Prevalence and progression of arterial calcifications on computed tomography in humans with knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Ectopic bone deposition plays an important role in osteoarthritis (OA) and in arterial wall disease. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and progression of arterial calcifications on whole-body computed tomography (CT) in persons with knee OA. METHODS: We included 118 (36 male) participants who satisfied the clinical American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for knee OA. Baseline investigations included Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Kellgren-Lawrence grading. At baseline and after two years, a whole-body CT was performed using the same scanner and protocol. Calcifications were quantified in the carotid, brachiocephalic, coronary, thoracic aortic, abdominal aortic, iliac, femoropopliteal and crural arteries. Multivariable linear and logistic regression modeling was used for analyses. RESULTS: At baseline males were 66.9 ± 7.7 and females were 68.0 ± 5.6 years old. Calcifications were common, all participants except two females had some calcification, and prevalence ranged between 41.8% and 94.4% for various arterial beds. Baseline femoropopliteal calcifications were associated with a higher Kellgren-Lawrence grade (more severe knee OA). Median annual progression rate was 13.1% in males and 15.7% in females. Structural OA severity was not associated with progression, but a five points lower (worse) WOMAC was associated with 1% faster progression of arterial calcifications (p= 0.008). CONCLUSION: Around age 70 nearly all persons with knee OA have arterial calcifications, which progress substantially. For further investigation into shared causality intervention studies are needed.

Health Care Industry Payments to Editorial Board Members of Major Neurosurgery Journals Between 2017 and 2022.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Financial conflicts of interest between editorial board members and industry could lead to biases and impartial editorial decisions. We aimed to evaluate the frequency, amount, and characteristics of payments to editorial board members of neurosurgery journals over a 6-year period. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, editorial board members were derived from the top 10 neurosurgery journals based on Google Scholar metrics. The Open Payments database by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was accessed to evaluate industry payments to editorial board members from 2017to 2022. Descriptive analyses were performed on payment data, adjusted for inflation using the consumer price indices. RESULTS: We included 805 editorial board members. After excluding duplicate names, 342 (53.9%) of 634 had received payments between 2017 and 2022. Eight of 10 journals had more than 50% of editorial board members listed in the Open Payments database. Between 2017 and 2022, the total number of payments to editorial board members was $143 732 057, encompassing $1 323 936 in research payments, $69 122 067 in associated research funding, $5 380 926 in ownership and investment interests, and $67 905 128 in general payments. General payments decreased from $13 676 382 in 2017 to $8 528 003 in 2022. Royalties ($43 393 697) and consulting ($13 157 934) contributed the most to general payments between 2017 and 2022. Four journals had a percentage increase in total payments, whereas general payments decreased for 6 journals. CONCLUSION: Around 54% of editorial board members of neurosurgical journals received industry payments between 2017 and 2022. We identified journal-specific trends in industry payments and highlighted the importance of transparency and disclosure of financial conflicts of interests for neurosurgery journals.

The prevalence of vertebral fractures in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and ankylosing spondylitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Subjects with ankylosing spinal disorders, including diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are more prone to vertebral fractures and frequently present with neurological deficit compared to the patients without an ankylosed spine. Moreover, prevalent vertebral fractures are an important predictor for subsequent fracture risk. However, the pooled fracture prevalence for DISH is unknown and less recent for AS. We aimed to systematically investigate the prevalence and risk of vertebral fractures in DISH and AS populations. Methods: Publications in Medline and EMBASE were searched from January 1980 until July 2023 for cohort studies reporting vertebral fractures in AS and DISH. Data on prevalence were pooled with random effects modeling after double arcsine transformation. Heterogeneity was assessed with I2 statistics and we performed subgroup analysis and meta-regression to explore sources of heterogeneity. Results: We included 7 studies on DISH (n = 1,193, total fractures = 231) with a pooled vertebral fracture prevalence of 22.6% (95%CI: 13.4%-33.4%). For AS, 26 studies were included (n = 2,875, total fractures = 460) with a pooled vertebral fracture prevalence of 15.2% (95%CI: 11.6%-19.1%). In general, fracture prevalence for AS remained similar for several study-level and clinically relevant characteristics, including study design, diagnostic criteria, spine level, and patient characteristics in subgroup analysis. AS publications from 2010 to 2020 showed higher fracture prevalence compared to 1990 to 2010 (18.6% vs. 11.6%). Fractures in DISH were most common at the thoracolumbar junction, whereas for AS, the most common location was the mid-thoracic spine. Conclusions: Vertebral fractures are prevalent in AS and DISH populations. Differences in fracture distribution along the spinal axis exist between the 2 disorders. Additional longitudinal studies are needed for incident fracture assessment in patients with ankylosing spinal disorders.

