Incidence and Mortality of Uveal Melanoma in Hungary: A Nationwide Study.

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary malignant ocular tumour in adults, although its epidemiology in Central and Eastern Europe is unclear. This study aimed to analyse the incidence and all-cause mortality of UM in Hungary. This nationwide, retrospective, longitudinal study used data from the National Health Insurance Fund and included patients aged ≥18 years who were newly diagnosed with UM (ICD-10 C69.3 or C69.4) between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021. Age-standardised incidence and all-cause mortality rates were calculated using European Standard Population data from 2013. We identified 88 and 70 new patients with UM in 2012 and 2021, respectively, showing an almost stable trend. Age-standardised incidence rates varied between 6.40 and 10.96/1,000,000 person-years (PYs) during the analysed period. The highest age-standardised incidence was detected among men (13.38/1,000,000 PYs) in 2015. All-cause mortality decreased from 4.72/1,000,000 PYs to 0.79/1,000,000 PYs between 2012 and 2021. In conclusion, the UM incidence rate in Hungary is comparable to European incidence rates. The incidence did not markedly change, whereas all-cause mortality decreased during the study period, but this decline could not be attributed to improved treatment modalities for primary tumours and metastatic UM.

Universal newborn hearing screening with automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) in Hungary: 5-year experience in diagnostics and influence on the early intervention.

PURPOSE: In 2015 a new regulation and guidelines for the universal newborn hearing screening by AABR measurement have been implemented in Hungary. The aim of our study was to analyse (1) the past 5 years of data from our diagnostic centre about the incidence and types of congenital hearing losses, and (2) the first experiences with the National Newborn Hearing Screening Registry, started in 2019, and (3) the influence of the screening on the pediatric cochlear implant program. METHODS: 1269 children referred to our diagnostic centre between 2017 and 2021 were investigated. A third AABR measurement and full audiological evaluation were performed. Furthermore, one-year period data of the screening registry, and the number of implanted children at or under the age of 3 were analysed using the national databases. RESULTS: Altogether 276 newborns (22% of the referred cases after the two-stage screening) had hearing loss, 134 (49%) out of them was conductive origin, almost twice frequent in male as in female. Permanent sensorineural hearing impairment was found in 142 (51%), 58 (40%) of them had bilateral, severe to profound hearing loss, occurring more frequently in male as in female. The national digital registration of the screening data within 12 months concerned 68%. The number of early cochlear implantation in one year increased from 1 to 23 children in the past 15 years. CONCLUSION: A third AABR after the two-stage screening increased the efficiency and filtered the 78% false-positive cases. The audiological diagnostics verified and typed the hearing losses ensuring the early intervention.