Safety and Effectiveness of Track Cauterization for Lung Cryoablation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of track cauterization for lung cryoablation through comparison of postprocedural adverse event (AE) rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-nine patients who underwent 164 percutaneous lung cryoablation procedures between 2013 and 2018 were included in this retrospective study. The study cohort was subdivided by whether track cauterization was conducted or not at the end of the procedure. The study cohort was also subdivided by the number of probes (1-2 probes vs 3-4 probes). Postablation AE rates were assessed by immediate and delayed (at 1 month or later) AEs, pneumothorax, hemothorax, pleural effusion, and whether intervention was required. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to compare differences in AE rates. RESULTS: Patients who underwent procedures with track cautery were 2.6 times less likely to exhibit pleural effusion (P = .017). Patients who underwent procedures conducted with a higher number of probes were 3.8 times more likely to receive interventions (P < .001), 1.6 times more likely to experience pneumothorax (P = .037), and 2.1 times more likely to experience pleural effusion (P = .003). History of lung surgery, increased number of probes, size of the probe, and absence of track cautery were noted to be significant predictors of AEs and need for interventions (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Track cauterization in lung cryoablation was proven to reduce pleural effusion, but no difference in pneumothorax or delayed AEs was noted. The use of fewer probes was associated with a lower rate of AEs.

Percutaneous Cryoablation for the Treatment of Recurrent Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Safety, Early-Term Efficacy, and Predictors of Local Recurrence.

PURPOSE: To determine safety and early-term efficacy of CT-guided cryoablation for treatment of recurrent mesothelioma and assess risk factors for local recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the period 2008-2012, 24 patients underwent 110 cryoablations for recurrent mesothelioma tumors in 89 sessions. Median patient age was 69 years (range, 48-82 y). Median tumor size was 30 mm (range, 9-113 mm). Complications were graded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 (CTCAE v4.0). Recurrence was diagnosed on CT or positron emission tomography/CT by increasing size, nodular enhancement, or hypermetabolic activity and analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine covariates associated with local tumor recurrence. RESULTS: Median duration of follow-up was 14.5 months. Complications occurred in 8 of 110 cryoablations (7.3%). All but 1 complication were graded CTCAE v4.0 1 or 2. No procedure-related deaths occurred. Freedom from local recurrence was observed in 100% of cases at 30 days, 92.5% at 6 months, 90.8% at 1 year, 87.3% at 2 years, and 73.7% at 3 years. Tumor recurrence was diagnosed 4.5-24.5 months after cryoablation (mean 5.7 months). Risk of tumor recurrence was associated with a smaller ablative margin from the edge of tumor to iceball ablation margin (multivariate hazard ratio 0.68, CI 0.48-0.95, P = .024). CONCLUSIONS: CT-guided cryoablation is safe for local control of recurrent mesothelioma, with a low rate of complications and promising early-term efficacy. A smaller ablative margin may predispose to tumor recurrence.

Standardized Reporting in IR: A Prospective Multi-Institutional Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: To assess adoption and survey-based satisfaction rates following deployment of standardized interventional radiology (IR) procedure reports across multiple institutions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Standardized reporting templates for 5 common interventional procedures (central venous access, inferior vena cava [IVC] filter insertion, IVC filter removal, uterine artery embolization, and vertebral augmentation) were distributed to 20 IR practices in a prospective quality-improvement study. Participating sites edited the reports according to institutional preferences and deployed them for a 1-year pilot study concluding in July 2015. Study compliance was measured by sampling 20 reports of each procedure type at each institution, and surveys of interventionalists and referring physicians were performed. Modifications to the standardized reporting templates at each site were analyzed. RESULTS: Ten institutions deployed the standardized reports, with 8 achieving deployment of 3-12 months. The mean report usage rate was 57%. Each site modified the original reports, with 26% mean reduction in length, 18% mean reduction in wordiness, and 60% mean reduction in the number of forced fill-in fields requiring user input. Linear-regression analysis revealed that reduced number of forced fill-in fields correlated significantly with increased usage rate (R2 = 0.444; P = .05). Surveys revealed high satisfaction rates among referring physicians but lower satisfaction rates among interventional radiologists. CONCLUSIONS: Standardized report adoption rates increased when reports were simplified by reducing the number of forced fill-in fields. Referring physicians preferred the standardized reports, whereas interventional radiologists preferred standard narrative reports.