Alleged Malpractice in Orthopedic Surgery in The Netherlands: Lessons Learned from Medical Disciplinary Jurisprudence.

BACKGROUND: Orthopedic surgery is a specialty at risk for medical malpractice claims. We aimed to assess the frequency of alleged malpractice cases related to orthopedic surgery in the Netherlands from the last 15 years. METHODS: We systematically searched the database of the Dutch Medical Disciplinary Court for verdicts related to orthopedic surgery between January 2009 and July 2023 and extracted case data and data on allegations and outcomes. RESULTS: We identified 158 verdicts (mean of 10.5 per year), of which 151 (96%) were filed against specialists and 7 (4%) against residents. Cases were most frequently classified as incorrect treatment/diagnosis (n = 107, 67.7%). Cases were related to the subspecialties of knee (n = 34, 21.5%), hip (n = 31, 19.6%), ankle (n = 25, 15.8%), spine (n = 22, 13.9%), and shoulder (n = 19, 12.0%). A total of 32 cases (20.3%) were judged as partially founded and 9 (6%) as founded. The Dutch Medical Disciplinary Court imposed 28 warnings, 10 reprimands, and 3 temporary suspensions. A total of 68 appeals were submitted, of which 95% were rejected for filing patients. In three instances, unfounded verdicts were changed to two warnings and a reprimand. In four appeals by an orthopedic surgeon, a warning and reprimand were dismissed, and two reprimands were changed to warnings. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of malpractice cases against orthopedic surgeons in the Netherlands is relatively low. The cases in our study may improve our understanding of allegations against physicians and improve the quality of patient care.

Patient characteristics, surgical treatment, and outcomes in spinal gout: a systematic review of 315 cases.

PURPOSE: To systematically investigate all published literature on spinal gout regarding location demographics, patient characteristics, treatment, and outcomes. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search of Medline and EMBASE from inception until April 15, 2023. Two investigators performed data extraction and quality assessment of location demographics and patient characteristics and outcomes of all article types describing spinal gout. RESULTS: A total of 214 articles (204 case reports and 10 case series) were included, encompassing 315 subjects with spinal gout (81% male, mean age 58.1 years; range: 16-92). Most cases (36%) were between the age of 60-69 years. We observed an increase in publications and cases from 1950 to the present. Most patients were from institutions in Asia (n = 119, 37.8%) and North America (n = 96, 30.5%). Reported symptoms frequently included back pain (75%), radiating pain to extremities (27.3%), and weakness in the extremities (26.3%). The lumbar spine was most often affected. Pharmacological treatment was described for 108 (34.2%) patients. Surgery was performed for 146 (46.3%) of patients, of which 4.8% had postoperative complications. Three patients (2%) required secondary surgery for recurrence. CONCLUSION: Published cases of spinal gout have increased over the last decades. Patient characteristics of spinal gout were similar to findings in systemic gout. Trends identified in patient characteristics and treatment outcomes may help guide patient management and improve our understanding of spinal gout.

Time from submission to publication in urology journals: A look at publication times before and during Covid-19.

