Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease Among Predominantly Black Gout Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Although the association between gout and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been extensively studied, scarce data are available for the Black population. We aimed to assess the association between gout and CVD in a predominantly Black urban population with gout. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed between a gout cohort and an age-/sex-matched control group. Clinical parameters and 2D echocardiograms were reviewed for the patients with gout and heart failure (HF). The primary outcome studied includes the prevalence and strength of association between gout and CVD. Secondary outcomes studied includes strength of association of gout and HF categorized by ejection fraction, mortality, and HF readmissions. RESULTS: Four hundred seventy-one patients with gout had a mean age of 63.7 ± 0.5 years; 89% were Black, 63% were men, and mean body mass index was 31.3 ± 0.4 kg/m 2 . Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia were present in 89%, 46%, and 52%, respectively. Compared with controls, patients with gout had significantly higher rates of angina, arrhythmia, coronary artery disease/stents, myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, cerebrovascular accident, and peripheral vascular disease. The adjusted odds ratio for CVD was 2.9 (95% confidence interval, 1.9-4.5; p < 0.001). Gout patients had a higher prevalence of HF with 45% (n = 212) compared with controls with 9.4% (n = 44). Adjusted odds ratio for HF risk was 7.1 (95% confidence interval, 4.7-10.6; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Gout in a predominantly Black population confers 3 times the CVD risk and 7 times HF-specific risk compared with age- and sex-matched cohort. Further research is needed to confirm our findings and to develop interventions to reduce morbidity associated with gout.

A call to "own the bone": osteoporosis is a predictor for adverse two-year outcomes following total hip and knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: While bone health is instrumental in orthopedic surgery, few studies have described the long-term outcomes of osteoporosis (OP) in patients undergoing total hip (THA) or knee (TKA) arthroplasties. METHODS: Using the New York State statewide planning and research cooperative system database, all patients who underwent primary TKA or THA for osteoarthritis from 2009 to 2011 with minimum 2-year follow-up were identified. They were divided based on their OP status (OP and non-OP) and 1:1 propensity score matched for age, sex, race, and Charlson/Deyo index. Cohorts were compared for demographics, hospital-related parameters, and 2-year postoperative complications and reoperations. Multivariate binary logistic regression was utilized to identify significant independent associations with 2-year medical and surgical complications and revisions. RESULTS: A total of 11,288 TKA and 8248 THA patients were identified. OP and non-OP TKA patients incurred comparable overall hospital charges for their surgical visit and hospital length of stay (LOS) (both, p ≥ 0.125). Though OP and non-OP THA patients incurred similar mean hospital charges for their surgical visit, they experienced longer hospital LOS (4.3 vs. 4.1 days, p = 0.035). For both TKA and THA, OP patients had higher rates of overall and individual medical and surgical complications (all, p < 0.05). OP was independently associated with the 2-year occurrence of any overall, surgical, and medical complications, and any revision in TKA and THA patients (all, OR ≥ 1.42, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study found OP was associated with a greater risk of 2-year adverse outcomes following TKA or THA, including medical, surgical, and overall complications as well as revision operations compared to non-OP patients.

INTRAVITREAL CHOPPING OF DROPPED NUCLEUS WITH A NITINOL INTRAOCULAR FOREIGN BODY FORCEPS: AN ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF RETAINED NUCLEUS FRAGMENTS.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficiency and safety of using an intraocular foreign body forceps with two nitinol loops at its tip to capture and chop dropped nucleus (DN) during vitrectomy as an alternative method and to evaluate the outcomes and complications of this surgical technique. METHODS: The eyes that underwent 23-gauge vitrectomy with removal of DN using nitinol forceps with a minimum follow-up time of 1 year are included in this study. The efficiency of surgical technique and anatomical and functional results with complications is recorded. RESULTS: Nine patients with a mean age of 73.11 ± 2.15 years were included in this study. The mean time between DN and vitrectomy was 7.67 ± 3.74 (5-14) days. In all eyes, DN was easily chopped and removed with aspiration. Argon laser photocoagulation was performed in 4 eyes (44.44%) during surgery. All eyes were followed up for a mean time of 21.11 ± 12.36 (12-48) months. The mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity increased significantly during the postoperative follow-up ( P < 0.001). No complications related to the cataract surgery or DN removal were observed. CONCLUSION: Surgical removal of DN with the help of these forceps with nitinol loops is found to be safe and effective in this study. This method avoids ultrasonographic energy and enables 23-gauge vitrectomy without a fragmatome.

