Search

A pleura constitui uma membrana de tecido mesotelial que reveste os pulmões e a cavidade torácica, possibilitando o adequado funcionamento destes órgãos. Além disso, possui dois folhetos, o parietal e o visceral; quando na presença de ar entre estes, ocorre uma complicação denominada pneumotórax, o qual possui múltiplas etiologias. Nesse sentido, o pneumotórax espontâneo (PE) corresponde a uma forma de apresentação da afecção, porém menos frequente. Ademais, o pneumotórax representa uma emergência médica e pode ser tratado de maneira conservadora ou cirúrgica, contudo, há divergências na literatura sobre quais critérios devem ser utilizados para se optar pelo manejo expectante ou invasivo. Outrossim, vários casos de PE não apresentam etiologia esclarecida e são denominados de pneumotórax espontâneo primário (PEP); não obstante, tal terminologia é questionada atualmente, pois estudos indicam que sempre há uma doença pulmonar adjacente como fator predisponente, de maneira que nos casos considerados primários, apenas não houve a devida identificação da doença pulmonar responsável pelo pneumotórax. Ainda, os sinais e sintomas na doença são inespecíficos e mimetizam várias doenças, fazendo-se necessário a consideração de diagnósticos diferenciais importantes, os quais irão alterar a conduta e a gravidade do quadro, bem como a necessidade imediata ou não de procedimentos invasivos. Para o diagnóstico, além da suspeição clínica, são necessários exames complementares, como a radiografia e a tomografia computadorizada de tórax, os quais auxiliam também na identificação de complicações da doença.

Liquid biopsies have gained an increasing interest in the last years among medical and scientific communities. Indeed, the value of liquid effusions, while less invasive and more accurate techniques, has been markedly highlighted. Peripheral blood comprises the most often analyzed sample, but recent evidences have pointed out the huge importance of other bodily fluids, including pleural and peritoneal fluids, urine, saliva and cerebrospinal fluid in the detection and monitoring of different tumor types. In face to these advances, this review aims to provide an overview of the value of tumor-associated mutations, detectable in different effusions, and how they can be used in clinical practice, namely in prognosis assessment and early disease and minimal disease recurrence detection, and in predicting the treatment response or acquired-resistance development.

BACKGROUND: Malignant airway obstruction (MAO) leads to quality of life impairment and increased mortality. Interventional bronchoscopy allows airway patency restoring, leading to a better survival. We investigated predictors of survival and successful bronchoscopic intervention among MAO patients. METHODS: This observational prospective study enrolled 100 patients who were newly diagnosed with MAO. Survival was estimated with Kaplan-Meier method and curves compared by log-rank test. Multivariate analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazard models. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used for odds ratio calculation. RESULTS: A proportion of 73% of the patients were male with a median age was 62.5 years (range, 21–88 years). Lung cancer was the most common primary malignancy (74%). The majority had single (61%), endoluminal (62%) lesions and were classified as grade III in Myer Cotton scale (57%). The most used techniques comprised mechanical debulking (n=81) and laser therapy (n=68). Twenty-two airway stents were placed. While eleven patients were considered untreatable, technical success was achieved in 78%. Haemorrhage was the most common acute complication (16%). No deaths occurred as a result of the procedure. Median global survival was 8 months. Adjusting for age and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG), extrinsic compression or mixed airway obstructions [hazard ratio (HR) =2.075; P=0.012], successful bronchoscopic intervention (HR =0.468; P=0.025) and initiation of cancer treatment (HR =0.373; P=0.006) were independent predictors of survival. The absence of distal airway patency on thoracic CT was independently associated with failure of the intervention [odds ratio (OR) =0.013; P

