Primary acalvaria with open-lip schizencephaly in indigenous South Papuan surviving newborn: a rare case report.

BACKGROUND: Acalvaria, or acrania, is a rare congenital cranial vault defect with neurocranium absences, including complete or part of calvaria flat bones, dura mater, and associated muscles, but with a still present in the central nervous system, skull base, facial bones, and skin-covered the defect. It is a sporadic incidence without apparent genetic factors confirmed. Acalvaria is often misdiagnosed as anencephaly; the distinguishable difference is that anencephaly has an absence (partial or complete) of the brain tissue, including the skull and scalp. Acalvaria is considered a fatal anomaly with a low survival rate, and only a few cases of extended survival have been reported until now. To the best of the author's knowledge, no acalvaria case has been published in Papua, and only one reported case of the coexistence of acalvaria with schizencephaly in Brazil (2018). CASE REPORT: Herein, we present a case of an indigenous South Papuan living newborn with primary acalvaria and open-lip schizencephaly in a frontoparietal region. A male newborn baby was born from a 39-year-old female Marind-Anim tribe patient with a 38th week of gestation, with no previous history of miscarriage, is not a consanguineous marriage, and had an unremarkable medical history during this pregnancy. Post-natal physical examinations showed an irregularly shaped head with 11.5 cm diameter concave of the right side, with a soft brain-like consistency palpable and the absence of half right frontoparietal calvarium covered with a presence of scalp and hair. Cranial 2-dimension ultrasonography shows an absence of half right frontoparietal calvaria bone with a complete presence of scalp and periosteum covering the defect with a fluid accumulation (anechoic) below the periosteum. A transverse axis view shows a complete structure but hypoplasia of brain cortex with visible slightly dysgenesis of gyrus and sulcus in both hemispheres convincing the acalvaria condition not anencephaly. A fluid accumulation above brain parenchyma of the frontoparietal region happened to be a cerebrospinal fluid coming from a wide-open cleft extending from the left lateral and fourth ventricles to the cerebral cortex, suggesting a typical condition of open-lip schizencephaly. Further health follow-ups until 6 months old showed still normal physical and behavioral development with no sign of complications. CONCLUSIONS: No standard acalvaria treatment is being established; conservative and supportive therapy is mostly taken considering their low survival rate. With the advancement of medical technology nowadays, surgical approaches, including scalp defect closure, bone graft, and 3D-printed defect filling, are being performed and have succeeded in a few cases. Long-term follow-up is required to monitor their neuro-psychological development and complication incidences that need further intervention.

Parasitic pygopagus conjoined twins' incidental findings in the obstructed labor of an intrapartum dead baby that had undergone emergency C-section: rare case report in South Papua.

BACKGROUND: Conjoined twins (CT), which used to be historically defined as "monstrous human" and previously so-called Siamese twins in the early eighteenth century, are one of the very rare congenital malformations with an uncertain etiology and complex yet remain inconclusively debatable regarding its pathophysiological mechanisms of fusion and fission theories. Among all types of CT, parasitic CT, especially the pygopagus sub-type, is exceedingly rarer. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no parasitic CT had been reported in Papua, and this is the first finding in South Papua. CASE REPORT: Herein, a 30-year-old multigravida female with 37th-week gestation, previous twice spontaneous miscarriage, and non-adequate antenatal care history is presented with a chief complaint of painful construction and greenish fluid leakage from the vagina, with an examination that showed a cephalic presentation with a "peculiar" big mass at the upper uterus and complete cervical dilation toward second-stage inpartu. Vaginal delivery was performed with a complication of obstructed labor due to uncommon dystocia with a suspected "big mass" below the fetal buttocks and intrapartum dead. Intrapartum transabdominal ultrasound demonstrates a gross anatomically like an organ inside a fluid-filled mass with unidentified parts, leading to a suspected type of congenital malformation at the baby's sacral region. Emergency C-section was done with findings of parasitic pygopagus CT, showing an attachment of a large irregular fluid-filled mass-like incomplete twin (parasite) with palpable soft tissue and bony structure inside to the buttocks of a male autosite twin, and an additional third leg which happened to be an under-developed lower extremity with a sacrum-like structure. CONCLUSIONS: An obstetrician's routine ANC and critical radiological evaluation will increase the odds of identifying CT or other congenital malformations to provide better delivery planning or further management. Increasing maternal health knowledge in society, improving medical skills and knowledge levels for health providers, and advancing supporting facilities and specialists are future strategies for managing and preventing such cases in low-middle-income countries.

