Publication Rate of Abstracts Presented at the Annual Congress of the European Society for Surgical Research during 2008-2011.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The presentation of scientific studies at major meetings serves to rapidly share study results with the scientific community. On the other hand, full-text publication of abstracts in peer-reviewed journals ensures the dissemination of science. This study examines the publication rate (PR) of meeting abstracts presented at the European Society for Surgical Research (ESSR) congresses and determines/compares the factors affecting the PRs. METHODS: All presentations at the ESSR congresses held during 2008-2011 were retrospectively assessed. Manuscripts indexed in PubMed were included. The meeting year, journal impact factor (IF) in the publication year, study type, presentation type, time to publication and geographic origin of studies were assessed. RESULTS: Among a total of 1,368 oral and poster abstracts, 48.7% (n = 391) of the oral presentations (OPs) and 29.7% (n = 168) of the poster presentations (PPs) were published in medical journals indexed in PubMed. The mean IF of the journals was 2.696 (0.17-14.95). The journals that published OPs had a higher IF than the journals in which PPs were published (2.944 vs. 2.118; p < 0.001). The PR was also higher in the OP group than in the PP group of journals (p < 0.001). The time to publication was 17.5 months (-166 to 82) and was shorter for PPs than for OPs (14.02 vs. 19.09 months; p = 0.01). According to the study type, experimental studies had a significantly higher PR (53.7%; p < 0.001); however, there was no significant difference in PR in terms of the prospective or retrospective nature of clinical studies. The clinical studies were also compared according to the IF values of the journals in terms of the prospective or retrospective nature of the study, and no significant difference was found (p = 0.62). CONCLUSION: The ESSR congress is an efficient meeting for researchers from varied surgical disciplines and has a PR equivalent to that of similar scientific meetings. The congress has achieved a PR of 40.9% over 4 years with an average IF of 2.696 and a mean time to publication of 17.5 months, which is equivalent to that of similar scientific meetings. OPs have a higher PR in journals with greater IF values as compared with PPs.

Biomechanical analysis of the effect of mesenchymal stem cells on mandibular distraction osteogenesis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of bone marrow-derived stem cells on consolidation period by using a new biomechanical testing method on sheep mandible model. METHODS: Eight sheep underwent bilateral mandibular osteotomies. After latency period, bone distraction was activated. Mesenchymal stem cells were transplanted into the gap of the left mandibular distracted callus on the first day of consolidation period. The sheep were then randomly divided into 2 groups (group A = 4, group B = 4). Group A and group B animals were killed on the third and sixth weeks of consolidation, respectively. Fracture pattern and localization, bone regeneration ratio and density, and stress distribution of 16 distracted hemimandibles were evaluated by computed tomography and biomechanical analysis. RESULTS: Two different fracture patterns were observed in the 2 groups. The left halves of mandibles exhibited horizontal fracture out of the distraction zone, and the cross-sectional area was compact bone [H (-) C], whereas the fracture patterns of control sides were oblique, which passed through the distraction zone with a propensity of trabecular bone [O (+) T]. Stress distribution at the critical cross-section of distraction region was not different in halves of mandibles. However, bone regeneration ratios and regenerated bone densities were significantly higher in left sides (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells promotes maturity of the distracted callus. The new experimental model, which allowed to test the mandible as a system by simulating in vivo loading conditions, revealed differences in the mechanical behavior of the halves of mandible.

Sonography of fat necrosis of the breast: correlation with mammography and MR imaging.

Fat necrosis (FN) of the breast is a benign nonsuppurative inflammatory process of the adipose tissue. The radiologic appearance ranges from benign to suspicious for malignancy; therefore, it is very important to know the distinguishing radiologic features of FN on different modalities. Mammography is more helpful in identifying FN than ultrasonography in most of the cases, and MRI may also be used to rule out malignancy as an adjunct to mammography and sonography. Even when modern diagnostic modalities are used, biopsy may still be unavoidable for some cases. In conclusion, an accurate history and familiarity with the radiologic findings are crucial to recognizing FN and avoiding unnecessary interventions.

Radiologic and pathologic correlation of a renal venous hemangioma.

Renal hemangiomas, including the rare subtype of venous hemangioma, are typically non-cancerous, often asymptomatic, and usually discovered incidentally during imaging studies. Here, we report a unique case of a 59-year-old African-American female with a renal venous hemangioma that initially mimicked papillary-type renal cell carcinoma (RCC-pt) on imaging studies. The patient's presentation included a long history of rectal bleeding and an incidental discovery of a hypoattenuating mass in the left kidney during a contrast-enhanced CT scan. Renal MRI revealed a 3.5 cm left renal lower pole mass, presenting as heterogeneously hyperintense on T1-weighted images and hypointense on T2-weighted images, with gradual mild enhancement post-contrast. Subsequent total nephrectomy confirmed the histopathological diagnosis of a venous hemangioma. This case underlines the need for recognizing unique imaging features of renal venous hemangiomas, contributing to the differential diagnosis of T2 dark hypoenhancing renal masses. Correct interpretation may prevent unnecessary invasive procedures and operations, thereby improving patient management and outcomes.

