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A 74-year-old woman presents with a 7-day history of increasing lower abdominal pains and reduced bowel movements; resulting in absolute constipation.Twenty-four hours prior to admission she also had symptoms of nauseous and significant abdominal distention. Her past medical history included; diverticulitis, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, an ultrasound scan in 2005 confirming gallstones, but no previous abdominal surgery.She was initially treated for bowel obstruction and a CT arranged. CT showed a 4.5 cm gallstone in mid-sigmoid colon and a cholecystocolonic fistula. She was booked for colonoscopy±laparotomy, but on the morning of her planned procedure she repeatedly opened her bowels. Subsequent colonoscopy was negative and repeat CT confirmed the stone was no longer within the gastrointestinal tract.

Aim: The main aim is to show that the life of a patient depends on the decisions the doctor makes as well as the proper assessment of the case. The decision to avoid a surgical procedure and continuewith the conservative treatment following the vital parameters, was beneficial for the patient who was later discharged recovered. Case report:The case is about a patient who was in labor for the fifth time with the delivery complicated by severe postpartum hemorrhage in the secondary health care institution. Despite all conservative measures taken, the hemorrhage hasn’t stopped, therefore, the subtotal hysterectomy was performed, after which the patient was directed to the Clinical Centre Kragujevac. Regarding the fact that the postpartum hemorrhage hasn’t stopped and abdominal hematoma as well as intracranial hemorrhagewere diagnosed, the main dilemma was if the surgical procedure should be redone or if the conservative treatment should be continued. By applying the conservative treatment andcontinued consultations of the multidisciplinary team, the patient was discharged from the Clinical Centre Kragujevac. Conclusion: The main issue with severe cases like this one, is to define and direct the treatment towards the lower risk rate – repeated surgery could be fatal with the current state of the patient. The estimation was correct, at the end, the patient was released after thelengthy treatment, recovered.

Background Non-operative treatment with immobilization is the gold-standard for paediatric clavicular fractures. Purpose of this study is to evaluate functional outcomes and efficacy of non-operative treatment of clavicular fractures in a succession of 131 children. Methods Between 2006 and 2012, we treated non-surgically 131 children for a clavicular fracture. All fractures have been classified according to Robinson classification. Clavicle shortening, range of movements and muscular strength through the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale were evaluated. To assess the outcomes, QuickDASH questionnaire, dividing the sample in 3 age-related group, was administered. Results The average follow-up was 26 months (8-84 months). Clavicle shortening at the time of injury occurred in 18 cases. All fractures reached union. Average time to union was 34 days. Mean time return to activity was 12.6 weeks. No cases of nonunion or delayed union were reported. Complications occurred in 21 cases. A shortening persisted in 2 cases. Only one patient had a slight functional restriction. Average QuickDASH score was 6.2±1.1 (range 4.3-9.4). All patients recovered to a MRC score of 5, except for one patient with a score of 4. Best QuickDASH scores were observed in the group aged under 8 years and in non-comminuted and lateral third fractures of the clavicle. Conclusions Observing results, clavicle fractures have a satisfactory clinical healing as shown by the good scores at QuickDASH and MRC scale. Younger children under 8 years can achieve the best results with a conservative treatment in terms of bone healing and activity level.

Introduction Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip is a low-grade inflammatory disease of multiple etiology that has a limited conservative management and insufficiently explored. The application of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) produces in the applied muscle a temporary, delimitable and reversible flaccid paralysis, which applied in a strategic way achieves to reduce mechanical stress and pain. Objective To evaluate the effect on pain perception, functionality and rigidity and changes in flexibility, internal and external rotation, before and 90 days after the application of BoNT-A. Methods Clinical, experimental, longitudinal, open study, with a total of 35 patients and 45 hips treated. BoNT-A of 500 U was applied in iliac, adductor brevis and longus muscles. Results The Wilcoxon test was used to compare the evaluation scores on days 0-90, observing the decrease in referred pain (p < 0.0001), rigidity (p < 0.002), improved perceived function (p < 0.001) and mobility arcs: flexion, internal and external rotation (p < 0.0001). Conclusions The treatment with BoNT-A provides a conservative and safe option for the management of symptoms and physical restraint caused by hip OA.

BACKGROUND Guidelines recommend early coronary angiography (CA) in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), irrespective of age. However, elderly patients are less likely to be treated according to these guidelines due to their perceived high risk and medical comorbidities. Whether an invasive strategy is associated with improved survival in patients aged ≥85 years remains uncertain due to their exclusion from randomised trials. METHODS Consecutive patients aged ≥85 years presenting to a tertiary centre with NSTEMI between 2008-18 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Patients were stratified based on whether they underwent invasive management with CA with a view to revascularisation versus conservative management. The primary outcome was long-term mortality. RESULTS Of 7,591 patients with NSTEMI, 1052 patients ≥85years were included. 99(9.4%) patients underwent CA. Those undergoing CA were more likely to be younger, male, live independently, without mobility or cognitive issues (all p

Background Toe-to-hand transfer is a favorable option for finger reconstruction, but donor site healing can be challenging. The superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator (SCIP) flap has yet to be used widely for toe reconstruction. The purpose of this report was to validate the efficacy of the sequential simultaneous free SCIP flap transfer for the toe flap donor site in a consecutive case series. Methods The medical records of 18 consecutive patients who underwent a simultaneous SCIP flap transfer and a toe-to-hand transplant were reviewed. Free SCIP flap reconstruction was performed in a simultaneous 2-team approach. The SCIP flaps were transferred to various toe flap donor sites: a great toe wraparound flap in 9 cases, a second toe distal phalangeal flap in 4 cases, a great toe osteo-onycho-cutaneous flap in 3 cases, a twisted wraparound flap in 1 case, and a great toe hemipulp flap in 1 case. Results The size of the SCIP flap ranged from 5 × 3 to 16 × 8 cm. A mean of the total operative time was 229.2 minutes (range, 118-441 minutes; SD, 75.8 minutes). All the SCIP and toe flaps survived completely. Minor wound dehiscence was seen in 2 cases, and the wound healed by conservative treatment. The mean follow-up period was 23.7 months (range, 7-44 months; SD, 9.7 months). No patient had gait dysfunction postoperatively. Conclusions A sequential SCIP flap transfer was performed simultaneously without additional time, allowing secure soft tissue coverage of the toe flap donor even with avascular tissue such as bone or tendon exposed. The sequential SCIP flap transfer can be a useful option for reconstruction of toe flap donor site, when multiple microsurgeons and microscopes are available.