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic impacted scientific publishing, though it's effect on publication times in urology literature is unknown. The objective of our study were to determine and compare acceptance and publication times in general and specific urology journals, and to quantify these times before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: We identified all original articles published in seven urology journals in 2019 and 2021, and extracted data on submission, acceptance, online, and in-print publication times. Differences between groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: A total of 2880 articles were included, comprising 1601 articles published in 2021 and 1279 in 2019. Less experimental/animal studies were published in 2021 compared to 2019 (197 vs. 289). Time between submission and online publication was longer in 2021 (median 4.4 vs 3.3 months, p < 0.001), though acceptance times were not different (median 3.3 vs 3.3 months, p = 0.25). Prostate (median: 2.8 months, Neurourology and Urodynamics (median: 2.8 months) and Word Journal of Urology (median 2.9 months) had the shortest acceptance time in 2021. Time between submission and in-print publication ranged from 4.6 months (IQR: 3.6-6.8) for Prostate to 11.9 months (IQR: 9.8-13.2) for World Journal of Urology. Acceptance times were significantly longer in 2021 compared to 2019 for Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, Journal of Sexual Medicine, and Prostate. Moreover, time between submission and in print publication was longer in 2021 compared to 2019 for Journal of Sexual Medicine and Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations, and shorter for Neurourology and Urodynamics. The median time to in print publication was lower for publications from US institutions (median 7.0 vs. 7.7 months in 2019 and 8.7 months vs 9.1 months in 2021). Conclusions: We identified journal specific acceptance and publication times and observed substantial differences between urology journals for the years 2019 and 2021.

Reinfection rates after one- and two-stage revision surgery for hip and knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Revisions for periprosthetic joint infection of knee and hip arthroplasty can be performed following one- or two-stage treatment protocols. Current literature is inconclusive whether one protocol is superior to the other, as prior literature reported similar reinfection rates for both treatment options. We aimed to provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of current literature on septic arthroplasty revisions. METHODS: Between April 2015 and December 2020, Medline, Embase, and The Cochrane Library were searched for studies reporting reinfection outcomes in patients treated with one-stage and two-stage knee or hip revision arthroplasty. Two reviewers independently extracted data and disagreements were resolved by a third investigator. We utilized a double arcsine transformation, prior to pooling using a random-effects model. RESULTS: For hip revision arthroplasty, we identified 14 one-stage studies (n = 1237) with a pooled reinfection rate of 5.7% (95% CI 3.7-8.1%), and 46 two-stage studies (n = 5009) with a reinfection rate of 8.4% (95% CI 6.9-9.9%). For knee revision arthroplasty, 6 one-stage studies (n = 527) and 48 two-stage studies (n = 4344) were identified with reinfection rates of 12.7% (7.0-19.7%) and 16.2% (13.7-19.0%), respectively. Overall, reinfection rates did not vary substantially after subgroup analysis. Limitations of our study are the limited amount of one-stage studies that introduce a potential bias. CONCLUSION: The reinfection rates following one- and two-stage hip and knee arthroplasty revisions were similar. Knee reinfection rates have increased compared to the previous analysis. Individual patient characteristics and adequate treatment algorithms are needed for a more individual selection approach, until a randomized trial is performed.

Patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis have an increased burden of thoracic aortic calcifications.