Introdução: O cuidado farmacêutico na gestação de alto risco deve considerar as rápidas mudanças fisiológicas e a escassa literatura sobre a segurança do uso de medicamentos em mulheres. Adicionalmente, gestantes hospitalizadas necessitam de intensa farmacoterapia para controle pressórico e glicêmico o que eleva o risco de reações adversas a medicamentos (RAM). A literatura é escassa sobre o perfil de RAM, sobretudo relacionada a relação entre período de tratamento e sua ocorrência. Objetivo: caracterizar as RAM em gestantes quanto ao tipo, medicamentos implicados e período de hospitalização de sua ocorrência. Métodos: Estudo observacional, longitudinal e prospectivo (agosto de 2019 a dezembro de 2021) que incluiu 297 gestantes hospitalizadas em acompanhamento diário e em uso de pelo menos um medicamento. As RAM foram investigadas diariamente através de busca em prontuários e entrevistas com as pacientes. A ocorrência de RAM foram relacionadas ao tempo de hospitalização. Os dados foram apresentados descritivamente (Stata v 15.0). Resultados: Um total de 1.762 mulheres grávidas foram admitidas no setor de alto risco, porém apenas 297 gestantes foram incluídas neste estudo. A idade média da população estudada foi de 30,3 ± 6,5 anos e idade gestacional de 31 ± 6,9 semanas. Um total 226 RAM foram detectadas em 107 pacientes (35,9% apresentaram uma ou mais RAM) com uma taxa de incidência de 615,2 (IC95% 481,4 – 783,2) por 1000 pacientes-dia. Agentes adrenérgicos de ação central e antiespasmódicos representaram as principais classes farmacológicas associadas à ocorrência de RAM (56%). Nas primeiras 48h, detectouse 41,6% das RAMs decaindo para 11,9% do total nas 48h seguintes. A metildopa ocasionou sedação, cefaleia e náusea prioritariamente nas primeiras 24h. Em contraste, a escopolamina promoveu diplopia, xerostomia e a constipação entre segundo e terceiro dia após a admissão da paciente. A partir do quarto dia a ocorrência de RAM diminui significativamente (1,5% do total). Conclusão: Agentes adrenérgicos de ação central e antiespasmódicos são os principais medicamentos associados a RAM em gestantes hospitalizadas. Geralmente são de gravidade leve e ocorrem com maior predomínio nas primeiras 48h da admissão da paciente no serviço hospitalar.

Introduction: Lifelong benefits of breastfeeding are far-reaching. However, optimal breastfeeding practices may be negatively affected by the marketing of different forms of breast milk substitutes...

The American Thyroid Association (ATA) recurrence risk prediction system considers vascular invasion (VI) as a relative indicator for adjuvant radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment, nevertheless VI final role in PTC management is yet to be defined. This study aims to assess the impact of histologic VI in PTC.A retrospective study with PTC patients admitted in our Thyroid Cancer Unit, between January 1960 and December 2016 was performed. We reviewed 905 patient records with 275 having full information about VI on their pathological reports. Demographic and clinical variables were obtained, and univariate/multivariate analysis was performed in order to obtain potential predictive prognostic factors.Fifty-one out 275 patients presented VI (18.5%; 95% CI 14.4 - 23.6%), these individuals had larger tumors (median 19mm vs 12 mm, p0.001) with more frequent extraglandular invasion (54.0% vs 17.1%, p0.001), regional lymph nodes involvement (29.8% vs 12.6%, p = 0.003)and distant metastasis (10.9% vs 1.9%, p = 0.003) at diagnosis. Vascular invasion was an independent predictor for regional lymph node and/or distant metastasis at diagnosis [OR 2.93 (IC95% 1.16 - 7.41, p = 0.008)]. After a median follow-up time was 68.5 months patients with VI presented higher rates of local recurrence and lymph node metastasis recurrence.In this study, the presence of VI in PTC is associated to higher rate of lymph node and distant metastasis at diagnosis. Its presence should be probably considered an adverse prognostic factor in PTC, perhaps justifying more aggressive therapeutic and follow-up approaches in such cases.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was characterized as a pandemic in March, 2020 by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is a respiratory syndrome that can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiorgan dysfunction, and eventually death. Despite being considered a respiratory disease, it is known that other organs and systems can be affected in COVID-19, including the thyroid gland. Thyroid gland, as well as hypothalamus and pituitary, which regulate the functioning of most endocrine glands, express angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the main protein that functions as a receptor to which SARS-CoV-2 binds to enter host cells. In addition, thyroid gland is extremely sensitive to changes in body homeostasis and metabolism. Immune system cells are targets for thyroid hormones and T3 and T4 modulate specific immune responses, including cell-mediated immunity, natural killer cell activity, the antiviral action of interferon (IFN) and proliferation of T- and B-lymphocytes. However, studies show that patients with controlled hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism do not have a higher prevalence of COVID-19, nor do they have a worse prognosis when infected with the virus. On the other hand, retrospective observational studies, prospective studies, and case reports published in the last two years reported abnormal thyroid function related to acute SARS-CoV-2 infection or even several weeks after its resolution. Indeed, a variety of thyroid disorders have been documented in COVID-19 patients, including non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS), subacute thyroiditis and thyrotoxicosis. In addition, thyroid disease has already been reported as a consequence of the administration of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Overall, the data revealed that abnormal thyroid function may occur during and in the convalescence post-COVID condition phase. Although the cellular and molecular mechanisms are not completely understood, the evidence suggests that the “cytokine storm” is an important mediator in this context. Thus, future studies are needed to better investigate the pathophysiology of thyroid dysfunction induced by COVID-19 at both molecular and clinical levels.