Pulmonary Complications in Esophagectomy Based on Intraoperative Fluid Rate: A Single-Center Study.

OBJECTIVES: Esophagectomy is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The authors assessed the relationship between intraoperative fluid (IOF) administration and postoperative pulmonary outcomes in patients undergoing a transthoracic, transhiatal, or tri-incisional esophagectomy. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study (level 3 evidence). SETTING: Tertiary care referral center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients who underwent esophagectomy from 2007 to 2017. INTERVENTIONS: The IOF rate (mL/kg/h) was the predictor variable analyzed both as a continuous and binary categorical variable based on median IOF rate for this cohort (11.90 mL/kg/h). MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcomes included rates of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) within ten days after esophagectomy. Secondary outcomes included rates of reintubation, pneumonia, cardiac or renal morbidity, intensive care unit admission, length of stay, procedure-related complications, and mortality. Multivariate regression analysis determined associations between IOF rate and postoperative outcomes. Analysis was adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, procedure type, year, and thoracic epidural use. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 1,040 patients comprised this cohort. Tri-incisional esophagectomy was associated with a higher hospital mortality rate (7.8%) compared with transthoracic esophagectomy (2.6%, p = 0.03) or transhiatal esophagectomy (0.7%, p = 0.01). Regression analysis revealed a higher IOF rate was associated with greater ARDS within ten days (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.03, p = 0.01). For secondary outcomes, a higher IOF rate was associated with greater hospital mortality (adjusted OR = 1.05, p = 0.002), although no significant association with 30-day hospital mortality was identified. CONCLUSIONS: Increased IOF administration during esophagectomy may be associated with worse postoperative pulmonary complications, specifically ARDS. Future well-powered studies are warranted, including randomized, controlled trials comparing liberal versus restrictive fluid administration in this surgical population.

Multi-institutional Analysis of Recurrence and Survival After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy of Esophageal Cancer: Impact of Histology on Recurrence Patterns and Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of histology on pathologic response, survival outcomes, and recurrence patterns in patients with esophageal cancer (EC) who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There is a paucity of data regarding comparative outcomes after neoadjuvant CRT between esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Between 2002 and 2015, 895 EC patients who underwent neoadjuvant CRT followed by esophagectomy at 3 academic institutions were retrospectively reviewed, including 207 patients with SCC (23.1%) and 688 patients with adenocarcinoma (76.9%). Pathologic response, survival, recurrence pattern, and potential prognostic factors were compared. RESULTS: Pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was significantly higher for SCC compared with adenocarcinoma (44.9% vs 25.9%, P < 0.001). After a median follow-up of 52.9 months, 71 patients (34.3%) with SCC versus 297 patients (43.2%) with adenocarcinoma had recurrent disease (P = 0.023). For patients who achieved a pCR, no significant differences were found in recurrence pattern, sites, or survival end-points between the 2 histology groups. For non-pCR patients, the SCC group demonstrated significantly higher regional and supraclavicular recurrence rates but a lower hematogenous metastasis rate than adenocarcinoma patients, whereas the adenocarcinoma patients had a more favorable locoregional failure-free survival (P = 0.005) and worse distant metastasis-free survival (P = 0.024). No differences were found in overall survival (P = 0.772) or recurrence-free survival (P = 0.696) between groups. CONCLUSIONS: SCC was associated with a significantly higher pCR rate than adenocarcinoma. Recurrence pattern and survival outcomes were significantly different between the 2 histology subtypes in non-pCR patients.