Objectives: DISH has been associated with increased coronary artery calcifications and incident ischaemic stroke. The formation of bone along the spine may share pathways with calcium deposition in the aorta. We hypothesized that patients with DISH have increased vascular calcifications. Therefore we aimed to investigate the presence and extent of DISH in relation to thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) severity. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 4703 patients from the Second Manifestation of ARTerial disease cohort, consisting of patients with cardiovascular events or risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Chest radiographs were scored for DISH using the Resnick criteria. Different severities of TAC were scored arbitrarily from no TAC to mild, moderate or severe TAC. Using multivariate logistic regression, the associations between DISH and TAC were analysed with adjustments for age, sex, BMI, diabetes, smoking status, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, cholesterol lowering drug usage, renal function and blood pressure. Results: A total of 442 patients (9.4%) had evidence of DISH and 1789 (38%) patients had TAC. The prevalence of DISH increased from 6.6% in the no TAC group to 10.8% in the mild, 14.3% in the moderate and 17.1% in the severe TAC group. After adjustments, DISH was significantly associated with the presence of TAC [odds ratio (OR) 1.46 [95% CI 1.17, 1.82)]. In multinomial analyses, DISH was associated with moderate TAC [OR 1.43 (95% CI 1.06, 1.93)] and severe TAC [OR 1.67 (95% CI 1.19, 2.36)]. Conclusions: Subjects with DISH have increased TACs, providing further evidence that patients with DISH have an increased burden of vascular calcifications.

The Association between Muscle Quantity and Overall Survival Depends on Muscle Radiodensity: A Cohort Study in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

The prognostic value of CT-derived muscle quantity for overall survival (OS) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is uncertain due to conflicting evidence. We hypothesize that increased muscle quantity is associated with better OS in patients with normal muscle radiodensity but not in patients with fatty degeneration of muscle tissue and low muscle radiodensity. We performed an observational cohort study in NSCLC patients treated with radiotherapy. A deep learning algorithm was used to measure muscle quantity as psoas muscle index (PMI) and psoas muscle radiodensity (PMD) on computed tomography. The potential interaction between PMI and PMD for OS was investigated using Cox proportional-hazards regression. Baseline adjustment variables were age, sex, histology, performance score and body mass index. We investigated non-linear effects of continuous variables and imputed missing values using multiple imputation. We included 2840 patients and observed 1975 deaths in 5903 patient years. The average age was 68.9 years (standard deviation 10.4, range 32 to 96) and 1692 patients (59.6%) were male. PMI was more positively associated with OS for higher values of PMD (hazard ratio for interaction 0.915; 95% confidence interval 0.861-0.972; p-value 0.004). We found evidence that high muscle quantity is associated with better OS when muscle radiodensity is higher, in a large cohort of NSCLC patients treated with radiotherapy. Future studies on the association between muscle status and OS should accommodate this interaction in their analysis for more accurate and more generalizable results.

The burden of injury in Central, Eastern, and Western European sub-region: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study.

BACKGROUND: Injury remains a major concern to public health in the European region. Previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study showed wide variation in injury death and disability adjusted life year (DALY) rates across Europe, indicating injury inequality gaps between sub-regions and countries. The objectives of this study were to: 1) compare GBD 2019 estimates on injury mortality and DALYs across European sub-regions and countries by cause-of-injury category and sex; 2) examine changes in injury DALY rates over a 20 year-period by cause-of-injury category, sub-region and country; and 3) assess inequalities in injury mortality and DALY rates across the countries. METHODS: We performed a secondary database descriptive study using the GBD 2019 results on injuries in 44 European countries from 2000 to 2019. Inequality in DALY rates between these countries was assessed by calculating the DALY rate ratio between the highest-ranking country and lowest-ranking country in each year. RESULTS: In 2019, in Eastern Europe 80 [95% uncertainty interval (UI): 71 to 89] people per 100,000 died from injuries; twice as high compared to Central Europe (38 injury deaths per 100,000; 95% UI 34 to 42) and three times as high compared to Western Europe (27 injury deaths per 100,000; 95%UI 25 to 28). The injury DALY rates showed less pronounced differences between Eastern (5129 DALYs per 100,000; 95% UI: 4547 to 5864), Central (2940 DALYs per 100,000; 95% UI: 2452 to 3546) and Western Europe (1782 DALYs per 100,000; 95% UI: 1523 to 2115). Injury DALY rate was lowest in Italy (1489 DALYs per 100,000) and highest in Ukraine (5553 DALYs per 100,000). The difference in injury DALY rates by country was larger for males compared to females. The DALY rate ratio was highest in 2005, with DALY rate in the lowest-ranking country (Russian Federation) 6.0 times higher compared to the highest-ranking country (Malta). After 2005, the DALY rate ratio between the lowest- and the highest-ranking country gradually decreased to 3.7 in 2019. CONCLUSIONS: Injury mortality and DALY rates were highest in Eastern Europe and lowest in Western Europe, although differences in injury DALY rates declined rapidly, particularly in the past decade. The injury DALY rate ratio of highest- and lowest-ranking country declined from 2005 onwards, indicating declining inequalities in injuries between European countries.

