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The Circle of Willis (CoW) is the main collateral system, and its morphological variants are more common in patients who have severe carotid artery stenosis. Earlier data suggest that optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) may help to assess the changes in cerebral vascular perfusion by imaging the retinal blood flow. In this single-center prospective clinical study, patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) underwent preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the extra- and intracranial cerebral circulation. OCTA imaging was performed one week before surgery and postoperatively one month later. The patients were divided into two subgroups based on CTA evaluation of CoW: compromised CoW or non-compromised CoW (containing hypoplastic and normal segments). The effect of the patient's age, OCTA scan quality (SQ), CoW morphology, laterality, and surgery on superficial capillary vessel density (VD) in the macula were assessed in multivariable regression models using linear mixed models. We found that VD significantly decreased with aging (−0.12%; 95%CI: −0.07–−0.15; p < 0.001) and was significantly higher in patients with non-compromised CoW morphology (by 0.87% 95%CI (0.26–1.50); p = 0.005). After CEA, retinal blood flow significantly improved by 0.71% (95%CI: 0.18–1.25; p = 0.01). These results suggest that in the case of carotid artery occlusion, patients with non-compromised CoW have more preserved ocular blood flow than subjects with compromised CoW due to remodeling of the intra-orbital blood flow. Measuring the retinal blood flow might be used as a relevant and sensitive indicator of collateral cerebrovascular circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Összefoglaló. A tudomány jelenlegi állása szerint - csoportok összehasonlítására épülő matematikai-statisztikai eszközökkel - a leginkább hatékonynak és hatásosnak vélt kezelési módszerek szisztematikus elemzése mentén, a bizonyítékokon alapuló irányelveken nyugvó gyógyító munkát tekintjük követendőnek. A nyaki verőérszűkület ellátása esetén az utóbbi években elkészült mind a hazai, mind az európai irányelv, mindemellett a társszakmák irányelveiben is megjelentek kezelési javaslatok. Közleményünkben összehasonlítottuk a témában publikált magyar, angol, német és olasz nyelvű, valamint az európai társaságok által kiadott irányelveket. Az irányelvek alapelveikben hasonlóak, formailag és tartalmilag azonban jelentős (időnként egymásnak ellentmondani látszó) különbségeket találhatunk. Az ellentmondások három leggyakoribb oka: 1) az egyes irányelvek által kitűzött célok különbözősége, 2) az aszimptomatikus és szimptomatikus betegcsoport definíciói, valamint 3) az eltérő evidenciaszintek. Az irányelvek összevetése alapján a tünetes, szignifikáns nyaki verőérszűkületek sebészi ellátása evidenciának tekinthető. A szimptomatikus nyaki verőérszűkület a definíció szerint ellenoldali cerebralis ischaemia okozta, tranziens vagy definitív plegia, paresis, aphasia és az azonos oldali arteria centralis retinae embolisatiója miatti amaurosis fugax. A tünetmentes nyaki verőérszűkületek ellátása tekintetében az európai és a nemzeti irányelvek nem azonosak, ezen esetek terápiás döntése egyéni mérlegelést igényel. Tünetmentes, 70%-os stenosis esetén vascularteam-konzílium javasolt. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(51): 2139-2145. Summary. The correct practice is the one that is proven to be the most effective based on systematic statistical analyses of different treatment methods, and is applied according to evidence-based principles. In recent years, not only has the European Society of Vascular Surgery created a guideline about the management of supra-aortic steno-occlusive disease, but some nations' vascular surgical societies and related disciplines have also developed their own guidance. In this paper, the guidelines by the European societies on the clinical care of patients with carotid artery luminal narrowing is compared to national guidelines published in Hungarian, English, German, and Italian. Although the fundamental points of the guidelines are similar, there are some important differences among them both in presentation and in content; as a result, they sometimes appear to be contradictory. The three main sources of inconsistency are the various goals, the discrepancy in the definition of symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis, and the bias arising from the use of distinct evidence levels. A comparison of guidelines suggests that the treatment of symptomatic significant carotid artery stenosis with surgery can be considered evidence. Symptomatic carotid artery stenosis is defined as transient or definite plegia, paresis, aphasia due to cerebral ischemia, and monocular blindness caused by embolism in the central retinal artery. However, in the case of asymptomatic 70% or greater carotid artery stenosis, the guidelines are quite heterogeneous, and these patients require individual consideration and a vascular team decision is recommended. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(51): 2139-2145.