Full endoscopic percutaneous stenoscopic lumbar decompression and discectomy: An outcome and efficacy analysis on 606 lumbar stenosis patients.

Introduction: Laminectomy has long been a "gold standard" to treat symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Minimal invasive spine surgery (MISS) is widely developed to overcome the limitations of conventional laminectomy to achieve a better outcome with minimal complications. Full endoscopic percutaneous stenoscopic lumbar decompression (FE-PSLD) is the newest MISS technique for spinal canal decompression. We aimed to evaluate and analyze the significance of FE-PSLD in reducing pain and its association with age, duration of symptoms, stenosis level, and operative time (OT). Materials and Methods: A longitudinal cross-sectional study was conducted on 606 LSS patients who underwent FE-PSLD and enrolled from 2020 to 2022. Three-month evaluation of the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the modified MacNab criteria were assessed. The significance of changes was analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test. Spearman's correlation test was performed to evaluate the significant correlation of several variables (pre-PSLD-VAS, age, symptoms duration, OT, and level of LSS) to post-PSLD-VAS, and multiple regression analysis was conducted. Results: The reduction of VAS was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.005) with an average pre-PSLD-VAS of 6.75 ± 0.63 and post-PSLD-VAS of 2.24 ± 1.04. Pre-PSLD-VAS, age, and stenosis level have a statistically significant correlation with post-PSLD-VAS, while the duration of the symptoms and OT have an insignificant correlation. Multiple regression showed the effect of pre-PSLD-VAS (ß =0.4033, P = 0.000) and stenosis level (ß =0.0951, P = 0.021) are statistically significant with a positive coefficient. Conclusions: FE-PSLD is an efficacious strategy with favorable outcomes for managing LSS, shown by a significant reduction of pain level with a relatively short follow-up time after the procedure. Preoperative pain level, age, and stenosis level are significantly correlated with postoperative pain level. Based on this experimental study, PSLD can be considered a good strategy for treating lumbar canal stenosis in all age groups and all LSS levels.

Chondrosarcoma arising within a radiation-induced osteochondroma several years following childhood total body irradiation: case report.

Malignant degeneration arising in radiation-induced osteochondromas is extremely rare. We report a case of a 34-year-old man with a chondrosarcoma arising from an osteochondroma of the left posterior eighth rib that developed following total body irradiation received as part of the conditioning regimen prior to bone marrow transplantation at age 8. To our knowledge, this is only the fourth reported case of a chondrosarcoma arising within a radiation-induced osteochondroma and the first case occurring following childhood total body irradiation.

Unilateral proptosis as a neglected case of sphenoid wing meningioma: a case report and healthcare challenges in rural Indonesia.

Proptosis, an abnormal protrusion of the eyeball, is a manifestation of a wide variety of pathologies. The complication to be vision- or life-threatening makes early diagnosis is important, especially in rural primary health centers (PHCs) with far-distance referrals to capable hospitals. This case report examines a patient with obvious unilateral proptosis and blurry vision on the right eye for 4 years, with neglect because of prior inadequate diagnosis and explanation before the current complication. Examination shows no light perception, obvious proptosis (30 mm), exodeviation, and ophthalmoplegia. Referral for radiological examination showed a regular extra-axial lesion, well-defined, and broad-based on the right sphenoid wing with hyperostosis. The patient was diagnosed with sphenoid wing meningioma, which complicated into proptosis and blindness. This report aims to explain the current challenges of rural PHCs in Indonesia critically and to emphasize that rural PHCs should overcome the low level of public education, self-awareness of health, and tendency to reject the referral process. Clinicians also have a crucial role in early detection and prompt treatment to reduce further neglected cases.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor interplay with oxidative stress: neuropathology approach in potential biomarker of Alzheimer's disease.

