Emergency and Elective Colorectal Cancer-Relationship between Clinical Factors, Tumor Topography and Surgical Strategies: A Cohort Study.

Background and Objectives: The purpose of the study was to analyze the relationships among several clinical factors and also the tumor topography and surgical strategies used in patients with colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: We designed an analytical, observational, retrospective study that included patients admitted to our emergency surgical department and diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The study group inclusion criteria were: patients admitted during 2020-2022; patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (including the ileocecal valve); patients who benefited from a surgical procedure, either emergency or elective. Results: In our study group, consisting of 153 patients, we accounted for 56.9% male patients and 43.1% female patients. The most common clinical manifestations were pain (73.2% of the study group), followed by abdominal distension (69.3% of the study group) and absence of intestinal transit (38.6% of the study group). A total of 69 patients had emergency surgery (45.1%), while 84 patients (54.9%) benefited from elective surgery. The most frequent topography of the tumor was the sigmoid colon, with 19.60% of the patients, followed by the colorectal junction, with 15.68% of the patients, and superior rectum and inferior rectum, with 11.11% of the patients in each subcategory. The most frequent type of procedure was right hemicolectomy (21.6% of the study group), followed by rectosigmoid resection (20.9% of the study group). The surgical procedure was finished by performing an anastomosis in 49% of the patients, and an ostomy in 43.1% of the patients, while for 7.8% of the patients, a tumoral biopsy was performed. Conclusions: Colorectal cancer remains one of the most frequent cancers in the world, with a heavy burden that involves high mortality, alterations in the quality of life of patients and their families, and also the financial costs of the medical systems.

Neurasites®-A Standardized Plant Extract in the Treatment and Prevention of Migraine Attacks.

Background/Objectives: Migraine is one of the most common diseases in highly developed countries, being even more common than diabetes and asthma. Migraines can affect emotional, social, and physical wellbeing as well as professional life. The most common symptoms are severe headaches associated with nausea, vomiting, photophobia and sonophobia, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity and emotional disorders. Many studies have been published to establish the best migraine-management drugs, but not many of them refer to plant extracts, which have been given more attention by patients lately. Among these generically called herbal medicines, the effect of tussilago hybrida standardized extract has been studied since the early twenties. This stands as the fundamental component of Neurasites® and the reason for research on materials and methods, results on treatment schemes for diminishing migraine attack features, as well as migraine prevention. Methods: There are two directions of research (herbal and placebo medicine) considered to be of interest due to the actual trend toward natural medicine and against chemicals and associated drugs. For quantitative research, the research tool used was that of the Neurasites® Questionnaire Survey (NQS). Results: The obtained results prove the efficacy of treatment by reducing the duration of headache attacks, diminishing pain intensity and decreasing the frequency of migraine episodes. Conclusions: Further research development should focus on other dosages and treatment schemes and on other similar natural products to be used in migraine attack treatment.

Endometriosis in Menopausal Women-A New Age Is Coming? Literature Review.

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, characterized by the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue, that leads to dysmenorrhea, painful intercourse and infertility. The shift in paradigm from the previous belief that endometriosis exclusively impacts women of reproductive age has brought attention to the condition in both premenarchal and postmenopausal women. Currently, 2-4% of postmenopausal women have endometriosis. Many women experience menopausal symptoms during the peri- and postmenopausal periods and require extensive investigations and monitoring in order to avoid the recurrence of endometriosis symptoms or the risk of malignant transformation when treatment with menopausal hormones is elected. Our goal was to compile and present a clear and concise overview of the existing literature on postmenopausal endometriosis, offering an up-to-date and precise summary of the available information.

Is Marginal Donor an Efficient Solution for Expanding the Donor Pool for Liver Transplant?

Once the techniques of hepatobiliopancreatic surgery improved, liver transplantation widely extended in different hospitals; therefore, the need of grafts and automatically of liver donors reported a significant increase in the last decade. In this respect, attention was focused on increasing the liver donor pool. The aim of this review is to study the benefits of using marginal grafts in liver transplantation. With the advent of multiple methods of liver preservation, the use of grafts previously considered unsuitable has become possible. Thus, extended allocation criteria have emerged. However, the allocation of these grafts must be carefully considered and analyzed in the context of both recipient and donor factors.

Prognostic Factors in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma - A Systematic Review.

Introduction: intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA) are rare, aggressive cancers that develop in second order or smaller bile ducts. The aim of this review is to systematically review the most important prognostic factors affecting the long-term outcomes of these patients. Material and Methods: articles conducted on this issue, written in English, published between from January 2000 to December 2023 in Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, MedLine, Web of Science, Elsevier, Google Scholar were systematically researched and reviewed. Results: ICCA are usually late diagnosed cancers because of the asymptomatic character, and curative procedures are often not feasible, only 20 to 30% of patients being fit for surgery. With the prognostic of this aggressive malignancy being baleful, the most important risk factors but also prognosis factors seem to be represented by socioeconomic factors, morphological presentation, dimensions, number and extension of the tumor as well as resection margins. Conclusions: once these factors are widely recognized and identified in each case, the clinician will be able to find the best treatment for these patients in order to improve the long-term outcomes.