Összefoglaló. A patkóvese a vese leggyakrabban előforduló fejlődési rendellenességeinek egyike. Hasi aortaaneurysmával való együttes előfordulása kifejezetten ritka (a hasi aortaaneurysmás esetek 0,12%-a). Az első esetben egy 64 éves férfi akut alsó végtagi panaszokkal került felvételre. A CT-angiográfia patkóvesét és thrombotizált infrarenalis aortaaneurysmát igazolt. Az akut műtét során a hasi aortaaneurysma resectióját és aortobifemoralis bypassműtétet végeztünk a patkóvese ishmusának megtartásával. A második esetben hasi panaszokat okozó, mindkét arteria iliaca communisra ráterjedő infrarenalis aortaaneurysma esetén végeztünk aortobiiliacalis rekonstrukciót. Az aneurysma előtt elhelyezkedő isthmus tervezetten szétválasztásra került, a poláris veseartériát visszaültettük. A tünetes hasi aortaaneurysma abszolút műtéti indikációt képez. A preoperatív CT- vagy MR-angiográfia kulcsfontosságú mind a műtéti indikáció felállítása, mind pedig a műtét megtervezése szempontjából. A beavatkozás előtt pontos képet kell kapnia az érsebésznek az aorta anatómiája mellett a patkóvese vérellátásáról és a húgyúti rendszerről. Az érsebészeti rekonstrukció esetén a transperitonealis feltárás - főleg akut műtét esetén - több előnnyel rendelkezik, mint a retroperitonealis feltárás. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(46): 1966-1971. Summary. Horseshoe kidney is one of the most common congenital disorders of the kidney. The simultaneous incidence of horseshoe kidney and abdominal aneurysm is very low (0.12% of all cases of abdominal aortic aneurysm). In the first case, a 64-year-old male patient was admitted with acute lower limb ischaemia. CT-angiography revealed an occluded aortic aneurysm. During the emergency operation, the abdominal aneurysm was resected and an aortobifemoral bypass procedure was performed sparing the kidney's isthmus. In the second case, the abdominal complaints were caused by an infrarenal abdominal aneurysm that involved both common iliac arteries. Aortobiiliac reconstruction was performed with planned separation of the kidney isthmus and reimplantation of the accessory renal artery. Symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm is an urgent indication for reconstruction. The preoperative CT- or MR-angiography play a key role in the indication and planning of the reconstruction. It is highly important for the vascular surgeon to have a clear picture of the blood supply of the horseshoe kidney and the urinary tract along with the anatomy of the aorta before the operation. The transperitoneal approach has several advantages over the retroperitoneal approach during vascular reconstruction surgery. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(46): 1966-1971.