The aging population poses a serious challenge concerning an increased prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its impact on global burden, morbidity, and mortality. Oxidative stress, as a molecular hallmark that causes susceptibility in AD, interplays to other AD-related neuropathology cascades and decreases the expression of central and circulation brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an essential neurotrophin that serves as nerve development and survival, and synaptic plasticity in AD. By its significant correlation with the molecular and clinical progression of AD, BDNF can potentially be used as an objectively accurate biomarker for AD diagnosis and progressivity follow-up in future clinical practice. This comprehensive review highlights the oxidative stress interplay with BDNF in AD neuropathology and its potential use as an AD biomarker.

O envelhecimento da população representa um sério desafio no que diz respeito ao aumento da prevalência da doença de Alzheimer (DA) e o seu impacto na carga, morbidade e mortalidade globais. O estresse oxidativo, como uma marca molecular que causa suscetibilidade na DA, interage com outras cascatas de neuropatologia relacionadas à DA e diminui a expressão do fator neurotrófico encefálico (brain-derived neurotrophic factor ­ BDNF), uma neurotrofina essencial que serve como desenvolvimento e sobrevivência nervosa, e plasticidade sináptica na DA. Pela sua correlação significativa com a progressão molecular e clínica da DA, o BDNF pode potencialmente ser usado como um biomarcador objetivamente preciso para o diagnóstico da DA e acompanhamento da progressividade na prática clínica futura. Esta revisão abrangente destacou a interação do estresse oxidativo com o BDNF na neuropatologia da DA e seu uso potencial como biomarcador da DA.

Impact of FDG PET Standardized Uptake Value in Resected Clinical Stage IA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: A significant proportion of patients with clinical stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) experience will recurrence and decreased survival after surgery. This study examined the impact of preoperative primary tumor positron emission tomography (PET) scan maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on oncologic outcomes after surgery. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of 251 patients who underwent surgical treatment of clinical stage IA NSCLC at an academic medical center (2005-2014). Patients were classified according to PET SUVmax level (low vs high) for analysis of upstaging, tumor recurrence, and overall survival. RESULTS: Median SUVmax values were higher in squamous cell carcinoma than in adenocarcinoma (median 3.3 vs 7.2; P < .0001). There were 109 (43.4%) patients in the SUVmax low group and 142 (56.6%) in the SUVmax high group. Patients with SUVmax high had larger tumors. SUVmax high was associated with higher rates of nodal upstaging (16.2% vs 4.6% in SUVmax low; P = .004), particularly in N1 nodes. SUVmax high was independently associated with nodal upstaging (adjusted odds ratio, 3.95; 95% CI, 1.36-11.46; P = .011). SUVmax high was associated with time to recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.03-2.54; P = .036), but this association was lost on multivariable analysis (hazard ratio, 1.52; 95% CI, 0.91-2.54; P = .106). SUVmax was not associated with overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative PET SUVmax level is strongly associated with nodal upstaging, particularly in N1 nodes, in patients with clinical stage IA NSCLC who undergo resection. PET SUVmax should be regarded as a risk factor when considering candidacy for sublobar resections and in future trials involving patients with stage I NSCLC.

Abdominal wall pseudocyst as a complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion: a case report.

The abdominal cavity has long been used to absorb cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) procedure in hydrocephalus patients. Although this procedure is quite common, some complications can potentially arise. This study aimed to report a case of pseudocyst formation as a rare complication (<5% incidences) following a VP shunt insertion. A case of a 62-year-old male patient with a history of communicating hydrocephalus post-VP shunt insertion presented with symptoms of acute progressive right abdominal pain and was found a formation of large abdominal wall pseudocyst. An upper abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed a well-defined cystic mass lesion located intraperitoneally in the right hypochondrium. He subsequently underwent an exploratory laparotomy and surgical excision of the pseudocyst, followed by improved symptoms experienced. Clinicians must be aware of this complication because early diagnosis and prompt management will eventually improve outcomes for reducing abdominal pain and improving the patient's quality of life.

Neurodegenerative diseases and blood pressure variability: A comprehensive review from HOPE Asia.