Individual treatment effect estimation in the presence of unobserved confounding using proxies: a cohort study in stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) are the gold standard for estimating treatment effects but some important situations in cancer care require treatment effect estimates from observational data. We developed "Proxy based individual treatment effect modeling in cancer" (PROTECT) to estimate treatment effects from observational data when there are unobserved confounders, but proxy measurements of these confounders exist. We identified an unobserved confounder in observational cancer research: overall fitness. Proxy measurements of overall fitness exist like performance score, but the fitness as observed by the treating physician is unavailable for research. PROTECT reconstructs the distribution of the unobserved confounder based on these proxy measurements to estimate the treatment effect. PROTECT was applied to an observational cohort of 504 stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, treated with concurrent chemoradiation or sequential chemoradiation. Whereas conventional confounding adjustment methods seemed to overestimate the treatment effect, PROTECT provided credible treatment effect estimates.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis of the cervical spine causing dysphagia and airway obstruction: an updated systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is characterized by growing ossifications of spinal entheses and tendons, which may cause trachea and esophagus compression when located anteriorly in the cervical spine. PURPOSE: Our previous systematic review on the epidemiological and clinical knowledge of dysphagia and airway obstruction caused by cervical DISH was updated, with a focus on (surgical) treatment and outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review of the literature was performed. METHODS: Publications in Medline and EMBASE from July 2010 to June 2021 were searched. Two investigators performed data extraction and study specific quality assessment. RESULTS: A total of 138 articles (112 case reports and 26 case series) were included, describing 419 patients with dysphagia and/or airway obstruction. The mean age of the patient group was 67.3 years (range: 35-91 years), and 85.4% was male. An evident increase of published cases was observed within the last decade. Surgical treatment was chosen for 66% of patients with the anterolateral approach most commonly used. The total complication rate after surgery was 22.1%, with 12.7% occurring within 1 month after intervention. Improvement of dysphagia was observed in 95.5% of operated patients. After a mean follow-up of 3.7 years (range: 0.4-9.0 years), dysphagia recurred in 12 surgically treated patients (4%), of which five patients had osteophyte regrowth. CONCLUSIONS: The number of published cases of dysphagia in patients with DISH has doubled in the last decade compared to our previous review. Yet, randomized studies or guidelines on the treatment or prevention on recurrence are lacking. Surgical treatment is effective and has low (major) complication rates. Common trends established across the cases in our study may help improve our understanding and management of dysphagia and airway obstruction in cervical DISH.

Good long-term outcomes of the hip Chiari osteotomy in adolescents and adults with hip dysplasia: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Chiari osteotomy was a regular treatment for developmental hip dysplasia before it became mostly reserved as a salvage therapy. However, the long-term survival of the Chiari osteotomy has not been systematically investigated. We investigated the survival time of the Chiari osteotomy until conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with primary hip dysplasia, and factors which correlated with survival, complications, and the improvement measured in radiographic parameters. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Studies were included when describing patients (> 16 years) with primary hip dysplasia treated with a Chiari osteotomy procedure with 8 years' follow-up. Data on patient characteristics, indications, complications, radiographic parameters, and survival time (endpoint: conversion to THA) were extracted. RESULTS: 8 studies were included. The average postoperative center-edge angle, acetabular head index, and Sharp angle were generally restored within the target range. 3 studies reported Kaplan-Meier survival rates varying from 96% at 10 years to 72% at 20 years' follow-up. Negative survival factors were high age at intervention and pre-existing advanced preoperative osteoarthritis. Moreover, reported complications ranged between 0% and 28.3 %. INTERPRETATION: The Chiari osteotomy has high reported survival rates and is capable of restoring radiographic hip parameters to healthy values. When carefully selected by young age, and a low osteoarthritis score, patients benefit from the Chiari osteotomy with satisfactory survival rates. The position of the Chiari osteotomy in relation to the periacetabular osteotomies should be further (re-)explored.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis is associated with incident stroke in patients with increased cardiovascular risk.

