Assessing long-term locoregional control of spinal osseous metastases after microwave ablation.

Osseous metastases to the spine result in significant pain and decreased quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) for the treatment of spinal metastases regarding pain reduction and local control of disease progression. In this single center retrospective study, patients with osseous metastases to the spine undergoing MWA with vertebroplasty from 2013 to 2020 were included. Locoregional control of metabolic activity at the treated level was assessed using PET/CT scan both pre- and post-procedure. Pain reduction was measured using change in visual analog scale (VAS) pain score. Forty-eight spinal levels were treated with MWA in 28 patients (57 % male, mean age 68 ± 9 years). Median ablation time, energy, and temperature were 4 min and 13 s, 3.6 kJ, and 80 °C, respectively. Median pre-procedure maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) was significantly reduced following ablation, from 4.55 (IQR 3.65-6.1) to 0 (IQR 0-1.8; p < 0.001), over an average of 29 ± 14.1 month follow up period. Pre-procedure VAS pain score was reduced from median (IQR) of 8 (6.5-9) to 1(1-2), 2(1-3) and 1(0.5-3) at 24 h, four weeks, and six months post-procedure, respectively (all p < 0.001 with respect to pre-procedure scores). In conclusion, this study supports microwave ablation as an effective technique for pain palliation and long-term locoregional tumor control of oligometastatic spinal disease as assessed by metabolic response.

alpha-Thalassemia mutation analyses in Mazandaran province, North Iran.

Two hundred and fifty-five patients from Mazandaran Province, Iran, all presenting with hypochromic and microcytic anemia, were selected for alpha-thalassemia (alpha-thal) mutation screening. We detected a total of 274 alpha-globin mutations in 227 (89%) of these patients. Among the 21 different alpha-globin alleles found, the -alpha(3.7) (44.9%), polyadenylation signal 2 (poly A2) (AATAAA>AATGAA) (18.2%), -alpha(4.2) (9.1%), alpha(IVS-I(-5 nt)) (6.5%), - -(MED) (4.3%), and alpha(codon 19 (-G)) (4%) were the most frequent. The other 15 mutations included variants that had not yet been observed in Iran, such as Hb Bleuland [alpha108(G15)ThrAsn, ACC>AAC (alpha2)], as well as a novel mutation on the alpha2 gene, also not described to date [3 ' untranslated region (3 'UTR) nucleotide (nt) 46 (C>A)]. These comprehensive new data are useful for establishing a screening strategy for the effective control of alpha-thal in Mazandaran Province.

Hypertonic saline, normal saline or neither: which is best for uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock? An experimental study in goats.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effects of various fluids on uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock (UHS). Controversy exists over the appropriate doses and types of fluids for best treating UHS. This study evaluated the effects of hypertonic saline (HTS), normal saline (NS), and no fluid resuscitation (NFR) on UHS. METHODS: Thirty goats were anesthetized and underwent right leg ablation. The animals were randomly assigned to equal NFR, HTS, and NS groups. The following features of UHS were analyzed: hemoglobin, heart rate, blood loss, mean arterial pressure, bleeding time, and pH. Animals were sacrificed two hours after ablation. RESULTS: All of the goats who received HTS died within 60 minutes. Four goats in the NS group and one goat in the NFR group died within 120 minutes. The NFR group had significantly higher hemoglobin values than the NS and HTS groups at the end of the trial. Blood loss in the HTS group was greater than in the other two groups (p<0.05). The NS group had higher blood loss than the NFR group (p<0.05). Mean arterial pressure in the HTS group decreased sharply toward zero within the first 60 minutes. In the NFR and NS groups, mean arterial pressure was higher than in the HTS group (p<0.05), and remained constant at 60mmHg after 35 minutes. The NFR group had higher pH values compared to the other two groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that HTS is not suitable for treating UHS when compared to NFR and NS. Goats treated with NFR had superior values for all UHS features, including hemoglobin, pH, blood pressure, and bleeding time, compared to those treated with HTS and NS. Pre-hospital field treatment with NS or HTS may worsen the condition until surgical repair is accomplished.