Asia has an enormous number of older people and is the primary contributor to the rise in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The therapy of many neurodegenerative diseases has not yet progressed to the point where it is possible to alter the course of the disease. Mid-life hypertension is an important predictor of later-life cognitive impairment and brain neurodegenerative conditions. These findings highlight the pivotal role of preventing and managing hypertension as a risk factor for neurodegenerative disease. Autonomic dysfunction, neuropsychiatric and sleep disturbances can arise in neurodegenerative diseases, resulting in blood pressure variability (BPV). The BPV itself can worsen the progression of the disease. In older people with neurodegenerative disease and hypertension, it is critical to consider 24-h blood pressure monitoring and personalized blood pressure therapy.

Secretome as neuropathology-targeted intervention of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons in substansia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) caused by ⍺-synuclein aggregation. The use of secretomes released by medicinal signaling cells (MSCs) is one the promising preventive approaches that target several mechanisms in the neuropathology of PD. Its components target the lack of neurotrophin factors, proteasome dysfunction, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and at last neuroinflammation via several pathways. The complex and obscure pathology of PD induce the difficulty of the search of potential preventive approach for this disease. We described the potential of secretome of MSC as the novel preventive approach for PD, especially by targeting the said major pathogenesis of PD.

Citicoline and COVID-19-Related Cognitive and Other Neurologic Complications.

With growing concerns about COVID-19's hyperinflammatory condition and its potentially damaging impact on the neurovascular system, there is a need to consider potential treatment options for managing short- and long-term effects on neurological complications, especially cognitive function. While maintaining adequate structure and function of phospholipid in brain cells, citicoline, identical to the natural metabolite phospholipid phosphatidylcholine precursor, can contribute to a variety of neurological diseases and hypothetically toward post-COVID-19 cognitive effects. In this review, we comprehensively describe in detail the potential citicoline mechanisms as adjunctive therapy and prevention of COVID-19-related cognitive decline and other neurologic complications through citicoline properties of anti-inflammation, anti-viral, neuroprotection, neurorestorative, and acetylcholine neurotransmitter synthesis, and provide a recommendation for future clinical trials.

Clinicopathological features and current treatment outcomes of neuroendocrine thymic tumours.

OBJECTIVES: Neuroendocrine thymic tumours (NETTs) are a distinct subgroup of rare malignancies. An international, multicentre retrospective analysis was used to study the clinicopathological features, current pattern of diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of patients with NETT. METHODS: One hundred and forty-six NETT treated from 1989 to 2016 at 21 centres in China, Europe and North America were retrospectively collected and reclassified according to the World Health Organization histological type and International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG)/International Association for Studies in Lung Cancer (IASLC)/Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) staging. Clinicopathological features, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and outcomes were investigated. Results in the earlier and latter halves of the study period were also compared. RESULTS: The pretreatment work-up relied exclusively on computed tomography in 85.6% (125/146) of cases. Most patients had advanced disease, with 32.2% (47/146) having lymph node involvement. Higher-grade histological type was associated with more advanced disease (P < 0.05). Induction therapies and surgical procedures were used more often in the latter half of the study. However, the complete resection rate remained unchanged, being 71.5% (98/137) in the whole group. Complete resection was associated with significantly longer 5-year overall survival (77.2% vs 51.2%; P < 0.001) than incomplete or no resection. Significant survival differences were seen with the T, N and M categories of ITMIG/IASLC/UICC staging. Poorly differentiated carcinoma, ITMIG/IASLC/UICC stage IIIa or above and incomplete or no resection were independent risk factors for worse survival. No survival difference was noted between the earlier and the latter halves of the study (58.2% vs 71.9%; P = 0.299). CONCLUSIONS: Current management similar to that for thymomas is unsatisfactory in providing disease control or long-term survival for patients with NETT. Specific diagnostic tools and novel therapeutic agents are needed to improve management outcomes of this disease.

Management of Epiphrenic Diverticula and Short-term Outcomes.

