[Ultrasound diagnostics: Differentiated vision - upgrading - better reimbursement]. / Ultraschalldiagnostik: Differenziert sehen ­ aufwerten ­ besser vergüten.

Ultrasonography is an imaging modality of great importance in everyday clinical practice. Technical innovations continuously expand the diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities of ultrasonography requiring continuous upskilling of sonographers. Only a small number of practitioners, in hospital and practice settings in Germany, currently have the required level of skills. Therefore, these techniques are not as readily available as would be desirable. A modern high-end ultrasound scanner in the hands of a qualified sonographer is a diagnostic high-tech precision instrument, which can compete with any other imaging modality.In conclusion, basic sonography, as it is currently practised should be separated from high-end sonography, requiring extensive training and better remuneration. In this context the introduction of a new medical board speciality for ultrasonography, "Advanced Ultrasonography", with corresponding upgrading should be recommended for high-end sonography.

Spleen and Liver Stiffness Evaluation by ARFI Imaging: A Reliable Tool for a Short-Term Monitoring of Portal Hypertension?

Background: Assessment of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is the most reliable, though invasive method for evaluation of portal hypertension. Non-invasive, elastography-based techniques are well established in diagnosis, but not in monitoring of portal hypertension. The aim of our prospective study was to determine the value of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography technique of the liver and spleen in diagnosis and monitoring of portal hypertension. Methods: We prospectively assessed portal hypertension by HVPG and corresponding elastography of the liver and spleen in 31 patients with liver cirrhosis and an indication for primary prophylaxis by non-cardio selective beta-blockers. Investigations were performed at baseline and a follow-up visit after 6-8 weeks. To address the known large variability of values for spleen elastography, well-defined corresponding areas in the spleen were used for baseline and follow-up elastography. Sensitivity, specificity, and AUC-ROC values for both spleen and liver elastography monitoring of portal hypertension were calculated. Results: Liver but not spleen elastography significantly correlated with HVPG results and was suitable for initial evaluation of portal hypertension. However, changes in HVPG results did not show any correlation with alterations of ARFI values from baseline to follow-up visits both for liver and spleen elastography. Spleen stiffness results were not homogeneous across the whole organ differing significantly between the upper, hilar, and bottom placed investigation areas. Conclusions: In this prospective study ARFI-based assessment of liver elastography showed itself suitable for initial assessment but not for monitoring of portal hypertension. Spleen elastography was not appropriate for both, evaluation and monitoring of portal hypertension. A possible explanation for this new data that are in some contrast to previously published results is the degree of portal hypertension in our study, a comparatively short follow-up period, and well-defined investigation areas for spleen elastography in repetitive ARFI investigations. This trial is registered with NCT03315767.

Organoids at the PUB: The Porcine Urinary Bladder Serves as a Pancreatic Niche for Advanced Cancer Modeling.

Despite intensive research and progress in personalized medicine, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma remains one of the deadliest cancer entities. Pancreatic duct-like organoids (PDLOs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) or pancreatic cancer patient-derived organoids (PDOs) provide unique tools to study early and late stage dysplasia and to foster personalized medicine. However, such advanced systems are neither rapidly nor easily accessible and require an in vivo niche to study tumor formation and interaction with the stroma. Here, the establishment of the porcine urinary bladder (PUB) is revealed as an advanced organ culture model for shaping an ex vivo pancreatic niche. This model allows pancreatic progenitor cells to enter the ductal and endocrine lineages, while PDLOs further mature into duct-like tissue. Accordingly, the PUB offers an ex vivo platform for earliest pancreatic dysplasia and cancer if PDLOs feature KRASG12D mutations. Finally, it is demonstrated that PDOs-on-PUB i) resemble primary pancreatic cancer, ii) preserve cancer subtypes, iii) enable the study of niche epithelial crosstalk by spiking in pancreatic stellate and immune cells into the grafts, and finally iv) allow drug testing. In summary, the PUB advances the existing pancreatic cancer models by adding feasibility, complexity, and customization at low cost and high flexibility.

Impaired bolus clearance in combined high-resolution esophageal manometry and impedance measurement helps to differentiate between esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction and achalasia.

Introduction and aims High-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) has improved the diagnostic work-up of esophageal motility disorders. Simultaneous evaluation of bolus clearance delivers useful information about the function of tubular esophagus. We assessed bolus clearance in a combined HRM-impedance examination for esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) in comparison to achalasia patients. The collected data were assessed in a retrospective analysis. Patients and methods After gastroscopy excluded a mechanical esophageal or gastric obstruction, 142 consecutive patients underwent combined HRM-impedance examination. The assessment and interpretation of the manometry results were done according to the Chicago Classification of esophageal motility disorders v3.0. After classifying the motility disorder, the evaluation of bolus clearance was done according to published studies. Results All patients with achalasia (n = 24) showed a significantly impaired bolus clearance (< 80 %). Patients with unaffected peristalsis (n = 56) or patients with EGJOO (n = 14) each showed impaired clearance in 7 %, respectively. The evidence of axial hernia was not associated with impaired clearance. Conclusion Our results demonstrate a significant difference in impedance measurements between EGJOO and achalasia cases. This might be helpful as an additional tool to differentiate between achalasia and EGJOO patients. Furthermore, the role of the combined impedance-HRM investigation for early diagnosis of achalasia in "pre-achalasia" condition or in evaluation of potential progress of EGJOO to achalasia should be evaluated in a prospective study.

[Quality of undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education]. / Qualität der medizinischen Aus-, Fort- und Weiterbildung.

There are only a few studies exploring the quality of undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education, and there is no systematic approach to evaluating the different spheres of competence--knowledge, medical skills and attitudes. Medical state examination results are not appropriate for assessing the quality of medical education. The implementation of statutory continuing medical education requires quality assurance of its contents, which so far has not been implemented. In the majority of hospitals there is a lack graduate medical education programmes. Future challenges that have to be addressed include important problem areas such as standardized evaluation, recruitment of qualified junior researchers, dealing with the Bologna process, teaching the teachers, quality assurance in continuing medical education and lifelong learning. Since a correlation must be assumed between poor knowledge of the quality of undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education and the quality of this education itself, we need to close the gap of knowledge relating to the quality of medical education.