INTRODUCTION Although long-term home non-invasive ventilation (H-NIV) has been used among chronic hypercapnic COPD patients, its clinical benefit is still on debate. We aim to assess the impact of H-NIV in chronic hypercapnic COPD patients. METHODS COPD patients who initiated H-NIV between January 2010 and December 2017 were included. Patients with concomitant respiratory disorders were excluded. Acute exacerbation (AE) before and 2 years after H-NIV initiation was assessed as main outcome. Secondary outcomes included lung function and gas exchange parameters. Survival since H-NIV initiation was determined, and factors related with survival were explored. RESULTS Seventy-two patients were enrolled. A decrease in partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2 ) in arterial blood (p

Drawing on the views of donors and recipients about anonymity in a country that is experiencing a transition towards non-anonymous gamete donation mandated by the Constitutional Court, we explore how the intersection between rights-based approaches and an empirical framework enhances recommendations for ethical policy and healthcare. Between July 2017 and April 2018, 69 donors and 147 recipients, recruited at the Portuguese Public Bank of Gametes, participated in this cross-sectional study. Position towards anonymity was assessed through an open-ended question in a self-report questionnaire, which was subject to content analysis. Preference for an anonymous donation regime was mentioned by 82.6% of donors and 89.8% of recipients; and all those with children. Instead of the rights-based reasoning used by the Constitutional Court, donors highlighted concerns over future relationships and recipients focused on socioethical values linked with the safeguard of safety, privacy and confidentiality. The remaining participants advocated the choice between anonymity or non-anonymity (double-track policy), invoking respect for their autonomy. The complex, diverse ethical views and reasoning of donors and recipients expand a traditionally dichotomous discussion. Their perspectives challenge the transition towards non-anonymity and international guidelines, raising awareness to the need for their involvement in the design of policies to enable choice according to their values and preferences, and of psychosocial counselling responsive to their socioethical concerns and sensitive to their parental status. Empirical frameworks complement rights-based approaches to uphold justice, fairness and equal respect, and to incorporate utility, beneficence and non-maleficence in policymaking and healthcare in the transition towards non-anonymity.

Resumo: Neste trabalho, apresentamos estudos descritivos e computacionais relacionados ao sujeito oculto. Em um primeiro momento, realizamos uma descricao de cunho quantitativo, tomando por base tres corpora dos generos jornalistico, literario e enciclopedico. Especificamente, quantificamos o sujeito oculto em cada um dos corpora , e encontramos sujeitos omitidos em 24%, 41% e 46% das oracoes, respectivamente. Em um segundo momento, por meio de uma estrategia baseada em regras, reconstituimos esses sujeitos e os devolvemos aos corpora , com o objetivo de avaliar o quanto a omissao do sujeito e capaz de impactar o aprendizado automatico de dependencias sintaticas. Os resultados indicam que a reconstituicao formal do sujeito pode melhorar a aprendizagem das dependencias sintaticas em ate 2% quando consideramos a metrica CLAS, evidenciando o papel relevante da modelagem linguistica no aprendizado automatico. Palavras-chave: descricao linguistica; sujeito oculto; omissao de sujeito; dependencias sintaticas; linguistica computacional; aprendizado de maquina; linguistica de corpus . Abstract: In this paper, we present descriptive and computational studies related to omitted subjects. Firstly, we develop a quantitative descriptive study based on three corpora , which consist of journalistic, literary and encyclopedic genres. Specifically, we quantify the omitted subjects in sentences for each of these corpora; omitted subjects were found in 24%, 41% and 46% of their sentences, respectively. Secondly, applying rule-based strategies, we reconstitute those subjects and place them back to the corpora , with the goal of evaluating how much the omission of subjects can impact the automatic learning of syntactic dependencies. The results indicate that the formal subject reconstitution can enhance the learning of syntactic dependencies in up to 2% according to the CLAS metric, highlighting the relevant role of linguistic modeling in the automatic learning process. Keywords: linguistic description; omitted subject; syntactic dependencies; computational linguistics; machine learning; corpus linguistics.