OBJECTIVES: Earlier retrospective studies have suggested a relation between DISH and cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction. The present study assessed the association between DISH and incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with high cardiovascular risk. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we included 4624 patients (mean age 58.4 years, 69.6% male) from the Second Manifestations of ARTerial disease cohort. The main end point was major cardiovascular events (MACE: stroke, myocardial infarction and vascular death). Secondary endpoints included all-cause mortality and separate vascular events. Cause-specific proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the risk of DISH on all outcomes, and subdistribution hazard models were used to evaluate the effect of DISH on the cumulative incidence. All models were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, blood pressure, diabetes, non-HDL cholesterol, packyears, renal function and C-reactive protein. RESULTS: DISH was present in 435 (9.4%) patients. After a median follow-up of 8.7 (IQR 5.0-12.0) years, 864 patients had died and 728 patients developed a MACE event. DISH was associated with an increased cumulative incidence of ischaemic stroke. After adjustment in cause-specific modelling, DISH remained significantly associated with ischaemic stroke (HR 1.55; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.38), but not with MACE (HR 0.99; 95% CI: 0.79, 1.24), myocardial infarction (HR 0.88; 95% CI: 0.59, 1.31), vascular death (HR 0.94; 95% CI: 0.68, 1.27) or all-cause mortality (HR 0.94; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.16). CONCLUSION: The presence of DISH is independently associated with an increased incidence and risk for ischaemic stroke, but not with MACE, myocardial infarction, vascular death or all-cause mortality.

Visceral Adipose Tissue and Different Measures of Adiposity in Different Severities of Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is associated with both obesity and type 2 diabetes. Our objective was to investigate the relation between DISH and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in particular, as this would support a causal role of insulin resistance and low grade inflammation in the development of DISH. METHODS: In 4334 patients with manifest vascular disease, the relation between different adiposity measures and the presence of DISH was compared using z-scores via standard deviation logistic regression analyses. Analyses were stratified by sex and adjusted for age, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, non-HDL cholesterol, smoking status, and renal function. RESULTS: DISH was present in 391 (9%) subjects. The presence of DISH was associated with markers of adiposity and had a strong relation with VAT in males (OR: 1.35; 95%CI: 1.20-1.54) and females (OR: 1.43; 95%CI: 1.06-1.93). In males with the most severe DISH (extensive ossification of seven or more vertebral bodies) the association between DISH and VAT was stronger (OR: 1.61; 95%CI: 1.31-1.98), while increased subcutaneous fat was negatively associated with DISH (OR: 0.65; 95%CI: 0.49-0.95). In females, increased subcutaneous fat was associated with the presence of DISH (OR: 1.43; 95%CI: 1.14-1.80). CONCLUSION: Markers of adiposity, including VAT, are strongly associated with the presence of DISH. Subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness was negatively associated with more severe cases of DISH in males, while in females, increased subcutaneous adipose tissue was associated with the presence of DISH.

Pseudohypoparathyroidism mimicking cervical diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis with dysphagia: A case report and literature review.

