurotoxic branches is likely to occur in people with BD, though evidence on variations according to specific clinical features of BD is less clear. Additional research is needed to clarify the role of KP in the etiopathogenesis of BD and related clinical features.

Background: Y90 transarterial radioembolization (Y90-RE) may improve clinical outcomes of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC); however, the optimal timing for Y90-RE is still debated. The purpose of this multicenter study was to retrospectively evaluate clinical outcomes of RE in patients with unresectable ICC, comparing three different settings: chemotherapy naïve patients (group A), patients with disease control after first-line chemotherapy (group B) and patients with progression after first-line chemotherapy (group C). Materials and Methods: The study included 81 consecutive patients (49 male, mean age 62.4 ± 11.8years): 35 (43.2%) patients were in group A, 19 (23.5%) in group B, and 27 (33.3%) in group C. Preprocedural clinical variables, tumour response according to RECIST 1.1 and overall survival (OS) were analysed and compared. Results: Baseline demographic and clinical features did not differ significantly among groups, with the exception of prior surgical procedures that were significantly higher in group C patients, and macrovascular invasion that was more frequent in group B. Radiological response was available in 79 patients; objective response and disease control rates were 41.8% and 83.6%, respectively, without significant differences among groups. Median OS was 14.5months (95% CI: 11.1–16.9) and was not significantly different among treatment groups. At multivariate analysis, tumour burden > 50%, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (N/L) ratio ≥ 3 and radiological progression as best response resulted to be significant (P < 0.05) independent factors, negatively associated with OS. Conclusion: Y90-RE is a valuable treatment option in unresectable ICC, irrespectively from the timing of treatment. Tumour extension, N/L ratio and radiological response affect post-treatment survival.

Objectives: Results after trans-arterial radioembolisation (TARE) for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCC) depend on the architecture of the tumour. This latter can be quantified through computed tomography (CT) texture analysis. The aims of the present study were to analyse relationships between CT textural features prior to TARE and objective response (OR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Methods: Texture analysis was retrospectively applied to 55 pre-TARE CT scans of iCCs, focusing attention on the histogram-based features and the grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM). Texture features were harmonised using the ComBat procedure. Objective response was assessed using the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumours 1.1. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was applied to select the most useful textural features related to OR. Results: Of the 55 patients, 53 had post-TARE imaging available, showing OR in 56.6% of cases. Texture analysis showed that iCCs showing OR after TARE had a higher uptake of iodine contrast in the arterial phase (higher mean histogram values, p< 0.001) and more homogeneous distribution (lower kurtosis, p= 0.043; GLCM contrast, p= 0.004; GLCM dissimilarity, p= 0.005, and higher GLCM homogeneity, p= 0.005; and GLCM correlation p= 0.030) at the pre-TARE CT scan. A favourable radiomic signature was calculated and observed in 15 of the 55 patients. The median PFS of these 15 patients was 12.1months and that of the remaining 40 patients was 5.1months (p= 0.008). Conclusions: Texture analysis of pre-TARE CT scans can quantify vascularisation and homogeneity of iCC architecture, providing clinical information useful in identifying ideal TARE candidates. Key Points: • Hypervascular tumours with a more homogeneous uptake of iodine contrast in the arterial phase were those most likely to be effectively treated by TARE. • The arterial phase was observed to be the best acquisition phase for providing information regarding the “sensitivity” of the tumour to TARE. • Patients with favourable radiomic signature showed a median progression-free survival of 12.1months versus 5.1months of patients with an unfavourable signature (p = 0.008).

Funding: This study is part of the ERICA project funded by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014–2020). GA 856760. The responsiveness of professionals working with children and families is of key importance for child maltreatment early identification. However, this might be undermined when multifaceted circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, reduce interdisciplinary educational activities. Thanks to technological developments, digital platforms seem promising in dealing with 30 new challenges for professionals’ trainings. We examined a digital approach to child maltreatment training through the ERICA project experience (Stopping Child Maltreatment through Pan-European Multiprofessional Training Programme). ERICA has been piloted during the pandemic in seven European centers involving interconnected sectors of professionals working with children and families. The training consisted of interactive modules embedded in a digital learning frame-work. Different aspects (i.e., technology, interaction, and organization) were evaluated and trainers’ feedback on digital features was sought. Technical issues were the main barrier. However, these did not significantly disrupt the training. The trainers perceived reduced interaction between participants although distinct factors were uncovered as potential favorable mediators. Based on participants’ subjective experiences and perspectives, digital learning frameworks for professionals working with children and families, like the ERICA model nested in its indispensable adaptation to an e-learning mode, can represent a novel interactive approach to empower trainers and trainees to tackle child maltreatment during critical times like a pandemic and as an alternative to more traditional learning frameworks. Publisher PDF