Background and aims Diabetic foot ulcer location is a known independent predictor for cure with a better healing gradient proximal to distal. Although advanced age is one of the main factors associated with greater diabetic foot ulcer severity, there are no studies evaluating diabetic foot ulcer location specifically in the elderly population in an outpatient setting. This study evaluated diabetic foot ulcer location and age-group interactions in diabetic foot presentation. Methods A retrospective cohort study including adult patients with diabetic foot ulcers observed on their first visit to our center's Diabetic Foot Unit in 2018, divided into younger adults (YA) (18 to 64 years) and older adults (OA) (≥65 years). Results A total of 435 patients were included in the study with 159 (36.6%) in the YA, and 276 (63.4%) in the OA group. Neuro-ischemic diabetic foot ulcers were more frequent in the OA group (71.4% vs 43.4%, p0.001). The number of patients with a history of diabetic foot ulcers was lower in the OA group (18.1% vs 25.2%, p=0.03). A smaller proportion of forefoot diabetic foot ulcers (74.9% vs 86.2%, p=0.007) and plantar location diabetic foot ulcers (9.4% vs 24.5%, p0.001) occurred in the OA group. By univariate logistic regression analysis, we found two associations with older age: proximal (odds ratio (OR) 2.09 (1.23-3.53), p=0.006), and non-plantar (OR 3.13 (1.82-5.37), p0.001) diabetic foot ulcer location. After adjusting for potential confounders in a multivariate analysis, older age lost the association to more proximal (OR 1.72 (0.94-3.15), p=0.081) and non-plantar (OR 1.78 (0.83-3.77), p=0.133) diabetic foot ulcer location. Conclusions There are essential age differences in diabetic foot ulcer presentation. The OA group more frequently presents neuro-ischemic diabetic foot ulcers with more proximal and non-plantar locations.

O artigo pretende investigar um dos hospitais psiquiátricos mais antigos do Brasil, inaugurado em 1883, o Hospício dos Alienados do Recife, tendo como ênfase a análise de cinco casos de mulheres internadas, durante a década de 1950, submetidas às práticas de violências institucionais. Os casos compõem o acervo de prontuários do Departamento de Assistência Hospitalar do Estado de Pernambuco, da Divisão de Assistência a Psicopatas, do Hospital de Alienados. O artigo objetiva visibilizar aspectos históricos de internação de mulheres, silenciadas nas dependências de um estabelecimento pretensamente de cura e que promovia, entretanto, violação de liberdades e de direitos.

Statistics have demonstrated that one of the main factors responsible for the high mortality rate related to lung cancer is the late diagnosis. Precision medicine practices have shown advances in the individualized treatment according to the genetic profile of each patient, providing better control on cancer response. Medical imaging offers valuable information with an extensive perspective of the cancer, opening opportunities to explore the imaging manifestations associated with the tumor genotype in a non-invasive way. This work aims to study the relevance of physiological features captured from Computed Tomography images, using three different 2D regions of interest to assess the Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status: nodule, lung containing the main nodule, and both lungs. A Convolutional Autoencoder was developed for the reconstruction of the input image. Thereafter, the encoder block was used as a feature extractor, stacking a classifier on top to assess the EGFR mutation status. Results showed that extending the analysis beyond the local nodule allowed the capture of more relevant information, suggesting the presence of useful biomarkers using the lung with nodule region of interest, which allowed to obtain the best prediction ability. This comparative study represents an innovative approach for gene mutations status assessment, contributing to the discussion on the extent of pathological phenomena associated with cancer development, and its contribution to more accurate Artificial Intelligence-based solutions, and constituting, to the best of our knowledge, the first deep learning approach that explores a comprehensive analysis for the EGFR mutation status classification.

O presente artigo investiga as relações entre as políticas de morte promovidas pelo Estado e as políticas de cuidado com a vida, articuladas via iniciativas da sociedade civil para o enfrentamento à pandemia da COVID-19 nas cidades brasileiras. A abordagem teórica da ação dos sujeitos coletivos no contexto de crise é articulada à visão geral da “Biblioteca de iniciativas: Direito Urbanístico e COVID-19” do Instituto Brasileiro de Direito Urbanístico – IBDU e ao aprofundamento das experiências da Articulação do Centro Antigo de Salvador, no estado da Bahia, e do Fórum de Comunidades Tradicionais de Angra dos Reis, Paraty e Ubatuba no litoral fluminense e paulista. Iniciativas que articulam o centro e periferia de cidades das maiores regiões metropolitanas do Brasil. Os casos são analisados a partir da caracterização de seus territórios, dos atores envolvidos, instrumentos jurídicos acionados e interface com o direito urbanístico, indicando que a reivindicação do direito à cidade durante a pandemia amplia o espaço público para além do estatal a partir das práticas e lutas comunitárias.