Prenatal Features of MIRAGE Syndrome-Case Report and Review of the Literature.

MIRAGE syndrome is a recently described congenital condition characterized genetically by heterozygous gain-of-function missense mutations in the growth repressor sterile alpha domain containing 9 (SAMD9) located on the arm of chromosome 7 (7q21.2). The syndrome is rare and is usually diagnosed in newborns and children with myelodysplasia, infection, restriction of growth, adrenal hypoplasia, genital phenotypes, and enteropathy, hence the acronym MIRAGE. The aims of this paper are (1) to present fetal ultrasound features in a case where MIRAGE syndrome was diagnosed prenatally and (2) to review the existing literature records on prenatal manifestations of MIRAGE syndrome. In our case, the fetus had severe early fetal growth restriction (FGR) with normal Doppler studies, atypical genitalia, oligohydramnios, and hyperechogenic bowel at the routine mid-gestation anomaly scan. Amniocentesis excluded infections and numeric or structural chromosomal abnormalities while whole exome sequencing (WES) of the fetal genetic material identified the specific mutation. Targeted testing in parents was negative, suggesting the "de novo" mutation in the fetus. We could not identify other specific case reports in the literature on the prenatal diagnosis of MIRAGE syndrome. In cases reported in the literature where the diagnosis of MIRAGE syndrome was achieved postnatally, there are mentions related to the marked FGR on prenatal ultrasound. Severe early-onset FGR with no other apparent cause seems to be a central prenatal feature in these babies, and WES should be offered, especially if there are other structural abnormalities. Prenatal diagnosis of MIRAGE syndrome is possible, allowing for reproductive choices, improved counseling of parents, and better preparation of neonatal care.

The Beginner Laparoscopists Trends in the Learning Process of Laparoscopy for Adnexal Gynecological Pathologies-The Experience of Our Center.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopy for benign ovarian pathology is the appropriate surgical approach and it has many well-known advantages. Minimal invasive gynecological surgery increases the quality of life of the patient. The learning process of laparoscopy is difficult and requires many interventions to acquire manual skills. The objectives of the study were to assess the learning process of laparoscopy for adnexal pathology surgery performed by beginner laparoscopists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included three gynecological surgeons who were beginners in laparoscopy and who were named A, B, and C. We collected information about patients, diagnosis, surgical technique, and complications. RESULTS: We have analyzed the data from 159 patients. The most frequent primary diagnosis was functional ovarian cyst, and the laparoscopic cystectomy was performed in 49.1% of interventions. The need to convert a laparoscopy into laparotomy was necessary in 1.3% of patients. There were no cases of reintervention, blood transfusion, or ureteral lesions. The duration of the surgical intervention varied statistically significantly according to patient's BMI and to the surgeon. After 20 laparoscopic interventions, a significant improvement was found in the time needed to perform ovarian cystectomy (operators A and B) and salpingectomy (operator C). CONCLUSIONS: The process of learning laparoscopy is laborious and difficult. We found a significant decrease in operating time after a twenty laparoscopic interventions.

Single-Center Experience with Swiss LithoClast® Trilogy for Kidney Stones.

INTRODUCTION: PCNL remains the gold standard for larger kidney stones. Reducing the operating time of PCNL and its complication rate seems to be the next logical step in optimizing this classical technique. To achieve these objectives, some new methods of lithotripsy emerge. We present the data of a single, high-volume, academic center with combined ultrasonic and ballistic lithotripsy in PCNL using the Swiss LithoClast® Trilogy device. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed a prospective, randomized study including patients who underwent PCNL or miniPerc with lithotripsy using the new EMS Lithoclast Trilogy or EMS Lithoclast Master. The procedure was carried out with all patients in prone position, by the same surgeon. The working channel size was 24 Fr-15.9 Fr. We evaluated the stones' features, operative time, fragmentation time, complications, stone clearance rate and stone-free rate. RESULTS: Our study included 59 patients, 38 females and 31 males, of an average age of 54.5 years old. The Trilogy group included 28 patients and the comparator included 31 patients. Urine culture was positive in seven cases which required seven days of antibiotics. The mean stone diameter was 35.6 mm with a mean Hounsfield unit (HU) of 710.1. The average number of stones was 2.08 (6 complete staghorn stones and 12 partial staghorn stones). A total of 13 patients presented a JJ stent (46.4%). We found a very significant difference in all the parameters favoring the Trilogy device. The most important result in our opinion is the probe active time, which was almost six times shorter in the Trilogy group. The stone clearance rate was about double in the Trilogy group, leading to shorter overall and intra-renal operating times. The overall complication rate was 17.9% in the Trilogy group and 23% in the Lithoclast Master group. The mean hemoglobin drop was 2.1 g/dL with a mean creatinine rise of 0.26 mg/dL. CONCLUSIONS: Swiss LithoClast® Trilogy, a device combining ultrasonic and ballistic energy, is a safe and efficient method of lithotripsy for PCNL, proving statistically significant benefits over its predecesor. It can achieve the goal of reducing complication rates and operative times for PCNL.