A retrospective analysis of triple combination therapy with intravitreal bevacizumab, posterior sub-tenon's triamcinolone acetonide, and low-fluence verteporfin photodynamic therapy in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of triple combination therapy (TCT) including bevacizumab (BEV), low-fluence photodynamic therapy, and posterior sub-Tenon's triamcinolone acetonide in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: This institutional review board-approved retrospective consecutive case series included 31 eyes treated for wet age-related macular degeneration with TCT at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center between June 2004 and November 2008. Outcome measures included visual acuity, retinal thickness as measured by optical coherence tomography, time to retreatment, and complications. RESULTS: Triple combination therapy eyes showed significant 3-month and 6-month improvement in visual acuity of 0.140 ± 0.273 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution and 0.182 ± 0.383 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution after treatment, respectively (P = 0.0219 and 0.0470, respectively). Central retinal thickness significantly improved at 3 months (-123.8 ± 102.7 µm), 6 months (-87.7 ± 99.8 µm), and 12 months (-101.6 ± 103.3 µm) on optical coherence tomography. Half of eyes that underwent TCT required retreatment by the conclusion of their follow-up, and eyes that underwent TCT had a 1-year Kaplan-Meier survival rate of 62.1 ± 10.8%. CONCLUSION: Triple combination therapy (TCT) appears to effectively improve visual acuity and decrease retinal thickness often without need for subsequent retreatment within the first year of follow-up. Further investigation of TCT in prospective trials is warranted.

Predictors of heart failure symptoms in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia patients with hepatic arteriovenous malformations.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) patients are most commonly hepatic artery to hepatic venous shunts which can result in high-output heart failure. This condition can be debilitating and is a leading cause of liver transplantation in HHT patients. However, it is not known what characteristics can discriminate between asymptomatic patients and those who will develop heart failure symptoms. RESULTS: 176 patients with HHT were evaluated with computed tomography angiography (CTA) between April 2004 and February 2019 at our HHT Center of Excellence. 63/176 (35.8%) patients were found to have hepatic AVMs on CTA. 18 of these patients were excluded because of the presence of another condition which could confound evaluation of heart failure symptoms. In the remaining 45 patients included in our cohort, 25/45 (55.6%) patients were classified as asymptomatic and 20/45 (44.4%) were classified as symptomatic, and these groups were compared. In symptomatic patients, mean common hepatic artery (CHA) diameter was significantly higher (11.1 versus 8.4 mm) and mean hemoglobin levels were significantly lower (10.7 vs 12.6 g/dL). A stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that both CHA diameter and hemoglobin level were independent predictors of heart failure symptoms with ORs of 2.554 (95% CI 1.372-4.754) and 0.489 (95% CI 0.299-0.799), respectively. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve of our analysis demonstrated an AUC of 0.906 (95% CI 0.816-0.996), sensitivity 80.0% (95% CI 55.7-93.4%), and specificity 75.0% (95% CI 52.9-89.4%). CONCLUSIONS: CTA is an effective and easily reproducible method to evaluate hepatic involvement of HHT. Utilizing CTA, clinical, and laboratory data we determined CHA diameter and hemoglobin level were independent predictors of heart failure symptoms.

Measuring media exposure to acute mass violence.