Paediatric spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) management continues to lack paediatric-specific guideline recommendations. There have been increasing reports of paediatric retrospective case studies supplemented by important well designed RCT (predominantly) adult studies. Taken together, these suggest that conservative management may have an increasing role to play in the management of PSP and that aspiration may have limited utility as a first line intervention. Our local experience, as part of a multicentre retrospective analysis and subsequent audit of management since, corroborates recent published data: it highlights an increasing trend towards conservative management in spontaneous pneumothorax with similar rates of recurrence, compared to intervention, and low use of aspiration with similarly low success rates. We have therefore updated our local practice guidelines and share these with readers. Specifically, we have removed aspiration in the management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax and reserved intervention for children who are clinically unstable or show evidence of increasing air leak irrespective of pneumothorax size. Whilst the success of this change in clinical practice will need to be reviewed in the next 5–10 years, the overall low incidence of the condition, demands a multicentre, and probably multinational, collaborative approach to allow the best chance of obtaining definitive evidence to guide clinical paediatric management.

This study describes three cases of patients who were victims of facial trauma and evolved with a condylar fracture associated with a fracture of the tympanic wall and/or glenoid fossa. In addition, a review of English-language literature involving condylar fracture associated with glenoid fossa and/or tympanic plate fractures from 1992 to 2019 was performed. In this article, we demonstrated that most patients received conservative treatment (40.6%) followed by the group that underwent surgical treatment (34.3%), but the treatment must be individualized for each case. Mandibular deviations, facial nerve paresis and ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint were observed. These fractures occur rarely but are often unnoticed in imaging studies. Patients with associated condylar fractures should be provided with a long-term follow-up due to the risk of late complications such as ankylosis, the most common.

Recent studies have reported that confined high-intensity and diffuse low-intensity on sagittal T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are distinctive features that are highly predictive of delayed union or nonunion on osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF). The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of imaging findings predicting the risk for requiring surgical treatment in fresh OVF with poor prognostic features on MRI.We conducted a retrospective study of 74 patients (17 men and 57 women with a mean age of 81.1 years) of OVF with the poor prognostic MRI findings. We compared the imaging findings between the surgery group (16 patients) and the conservative group (58 patients): vertebral instability defined as the difference between the vertebral collapse ratio in dynamic X-rays, and the grade of posterior wall injury (Grade I, no spinal canal encroachment; Grade II,2 mm; Grade III, ≥2 mm) as well as the presence or absence of pedicle fracture (Grade I, none; Grade II, unilateral; Grade III, bilateral) on computed tomography.The mean vertebral instability was 24.0% ± 10.1% in the surgery group and 13.0% ± 7.8% in the conservative group, which was significantly different. Posterior wall injury in the surgery and conservative groups was Grade I in 0 and 29 cases, Grade II in 5 and 21 cases, and Grade III in 11 and 8 cases, respectively, constituting a significant difference. Pedicle fracture in the surgery and conservative groups was Grade I in 5 and 55 cases, Grade II in 6 and 2 cases, and Grade III in 5 and 1 case, respectively, also constituting a significant difference.The most high-risk OVF patients with poor prognostic MRI findings who required surgical treatment were those who exhibited greater vertebral instability as well as either more severe posterior wall injury or pedicle fracture.Retrospective clinical study.

Objective Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is often caused by atherosclerosis. However, causes other than atherosclerosis is often overlooked. Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) and popliteal artery adventitial cystic disease (PACD) are two common nonatheromatous causes of claudication and critical limb ischemia. The purpose of this study is to present early results of treatment of PAES and PACD involving the lower limbs. Methods From December 2019 to February 2021, 10 patients with PAES underwent surgeries, and 1 patient with PAES received conservative treatment. 2 patients with PACD underwent surgery. Patient data including age, gender, etiology of vascular pathology, diseased vessel, surgical method, and hemodynamic status were collected retrospectively. Results The mean follow-up duration was 5.64 ± 3.72 months (range, 1–12 months). All patients had their symptoms improved or resolved. The success rate of surgery was 100%, the rate of freedom from reintervention for any reason was 100%. There were no death, bleeding, embolism, or skin ulcers during late follow-up. Conclusions PAES and PACD require early diagnosis and intervention, and early surgery may lead to good early- and mid-term results.

Background Osteonecrosis of the jaw is a severe adverse condition affecting patients exposed to specific types of medications. Previous studies have highlighted that osteonecrosis of the jaw is triggered by invasive dental procedures and can be very challenging to manage, especially in oncologic patients. The primary aim of this review is to analyse all available evidence on the management (surgical and/or conservative) of medication related-osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) in patients with a history of antiangiogenic drugs therapy and not previously exposed to any antiresorptive drug treatments. Material and methods A multi-database search (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL) was performed to identify related multi-languages papers published from January 2003 until November 2020. Data was extracted from relevant papers and analysed according to the outcomes selected in this review. Results The search generated 28 studies eligible for the analysis. The total number of patients included in the analysis was 36. 16 patients were treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs (anti-VEGF) while the remaining patients were administered a combination of antiangiogenic drugs. The most common MRONJ site was the mandible in 29 patients. MRONJ recurrence after treatment was only reported in 6 patients, the majority of which treated conservatively. Conclusions The data reviewed confirmed that an invasive procedure is the most common trigger of MRONJ with relatively high frequency of post-operative recurrence following treatment. However, due to the low quality of available research in literature, it is difficult to draw a definitive conclusion on the validity of the presented treatment to manage patients affected by MRONJ associated with angiogenic therapy.

Коксартроз є актуальною проблемою сучасної охорони здоров’я через високу поширеність цієї патології, різноманітність його етіологічних чинників, хронічний перебіг і недостатню ефективність консервативного лікування, що в більшості випадків закінчується заміною ураженого суглоба на штучний. У даній статті на основі власної лікувальної практики та рекомендацій Європейського товариства клінічних та економічних аспектів остеопорозу та остеоартрозу викладено підходи до медикаментозного лікування коксартрозу, роль і значення нестероїдних протизапальних препаратів у його консервативній терапії.

The purpose and objectives of the study: to evaluate the efficiency of traditional methods of surgical and conservative treatment of the cold injury, to set clinical, instrumental and laboratory factors determining it, to highlight the prognostic criteria. Material and methods. The study included 147 patients with frostbites (128 men and 19 women aged from 16 to 79 years). Various methods of surgery were used in 48 % of cases, 52 % of patients were treated conservatively. Results. Amputations of limbs were carried in 18 % of patients with cold injury, amputations of fingers — in 24 %, and complete preservation of the anatomical features of arms and legs were established in 59 % of the victims, and the treatment efficiency of women with frostbites was better than men, at the same time the results of therapeutic measures are worsen according to the increased age of patients. Presence of concomitant cardiovascular and respiratory disease, the degree of abnormality of blood flow in vessels, integrated changes in initial laboratory parameters (levels of protein, non-protein nitrogenous products, the parameters of blood coagulation, activity of creatine kinase in it, physicochemical values of interphase activity and viscoelasticity of serum) are negatively depend on frostbite severity, that may have prognostic value for further surgical interventions. Conclusions. The results of therapeutic measures in cold injury are closely related to the clinical and laboratory course of the pathological process, and the highlighted prognostic criteria will improve the quality of medical technology to assist these patients.