Mini-Perc for Renal Stones-A Single Center Experience and Literature Review.

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of miniaturized nephrolithotomy (mini-perc) in the management of renal stones with a diameter smaller than 20 mm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 102 patients who underwent mini-perc between March 2015 and March 2020 in our department. The primary objective was the stone-free rate, but we also analyzed the retreatment rate, complications, hospital stay, operative time and reduction in hemoglobin level. All these patients had this technique as their first-line treatment, in a prone position, using a 16 Fr sheath size. Data were compared to a series of patients from the literature, treated with conventional PCNL. RESULTS: The patients had calculus limited to either a single calyx or just extending to the renal pelvis, and stone size was less than 20 mm in its maximal dimension. The intrarenal stone location was in the upper calyx in 7 cases, middle calyx in 20 cases and lower calyx in 46 cases, and there were 29 patients with renal pelvis stone. The male to female ratio was 1.5:1, and the median age was 48.4 years. The average stone size was 17.4 mm in diameter (ranging between 9 and 20 mm) and all cases underwent Ho-YaG laser lithotripsy, ballistic energy and combined ultrasonic and ballistic lithotripsy. At the end of the procedure, an antegrade double J stent was placed under fluoroscopy for a maximum of 2 weeks in 42 cases, while 9 cases needed a nephrostomy tube 12-14 F. A total of 51 cases were totally tubeless. Our median operative time was 61 min (ranging from 35 to 75 min). The median hospitalization stay was 3.8 days. The stone free rate was 90.1% after one procedure, only nine (8.8%) cases needed a "second look" flexible ureteroscopy, and the final stone-free rate was 98% (absence of detectable calculi on ultrasound, KUB or non-contrast CT scan). The overall complication rate was 6.86% (Clavien classification I-57.14%; II-28.5%; III-14.2%), while no Clavien IV or V complications were reported. No patient required a blood transfusion, and mean hemoglobin loss was 0.81 mg/dL. Overall, our results are better than similar data for conventional PCNL in the literature. CONCLUSIONS: The "mini-perc" technique is an effective procedure for the treatment of the renal lithiasis that is less or equal to 2 cm. The results demonstrated that this minimally invasive technique is associated with a higher stone-free rate and minimal complications.

Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma - Where Do We Stand Today? Literature Review.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas represent rare and aggressive malignancies developing from the second order bile ducts to the smaller biliary branches. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss about the main diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in order to help medical and surgical oncologists to gain familiarity in regard to this subject. Articles discussing about epidemiology, histology, diagnostic, perioperative management and surgery which were published from January 2000 to September 2023 included in Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, MedLine, Web of Science, Elsevier, Google Scholar databases were reviewed. Articles reviewed in the current paper came to demonstrate that the main problem in such cases is related to the fact that most cases remain asymptomatic for a long period of time and therefore are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease when curative procedures are feasible after performing extended visceral sacrifice or even worse, are no longer possible; however, the most efficient therapeutic strategy in order to improve the long term outcomes remains radical surgery. In this respect, attention was focused on improving the accuracy of the diagnostic tools and on identifying non-surgical therapeutic options which might increase the chances of achieving complete resection. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma represent rare aggressive tumors with poor outcomes especially if radical surgery is not feasible.

Placenta, the Key Witness of COVID-19 Infection in Premature Births.

Adverse perinatal outcomes, such as increased risks of pre-eclampsia, miscarriage, premature birth, and stillbirth have been reported in SARS-CoV-2 infection. For a better understanding of COVID-19 complications in pregnancy, histopathological changes in the placenta, which is the interface between mother and foetus, could be the place to look at. The aim of this study was to determine placental histopathological changes and their role in preterm birth in pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We performed a prospective, observational study in a COVID-only hospital, which included 39 pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection and preterm birth compared with a control group of 39 women COVID-19 negative with preterm birth and a placental pathology exam available. The microscopic examination of all placentas revealed placental infarction (64.1% vs. 30.8%), decidual arteriopathy (66.7% vs. 23.1%), intervillous thrombi (53.8% vs. 38.5%), perivillous fibrin deposits (59% vs. 46.2%), inflammatory infiltrate (69.2% vs. 46.2%), chorangiosis (17.9% vs. 10.3%), and accelerated maturation of the villi (23.1% vs. 28.2%).

