[Invasive ENT infections in immunocompetent schoolchildren in the winter half year 2022/23 : A case series]. / Invasive HNO-Infektionen bei immunkompetenten Schulkindern im Winterhalbjahr 2022/23 : Eine Fallserie.

We report a case series of severe complications following rhinosinusitis in the winter season 2022/2023 at the Franz-Lust Hospital for children and adolescents. Due to the severity of these complications in children with suspected complicated rhinosinusitis/orbital phlegmona, an immediate interdisciplinary approach is mandatory to prevent long-term sequelae. In addition, during this time period, we observed the unusual occurrrence of a number of invasive streptococcal infections in this age cohort.

Interactive Surgical Training in Neuroendoscopy: Real-Time Anatomical Feature Localization using Natural Language Expressions.

OBJECTIVE: This study addresses challenges in surgical education, particularly in neuroendoscopy, where the demand for optimized workflow conflicts with the need for trainees' active participation in surgeries. To overcome these challenges, we propose a framework that accurately identifies anatomical structures within images guided by language descriptions, facilitating authentic and interactive learning experiences in neuroendoscopy. METHODS: Utilizing the encoder-decoder architecture of a conventional transformer, our framework processes multimodal inputs (images and language descriptions) to identify and localize features in neuroendoscopic images. We curate a dataset from recorded endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) procedures for training and evaluation. Utilizing evaluation metrics, including "R@n," "IoU= θ," "mIoU," and top-1 accuracy, we systematically benchmark our framework against state-of-the-art methodologies. RESULTS: The framework demonstrates excellent generalization, surpassing the compared methods with 93.67 % accuracy and 76.08 % mIoU on unseen data. It also exhibits better computational speed compared with other methods. Qualitative results affirms the framework's effectiveness in precise localization of referred anatomical features within neuroendoscopic images. CONCLUSION: The framework's adeptness at localizing anatomical features using language descriptions positions it as a valuable tool for integration into future interactive clinical learning systems, enhancing surgical training in neuroendoscopy. SIGNIFICANCE: The exemplary performance reinforces the framework's potential in enhancing surgical education, leading to improved skills and outcomes for trainees in neuroendoscopy.

Primary Anaplastic-Lymphoma-Kinase-Positive Large-Cell Lymphoma of the Central Nervous System: Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Primary anaplastic-lymphoma-kinase (ALK)-positive large-cell lymphoma of the central nervous system (PCNS ALK-positive ALCL) is a rare entity, with a limited consensus reached regarding its management. While this pathology often presents as solitary lesions, the occurrence of multiple tumors within the brain is not uncommon. The lack of distinctive radiological features poses a diagnostic challenge, leading to delays in initiating targeted therapy. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature search, identifying seventeen publications for qualitative analysis. RESULTS: The management options and reported patient outcomes in the literature varied significantly, emphasizing the need for a patient-specific approach. The emergence of ALK-specific inhibitors represents a new frontier in this field, demonstrating promising results. CONCLUSION: PCNS ALK-positive ALCL necessitates a comprehensive understanding and optimized management strategies. A tailored therapeutic approach, integrating surgical intervention with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, appears pivotal in addressing this pathology. The implementation of a therapeutic protocol is anticipated for further advancement in this field.