OCDs of the ankle are the third most common lesion in the body and a physician should include this in the differential while evaluating the pediatric population with the history of injury and/or pain in the ankle. Pain, stiffness, and swelling are the most common presenting complaints about the pediatric and adolescent patients with an OCD. Conservative treatment options should be attempted before attempting surgical intervention. Multiple surgical procedures exist to manage the lesion based on location, size, and other factors.

Background The objective of this study was to identify the predictors of the conservative management outcomes in patients with lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP). Methods A prospective study was conducted between June 2010 and April 2012 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Clinical and baseline neurologic examinations such as passive straight leg raising test (SLRT), cross SLRT, and patellar and Achilles reflexes were assessed prior to the conservative management. The patients were evaluated at 2nd, 4th, 8th, 12th and 24th week following commencement of the conservative management. Results We recruited and followed 171 HNP patients of which 35.7% of them had good outcome. At univariate analysis, patients with more than 12 months duration of complaint, those with dominant radicular pain, severe pain intensity (visual analogue scale 7–10), positive SLRT, positive cross SLRT, and reduced motor power of knee extensors (muscle strength grade 1–4), were associated with poor outcome. Multivariate analysis suggested that patients with dominant radicular type of pain were likely to had poor outcome compared to those with dominant back pain (odd ratio (OR) 10.57 with 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15–96.93). Patients with reduced motor power of knee extensors also had a higher chance to have poor outcome compared to those who were normal (OR: 10.57; 95% CI: 1.15–96.93). Conclusion Type of pain and the strength of lower extremities could be able to predict the failure of conservative management in patients with lumbar disc herniation. However, further studies with the bigger sample size are warrant to validate our results.

Background/Aim. The absence of clear guidance in the definition, diagnostics, and indications for renal replacement treatment (RRT) is present. The aim of this study was to help outlining future clinical work in improving the treatment outcome and reducing complications of acute kidney injury (AKI) based on the current clinical practice. Methods. The questionnaires were distributed among physicians of different specialties who participated voluntarily and anonymously. The questionnaire was drawn up in accordance with the standard clinical practice. Results. We conducted a multicentric web survey among nephrologists (46.8%) and other physicians in Serbia. The sample consisted of 119 participants, out of which 78.9% filled out the survey forms correctly and were, therefore, included in the analysis. Most of them responded that the nephrologist indicates (76.8%) and prescribes (74.5%) continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). The application of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2 criterion for ?early? start of CRRT used 74.5% of the respondents, and 91.5% of them started ?late? initiation of CRRT in the presence of complications associated with AKI or poor response to conservative treatment. Regarding the clinical experience of the respondents, 74.5% of them marked the ?early? start of CRRT within 12 hours, whereas 56.4% of them considered the start of CRRT after 48 h as ?late?. The most commonly used modality was continuous venous hemodiafiltration (37.6%). Most participants used heparin as an anticoagulant (95.7%) with an average life span of filters less than 24 h (71.3%) and 25 mL/kg/h efficiency target dialysis effluent dose (45.2%) during CRRT. The most common complications of CRRT were hypotension (55.3%) and catheter-related infections (29.8%). Conclusion. The ?early? start of CRRT is considered favorite by the majority of the participants. According to the obtained data, standardization of the strategy in the diagnostics and treatment of AKI is necessary.

With optimized technique, the water-soluble contrast challenge is effective at triaging patients for operative vs non-operative management of suspected small bowel obstruction. Standardized study structure and interpretation guidelines aid in clinical efficacy and ease of use. Many tips and tricks exist regarding technique and interpretation, and their understanding may assist the interpreting radiologist. In the future, a CT-based water-soluble contrast challenge, utilizing oral contrast given as part of the initial CT examination, might allow for a more streamlined algorithm and provide more rapid results.

A 62-year-old man presented as a trauma alert after a farm tractor accident. He was managed according to ATLS protocol. During initial trauma resuscitation, he developed an iatrogenic air embolus. The patient was treated conservatively by positioning him head down and tilted to the left (Durant’s manoeuvre). Repeat CT scan performed 4 hours later showed resolution of the air embolus. He had no sequelae.

Forestier Syndrome is a rheumatological disease of unknown origin, which consist in calcification of different areas of the body, predominantly at the level of the anterior common vertebral ligament, where osteophytes capable of producing varied symptoms of variable intensity are formed. Normally asymptomatic, although, when it affects the cervical spine, the most common symptom is dysphagia. A case of Forestier syndrome is presented who consulted for dysphagia in the Head and Neck Surgery Unit of the Otolaryngology Service of the Institute of Social Prevision, Asuncion, Paraguay. The semiology allowed to observe a submucosal bulge in the posterior wall of the oropharynx of 1,5 cm in diameter, which could be evaluated and confirmed by tomography. Due to the low intensity of the symptoms and little impact on the general state, it was decided to carry out a conservative treatment with good results, after two years of clinical follow-up. In these cases, surgery occupies a secondary place, either before the failure of this conservative behavior or the progression of the symptoms.

Objective: Dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (Dusp6) was proposed as a predictive marker of response of atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) and early endometrial cancer (EEC) to conservative treatment. However, its predictive accuracy has never been calculated. We aimed to define it in conservatively treated AEH and EEC. Methods: All patients

Whether surgical revascularization can prevent recurrent hemorrhage in hemorrhagic moyamoya disease (HMD) patients remains a matter of debate. This study mainly aims at the comparison of treatment effect between surgical revascularization and conservative treatment of adult HMD patients. We retrospectively enrolled 322 adult HMD patients, including 133 in revascularization group and 189 in conservative group. The revascularization group included patients who underwent combined (n = 97) or indirect revascularization alone (n = 36). Ninety-two and forty-one patients underwent unilateral and bilateral revascularization respectively. The modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to assess the functional status. The comparison was made based on initial treatment paradigm among two categories: (1) revascularization vs. conservative, (2) unilateral vs. bilateral revascularization. The rebleeding rate was significantly lower in revascularization group than that in conservative group (14.3% vs. 27.0%, P = 0.007). As for the functional outcomes, the average mRS was significantly better in revascularization group (1.7 ± 1.5) than that in conservative group (2.8 ± 1.9) (P

Вроджений гіперінсулінізм (ВГІ) — одна з основних причин розвитку персистуючих гіпоглікемічних станів у дитячому віці. У статті поданий досвід діагностики й лікування пацієнтів із ВГІ. Нами було обстежено 7 дітей з діагнозом ВГІ віком від 1 міс. до 1,5 року. Для постановки діагнозу ВГІ проводилося стандартне клінічне й лабораторне обстеження, а також молекулярно-генетична й інструментальна діагностика (проведення позитронно-емісійної томографії з 18-F-допою). Молекулярно-генетична діагностика підтвердила діагноз ВГІ в 6 дітей. Усі 7 дітей із ВГІ виявилися різною мірою резистентними до консервативної терапії, мали різний ступінь порушення психомоторного розвитку й судоми. З них 6 дітям було проведено оперативне втручання з досягненням нормоглікемії. Усім дітям з гіпоглікеміями й підвищеним чи нормальним рівнем С-пептиду й інсуліну необхідно виконувати генетичну діагностику й позитронно-емісійну томографію з 18-F-допою для уточнення типу ВГІ. Необхідний подальший розвиток генетичної діагностики для пошуку нових генів ВГІ. Оперативне лікування може бути терапією вибору в дітей з ВГІ, особливо при його фокальній формі.