OBJECTIVE: Researchers have studied the influence of media exposure to acute mass violence (e.g., terror attack, mass shooting, etc.) on distress in populations not directly experiencing the trauma; however, the field has yet to achieve consensus on the measurement of media exposure. There has been a rapidly changing media environment since this body of research began, with the rise of social media. To address this, we developed a measure using the most relevant items from media exposure surveys and accounting for evolving social media. METHOD: We asked a sample of youth and adults (N = 1,249), ages 14 - 59 years old, about average time spent consuming news in general, time spent viewing coverage of specific terror attacks, and their emotional reactions to the media coverage. RESULTS: A confirmatory factor analysis specifying a 3-factor model was run on a subsample of the data (n = 308), and the data fit the model well, χ2(17) = 30.799, p < .05, root mean square error of approximation = .051 [90% confidence interval = .020, .080], comparative fit index = .989, and standardized root mean square error of approximation = .043. Measurement invariance was examined on the remainder of the participants (n = 937) to determine whether the model was invariant across participant sex. CONCLUSION: Analyses support that the factor structure of the measure was consistent across male and female participants. Implications on measuring media exposure to acute mass violence will be discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Alternatives to Surgery for Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Thermal Ablation.

Thermal ablation involves the application of heat or cold energy to the lung under image guidance to eradicate tumors. It is indicated for treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer in nonsurgical patients. Ablation technologies have advanced, such that nearly all small tumors can now be treated safely and effectively. Ablation does not cause a lasting decline in pulmonary function tests and may therefore be used to treat multiple synchronous and metachronous lung tumors, a chief advantage over other treatments. Large series with intermediate- and long-term data have been reported showing favorable overall survival, similar to radiation therapy.

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein thrombosis.

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is complex and requires an understanding of multiple therapeutic options. PVT is present in 10%-40% of HCC at the time of diagnosis, and is an adverse prognostic factor. Management options are limited, as transplantation is generally contraindicated, and surgical resection is only rarely performed in select centers. Systemic medical therapy with sorafenib has been shown to modestly prolong survival. Transarterial chemoembolization has been performed in select cases but has shown a high incidence of complications. Emerging data on treatment of PVT with Y-90 radioembolization suggest that this modality is well-tolerated and associated with favorable overall survival. Current society guidelines do not yet specifically recommend radioembolization for patients with PVT, but this may change with the development of newer staging systems and treatment algorithms. In this comprehensive literature review, we present current and available management options with the relative advantages, disadvantages and contraindications of these treatment options with summarized data on overall survival.

Do Supplemental Remedial Reading Programs Address the Motivational Issues of Struggling Readers? An Analysis of Five Popular Programs.

Five popular, but distinctly different, remedial reading programs were reviewed regarding the potential to motivate children to read. It is argued that current remedial reading program designs and research on program effectiveness ignore the impact that motivation has on struggling readers. In addition, we develop a theory of reading motivation specific to struggling readers that highlights motivational constructs we feel are important to the improvement of reading skill for this population of students. The three aspects of reading motivation most relevant to the instruction of remedial readers include: (a) improving reading self-efficacy; (b) making internal and controllable outcome attributions for successes and failures associated with reading; and (c) establishing personally relevant value in becoming a better reader. We conclude that, while most programs address some motivational issues and other issues not at all, most programs could make minor modifications that would greatly enhance their motivational impact.

Current readings: Percutaneous ablation for pulmonary metastatic disease.

Percutaneous image-guided ablation is a technique for maintaining local control of metastatic lung lesions that may, in selected patients, confer a survival benefit over no treatment or systemic therapy alone. Although the currently accepted treatment for oligometastatic pulmonary disease is surgical resection, the existing body of literature, including the recent investigations reviewed within this article, supports a role for percutaneous ablation as an important and relatively safe therapeutic option for nonsurgical and in carefully selected surgical patients, conferring survival benefits competitive with surgical metastasectomy. Continued clinical investigations are needed to further understand the nuances of thermal technologies and applications to treat lung primary and secondary pulmonary malignancy, directly compare available therapeutic options and further define the role of percutaneous image-guided ablation in the treatment of pulmonary metastatic disease.

Pharmacokinetic study of vitreous and serum concentrations of triamcinolone acetonide after posterior sub-tenon's injection.

