Outcomes of balloon angioplasty and stent placement for iliac artery lesions classified as TASC II A, B: a single-center study.

Background: Iliac artery stenosis or occlusion is a critical condition that can severely impact a patient's quality of life. The effectiveness of balloon angioplasty and intraluminal stenting for the treatment of iliac artery lesions classified as TASC II A and B was evaluated in this single-center prospective study. Methods: Conducted between October 2016 and September 2020 at Cho Ray Hospital's Vascular Surgery Department, this prospective study involved PAD patients categorized by TASC II A and B classifications who underwent endovascular intervention. Intervention outcomes were assessed peri-procedure and during short-term and mid-term follow-ups. Results: Of the total of 133 patients, 34.6% underwent balloon angioplasty, while 65.4% received stenting. The immediate technical success rate was 97.7%, while the clinical success rate was 62.4%. Complications were minimal, with major limb amputation reported in 1.5% of the cases. There was a significant improvement in Rutherford classification and ABI at short-term follow-up, with a patency rate of 90.2%. The mid-term post-intervention follow-up yielded similar results with an 86.1% patency rate. The mortality rates associated with arterial occlusion were 2.3% during short-term follow-up and 1.7% during mid-term follow-up. Conclusion: Balloon angioplasty and stent placement are effective and safe interventions for TASC II A and B iliac artery occlusions with favorable short and mid-term outcomes. Further, multi-center studies with larger sample sizes are recommended for more comprehensive conclusions, including long-term follow-up assessment.

Clinicopathological features and prognostic outcomes of molecularly defined entities in the new edition of the WHO classification of sinonasal carcinoma.

Introduction: We investigated the clinicopathological features and prognoses of the new molecularly defined entities in latest edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of sinonasal carcinoma (SNC). Methods: Integrated data were combined into an individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis. Results: We included 61 studies with 278 SNCs including 25 IDH2-mutant, 41 NUT carcinoma, 187 SWI/SNF loss, and 25 triple negative SNCs (without IDH2 mutation, NUTM1 rearrangement, and SWI/SNF inactivation) for analyses. Compared to other molecular groups, NUT carcinoma was associated with a younger age at presentation and an inferior disease-specific survival. Among SNCs with SWI/SNF inactivation, SMARCB1-deficient tumors presented later in life and were associated with a higher rate of radiotherapy administration. SMARCA4-deficiency was mostly found in teratocarcinosarcoma while SMARCB1-deficient tumors were associated with undifferentiated carcinoma and non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion: Our study facilitates our current understanding of this developing molecular-defined spectrum of tumors and their prognoses.

Clinicopathological significance of major fusion oncogenes in papillary thyroid carcinoma: An individual patient data meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Fusion oncogenes (e.g., NTRK, RET, ALK, BRAF) are rare genetic events in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). It is still unclear regarding the similarities and differences in clinicopathological manifestations and prognostic outcomes of these genetic alterations. This individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis analyzed the clinicopathological significance and prognoses of different types of oncogenic fusions in PTC patients. METHODS: Categorical variables were compared by using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests while Wilcoxon rank-sum and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were utilized for continuous covariates. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were computed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test. RESULTS: We included 27 studies for meta-analyses. NTRK-, RET-, BRAF-, and ALK-rearranged PTCs had a unique demographic/clinicopathological profile but similar PFS and OS. NTRK1-positive PTCs demonstrated more aggressive clinical behaviors and shorter PFS in comparison to NTRK3-positive PTCs whereas RET rearrangement variants shared comparable clinicopathological backgrounds. CONCLUSION: This study provides new insights and facilitates our current understanding of clinicopathological features and survival outcomes of different fusion oncogenes in PTCs. It may help clinicians better counsel the patients and tailor appropriate treatment decisions.

Primary Versus Secondary Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: Perspectives from Multi-institutional and Population-Level Data.

Primary (or de novo) anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is ATC without pre-existing history of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) and no co-existing DTC foci at the time of diagnosis. Secondary ATC is diagnosed if the patient had a history of DTC or co-existing DTC components at time of diagnosis. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, clinical presentations, outcomes, and genetic backgrounds of primary versus secondary ATCs. We searched for ATCs in our institutional databases and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. We also performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze the genetic alterations of primary and secondary ATCs. From our multi-institutional database, 22 primary and 23 secondary ATCs were retrieved. We also identified 620 and 24 primary and secondary ATCs in the SEER database, respectively. Compared to primary ATCs, secondary ATCs were not statistically different in terms of demographic, clinical manifestations, and patient survival. The only clinical discrepancy between the two groups was a significantly larger tumor diameter of the primary ATCs. The prevalence of TERT promoter, PIK3CA, and TP53 mutations was comparable between the two subtypes. In comparison to primary ATCs, however, BRAF mutations were more prevalent (OR = 4.70; 95% CI = 2.84-7.78) whereas RAS mutations were less frequent (OR = 0.43; 95% CI = 0.21-0.85) in secondary tumors. In summary, our results indicated that de novo and secondary ATCs might share many potential developmental steps, but there are other factors that suggest distinct developmental pathways.

Incidence of Postsuppression Virologic Rebound in Perinatally HIV-Infected Asian Adolescents on Stable Combination Antiretroviral Therapy.

PURPOSE: To assess the incidence and predictors of postsuppression virologic rebound (VR) among adolescents on stable combination antiretroviral therapy in Asia. METHODS: Perinatally HIV-infected Asian adolescents (10-19 years) with documented virologic suppression (two consecutive viral loads [VLs] <400 copies/mL ≥6 months apart) were included. Baseline was the date of the first VL <400 copies/mL at age ≥10 years or the 10th birthday for those with prior suppression. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify predictors of postsuppression VR (VL >1,000 copies/mL). RESULTS: Of 1,379 eligible adolescents, 47% were males. At baseline, 22% were receiving protease inhibitor-containing regimens; median CD4 cell count (interquartile range [IQR]) was 685 (448-937) cells/mm3; 2% had preadolescent virologic failure (VF) before subsequent suppression. During adolescence, 180 individuals (13%) experienced postsuppression VR at a rate of 3.4 (95% confidence interval: 2.9-3.9) per 100 person-years, which was consistent over time. Median time to VR during adolescence (IQR) was 3.3 (2.1-4.8) years. Wasting (weight-for-age z-score <-2.5), being raised by grandparents, receiving second-line protease inhibitor-based regimens, starting combination antiretroviral therapy after 2005, and having preadolescent VF were independent predictors of adolescent VR. At VR, median age, CD4 cell count, and VL (IQR) were 14.8 (13.2-16.4) years, 507 (325-723) cells/mm3, and 4.1 (3.5-4.7) log10 copies/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A modest and consistent incidence of postsuppression VR was documented during adolescence in our cohort. Having poor weight, receiving second-line regimens, and prior VF were associated with an increased VR rate. Adolescents at higher risk of VR may benefit from more intensive VL monitoring to enhance adherence management.