Sacroiliac joint injections with the guidance of three-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (3D-CBCT) and fluoroscopy fusion.

BACKGROUND: We describe our diagnostic sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injection technique under the guidance of three-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (3D-CBCT) fused with real-time fluoroscopy. METHODS: A retrospective review of 17 patients (mean age 55.4 (range 40-74) years) who received a total of 23 diagnostic SIJ injections between March 2016 and November 2017 were performed. Pre- and post-procedure pain scores were reviewed from the medical records and then these findings were correlated with which patients were and were not diagnosed with SIJ pain by clinical management. The final diagnosis of SIJ-related pain was made in cases with at least 50% symptomatic improvement following SIJ-specific pain treatments. RESULTS: Some 87% (n=20/23) of injections achieved more than 50% pain relief after the diagnostic SIJ injection. The final diagnosis of the target SIJ-related pain after follow-up and management was found in 90% (n=18/20) of cases. There were two cases with positive tests diagnosed as non-SIJ pain including one with the diagnosis of femuroacetabular impingement and one with pain related to loosening of knee hardware. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predicative value of diagnostic SIJ injections were 100%, 60%, 89%, and 100%, respectively, with a 40% false-positive rate. There were no procedure-related complications. CONCLUSION: 3D-CBCT fused with real-time fluoroscopy for SIJ injection is accurate and safe.

Renal agenesis in a child with ipsilateral hemihypertrophy.

Hemihypertrophy is a clinical condition defined as an asymmetric enlargement of one side of the body. Inguinal hernias, renal cysts, cryptorchidism, ectasias of collecting tubes, medullary sponge kidney and horse-shoe kidney are examples of abnormalities associated with hemihypertrophy that have been described in the literature. We report here a 17.2-year-old patient with a left hemihypertrophy and renal agenesis with contralateral right compensatory renal hypertrophy together with normal renal function and blood pressure in the absence of proteinuria. He also presented with faint macular hyperpigmented skin lesions on his left upper arm, forehead and abdomen. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of renal agenesis and hemihypertrophy in the same patient. Hemihypertrophy can be seen as a component of Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome. The other components of this syndrome are varicose veins, skin naevus and arteriovenous malformations. Although renal agenesis, hemihypertrophy and hyperpigmented macular skin lesions (skin naevuses) may be incidental findings, together they may form a variant of Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, as in our case.

Brain Diffusion Imaging Findings May Predict Clinical Outcome after Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We aim to correlate the patterns of brain diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map in post cardiac arrest (PCA) patients with clinical outcomes. METHODS: Thirty-eight adult patients with PCA (mean age, 52.8 years; range 18-87 years) whose DWI obtained within 5 days of PCA were retrospectively reviewed. The visual DWI/ADC map categories include: Group 1: Normal; Group 2a: Mild [restricted diffusion (RD) < 1/3 cortical involvement (CI)]); Group 2b: Moderate (RD 1/3 > and < 2/3 CI); Group 2c: Severe (RD > 2/3 CI); and Group 3: Embolic (scattered, discrete foci of RD). Clinical outcomes were categorized according to cerebral performance categories (CPC) and modified Rankin scale (mRS). RESULTS: The most common DWI/ADC map pattern was Group 1 (28.9%, n = 11). The incidence of other DWI patterns such as Group 2a, 2b, 2c, and 3 were 21% (n = 8), 10.5% (n = 4), 21% (n = 8), and 18.4% (n = 7), respectively. Twenty-seven patients (71%) were CPC-5/mRS-6 and died or were category CPC-4/mRS-5, and 4 patients were CPC-1/mRS 0-1 (10.5%). Interobserver agreement for visual classification of DWI/ADC map patterns was excellent (kappa = .8795). There was moderate positive correlation between clinical outcomes and visual DWI classification (r = .461, P = .00358). The positive predictive value of this qualitative classification on DWI/ADC in predicting a poor clinical outcome (CPC-4/mRS-5 and CPC-5/mRS-6) was 81.4 % in the presence of restricted diffusion. CONCLUSION: Simple visual categorization system using DWI/ADC map may be helpful and practical in estimating the clinical outcome of PCA patients.

Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome associated with severe maxillofacial and skeletal anomalies.

This article reports an unusual case of Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome (ARS) associated with severe maxillofacial and skeletal anomalies. A 55-year-old man with ARS revealed interesting and unexpected radiological findings. Severe maxillofacial and skeletal anomalies, in addition to the well-recognized extraocular findings, that occurs in patients with ARS is reported and our case highlights this possible rare association between ARS and maxillofacial and skeletal anomalies.