PURPOSE: To compare a theoretical pharmacokinetic model of triamcinolone acetonide after posterior sub-Tenon's injection with experimental serum and undiluted vitreous triamcinolone acetonide concentrations obtained during pars plana vitrectomy. DESIGN: Clinical-practice, prospective, interventional case series study. METHODS: This study compared computer-modeled triamcinolone acetonide diffusion after posterior sub-Tenon's injection with triamcinolone acetonide levels in experimental undiluted vitreous and serum samples from 57 patients undergoing vitrectomy assessed via mass spectrometry and high-pressure liquid chromatography. At least 5 pairs of samples were collected at each of 7 time points (1 day, 3 days, and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 weeks) after triamcinolone acetonide injection, with 6 controls without injection. Cortisol levels were measured in 31 sets of samples. RESULTS: The theoretical model predicted that triamcinolone acetonide levels in systemic blood, vitreous, and choroidal extracellular matrix would plateau after 3 days at 15 ng/mL, 227 ng/mL and 2230 ng/mL, respectively. Experimental vitreous levels of triamcinolone peaked at 111 ng/mL at day 1, then reached a plateau in the range 15 to 25 ng/mL, while serum triamcinolone levels peaked at day 3 near 35 ng/mL and plateaued near 2 to 8 ng/mL. Serum triamcinolone and cortisol levels were inversely correlated (Spearman -0.42, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The theoretical model predicts efficient delivery of triamcinolone acetonide from the posterior sub-Tenon's space to the extracellular choroidal matrix. The experimental findings demonstrate low levels of serum triamcinolone that alter systemic cortisol levels and higher vitreous levels lasting at least 1 month. Both assessments support trans-scleral delivery of posterior sub-Tenon's triamcinolone.

A Short-Term Longitudinal Study of the Relationship between Motivation to Read and Reading Fluency Skill in Second Grade.

This short-term longitudinal study investigated the relationships between students' reading self-concept, goals for reading, and reading fluency skill over the course of the second grade year. Second grade children (N=185) were administered the Test of Word Reading Efficiency, the second grade Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, and an adapted version of Motivation to Read Profile at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Results showed that students' goals for reading were related to reading self-concept, but unrelated to reading fluency. In addition, reading self-concept was significantly related to reading fluency at each time point. Latent-variable path analysis was used to test four potential relationships between students' reading self-concept and reading fluency skill: (a) an independence model; (b) a skill development model; (c) a self-enhancement model; and (d) a reciprocal effects model. Support for a reciprocal model was found between students' reading fluency skill and reading self-concept over the second grade year. This finding also indicated that students' reading self-concept begins to influence their reading achievement earlier than previous research had indicated. Implications for educational practice and future research will also be discussed.

Insights into Fluency Instruction: Short- and Long-term Effects of Two Reading Programs.

The purpose of the study was to examine short- and long-term effects of two instructional approaches designed to improve the reading fluency of second grade children: Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction (or FORI; Stahl & Heubach, 2005) and a wide reading approach (Kuhn et al., 2006). By the end of second grade, children in the wide reading classrooms showed better fluency and self-concept compared to children in control classrooms. Classroom observations indicated children in FORI classrooms were more likely to be off-task than controls. However, by the end of third grade, children in both programs displayed better comprehension. We conclude that extensive and long-term focus on the oral reading of complex texts using practices that scaffold reading in second grade is beneficial for the long-term development of reading comprehension skills.

Modified external needle drainage of subretinal fluid in primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: a prospective, consecutive, interventional, single-surgeon study.

PURPOSE: We describe surgical outcomes in a single-surgeon, consecutive series of patients who received scleral buckle placement for primary retinal detachment using a modified external needle drainage technique. METHODS: Eighty-two eyes of 80 patients with primary retinal detachment underwent scleral buckle placement with modified external needle drainage. Preoperative, postoperative, and surgical data were collected. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between preoperative clinical data and number of surgeries. RESULTS: The retinal detachment most commonly involved 41% to 50% of the retina. Seventy-six eyes (92.7%) were repaired after 1 surgical procedure, 98.8%, after 2 procedures, and 100%, after 3 procedures. No preoperative clinical variables were found to be significantly correlated with the number of surgeries performed. Vision improved an average of 0.3 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution or 3 lines of vision (P < 0.001). One eye (1.2%) developed a localized subretinal hemorrhage at the drainage site that resolved spontaneously. CONCLUSIONS: The modified external needle drainage technique used during scleral buckle placement appears to be safe and effective in patients with primary retinal detachment.