Epiphrenic diverticulum is a rare and benign condition with significant surgical morbidity and evolving surgical management. The objective of this study was to analyze short-term clinical outcomes after surgery for epiphrenic diverticula. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a single tertiary care center of all patients who underwent treatment for epiphrenic esophageal diverticula from June 1990 to December 2016. Data collection included demographics, operative details and short-term outcomes (esophageal leak, other complications, 30-day mortality). In addition, all preoperative imaging was reviewed by an esophageal radiologist in order to describe epiphrenic diverticula characteristics in a uniform and blinded manner. Of the 94 patients in the study, 84 patients were managed with an open surgical approach and 10 with minimally invasive techniques. Median size of diverticula was 5.5 cm and mean height above gastroesophageal junction was 4 cm. A myotomy was completed in 95% of patients and a fundoplication in 58%. The MIS group had a shorter length of stay (4 vs 6 days). Overall complication rate was 27% with an esophageal leak rate of 7% with 60% grade I leaks that sealed with conservative management. Complete resection of the diverticulum, closure of the muscle over the resection, contralateral myotomy, and consideration for partial fundoplication are common strategies utilized to surgically treat patients with epiphrenic diverticulum. Minimally invasive approaches are increasingly utilized.

Autologous blood patch pleurodesis for prolonged postoperative air leaks.

BACKGROUND: A prolonged air leak (PAL) is the most frequent complication after pulmonary resection. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of autologous blood patch pleurodesis (ABPP) to treat PAL. METHODS: A prospectively maintained database identified patients with a PAL after pulmonary resection for lung cancer between 2015-2019. In this observational cohort study, clinical data were collected to retrospectively compare patients undergoing ABPP to no ABPP in a propensity-matched analysis. Kaplan Meier estimates and Cox models accounting for inverse probability weighting (IPTW) were used to assess the association of ABPP with each outcome. RESULTS: Of the 740 patients undergoing lung resection, 110 (15%) were identified as having a PAL at postoperative day (POD) 5. There was no difference between baseline characteristics among those undergoing ABPP (n=34) versus no ABPP (n=76). Propensity-weighted analysis did not reveal a significant association of ABPP treatment with in-hospital complication (P=0.18), hospital length of stay (LOS) (P=0.13), or post-discharge complication (P=0.13). However, ABPP treatment was associated with a lower risk of hospital readmission [P=0.02, hazard ratio (HR) 0.16] and reoperation for air leak or empyema (P=0.05, HR 0.11). Although not statistically significant, the mean chest tube (CT) removal of 11 days for the ABPP group was less than the no ABPP group (16 days) (P=0.14, HR 1.5-2). Those treated with ABPP were less likely to be discharged with a CT (ABPP 7/34, 21% vs. no ABPP 40/76, 53%). There was no statistical difference in empyema development between groups (ABPP 0/34, 0% vs. no ABPP 4/76, 5%, P=0.39, HR 0.24). CONCLUSIONS: ABPP administration is safe compared to traditional PAL management. In a retrospective propensity-matched analysis, postoperative patients treated with ABPP required less readmission and reoperation for PAL. Larger powered randomized trials may demonstrate the magnitude of benefit from treatment with ABPP.

Predictors of Patient-Reported Reflux After Esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported reflux is among the most common symptoms after esophagectomy. This study aimed to determine predictors of patient-reported reflux and to ascertain whether a preserved pylorus would protect patients from symptomatic reflux. METHODS: A prospective clinical study recorded patient-reported reflux after esophagectomy from August 2015 to July 2018. Eligible patients were at least 6 months from creation of a traditional posterior mediastinal gastric conduit, had completed at least 1 reflux questionnaire, and had the pylorus treated either temporarily (≥100 IU Botox [onabotulinumtoxinA]) or permanently (pyloromyotomy or pyloroplasty). RESULTS: Of the 110 patients meeting inclusion criteria, the median age was 65 years, and 88 of the 110 (80%) were male. Botox was used in 15 (14%) patients, pyloromyotomy in 88 (80%), and pyloroplasty in 7 (6%). A thoracic anastomosis was performed in 78 (71%) patients, and a cervical anastomosis was performed in 32 (29%). Esophagectomy was performed for malignant disease in 105 of 110 (95%), and 78 of 110 (71%) patients were treated with perioperative chemoradiation. Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that patient-reported reflux was significantly worse in patients with shorter gastric conduit lengths (P = .02) and in patients who did not undergo perioperative chemoradiation (P = .01). No significant difference was found between patients treated with pyloric drainage and those treated with Botox. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of perioperative chemoradiation therapy and a shorter gastric conduit were predictors of patient-reported reflux after esophagectomy. Although few patients had Botox, preservation of the pylorus did not appear to affect patient-reported reflux. Further objective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Reconstruction of Oncologic Sternectomy Defects: Lessons Learned from 60 Cases at a Single Institution.