Early-onset scoliosis (EOS) is a heterogeneous group of spinal deformities affecting children under the age of 10 years of which the aetiology, natural history and treatment options vary considerably. In progressive EOS, treatment is based on exhausting conservative measures (casting or bracing) to halt curve progression while allowing for continuous growth of the spine and chest development. Early spinal fusion leads to loss of longitudinal spinal growth and restriction of cardiopulmonary function. In rapidly progressive curves that have failed conservative treatment a range of ‘growth-friendly’ surgical techniques have been developed to control curve deterioration. The indications and characteristics of distraction-based or compression-based methods, growth guidance and promising new techniques are discussed according to aetiology of EOS. Definitive spinal fusion remains reserved for patients ideally towards the end of their spinal growth and for short-segment treatment in congenital scoliosis.

Denosumab is the world's first human monoclonal antibody for the treatment of osteoporosis and shares an active pathway with bisphosphonates, strongly suppressing osteoclast activities. This is the first case report describing a possible relationship between the development of osteonecrosis of external auditory canal and denosumab administration. We herein report an 81-year-old woman diagnosed with left osteonecrosis of external auditory canal who had a history of denosumab administration. She underwent left radical mastoidectomy due to being refractory to conservative treatment. No major complications or recurrence were observed in the left ear after surgery, but bone erosion in the right ear has continued to progress slowly despite the cessation of denosumab administration. Otolaryngologists should be aware of the association between osteonecrosis of external auditory canal and denosumab administration and consider performing long-term observation even after cessation.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.Purpose: To examine bone healing with conservative treatment in cases of adolescent bilateral L5 spondylolysis.Overview of Literature: We classified bilateral L5 spondylolysis, which is the most affected spinal level, by fracture stage and aimed to compare the bone healing rate according to the fracture stage and evaluate the presence of a preexisting contralateral terminal fracture at the diagnosis of fresh spondylolysis.Methods: We evaluated 48 patients (38 boys and 10 girls) with bilateral L5 spondylolysis diagnosed during or before high school. L5 spondylolysis was classified into two groups: fresh group (bilateral fresh spondylolysis cases), and terminal group (cases wherein one side had fresh spondylolysis and the contralateral side had terminal spondylolysis). We investigated the age of examination and bone healing rate in both groups. We investigated progressive-stage lesions and bone healing rate with or without progressive-stage lesions.Results: The bone healing rate in the fresh group was significantly higher than that in the terminal group 72.0% vs. 26.1%, p =0.003). In both the groups, the bone healing rate was significantly higher in patients without progressive-stage lesions than in those with progressive-stage lesions.Conclusions: Bone healing of progressive-stage fresh spondylolysis was not achieved by conservative treatment when contralateral terminal spondylolysis was present in adolescents with bilateral L5 spondylolysis. Our results suggest that bilateral L5 spondylolysis treatment strategies must be determined based on the combination of the stages present.

Objective The objective of this study was to compare the outcome of surgical and conservative treatment approaches for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw. Study Design Publications in Medline, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed (non-indexed articles) and by Health Technology Assessment organizations were searched. Quality of evidence in primary studies were assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) and the level of bias in systematic reviews by a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews (AMSTAR). Results Quality assessment identified 3 primary studies with moderate GRADE score. Moderate risk of bias was found in 7 systematic reviews and low risk of bias in 3. Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis, where 62.1% healing was reported after surgical treatment (144 of 232 included patients) and 28.8% healing was reported after conservative treatment (38 of 132 included patients). Moderate heterogeneity was found among the included studies (P = .02). The overall odds ratio for resolution of osteonecrosis after surgical versus conservative treatment was 1.25 (95% confidence interval, 0.24-2.26) and was not statistically significant. Conclusion Slightly better outcomes are reported after surgical treatment, in particular for advanced disease stages, but there is a lack of standardized treatment protocols and outcome measures. Overall, the quality of evidence is poor, and the majority of studies have a low evidence certainty rating and high risk of bias. publishedVersion

Acute cholecystitis (AC) is a life-threatening emergency in elderly patients.To compare the commonly used management strategies for elderly patients with AC as well as resulting morbidity, mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS).All patients ≥ 65 years admitted to our emergency department for AC between January 1st, 2014 and December 31st, 2018 were included in the study. We compared patients that received medical treatment to patients who received operative procedures. In order to correct for baseline covariates and factors associated to clinical management, we used a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. The primary outcome was the overall in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included occurrence of major complications and LOS.A total of 1075 patients were enrolled: 483 patients received a medical treatment and 592 patients underwent interventional procedures. After PSM, 770 patients (385 for each treatment group) were included in the analysis. The analysis revealed that both mortality and cumulative major complications were similar in medical and interventional group. We found that among comorbidities, Charlson comorbidity index and congestive heart failure were significantly higher in the medical treatment group (5 [4-6] vs. 4 [3-6] and 11.7% vs. 4.7%, respectively; p0.001). LOS was slightly lower in the medical treatment group (7.0 days [4.9-11.1] vs. 7.9 [4.9-13.5]; p = 0.046).Medical management outcomes for AC in elderly patients were similar to operative treatments in terms of mortality and cumulative major complications. A conservative approach should always be considered.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract caused by the discharge of stomach contents into the esophagus. In GERD, both esophageal and extraesophageal manifestations are widespread, but, unfortunately, the latter are less well known. About one third of GERD patients have extraesophageal symptoms, which can occur even in the absence of the usual esophageal symptoms of GERD, which makes diagnosis difficult. The most common of these is laryngitis. In addition to reflux laryngitis, laryngopharyngeal reflux (LFR) can cause the development of contact granulomas, laryngeal stenosis, functional dysphonia, vocal fold nodules, Reinecke's edema, and laryngeal neoplasms. These symptoms disappear after taking antireflux therapy, but there is still no consensus on its duration.Aim. To evaluate the results of treatment of laryngeal manifestations of LFR with omeprasole 20 mg 30 minutes before meals in the morning.Methods. The study involved 531 patients with complaints of hoarseness, of which women 337 - 63.5%, men 194 - 36.5%. We prescribed omeprasole 20 mg 30 minutes before meals in the morning for 6 weeks. Patients were questioned using the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) questionnaire and indirect laryngoscopy with an assessment of laryngeal changes according to the Reflux Signs Scale (RSS).Results. There was a statistically significant decrease in hoarseness 1 week after treatment, which continues to decrease 6 weeks after the initiation of treatment when evaluating the data on the RSI questionnaire. There was no statistically significant difference in the laryngoscopic picture before the start of treatment and after 1 week of treatment according to RSS; a statistically significant decrease in the quantitative assessment of RSS was revealed 6 weeks after the initiation of treatment.Conclusions. Omeprasole at a dose of 20 mg in 30 minutes reduces the symptoms of LFR already after 1 week, the decrease in the severity of symptoms continues by 6 weeks of its use. Improvement of the laryngoscopic picture with the appointment of omeprazole 20 mg 30 minutes before meals occurs by the 6th week of its use. A positive correlation was found between the severity of LFR symptoms, including hoarseness, and the severity of changes in the laryngoscopic picture.