Background: Mood recurrences in bipolar disorder (BD) are often associated with poor treatment adherence. Despite long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) may favor treatment compliance, their use in BD is still poorly explored. Methods: This mirror-image study investigated the effect of LAIs initiation on the number of emergency department (ED) visits and days of hospitalization, among individuals with BD from the mental health services of a large area of the Metropolitan City of Milan. The mirror periods were 365 days either side of the LAI initiation. Individual medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Sixty-eight individuals with BD initiating a LAI over the index period were included. We estimated that LAI initiation overall reduced both ED visits (p = 0.002) and days of hospitalization (p < 0.001). This remained true only for those participants who i) continued LAI for the entire 12-month period of observation and ii) were treated with a second-generation antipsychotic LAI. In addition, LAI initiation reduced number of hospitalization days during hypo/manic (p = 0.013), but not depressive (p = 0.641) episodes, as well as compulsory admission days (p = 0.002). Limitations: Due to the retrospective design, we could not collect systematic information on symptom severity and reasons of LAI discontinuation. Moreover, the limited sample size did not allow us to estimate effectiveness of single LAI agents. Conclusions: Our study provides additional insight on the effectiveness of LAIs in BD, supporting their clinical utility for pragmatic outcomes such as ED visits and hospitalizations. Further longitudinal research is needed to clarify the real-world effectiveness of LAIs for BD clinical management.

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a rare occurrence consisting in the implantation of the embryo within the myometrium of a prior cesarean delivery scar. The CSP could be a dangerous condition for women because of the related complications such as placenta previa or accreta, uterine rupture, and hemorrhage. Therefore, early diagnosis and rapid treatment are crucial. Extrauterine implants or ectopic pregnancy (EP) consists in the implantation of an embryo in a site other than the endometrium of the uterine cavity. It occurs in 1%-2% of all reported pregnancies. The most common extrauterine location is the fallopian tube, which represents 96% of cases. The diagnosis of CSP and EP is based on history, clinical examination, levels of serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), and ultrasonography findings. In last 20 years, new treatments were developed, varying from medical management, minimally invasive surgical approach and local treatment including systemic or local infusion of metotrexate (MTX), and uterine artery embolization (UAE). UAE has been used widely to control hemorrhage and preserve the uterus and it is considered an affective adjuvant treatment of CSP and EP, especially associated with other therapies.

Growing evidence suggests that a dysregulation of the kynurenine pathway (KP) occurs in bipolar disorder (BD). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at assessing the possible differences in peripheral blood levels of KP metabolites between individuals with BD and healthy controls. We searched Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo electronic databases for articles indexed up to February 2020. We included any observational study comparing the peripheral blood levels of at least one KP metabolite between adults with BD and healthy controls. Random-effects meta-analyses were carried out generating pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs). Heterogeneity between studies was estimated using the I2 index. Meta-regression and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Sixteen studies met inclusion criteria and were included in our study. Meta-analyses showed that individuals with BD have lower peripheral blood levels of tryptophan (SMD = -0.29), kynurenine (SMD = -0.28), kynurenic acid (SMD = -0.30), and xanthurenic acid (SMD = -0.55), along with lower kynurenic acid to kynurenine (SMD = -0.60) and kynurenic acid to quinolinic acid (SMD = -0.37) ratios, than healthy controls. Individuals with a manic episode showed the greatest reductions in tryptophan levels (SMD = -0.51), whereas kynurenic acid levels were more reduced among subjects in a depressive phase (SMD = -0.70). Meta-regression and sensitivity analyses confirmed our results. The findings of the present meta-analysis support the hypothesis of an abnormality of the KP in BD. Considering the partial inconsistency of the findings and the small-to-medium magnitude of the estimated effect sizes, additional research assessing possible mediators or confounders is needed.