Introduction: Aneurysm of the extracranial carotid artery is a rare condition and there is a diversity in the etiology. The proper treatment could be a real challenge for the surgeons. Aim: Analysis of perioperative and long term results of invasive treatment for carotid artery aneurysm. Method: A retrospective review was conducted of patients who had open or endovascular surgery due to carotid artery aneurysm through the last 13 years at the Department of Vascular Surgery of the Semmelweis University and at the Department of Surgery of the University of Szeged. Medical history, characteristics of the aneurysms, therapy and the follow-up results were reviewed. Results: Over the study period, 25 interventions were performed due to carotid artery aneurysm. There were 10 men and 15 women with a mean age of 57.8 ± 15.15 years. Seventeen patients (68%) were symptomatic. The mean aneurysm diameter was 26.8 ± 11.25 mm. The underlying etiology was atherosclerosis in eleven (44%), prior carotid endarterectomy in four (16%), infection in four (16%) and other cause (connective tissue disease, dissection, trauma) in six (24%) cases. Nineteen patients underwent open surgery, six underwent endovascular treatment. Death within 30 days was documented in one (4%) case. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.52 ± 2.38 days. Three (12%) patients required reintervention postoperatively. Peripheral nerve injuries were detected in four (16%) patients, all after open surgery. No stroke was documented within 30 days. The mean follow-up was 41.2 ± 38.54 months. Five (24%) deaths were not related to the carotid artery disease. One patient had stroke, one had transient ischaemic attack (TIA), and in two cases asymptomatic internal carotid artery occlusion was described. Conclusion: Both open surgery and endovascular intervention can be safely applied in the treatment of carotid artery aneurysm. Considering the variable etiology and rarity, we recommend to perform the interventions in vascular surgery centres. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(21): 815-821.

Introduction: A new era has begun in the last two decades with the advent of endovascular methods in the therapy of blunt thoracic aorta injuries. Our experiences with the endovascular interventions of blunt aortic trauma in the Cardiovascular Center of Semmelweis University are summarised here., Methods: We included those patients who underwent endovascular intervention due to blunt aortic trauma in a university hospital between 1998 and 2014. The statistical analysis was performed with the use of Excel., Results: 41 patients were selected from our database. There were 34 males, the average age was 47 years (±17 years). Among the 41 patients 15 underwent an acute procedure (12 ruptures) and 26 patients received delayed treatment (in 4 cases due to growing of the pseudoaneurysm). There was only one early postoperative death. Late mortality was 22.5% and 7.5% was related to the aortic injury., Conclusion: Our late mortality and complication rates were similar to other studies, which reinforces international experiences. In the cases when delayed treatment is feasible, the patient can be stabilized and the CTA images can be analyzed for precise stentgraft planning. The treatment of blunt thoracic aorta injured patients should take place in specialized centers capable of such endovascular interventions.

In the last decade, the targeted therapy of breast cancer became part of routine clinical protocols all over the globe. Options in today's targeted therapy include hormonal therapy and the modulation of the EGFR/HER-pathway. Of the four HER receptors, HER2 is the target of currently used treatment strategies. HER2 activates multiple intracellular pathways via RAS, RAF and PI3K. We give a comprehensive summary of approved monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors acting over HER2, including trastuzumab, lapatinib and pertuzumab. We elaborate on their mechanism of action and on clinical trials behind their approval. Agents in third phase clinical studies (neratinib, afatinib) are also described. We give a brief overview of agents currently in phase I and phase II studies; these are acting over the PI3K pathway, over IGFR1 and over HSP90. Furthermore, currently validated negative biomarkers (markers predicting lack of response) in clinical use are also summarized. Finally, the major bottlenecks of clinical application including tumor heterogeneity and the high diversity of clinical studies are discussed. For a breakthrough we will need to identify new positive biomarkers of therapy response.

Patient tailored therapy will serve the fundamentals of future cancer treatment. For this it will be imperative to characterize the tumor and to acquire precise predictive and prognostic information. We can achieve this by using not only monogenic (like ER, PR, HER-2, Ki-67) but also multigene assays, which can provide answers to several diagnostic questions simultaneously. We present a summary of currently available RT-PCR and microarray based multigene tests including MammaPrint, Oncotype DX, BLN Assay, Theros Breast Cancer Index SM, MapQuant DX, ARUP Breast Bioclassifier, Celera Metastatic Score, eXagen BCtm, Invasive Gene Signature, Wound Response Indicator and Mammostrat. Two of these (Oncotype DX and MammaPrint) are already incorporated in several diagnostic protocols. However, multiple unsolved issues deteriorate the value of these tests: generally the validation is poor, the gene sets do not confirm each other, the associated costs are high and the necessary bioinformatics is highly complex.