Objective: Hypertriglyceridemia is the third most common cause of acute pancreatitis. Immediate triglyceride level lowering is beneficial in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia [triglyceride (TG) >1,000 mg/dL]. This study aimed to compare the severity of acute pancreatitis, in-hospital mortality, and local and systemic complications, as well as hospitalization duration between patients with hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis treated with conservative treatment only and with therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in addition to conservative treatment. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 patients diagnosed with hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis treated with TPE in addition to conservative treatment (group 1) or conservative treatment only (group 2) participated in the study. Results: Group 1 consisted of 38 patients (9 females and 29 males) and group 2 had 82 patients (29 females and 53 males). No difference was found between the two groups regarding patient characteristics. The TG levels in group 1 decreased by 56.8% in one treatment session. The rate of patients with moderately severe acute pancreatitis + severe acute pancreatitis in group 1 was 36.8%, whereas 59.8% in group 2 (p=0.029). The local complication rate was 34.2% and 57.3% in group 1 and group 2, respectively (p=0.031). No significant difference was found between the groups regarding organ failure, systemic complication, hospitalization duration, and in-hospital mortality rates. Conclusion: Our study revealed that TPE treatment is effective in reducing local complications (especially pancreatic pseudocyst).

A 4-month-old girl visited our hospital’s emergency room reporting fever and coughing. She had been conservatively followed for prenatally diagnosed tricuspid atresia, complicated with a supernumerary rib and a radial defect after she was born at 38 weeks’ gestation with a birth weight of 2662

The dynamics of structural and functional state of thyroid gland was studied, as well as the levels of antithyroid antibodies in patients with diffuse toxic goiter (DTG) during long-term treatment with thyrostatic agents. Objective of the study — to perform the analysis of changes in the levels of thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAbs), antibodies to thyreoproxidase (ATPO) at DTG manifestation and during long-term drug therapy, as well as to determine TRAbs levels in relapsing course of disease. Materials and methods. 112 patients with DTG were examined. The duration of the disease at the examination beginning was from 1 month to 15 years. All patients were divided into two groups depending on the DTG duration: the first group consisted of 46 patients with disease duration up to 1 year (3.96 months in average), the second one consisted of 66 patients with disease duration more than 1 year (3.32 years in average). This distribution was specified by desire to study the dynamics of antithyroid antibody levels at disease manifestation and during long-term course of autoimmune process. Results. On the background of thyrostatic therapy, the number of patients with focal thyroid gland formations increased. When analyzing the levels of antithyroid antibodies at baseline, it was revealed that ATPO level in both groups of patients with DTG significantly exceeded the performance of the control group (group1 — 283.33 ± 86.61 U/ml vs 35.65 ± 4.90 U/ml; group 2 — 207.34 ± 42.52 U/ml vs 35.65 ± ± 4.90 U/ml) and did not depend on disease duration and preliminary treatment duration. In 6 months of treatment, the level of ATPO in both groups was not decreased. The study of TRAbs dynamics during thyrostatic therapy revealed that in patients of the first and second groups, the decrease of TRAbs level was noted only 6–12 months after the start of thyrostatic therapy (group 1 — from 17.19 ± 2.17 IU/l to 6.95 ± 2.39 IU/l, p < 0.05; group 2 — from 14.20 ± 2.04 IU/l to 5.81 ± 2.26 IU/l, p < 0.05). In 24 months of treatment, the recurrence of thyrotoxicosis has been detected in 24 patients (21.4 %). The study of TRAbs levels in patients with relapsing course of the disease revealed their significant increase (24.27 ± 2.86 IU/l vs 12.28 ± 3.57 IU/l). In 6 months of thyrostatic therapy, the levels of TRAbs in patients with relapses do not significantly decreased and were significantly higher than similar rates in patients with DTG in remission (17.22 ± 3.37 IU/l vs 4.64 ± 1.99 IU/l). Conclusions. In patients with DTG, TRAbs level decreases in only 6–12 months after the beginning of thyrostatic therapy. The patients with relapsing course of the disease have significantly larger sizes of goiter, as well as the levels of TRAbs, which in 6 months of continuous treatment far exceeded the normal values and indicators of patients with remission.

AIM To investigate the optimal treatment strategy in patients older than 80 years with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). METHODS All published randomized, placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) reporting on comparisons between invasive and conservative strategies for patients aged 80 years or older with NSTE-ACS were identified. The literature search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and the ISI Web of Science, from their establishment to July 2021 with no language restriction. The pooled risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for dichotomous outcomes were calculated. RESULTS Three RCTs involving a total of 893 cases met the inclusion criteria. Compared with the conservative group, the invasive strategy could significantly improve the incidence rate of composite endpoint (I2 = 21.9%; RR 0.727, 95% CI 0.619 to 0.855, P

Background: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has a diagnosis rate of 3% to 5% per year, but the number of cases requiring surgical treatments is very small, accounting for only 0.17% to 1.75% of all AIS patients. Most patients with AIS are diagnosed, treated, and managed in outpatient clinics.Current Concepts: AIS is a disease that occurs more frequently, and progresses faster, in females than in males. Scoliosis deformity can occur due to various causes. To differentially diagnose AIS, it is necessary to perform careful physical examinations, investigate family history, and check for neurological, growth, and developmental abnormalities. Definitive diagnosis of AIS can be performed through radiographic imaging. In the case of atypical curvature and symptoms, examinations such as magnetic resonance imaging could be required in addition to radiographic imaging. Treatment of AIS patients in outpatient clinics can be performed through observation, exercise, and orthosis. The selection and application of treatment methods and the termination period of the treatments are complexly affected by the age at the time of diagnosis; pattern, location and size of the curve; and growth potential.Discussion and Conclusion: AIS is a disease in which good results can be obtained with conservative treatments such as exercise and orthosis, which is generally applied in an outpatient setting. To properly treat AIS, it is necessary to have an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of AIS, timing of treatment, and factors influencing treatment.