Background and objectives: Readmissions of youths hospitalized for a severe mental disorder are common events and bear a remarkable human, social, and economic burden. The current study aimed at evaluating predictors of 1-year rehospitalization in a sample of adolescents and young adults with severe mental disorders. Materials and Methods: Data for &le, 25-year-old inpatients with a severe mental disorder and consecutively admitted between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2019 were collected. Subjects were retrospectively assessed over a follow-up period of one year after the index discharge to track readmissions&mdash, i.e., the primary outcome variable. Standard descriptive statistics were used. The association between variables and 1-year rehospitalization was estimated using the univariate Cox proportional hazards regression model. We then carried out a multivariable Cox regression model, also estimating the covariate-adjusted survivor function. Hazard ratios (HRs) with related 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were provided. Results: The final sample included 125 individuals. The multivariable Cox regression model estimated that co-occurring substance use disorders (HR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.08 to 4.26, p = 0.029) and being admitted for a suicide attempt (HR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.13 to 5.49, p = 0.024) were both significant predictors of 1-year rehospitalization. Conclusions: Our study showed that comorbid substance use disorders and being admitted for a suicide attempt were predictors of early readmission in youths with severe mental disorders. Although their generalizability is limited, our findings could contribute to improve the quality of young patients&rsquo, mental health care by identifying vulnerable subjects who may benefit from tailored interventions to prevent rehospitalizations.

The trans jugular intrahepatic Porto systemic shunt (TIPS) is no longer viewed as a salvage therapy or a bridge to liver transplantation and is currently indicated for a number of conditions related to portal hypertension with positive results in survival. Moreover, the availability of self-expandable polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered endoprostheses has dramatically improved the long-term patency of TIPS. However, since the last updated International guidelines have been published (year 2009) new evidence have come, which have open the field to new indications and solved areas of uncertainty. On this basis, the Italian Association of the Study of the Liver (AISF), the Italian College of Interventional Radiology—Italian Society of Medical Radiology (ICIR-SIRM), and the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) promoted a Consensus Conference on TIPS. Under the auspices of the three scientific societies, the consensus process started with the review of the literature by a scientific board of experts and ended with a formal consensus meeting in Bergamo on June 4th and 5th, 2015. The final statements presented here were graded according to quality of evidence and strength of recommendations and were approved by an independent jury. By highlighting strengths and weaknesses of current indications to TIPS, the recommendations of AISF-ICIR-SIRM-SIAARTI may represent the starting point for further studies.

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the leading female genital tract malignancy in industrialized countries. It will become an important public health problem in the coming years in the USA and Europe, where its incidence is increasing, and next-generation interventions should include periodical screening in high-risk women. In this review, we discuss the importance to gynaecologists of detecting women at high risk and offering an adequate screening programme. Screening for EC is particularly challenging and there is currently no proven programme for the surveillance of women estimated to be at an increased risk of developing this form of cancer. The data in the literature, including this and previous issues of Cytopathology, and personal experience suggest that endometrial liquid-based cytology (LBC) might play an essential role in a screening policy for EC. LBC may enable practitioners to reduce age-adjusted mortality for women at high risk for EC.

Objective : The aim of the study was to assess peripheral neural involvement induced by exposure to hand-arm vibration. Methods : Twenty lumberjacks, working regularly with chain-saws and exposed to hand-arm vibration (group E) and 20 forestry workers performing heavy manual work and not exposed to vibration (group NE) were matched with a control group of 20 healthy non-manual workers (group C). The subjects of groups E and NE, all symptomatic, and of group C underwent extensive bilateral neurophysiological examination consisting of: sensory conduction (velocity and amplitude) of radial, median and ulnar nerves in digit-wrist segments; sensory conduction (velocity) of median nerve in wrist-elbow segment; mixed conduction (velocity and amplitude) of median and ulnar nerves in palm-wrist segments; motor conduction velocity, including distal motor latencies, and amplitude of median (elbow-wrist) and ulnar (elbow-wrist and across the elbow) nerves. Results : Electrophysiological abnormalities were found in 85% of group E's limbs, versus 62.5% of group NE's limbs. The most frequent pathological pattern in group E was a ‘multifocal' impairment (multiple sites of several nerve segments), with a prevalent involvement of sensory rather than motor fibres in the hand, seldom extending to the forearm. Multivariate analysis showed that the neurographic parameters which better characterized workers exposed to hand-arm vibration had a pattern different from that usually found in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Conclusion : These results suggest that vibration-induced neural involvement can be considered neither pure digital neuropathy, nor definite CTS, as previously described.