Oncologic sternectomy results in complex defects where preoperative planning is paramount to achieve best reconstructive outcomes. Although pectoralis major muscle flap (PMF) is the workhorse for sternal soft tissue coverage, additional flaps can be required. Our purpose is to evaluate defects in which other flaps beside PMF were required to achieve optimal reconstruction. METHODS: A retrospective review of consecutive patients at our institution who underwent reconstruction after sternal tumor resection was performed. Demographics, surgical characteristics, and outcomes were evaluated. Further analysis was performed to identify defect characteristics where additional flaps to PMF were needed to complete reconstruction. RESULTS: In 11 years, 60 consecutive patients were identified. Mean age was 58 (28-81) years old, with a mean follow-up of 40.6 (12-64) months. The majority were primary sternal tumors (67%) and the mean defect size was 148 cm2 (±81). Fourteen (23%) patients presented with postoperative complications, and the 30-day mortality rate was 1.6%. In 19 (32%) cases, additional flaps were required; the most common being the rectus abdominis muscle flaps. Larger thoracic defects (P = 0.011) and resections involving the inferior sternum (P = 0.021) or the skin (P = 0.011) were more likely to require additional flaps. CONCLUSIONS: Reconstruction of oncologic sternal defects requires a multidisciplinary team approach. Larger thoracic defects, particularly those that involve the skin and the inferior sternum, are more likely to require additional flaps for optimal reconstruction.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor interplay with oxidative stress: neuropathology approach in potential biomarker of Alzheimer's disease / Interação do fator neurotrófico encefálico com o estresse oxidativo: abordagem neuropatológica a um potencial biomarcador da doença de Alzheimer

ABSTRACT The aging population poses a serious challenge concerning an increased prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its impact on global burden, morbidity, and mortality. Oxidative stress, as a molecular hallmark that causes susceptibility in AD, interplays to other AD-related neuropathology cascades and decreases the expression of central and circulation brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an essential neurotrophin that serves as nerve development and survival, and synaptic plasticity in AD. By its significant correlation with the molecular and clinical progression of AD, BDNF can potentially be used as an objectively accurate biomarker for AD diagnosis and progressivity follow-up in future clinical practice. This comprehensive review highlights the oxidative stress interplay with BDNF in AD neuropathology and its potential use as an AD biomarker.

RESUMO O envelhecimento da população representa um sério desafio no que diz respeito ao aumento da prevalência da doença de Alzheimer (DA) e o seu impacto na carga, morbidade e mortalidade globais. O estresse oxidativo, como uma marca molecular que causa suscetibilidade na DA, interage com outras cascatas de neuropatologia relacionadas à DA e diminui a expressão do fator neurotrófico encefálico (brain-derived neurotrophic factor - BDNF), uma neurotrofina essencial que serve como desenvolvimento e sobrevivência nervosa, e plasticidade sináptica na DA. Pela sua correlação significativa com a progressão molecular e clínica da DA, o BDNF pode potencialmente ser usado como um biomarcador objetivamente preciso para o diagnóstico da DA e acompanhamento da progressividade na prática clínica futura. Esta revisão abrangente destacou a interação do estresse oxidativo com o BDNF na neuropatologia da DA e seu uso potencial como biomarcador da DA.