Summary Objective To investigate heterogeneous effects of a combination of conservative therapies compared with an education comparator for thumb base (TB) osteoarthritis (OA) according to clinically relevant characteristics. Methods Pre-planned subgroup analysis of the COMBO trial (n = 204) which compared a combination of education on self-management and ergonomic principles, a prefabricated neoprene splint, hand exercises, and diclofenac sodium gel, with education alone for radiographic and symptomatic TB OA. Primary outcomes were change in pain (visual analogue scale [VAS], 0–100 mm) and hand function (Functional Index for Hand Osteoarthritis questionnaire, 0–30) from baseline to week-6. Other outcomes were grip and tip-pinch strength and patient's global assessment (PGA) (VAS, 0–100 mm). Possible treatment effect modifiers were the presence of interphalangeal joint pain, erosive hand OA, radiographic thumb carpometacarpal joint subluxation (higher vs equal or lower than the sample mean), and baseline radiographic OA severity (Kellgren Lawrence grade). Linear regression models were fitted, adding interaction terms for each subgroup of interest. Results The treatment effects of the combined intervention at 6 weeks were greater in participants with lower joint subluxation compared with those with greater subluxation (pain −11.6 [95%CI −22.2, −9.9] and 2.6 [−5.5, 10.7], respectively, difference between the subluxation groups 14.2 units (95% CI 2.3, 26.1), p-value 0.02; and PGA −14.0 [−22.4, −5.5] and 1.5 [−6.2, 9.3), respectively, difference between the subluxation groups 15.5 units (95% CI 4.2, 26.8), p-value 0.03). There was no statistically significant heterogeneity for the other subgroups. Conclusion A combination of conservative therapies may provide greater benefits over 6 weeks in individuals with lower joint subluxation, although the clinical relevance is uncertain given the wide confidence intervals. Treatment strategies may need to be customized for those with greater joint subluxation. Trial registration number ACTRN 12616000353493.

Background Despite the fact that primary percutaneous catheter drainage has become standard practice, some patients with pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy ultimately undergo a relaparotomy. The aim of this study was to compare completion pancreatectomy with a pancreas-preserving procedure in patients undergoing relaparotomy for pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy. Methods This retrospective cohort study of nine institutions included patients who underwent relaparotomy for pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy from 2005–2018. Furthermore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Results From 4877 patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy, 786 (16 per cent) developed a pancreatic fistula grade B/C and 162 (3 per cent) underwent a relaparotomy for pancreatic fistula. Of these patients, 36 (22 per cent) underwent a completion pancreatectomy and 126 (78 per cent) a pancreas-preserving procedure. Mortality was higher after completion pancreatectomy (20 (56 per cent) versus 40 patients (32 per cent); P = 0.009), which remained after adjusting for sex, age, BMI, ASA score, previous reintervention, and organ failure in the 24 h before relaparotomy (adjusted odds ratio 2.55, 95 per cent c.i. 1.07 to 6.08). The proportion of additional reinterventions was not different between groups (23 (64 per cent) versus 84 patients (67 per cent); P = 0.756). The meta-analysis including 33 studies evaluating 745 patients, confirmed the association between completion pancreatectomy and mortality (Mantel–Haenszel random-effects model: odds ratio 1.99, 95 per cent c.i. 1.03 to 3.84). Conclusion Based on the current data, a pancreas-preserving procedure seems preferable to completion pancreatectomy in patients in whom a relaparotomy is deemed necessary for pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy.

Introduction. The prevalence of hemorrhoids in the adult population, according to various authors, ranges from 15 to 90%. In case of exacerbation of external hemorrhoids, conservative or surgical treatment can be applied. Of particular and important interest is homeopathic ointment, has an analgesic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory effect, and also affects the tone of the venous vessel. The purpose of our study was to study the effectiveness of Fleming’s ointment for the treatment and prevention of patients with acute hemorrhoids. Materials and methods. A prospective comparative study was conducted with the participation of 154 patients with acute hemorrhoids. In the main group (n = 76) of patients, treatment was carried out using diosmin and homeopathic ointment, which was applied 2 times a day for 7 days. In the control group (n = 78) patients, treatment was carried out using enteral administration of diosmin at a dosage of 1000 mg 1 time per day for 30 days and direct-acting anticoagulants in the form of an ointment 2 times a day for 7 days. Results. Within 3 months after the end of treatment, 4 (5.3%) patients of the main group and 12 (15.4%) patients of the control group had exacerbations of hemorrhoids. After 3 months, a statistically significant difference was revealed in the indicator of the subjective impact of hemorrhoidal disease on everyday life, which is associated with the development of exacerbations of hemorrhoids. Conclusions. Homeopathic ointment is an effective and pathogenetically justified remedy for the conservative treatment of patients with acute hemorrhoids. Its use leads to a significant decrease in the severity of clinical symptoms of the disease and an improvement in the indicators of objective research methods with good tolerability, the absence of undesirable effects and better long-term results compared to the standard treatment regimen.

Introduction. It has been for a long time considered that treatment of trophic venous ulcers and varicose eczema should be operative only. However, practice shows that such treatment doesn’t guarantee the complete healing of an ulcer or eczema and doesn’t always prevent the recurrence of pathological processes. It suggests the need for an integrated approach to the treatment of trophic venous ulcers and varicose eczema.Aim. Analyze the effectiveness of various methods of non-surgical treatment of venous trophic ulcers (TU) and varicose eczema (VE) to create an optimal algorithm for managing this category of patients in outpatient practice.Materials and methods. A prospective comparative cohort study of 252 patients with C4-C6 CVD classes (CEAP) was conducted. 178 people (71%) had venous TU , 74 (29%) – VE. 3 groups of patients were formed: 1 gr. – (n = 68) was treated with traditional medicines and standard topical therapy (control); 2 gr. – (n = 90) received MOFF, elastic compression (Pütterbinde bandage), systemic antibiotic therapy for TU and corticosteroids for VE, dressings using Hartmann wound coverings; 3 gr. – (n = 94) in addition to the treatment similar to group 2, sclerotherapy (ST) of pathological venous reflux was performed. The follow-up lasted 6 months (8 visits) with a comprehensive clinical, laboratory and instrumental assessment. Statistical processing of the results was carried out using the STATISTICA software package (StatSoft, Inc., 2001, version 6.0).Results. By the end of the study, the following positive trends were registered in group 2 compared to group 1: the total VCSS index was 1.5 times lower, and according to the 10 – point VAS – 3 times; TU healing/ VE remission occurred 2 months earlier, complete healing of TU was noted in 75% of patients vs 63%, remission of VE-in 81% vs 47%. The combination of elimination of pathological reflux by CT and MOFF therapy (group 3 patients) was particularly effective. When comparing group 1 with group 3, it turned out that in the latter, by the end of the study, the total VCSS index was 3 times lower; the total indicator for the 10 – point VAS was 5.5 times lower for TU, 10 times higher for VE; TU healing/VE remission occurred 4 months earlier, complete healing was noted in TU in 88% of patients vs 63%, remission of VE in 96% vs 47%. Based on the obtained data, therapeutic algorithms were proposed for the management of patients with venous TU and VE in outpatient settings.Conclusions. Conservative treatment of venous TU and VE can be an alternative to surgical treatment, or an addition to it. MOFF is the most effective venotonic of complex action prescribed for the treatment of TU/VE in the form of monotherapy. Sclerosing therapy is a full-fledged element of the complex treatment of venous TU. The use of the proposed treatment algorithms makes it possible to speed up the healing process of venous TU and achieve remission of VE by three times.

