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Background: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of the cerebellum shows promise for the treatment of dystonia. Specific motor rehabilitation programs have also been developed in this context. However, the combination of these two approaches has not yet been evaluated to determine their therapeutic potential., Methods: We report a series of 5 patients with cervical dystonia (CD) poorly controlled by botulinum toxin injections. They were initially treated by a protocol of repeated daily sessions (for 3 or 5 days) of cerebellar anodal tDCS (cer-atDCS) applied alone. In a second time, additional protocols of cer-atDCS were performed in combination with a program of goal-oriented motor training exercises (Mot-Training), specifically developed for the treatment of CD. The clinical impact of the procedures was assessed on the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS)., Results: Compared to baseline, the maximum percentage of TWSTRS total score improvement was 37% on average after cer-atDCS performed alone ( p  = 0.147, not significant) and 53% on average after cer-atDCS combined with Mot-Training ( p  = 0.014, significant). The TWSTRS pain and functional handicap subscores also improved after the combined protocol. A score of (+3) to (+5) was rated on the TWSTRS response scale after cer-atDCS performed alone or the combined protocol, corresponding to a moderate to striking improvement on dystonia and pain. This improvement lasted longer after the combined protocol than after cer-atDCS alone (3.4 vs. 1.4 months on average, p  = 0.011)., Conclusion: The combination of cer-atDCS with Mot-Training produced a greater and more prolonged improvement than the application of cer-atDCS alone. Such a combined therapeutic procedure is easy to perform and opens important perspectives in the long-term treatment of CD. These results remain to be confirmed by a randomized sham-controlled trial on a larger sample., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Bleton, Cossé, Caloc’h, Suarez Moreno, Diverres, Derkinderen, Nizard, Lefaucheur and Nguyen.)

Background: The ABO blood group system may influence tumorigenesis, but its prognostic value in liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has never been assessed., Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent LT for HCC between 2013 and 2017 at 9 centers were analyzed. Predictors of tumor recurrence were identified using multivariable analysis, while comparison between group A and non-A recipients was performed after propensity score matching., Results: Among 925 LT recipients, 406 were blood group A, 94 group B, 380 group O, and 45 group AB. On multivariable analysis, group A was associated with tumor recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.574 [95% confidence interval; 95% CI = 1.034-2.394] P = 0.034). After propensity score matching, 1- and 5-y recurrence rates were 7.4% and 20.1% in group A recipients versus 3.3% and 13.2% in non-A recipients (HR = 1.66 [95% CI = 1.12-2.45], P = 0.011). One and 5-y recurrence-free survivals were 85.2% and 66.8% in group A recipients versus 88.5% and 71.3% in non-A recipients (HR = 1.38 [95% CI = 1.01-1.90], P = 0.045). Among recipients within Milan criteria (n = 604), 1- and 5-y recurrence rates were 5.8% and 12.7% in group A recipients versus 3.1% and 12.2% in non-A recipients (HR = 1.197 [95% CI = 0.721-1.987], P = 0.485). Among recipients outside Milan criteria (n = 182), 1- and 5-y recurrence rates were 12.1% and 43.8% in group A recipients versus 3.9% and 15.6% in non-A recipients (HR = 3.175 [95% CI = 1.526-6.608], P = 0.002)., Conclusions: ABO blood system influences the oncological outcome of recipients undergoing LT for HCC. Its incorporation in the prognostication model of LT for HCC may allow improving the management of LT candidates., Competing Interests: The authors declare no funding or conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: ICGR15 is widely used in Asia to evaluate the liver reserve before hepatectomy, but not in Western countries where patients are selected using the MELD score and/or platelet count. Postoperative liver failure is rare nowadays, but hepatic decompensation (HD), defined by 3-month postoperative ascites, impairs quality of life and survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (ICGR15) before liver resection in Western countries, in order to predict HD., Methods: This prospectively designed study included consecutive adult patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in three French HPB centres., Results: Between 2012 and 2014, 147 patients were included (80% of HCC and 20% of ICC). The Child-Pugh status was grade A for all patients. In the overall population and in F3/F4 patients (n = 83), ICGR15 (P = 0.02) and platelet counts (P = 0.02) were predictive of HD under multivariate analysis. Among F3/F4 patients undergoing minor hepatectomy with preoperative ICGR15 > 15%, the rate of HD was 36%. In the overall population, ICGR15 was predictive of HD (P = 0.02) and postoperative ascites (P = 0.03). The ROC curve identified a cut-off point of 15% as being associated with increased HD, with good accuracy for ICGR15 in the study population (AUROC 0.73), mainly before minor hepatectomy (AUROC 0.79)., Conclusions: In patients with HCC and ICC selected using the MELD score and platelet rate, an ICGR15 > 15% is a relevant, non-invasive and clearly accurate method to predict HD specially before minor hepatectomy.