Introduction Diabetic Foot infections (DFI) are a major cause of hospitalization in patients with diabetes. The microbiological study of diabetic ulcers is essential to adequate antibiotic therapy and to minimize the selection of resistant microorganisms. The aim of this study was to characterize and to compare the evolution of isolated microorganisms between the biennium 2010–2011 and 2016–2017, in hospitalized patients with DFI. Material and methods Retrospective evaluation of the clinical and analytical data of patients who were admitted due to DFI in 2010–2011 (group 2010/11) and 2016–2017 (group 2016/17). Only the first hospitalization for each patient was included. An adequate descriptive and comparative statistical analysis was performed. Results There were 274 admissions due to DFI, 151 in 2010/11 and 123 in 2016/17. There was an increase in admissions due to neuroischemic DFI (51.0% in 2010/11 to 61.8% in 2016/17, p = 0.048). Staphylococcus aureus (SA) was the most common isolate in 2010/11 (26.7%). In 2016/17 most cultures were mixed polymicrobial and isolation of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa increased from 2010/11 to 2016/17 (15.9% to 30.6%, p = 0.001, and 9.1% to 13.7%, p = 0.048, respectively). Conclusion There was an increase in the prevalence of neuroischemic DFU. The Enterobacteriaceae family replaced SA as the most prevalent pathogen in DFI, with an increase in the isolation of gram-negative microorganisms and mixed polymicrobial cultures. Chronic neuroischemic infected ulcers usually present distinct bacterial isolates; knowledge about the most common agents is warranted in order to better select empiric antibiotic therapy.

Background: Guidelines for improving the quality of maternal health services emphasise women's involvement in care. However, evidence about migrant and ethnic minorities' preferences for participation in maternal care remains unsystematised. Understanding these populations' experiences with and preferred forms of involvement in care provision is crucial for imbuing policies and guidelines with sensitivity to diversity and for implementing people-centred care. This paper presents a narrative synthesis of empirical studies of involvement in maternal health care by migrants and ethnic minorities based on four key dimensions: information, communication, expression of preferences and decision-making. Methods: Studies indexed in PubMed and Scopus published until December 2019 were searched. Original quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies written in English and reporting on migrant and ethnic minority involvement in maternal care were included. Backward reference tracking was carried out. Three researchers conducted full-text review of selected publications. Results: In total, 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were comparative and addressed only one or two dimensions of involvement, with an emphasis on the information and communication dimensions. Compared to natives, migrants and ethnic minorities were more likely to (1) lack access to adequate information as a result of health care staff's limited time, knowledge and misconceptions about women's needs and preferences; (2) report suboptimal communication with care staff caused by language barriers and inadequate interpreting services; (3) be offered fewer opportunities to express preferences and to have preferences be taken less into account; and (4) be less involved in decisions about their care due to difficulties in understanding information, socio-cultural beliefs and previous experiences with care provision less attuned with playing an active role in decision-making and care staff detracting attitudes. Conclusion: Constraints to adequate and inclusive involvement in maternal care can hinder access to quality care and result in severe negative health outcomes for migrant and ethnic minority women. More research is needed into how to tailor the dimensions of involvement to migrant and ethnic minorities' needs and preferences, followed by provision of the resources necessary for effective implementation (e.g. sufficient time for consultations, optimal interpreter systems, health care staff training). This study was funded by national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under the Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (EPIUnit) (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006862; Ref. UID/DTP/04750/2019), the DL57/2016/CP1336/CT0001 (CF), and CEECIND/01516/2017/CP1406/CT0001 (SF).

Introduction The occurrence of non-thyroidal second primary malignancy (NTSPM) in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is well documented, but epidemiological data are conflicting. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of NTSPM in a large series of patients with PTC and to assess its potential risk factors. Methods Single-center cohort study with retrospective data collection conducted on consecutive PTC patients diagnosed from 1988 to 2018 with a minimum follow-up time of 2 years. NTSPM was defined as any primary malignancy with histological confirmation occurring in an anatomical site other than the thyroid. According to the timing of occurrence, NTSPM were subdivided into anachronous, synchronous or metachronous (diagnosed >6 months before, within 6 months and >6 months after PTC diagnosis, respectively). Results We included 773 individuals (83.3% females), median age at PTC diagnosis was 47.0 (IQR: 37.0–58.0) years and median follow-up time was 9.9 (6.2–16.3) years. Incidence of NTSPM was 15.5% (n = 120) and its standard incidence ratio (SIR) was higher when compared to the general population (SIR: 2.70). Family history of malignancy and younger age at diagnosis were associated respectively with 206 and 4% increased risk of developing metachronous neoplasia (HR: 2.06 (95% CI: 1.10–3.86) and 1.04 (95% CI: 1.02–1.05), respectively). Conclusion In our series, the occurrence of NTSPM was not uncommon and its incidence was higher compared to the general population. First-degree family history of malignancy was a strong risk factor for multiple primary malignancies.