Summary. Distal phalanx dorsal edge fracture is treated in a relatively simple closed manner during the first weeks after injury. The role of the distal interphalangeal joint in the upper extremity integral function reaches conventionally only a few percent. This may lead to insufficient attention and a large number of mistakes in diagnosis and treatment of such injuries, which in turn provokes complications that are much more difficult to treat than the primary injury. This article considers the most common problems of diagnosis and treatment of “mallet finger” fractures. Advantages and disadvantages of various techniques used in the treatment of such fractures in acute and neglected cases are considered and analyzed. Objective: to study the effect of distal phalanx dorsal edge avulsive fractures on function of the upper limb, quality of life, and depression rate in long term period after injury. Materials and Methods. Data from 11 patients (8 (88%) males and 3 (12%) females) with neglected cases of distal phalanx dorsal edge avulsive fractures were studied. QuickDASH questionnaire and visual analog scales were used to study impaired quality of life and depression rate in such patients. Indicators that lead to the need for surgery in long term period after injury have been identified. Results. It was determined that in long term period, in patients with a “mallet finger” fracture, function of the upper extremity suffered significantly and was 29.2±20.2 points (range 2.3-75) according to QuickDASH scale. This condition also significantly affected the general well-being of the patient. Average value of impaired quality of life was 43.6±24.6 (range 0-90 points), and depression rate due to upper extremity dysfunction was 44.6±22.7 (range 0-90 points). Conclusions. Despite the relatively minor injury, high rates of dysfunction, impact on quality of life and depression rate indicate the need to restore finger function even in long term period after injury.

Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is rare in pregnancy. PHPT and hypercalcemia are associated with negative maternofetal outcomes. Therefore, an early diagnosis and adequate treatment are essential. Case Presentation: We described the case of a pregnant woman complaining of nausea, vomiting and weight loss. Diagnosis of gestational PHPT (GPHPT) was made based on elevated serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels (3.4 mmol/L and 41.6 pmol/L). Neck ultrasound documented a nodule suggestive of enlarged parathyroid, whereas the abdomen ultrasound revealed renal microlithiasis. Conservative treatment was started with oral hydration and a low-calcium diet. Clinical and biochemical monitoring was weekly and multidisciplinary. Despite our suggestion, the patient refused parathyroidectomy in the second trimester. Additional intravenous fluid rehydration from the 15th to the 25th week of gestation ameliorated the symptoms rapidly, and reduced calcium levels progressively from the 23rd week. At week 40, the woman gave birth to a healthy girl. At month 8 postpartum, calcemia and PTH were still elevated, and accompanied by osteoporosis and nephrocalcinosis. Surgery was accepted, and a parathyroid adenoma was removed. Conclusion: In the absence of guidelines for GPHPT management, its treatment should be individualized. In our case, despite high calcium levels, conservative treatment with strict monitoring led to a positive outcome of pregnancy.

Objective There is a lack of knowledge regarding pycnodysostosis (PYCD), which is commonly misdiagnosed as other, similar malformations. This study aims to report a patient with PYCD and conjointly present a comprehensive literature review regarding oral complications after oral surgery procedures. Study Design This study aims to report a noteworthy case of a 40-year-old woman with PYCD who suffered from a midface defect after iatrogenic fracture during extraction of the upper right molars. A comprehensive electronic search was carried out in January 2020 for detection and analysis of the most commonly encountered dentoalveolar PYCD-related complications. The study was granted an exemption from the local institutional review board. Results The electronic search yielded 35 articles reporting 41 PYCD cases with 62 various reported dentoalveolar complications. The survey reported a prevalence of osteomyelitis (n = 39) followed by pathologic fracture (n = 17), iatrogenic fracture (n = 5), and oronasal communication (n = 1). Conclusions This study advocates handling patients with PYCD with care through the use of extensive clinical and radiographic examinations, giving priority to any conservative treatment modalities, atraumatic surgical procedures, prophylactic antibiotic prescriptions, and a regular follow-up schedule to tackle any anticipated complications.

Pneumocephalus is a condition defined by air present in the intracranial space. There are several causes of pneumocephalus, however this is a case of a patient who developed pneumocephalus following a cervical epidural steroid injection. Uniquely, this patient's chief complaint was sudden onset of syncope, and respiratory arrest following the injection. The diagnosis was made by CT, and conservative treatment was used for resolution of the condition. Patients with pneumocephalus can present with a wide range of neurologic symptoms, and prompt recognition and treatment are key to preventing irreversible neurologic damage.

Glandular ischemia is an extremely uncommon dreaded postoperative complication of inflatable penile prosthesis surgery that may lead to penile gangrene and organ loss, whose incidence is difficult to determine. We report the case of a 56-year-old male admitted to our department with complaints of cold and painful glans penis after penile implant one month before. A color Doppler examination revealed the normal intracavernosal arteries with no vascularity in the superficial glans tissues. Due to the mild severity of the ischemia, conservative management was suggested, and consisted of oral pentoxifylline and hyperbaric therapy for 10 days, achieving a significant improvement at 4 months of follow-up.

Purpose Lumbar spondylolysis in children of elementary school age has different characteristics from those of junior or senior high school patients. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the outcomes of conservative treatment for lumbar spondylolysis in patients of elementary school age. Methods We included 46 lesions in 32 consecutive patients of elementary school age with fresh cases of lumbar spondylolysis (5 girls and 27 boys; mean age, 11.3 years). We examined the relationship between bone union after conservative treatment and factors such as the CT axial staging, whether the lesion was unilateral or bilateral, whether the contralateral lesion was terminal stage, and the presence of spina bifida occulta. Results Bone union was achieved in 33 lesions (72%) in 23 patients, whereas 13 lesions (28%) in 9 patients could not obtain bone union. The proportion of unilateral lesions with bone union was 13 of 13 (100%), significantly higher than that for bilateral lesions (20/33 lesions, 61%, p = 0.009). Of the 33 bilateral lesions, bone union was attained in 20 of 28 (71%) lesions without contralateral terminal stage, whereas bone union was not attained in any of 5 (0%) lesions with contralateral terminal stage, showing a significant difference between those with or without contralateral terminal stage (p = 0.005). Conclusion Bilateral lesions and contralateral terminal stage are possible unfavorable factors to bone union in conservative treatment for patients of elementary school age with lumbar spondylolysis. Early diagnosis and treatment before the lesions become bilateral or progressive stage are important.