Introduction: Adhesion-related small bowel obstruction (ASBO) management is difficult if there are no signs of strangulation or peritonitis when intestinal transit has not been restored. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of combining a procalcitonin (PCT)-based algorithm with clinical signs on the management of uncomplicated ASBO., Method: We performed a pilot, retrospective, single-center "before-after" study. During the "before" period (2007 to 2012), patients with uncomplicated ASBO (n=93, the Gastrografin ® group) underwent a clinical examination and a Gastrografin ® index. During the "after" period (2013 to 2016), patients with uncomplicated ASBO (n=70, the algorithm group) underwent a clinical examination and were assessed with the PCT-based algorithm. The study's primary outcome was the appropriateness of ASBO management. The secondary outcomes were the need for surgery and the time to surgery, the LOS, the morbidity and mortality rates, and the recurrence rate., Results: The proportion of well-managed patients was higher in the algorithm group than in the Gastrografin ® group (86% vs. 47%; P<0.001). The time to surgery (48h vs 72h; P=0.02) and the LOS (4 vs. 6days, P=0.02) were significantly lower in the algorithm group. The need for surgery was similar in both groups (31% vs. 37%, P=0.49). The morbidity (P=0.69), mortality (P=0.82) and recurrence rates (P=0.57) were similar in the two groups., Conclusion: The use of a PCT-based algorithm is of value in the routine clinical management of ASBO; it reduces the LOS and the time to surgery without increasing the need for surgery., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Background: This study evaluated the association between oral gastrografin administration and the need for operative intervention in patients with presumed adhesive small bowel obstruction., Methods: Between October 2006 and August 2009, 242 patients with uncomplicated acute adhesive small bowel obstruction were included in a randomized, controlled trial (the Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction Study, NCT00389116) and allocated to a gastrografin arm or a saline solution arm. The primary end point was the need for operative intervention within 48 hours of randomization. The secondary end points were the resection rate, the time interval between the initial computed tomography and operative intervention, the time interval between oral refeeding and discharge, risk factors for the failure of nonoperative management, in-hospital mortality, duration of stay, and recurrence or death after discharge. We performed a systematic review of the literature in order to evaluate the relationship between use of gastrografin as a diagnostic/therapeutic measure, the need for operative intervention, and the duration of stay., Results: In the gastrografin and saline solution arms, the rate of operative intervention was 24% and 20%, respectively, the bowel resection rate was 8% and 4%, the time interval between the initial computed tomography and operative intervention, and the time interval between oral refeeding and discharge were similar in the 2 arms. Only age was identified as a potential risk factor for the failure of nonoperative management. The in-hospital mortality was 2.5%, the duration of stay was 3.8 days for patients in the gastrografin arm and 3.5 days for those in the saline solution arm (P = .19), and the recurrence rate of adhesive small bowel obstruction was 7%. These results and those of 10 published studies suggest that gastrografin did not decrease either the rate of operative intervention (21% in the saline solution arm vs 26% in the gastrografin arm) or the number of days from the initial computed tomography to discharge (3.5 vs 3.5; P = NS for both)., Conclusion: The results of the present study and those of our systematic review suggest that gastrografin administration is of no benefit in patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Postoperative ischaemic colitis (POIC) is a life-threatening vascular gastrointestinal condition. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels be of value in the detection of necrosis., Aims: To evaluate the correlation between serum PCT levels and the colonoscopic assessment of the severity of POIC., Methods: Between January 2007 and November 2014, 150 patients with POIC and PCT data were included in the study. The main outcome measure was the correlation between serum PCT and the colonoscopy-based assessment of the severity of POIC (according to Favier's classification: stage 1/2 without multi-organ failure vs. stage 2/3 with multi-organ failure)., Results: Eighty-five percent of the stage 1 cases (n=22) had a serum PCT level ≤2μg/L; 63% (n=19) of the stage 2 cases with multi-organ failure had a PCT level between 4 and 8μg/L, and 70% (n=52) of the stage 3 cases had a PCT level ≥8μg/L. The PCT level was strongly correlated with the Favier stage (Spearman's rho: 0.701; p<0.0001). PCT levels were similar in stage 2 cases with multi-organ failure and in stage 3 cases (16.06μg/L vs. 7.79μg/L, respectively; p=0.35)., Conclusion and Relevance: Serum PCT is correlated with stage 2/3 POIC requiring surgery. If PCT ≥5μg/L, surgery should be considered., (Copyright © 2016 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Ninety percent of cases of acute calculous cholecystitis are of mild (grade I) or moderate (grade II) severity. Although the preoperative and intraoperative antibiotic management of acute calculous cholecystitis has been standardized, few data exist on the utility of postoperative antibiotic treatment., Objective: To determine the effect of postoperative amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid on infection rates after cholecystectomy., Design, Setting, and Patients: A total of 414 patients treated at 17 medical centers for grade I or II acute calculous cholecystitis and who received 2 g of amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid 3 times a day while in the hospital before and once at the time of surgery were randomized after surgery to an open-label, noninferiority, randomized clinical trial between May 2010 and August 2012., Interventions: After surgery, no antibiotics or continue with the preoperative antibiotic regimen 3 times daily for 5 days., Main Outcomes and Measures: The proportion of postoperative surgical site or distant infections recorded before or at the 4-week follow-up visit., Results: An imputed intention-to-treat analysis of 414 patients showed that the postoperative infection rates were 17% (35 of 207) in the nontreatment group and 15% (31 of 207) in the antibiotic group (absolute difference, 1.93%; 95% CI, -8.98% to 5.12%). In the per-protocol analysis, which involved 338 patients, the corresponding rates were both 13% (absolute difference, 0.3%; 95% CI, -5.0% to 6.3%). Based on a noninferiority margin of 11%, the lack of postoperative antibiotic treatment was not associated with worse outcomes than antibiotic treatment. Bile cultures showed that 60.9% were pathogen free. Both groups had similar Clavien complication severity outcomes: 195 patients (94.2%) in the nontreatment group had a score of 0 to I and 2 patients (0.97%) had a score of III to V, and 182 patients (87.8%) in the antibiotic group had a score of 0 to I and 4 patients (1.93%) had a score of III to V., Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with mild or moderate calculous cholecystitis who received preoperative and intraoperative antibiotics, lack of postoperative treatment with amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid did not result in a greater incidence of postoperative infections., Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01015417.

Acute calculous cholecystitis may progress in a variety of ways from mild cases treatable with (or even without) oral antibiotics to severe cases complicated by bile peritonitis that require emergency surgical or radiological intervention. A sample of bile should always be sent for microbial cultures to identify aerobic and anaerobic bacterial organisms. Empirically selected broad spectrum antibiotic therapy (with a defined duration, dosage and administration route) should be prescribed according to the severity of the cholecystitis, an associated history of recent antibiotic therapy, and local bacterial susceptibility patterns. As soon as causative organisms have been identified, antibiotic therapy should be adjusted to a narrower spectrum antimicrobial agent based on the specific micro-organism(s) and the results of sensitivity testing., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)