The Impact of Osteoporosis on 2-Year Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Long Cervical Fusion.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis affects nearly 200 million individuals worldwide. Given this notable disease burden, there have been increased efforts to investigate complications in patients with osteoporosis undergoing cervical fusion (CF). However, there are limited data regarding long-term outcomes in osteoporotic patients in the setting of ≥4-level cervical fusion. METHODS: The New York State Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database was used to identify patients who underwent posterior or combined anterior-posterior ≥4-level CF for cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy from 2009 to 2011, with a minimum follow-up surveillance of 2 years. The following were compared between patients with and without osteoporosis: demographics, hospital-related parameters, medical/surgical complications, readmissions, and revisions. Binary multivariate stepwise logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 2,604 patients were included (osteoporosis: n = 136 (5.2%); nonosteoporosis: n = 2,468). Patients with osteoporosis were older (66.9 ± 11.2 vs. 60.0 ± 11.4 years, P < 0.001), more often female (75.7% vs. 36.2%, P < 0.001), and White (80.0% vs. 65.3%, P = 0.007). Both cohorts had comparable comorbidity burdens (Charlson/Deyo: 1.1 ± 1.2 vs. 1.0 ± 1.3, P = 0.262), total hospital charges ($100,953 ± 94,933 vs. $91,618 ± 78,327, P = 0.181), and length of stay (9.7 ± 10.4 vs. 8.4 ± 9.6 days, P = 0.109). Patients with osteoporosis incurred higher rates of overall medical complication rates (41.9% vs. 29.4%, P = 0.002) and individual surgical complications, such as nonunion (2.9% vs. 0.7%, P = 0.006). Osteoporosis was associated with medical complications (OR = 1.57, P = 0.021), surgical complications (OR = 1.52, P = 0.030), and readmissions (OR = 1.86, P = 0.003) at 2 years. DISCUSSION: Among patients who underwent multilevel cervical fusion, those with osteoporosis had higher risk of adverse postoperative outcomes at two years. These data indicate that preoperative screening and management of osteoporosis may be important for optimizing long-term outcomes in patients who require multilevel CF. DATA AVAILABILITY AND TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: The data used in this study are available for public use at https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/sparcs/.

Clear cell sarcoma of soft tissue with eccrine differentiation: A case report and review of the literature.

Clear cell sarcoma of soft tissue (CCSST) is a deep soft tissue tumor presenting in the extremities of young adults. Histopathologically, nests and sheets of polygonal cells with clear to eosinophilic cytoplasm separated by fibrous septa as well as occasional "wreath-like" giant cells are visualized. However, CCSST has been noted to have atypical histopathological features, such as epidermotropism or myxoid differentiation, or occurrence at unusual sites. Here, we present a case of eccrine ductal differentiation in CCSST. The patient, a 21-year-old woman, presented with a lump of 10-year duration sized 3 × 5 cm on the plantar surface of the fourth and fifth interdigital spaces. There had been an increase in size as well as pain and redness over 6 years. Besides the characteristic findings, there were ductal structures in continuity with the upper dermis indicative of ductal differentiation. The tumor stained positively for S100, HMB45, and succinic dehydrogenase; ducts stained positively for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). CCSST was confirmed with cytogenetic analysis showing the translocation associated with EWSR1-ATF1 fusion gene. Therefore, ductal differentiation is a unique finding that should be considered when evaluating for CCSST.