Purpose: Anal fissure is a common anorectal condition, yet its pathogenesis remains unclear. Lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) is the gold standard treatment for chronic anal fissures that do not respond to conservative treatment; however, it has a risk of anal incontinence. We believe that fibrosis of the internal anal sphincter is an important factor in the pathogenesis of chronic anal fissure. In this study, we describe the minimal LIS method, a minimally invasive method where only the fibrotic portion of the internal anal sphincter is cut. We also describe the outcomes of this method.Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 468 patients (270 male and 198 female) who underwent minimal LIS for chronic anal fissure in 2017 at Seoul Song Do Hospital. We analyzed the patients’ clinical characteristics, manometry data, complications, and outcomes of minimal LIS. The outcomes of the surgery were assessed via questionnaires during the postoperative outpatient visits, beginning 2 weeks postoperatively.Results: The overall complication rate was 4.0% (19 patients). Delayed healing occurred in 14 patients (3.0%), perianal abscess was present in 3 patients (0.6%), and gas incontinence occurred in 2 patients (0.4%). All complications were improved with conservative treatment. Recurrence, defined as the recurrence of anal fissure more than 4 weeks after healing, was present in 6 patients (1.3%).Conclusion: Minimal LIS is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with chronic anal fissure. Postoperative complications, especially incontinence and recurrence, are rare.

Objectives The aim of this study is to assess any relation between spondylitis and aortic aneurysmal disease by reviewing the current literature. Methods A systematic search was undertaken using MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL databases till May 2019, for articles reporting on patients suffering from spondylitis and aortic aneurysm. Results The most involved aortic segment was infrarenal aorta (56.9%). The lumbar vertebrae were more frequently affected (79.7%). Commonest symptoms were back pain (79.1%), fever (33.7%) and lower limb pain (29.1%). 55.8% of cases were diagnosed using computed tomography. The pathology was attributed to infectious causes in 25.1% of cases. 53.4% of patients were treated only for the aneurysm, 27.9% for both pathologies, while two patients solely for the vertebral disease. Endovascular aneurysm repair was chosen in 12.8% of cases. The 30-day mortality was 8.1% (7/86); mostly from vascular complications. Conclusions A synchronous spondylitis and aortic aneurysm may share common etiopathology, when an infectious or inflammatory cause is presented. The lumbar vertebrae are more frequently affected. Low quality data do not allow safe conclusion to suggest the best treatment option.

The article presents the analysis of the causes of massive obstetric hemorrhages, treatment features, possible errors made during conservative and surgical treatment. The main causes of massive obstetric hemorrhage were postpartum uterine atony, abruption of a normally located placenta and placenta previa. The amount of lost blood averaged 2,410.45 ± 520.55 ml. The errors made during the clinical examination, surgical, conservative treatment and organizational issues led to 5 cases of maternal mortality and deterioration in the quality of life of women in the study group., В статье приводятся анализ причин массивных акушерских кровотечений, особенности лечения, возможные допущенные ошибки консервативного и оперативного лечения в ретроспективной группе исследуемых пациентов на базе областного перинатального центра в г. Ургенче Хорезмской области в Республике Узбекистан., У статті наводяться аналіз причин масивних акушерських кровотеч, особливості лікування, можливі допущені помилки консервативного і оперативного лікування в ретроспективній групі досліджуваних пацієнтів на базі обласного перинатального центру в м. Ургенчі Хорезмськой області в Республіці Узбекистан.

Проведен анализ морфометрических и функциональных изменений зрительного анализатора в группе больных с возрастной макулярной дегенерацией с относительно рано выявленным процессом и высокими зрительными функциями. Включение в комплексное лечение больных с дегенерацией макулы и заднего полюса препарата Слезавит, содержащего лютеин и зеаксантин, витамины и микроэлементы, является патогенетически направленным и оказывает положительное влияние на активность фотоптической афферентной системы сетчатки.

To determine whether specific ultrasonographic features can predict failure of conservative treatment of acute appendicitis. A 2-year retrospective study was conducted on children admitted with acute appendicitis. Those with uncomplicated appendicitis diagnosed solely by ultrasound, and treated conservatively, were followed 18–24 m to assess treatment outcome. Management was considered successful if recurrent acute appendicitis was not observed during follow-up. Appendix diameter, wall thickness, presence of mucosal ulceration, hyperechogenic fat, free fluid, and lymph nodes were evaluated as potential discriminatory ultrasonographic predictors. T-tests, chi-square, sensitivity, specificity, and odds ratios were calculated. Out of 556 consecutive patients that were admitted with acute appendicitis, 180 (32%) managed conservatively. One hundred eleven (62%) imaged by US only. Ninety-two out of 111 (83%) were followed 18–24 m to assess treatment outcome, and 19/111 (17%) were lost to follow-up. Conservative management was successful in 72/92 (78.2%), with treatment failure in 20/92 (21.8%) (5/92 (5.4%) with recurrent acute appendicitis and 15/92 (16.3%) underwent appendectomy). Of the ultrasonographic features studied, mucosal ulceration demonstrated statistically significant predictive value. Fifteen out of 20 (75%) treatment failures had mucosal ulceration, compared to 21/72 (29.2%) of the patients with successful treatment (p

The nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) is a spinally mediated withdrawal response and is used as an electrophysiological marker of descending modulation of spinal nociception. Chemical and pharmacological modulation of nociceptive neurotransmission at the spinal level has been evidenced by direct effects of neurotransmitters and pharmacological agents on the NFR. Largely unexplored are, however, the effects of nonpharmacological noninvasive conservative interventions on the NFR. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed and reported following the PRISMA guidelines to determine whether and to what extent spinal nociception measured through the assessment of the NFR is modulated by conservative therapy in patients and healthy individuals. Five electronic databases were searched to identify relevant articles. Retrieved articles were screened on eligibility using the predefined inclusion criteria. Risk of bias was investigated according to Version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool for randomized trials. The evidence synthesis for this review was conducted in accordance with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Thirty-six articles were included. Meta-analyses provided low-quality evidence showing that conservative therapy decreases NFR area and NFR magnitude and moderate-quality evidence for increases in NFR latency. This suggests that conservative interventions can exert immediate central effects by activating descending inhibitory pathways to reduce spinal nociception. Such interventions may help prevent and treat chronic pain characterized by enhanced spinal nociception. Furthermore, given the responsiveness of the NFR to conservative interventions, the NFR assessment seems to be an appropriate tool in empirical evaluations of treatment strategies.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020164495.

The article presents the literature data and the results of the author’s own research on the development of peptic ulcer surgery in the historical aspect. It is shown that the evolution of the knowledge about the etiopathogenesis of peptic ulcer influenced the development of methods for surgical interventions. The main periods of development of peptic ulcer surgery are identified: the first period (1842–1881) — the time of the formation of gastric surgery; the second period (1880–90s) — the time of gastric surgery becoming an independent clinical discipline; the third period (the end of the 19th century — 1920s) — the time of peptic ulcer surgery development, when gastroenterostomy was the method of choice in surgical treatment; the fourth period (1930–60s) — the time when the pathogenetic principles of peptic ulcer surgery appeared; gastric resection served as a method of choice; the fifth (the final) period (1970–90s — present time) — the summing up of the 150-year history of ulcer surgery, when doctors tend to conservative treatment of this complex pathology, and surgical intervention in peptic ulcer is directed only to сorrection of disease complications, without destroying the digestive system. It is shown that the historical experience, the thorny path of hopes and disappointments that doctors have taken when searching an optimal approaches to the surgical treatment of peptic ulcer, will help surgeons, therapists, morphologists and physiologists in the future.