Objective Previous trials show that selenium could be a very useful tool in the control and treatment of autoimmune thyroid diseases. In this cross-sectional study, through a survey, we aim to evaluate Portuguese endocrinologists' perception and pattern of prescription of selenium supplements in these diseases and verify its agreement with current guidelines. Methods The endocrinologists registered in the Portuguese Medical Association were sent an email with a web-based questionnaire, regarding their knowledge and use of selenium supplements in thyroid autoimmune pathology. Results A total of 105 physicians (33% of the total) submitted the survey. The selenium serum concentration in the general population was unknown to 80% of respondents. Over a third of respondents have never prescribed selenium for autoimmune thyroid disease. However, 89% are not afraid of recommending it, and 61% indicate Graves’ orbitopathy as the pathology they would supplement. In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, 36% of respondents use selenium occasionally or frequently, and this percentage rises to 60% in Graves’ disease. Conclusions Although recommendations only encompass mild Graves’ orbitopathy, selenium is prescribed across the spectrum of autoimmune thyroid diseases, probably due to recent studies that consistently show improvement of biochemical hallmarks in these patients. Further investigation is required on the impact of selenium supplements on primarily clinical outcomes and to identify disorders and/or patients who will benefit the most. Also, there is still insufficient knowledge of this field in the medical community, and evidence-based practice should continue to be promoted by endocrinology societies.

Thyroid-stimulatory antibody (TSAb) assays have been recently optimized, potentially allowing to determine thyrotropin receptor antibodies' (TRAbs) functionality in routine clinical practice. We aimed to determine TSAb's predictive role of relapse at antithyroid drug (ATD) withdrawal in Graves' disease (GD).Retrospective study of GD patients with stable normal thyroid function under low ATD doses that were proposed for withdrawal. Thyroid function tests and TRAb and TSAb levels were obtained at ATD suspension and every three to six months after that, for a minimum of 16 months. Clinical factors associated with GD relapse, such as age at diagnosis, sex, smoking status, thyroid volume, and presence of orbitopathy, were also evaluated.Thirty-five patients with GD were included for analysis, with a median follow-up period of 24 months, during which 14 patients (40%) relapsed. Relapse was more common in patients with positive TSAb than patients with negative TSAb at ATD withdrawal (79% vs. 33%, p=0.01). Relapse-free survival was shorter in TSAb-positive patients (p=0.01). There were no differences in relapse rates according to TRAb positivity at ATD withdrawal (42.9% vs. 36.4%, p=0.74). We also did not find any differences in relapse rate regarding age, sex, smoking status, thyroid volume, or presence of Graves' orbitopathy. On multivariate analysis, only TSAb positivity at ATD withdrawal was independently associated with relapse (hazard ratio [HR] 6.63, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-33.7, p=0.02).At ATD withdrawal, TSAb-positive patients demonstrated a higher risk for GD relapse. Measuring TSAb before ATD suspension, instead of TRAbs, could become an important tool for the clinical management of these patients.

Advancements in the development of computer-aided decision (CAD) systems for clinical routines provide unquestionable benefits in connecting human medical expertise with machine intelligence, to achieve better quality healthcare. Considering the large number of incidences and mortality numbers associated with lung cancer, there is a need for the most accurate clinical procedures; thus, the possibility of using artificial intelligence (AI) tools for decision support is becoming a closer reality. At any stage of the lung cancer clinical pathway, specific obstacles are identified and “motivate” the application of innovative AI solutions. This work provides a comprehensive review of the most recent research dedicated toward the development of CAD tools using computed tomography images for lung cancer-related tasks. We discuss the major challenges and provide critical perspectives on future directions. Although we focus on lung cancer in this review, we also provide a more clear definition of the path used to integrate AI in healthcare, emphasizing fundamental research points that are crucial for overcoming current barriers.