Dysphagia due to extensive ossification at anterior segments of the cervical spine is a rare occurrence and is usually attributable to diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). We present the case of a 74-year-old female with dysphagia most likely due to ossification in pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a (PHP1a). PHP1a is a rare, autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the GNAS1 gene. Our patient had characteristic phenotype features of PHP1a, also known as Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO), which was diagnosed without genetic confirmation. She was conservatively treated with dietary measures and observation, and reported persisting symptoms of dysphagia at six-month follow-up. This is the first case to describe dysphagia in PHP1a with a similar presentation to DISH.

Comparing Hip Dysplasia in Dogs and Humans: A Review.

Hip dysplasia (HD) is common in both humans and dogs. This interconnection is because humans and dogs descended from a common ancestor and therefore have a similar anatomy at micro- and macroscopic levels. Furthermore, dogs are the animals of choice for testing new treatments for human hip dysplasia and orthopedic surgery in general. However, little literature exists comparing HD between the two species. Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe the anatomy, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics, and treatment of HD in humans and dogs. HD as an orthopedic condition has many common characteristics in terms of etiology and pathogenesis and most of the differences can be explained by the evolutionary differences between dogs and humans. Likewise, the treatment of HD shows many commonalities between humans and dogs. Conservative treatment and surgical interventions such as femoral osteotomy, pelvic osteotomy and total hip arthroplasty are very similar between humans and dogs. Therefore, future integration of knowledge and experiences for HD between dogs and humans could be beneficial for both species.

Evaluation of the Safety and Feasibility of Same-Day Holmium-166 -Radioembolization Simulation and Treatment of Hepatic Metastases.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of same-day treatment, including the simulation procedure for assessment of intrahepatic and extrahepatic distribution of the microspheres, with holmium-166 (166Ho)-radioembolization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of patients included in the 4 prospective studies (HEPAR I, HEPAR II, HEPAR PLuS, and SIM) on 166Ho-radioembolization. The technical success rate of the same-day treatment protocol, defined as the number of patients who completed the same-day treatment, was measured. Total in-room time, duration of the scout procedure, time to imaging, and duration of the treatment procedure were recorded. Reasons for discontinuation or adjustment of treatment were identified. Adverse events that occurred during the treatment day were recorded. RESULTS: One hundred five of 120 scheduled patients completed the same-day treatment with 166Ho-radioembolization (success rate, 88%). After the simulation procedure, treatment was cancelled in 15 patients because of extrahepatic deposition (n = 8), suboptimal tumor targeting (n = 1), unanticipated vascular anatomy (n = 5), and dissection (n = 1). In another 14 patients, the treatment plan was adjusted. The median total procedure time (ie, simulation, imaging, and treatment) was 6:39 hours:minutes (range, 3:58-9:17 hours:minutes). Back pain was a major same-day treatment-related complaint (n = 28). CONCLUSION: 166Ho-radioembolization as a same-day treatment procedure is feasible in most selected patients, although treatment was adjusted in 12% of patients and cancelled in 12% of patients. This approach might be beneficial for a select patient population, such as patients needing a radiation segmentectomy.

Towards the Development of AgoKirs: New Pharmacological Activators to Study Kir2.x Channel and Target Cardiac Disease.

Inward rectifier potassium ion channels (IK1-channels) of the Kir2.x family are responsible for maintaining a stable negative resting membrane potential in excitable cells, but also play a role in processes of non-excitable tissues, such as bone development. IK1-channel loss-of-function, either congenital or acquired, has been associated with cardiac disease. Currently, basic research and specific treatment are hindered by the absence of specific and efficient Kir2.x channel activators. However, twelve different compounds, including approved drugs, show off-target IK1 activation. Therefore, these compounds contain valuable information towards the development of agonists of Kir channels, AgoKirs. We reviewed the mechanism of IK1 channel activation of these compounds, which can be classified as direct or indirect activators. Subsequently, we examined the most viable starting points for rationalized drug development and possible safety concerns with emphasis on cardiac and skeletal muscle adverse effects of AgoKirs. Finally, the potential value of AgoKirs is discussed in view of the current clinical applications of potentiators and activators in cystic fibrosis therapy.