Comparison of probe disinfection procedures in routine ultrasonography: hot water versus antiseptic wiping.

OBJECTIVE: It is commonly known that ultrasonography (US) transducers function as both a reservoir and means of transfer for hospital infections. The current study aimed to compare the antimicrobial effectiveness of using >80 °C water versus antiseptic wipes to disinfect US transducers. METHODS: Subsequent to abdominal inspections in three groups of 20 patients, a swab culture was taken from the transducer in each case. Neither a mechanical nor chemical disinfection was applied to the transducer in the first group. As for the second group, the transducer was placed in >80 °C hot water for five minutes. In the third group, the transducer was wiped clean using antiseptic wipes. RESULTS: Of the 60 swab samples collected, 40 did not produce any growth. The number of samples exhibiting growth in the first group involved 18 cases of coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS), as well as 15 cases of Listeria spp., one case of Corynebacterium spp. and one case of Bacillus spp., while only one case of CNS was observed in the second and third groups, respectively. The culture growth and colony forming units rate were significantly higher in the samples obtained from the first group than in those obtained from the other groups (p<0.01). As for the second and third groups, no significant differences were found in terms of the amount of colonization and growth (p=1.00). CONCLUSION: Being a practical and a simple method for particular use in developing and underdeveloped countries, where it is hard to access relatively costly transducer disinfection materials, such as antiseptic wipes, hot water disinfection may play an active role in fighting hospital infections.

Scattered depressions with temporal preponderance in visual field test coexisting with optic disc temporal atrophy in cerebral arteriovenous malformation.

In this article, the unusual association of optic disc temporal atrophy associated with scattered depressions with temporal preponderance in visual field test resembling incomplete bitemporal hemianopsia is reported. A 22-year-old man with cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which was located adjacent to the inferomedial portion of the posterior limb of the right internal capsule at the level of lateral ventricle, revealed interesting and unexpected ophthalmological findings. Possible mechanisms including anatomical variant, previously larger AVM, and retrograde optic neuropathy were mentioned. This case also highlighted that the usual complaint of visual disturbance might associate with unusual visual field defect in cerebral AVMs.

Acute ischemic cholecystitis after transarterial chemoembolization with drug-eluting beads.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a widely used treatment choice for hepatocellular cancer. DC Bead microspheres are a new embolic material for TACE that doxorubicin can be loaded to. The tumor response rate of this well-tolerated treatment was changed between 60% and 81.8%. We report a case of ischemic cholecystitis after TACE with drug-eluting beads (DEB) that required cholecystectomy. The possibility of cholecystitis is always remembered during TACE-DEB for tumors in segment IV and/or V. Although selective catheterization is related with a lower risk for ischemic cholecystitis, the anatomic and vascular variability in patients with malignancy may lead to some unexpected conditions.

Transcatheter embolization for the treatment of both vaginal and lower intestinal bleeding due to advanced pelvic malignancy.

We report a 31-year-old woman with end-stage cervical carcinoma who suffers both lower intestinal and vaginal bleeding. A selective internal iliac arteriogram demonstrated pseudoaneurysm formation in the vaginal branch of the left internal iliac artery. There was also a fistula between the pseudoaneurysm and the lower intestinal segments. Selective transcatheter coil embolization was performed, and the bleeding was treated successfully. We conclude that the internal iliac artery should be evaluated first in patients with advanced pelvic malignancy when searching for the source of lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Additionally, transcatheter arterial embolization is a safe and effective treatment technique.

Subcutaneous infusion ports via the internal jugular vein: single center experience.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose is to report and review the results and early complications of subcutaneous infusion port placement by our interventional radiology department. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three-hundred twenty-five subcutaneous infusion ports were placed in 320 patients between January 2005 and May 2010. Ports were placed under both general and local anesthesia. Five patients were catheterized twice. The internal jugular veins were used for access. Both ultrasono-graphic and fluoroscopic guidance were used in our interventions. Retrospectively, we evaluated the ports' duration time. RESULTS: Our technical success rate was 100% and only five complications occurred during port placement. The common carotid arteries were punctured in three patients but bleeding stopped ten minutes following withdrawal of the needle and artery compression. An air embolism occurred in two patients and both were successfully treated with good positioning and suctioning. Early catheter removal was required in five patients. One patient had a right internal jugular vein thrombosis, three patients had catheter occlusions and two patients had catheter fractures. The mean duration of catheter usage was 354 days (range: 2 to 1,478 days). CONCLUSION: Image guided placement of infusion ports has a greater success rate and lower early complication rate when compared with the unguided series. The right internal jugular vein is the first choice for infusion port access.