The Impact of Prenatal Lectures in Breastfeeding and Neonatal Care in Romania - Our Experience.

Objective:The aim of the study was to identify the impact of prenatal lectures in breastfeeding and neonatal care in Romania. Methods:We distributed a questionnaire to mothers who gave birth at the Bucur Maternity, Bucharest, Romania. A study group was constituted from women who attended prenatal lectures and their answers were compared with those from women who did not have prenatal education. Results:The study included 122 women. Primiparous women tend to participate in educational lectures to a greater extent than others (p=0.001). Participants in prenatal lectures breastfeed longer than non-participants (.0.001) and they had at least university studies in a higher proportion (94.06%) than non-attenders (52.38%). Women without prenatal lectures live predominantly in rural areas (p=0.003). Most women who attended classes (86.2%) considered that information provided by prenatal lectures was useful. Exclusively breastfeeding was more frequent among participants (47.49%) than non-participants (38.89%). Conclusion:Primiparity, high level of education and living in urban areas are the main characteristics of female participants in prenatal lectures, who tend to breastfeed longer and ensure exclusive human milk feeding for their babies in a higher proportion than non-participants.

The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Premature Birth-Our Experience as COVID Center.

Information about the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on pregnant women is still limited and raises challenges, even as publications are increasing rapidly. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on preterm birth pregnancies. We performed a prospective, observational study in a COVID-only hospital, which included 34 pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection and preterm birth compared with a control group of 48 healthy women with preterm birth. The rate of cesarean delivery was 82% in the study group versus 6% for the control group. We observed a strong correlation between premature birth and the presence of COVID-19 symptoms (cough p = 0.029, fever p = 0.001, and chills p = 0.001). The risk for premature birth is correlated to a lower value of oxygen saturation (p = 0.001) and extensive radiologic pulmonary lesions (p = 0.025). The COVID-19 pregnant women with preterm delivery were older, and experienced an exacerbation of severe respiratory symptoms, decreased saturation of oxygen, increased inflammatory markers, severe pulmonary lesions and decreased lymphocytes.

Prenatal Diagnosis of Bovine Aortic Arch Anatomic Variant.

Fetal aortic arch development is an early and complex process that depends on many genetic and environmental factors. The final aortic arch varies greatly; it may take the form of a normal arch, anatomic variant (AAAV) with a common origin to that of the innominate artery and left common carotid artery (formerly known as "bovine aortic arch" (with an incidence of up to 27%)) or one of multiple pathological conditions. The present study aimed to establish the feasibility and impact of prenatal anatomic arch variants' diagnosis. A retrospective study of 271 fetal second- and third-trimester anomaly scans was performed in our tertiary center. Examinations that evaluated the sagittal aortic arch were included and the branching pattern was assessed. Additionally, a literature data search based on the terms "common origin of innominate artery and left common carotid artery", "bovine arch", "bovine aortic" and "aortic arch anomalies" was performed. Results that referred to prenatal AAAV were retained and the papers evaluated. In our study, the AAA incidence was 1.93%, with 4 out of 5 cases being arch type B. All cases had minor associated conditions but a good postnatal outcome. An anatomic aortic variant with a common IA and LCCa prenatal diagnosis was found in a small number of studies; most of the cases described in pediatric and adult series were related to cardiac surgery for stenting, aneurysm or thoracic-associated diseases. The incidence of AAAV varied from 6 to 27% depending on the population studied (highest incidence in African individuals). The variant was highly associated with aortic dissection, pulmonary and cerebral embolism and increased risks of incidents during surgery. Diagnosing AAAV during a routine anatomic scan is feasible and diagnoses can be made when anomaly scans are performed. Awareness of the condition is important for postnatal surgery when other cardiac anomalies are found; this can prevent accidents with simple changes to the patient's lifestyle, and, in the case of surgery, means we can adopt the correct surgical approach.

Influence of the microenvironment dynamics on extracellular matrix evolution under hypoxic ischemic conditions in the myocardium.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) consists of fibrillary and non-fibrillary components in the extracellular zone, and fulfills structural and signaling roles. Cardiac insult can lead to cardiomyocyte death, which subsequently determines dynamic changes of ECM composition and regulates cellular responses, ultimately contributing to cardiac repair. The present retrospective study on a small batch selected from the database of the Pathology Department of 'Sf. Pantelimon' Hospital aimed to determine which molecules may have a role in the dynamics of ECM using histopathology and immunohistochemistry methods. The study batch was composed of cases with cardiac ischemic conditions who died at various ages of myocardial infarcts. Tissue samples were taken from the myocardium of the left ventricle (anterior and lateral walls), and multiple series of histological sections were produced and analyzed using immunohistochemistry for collagen type I (Col-1), tenascin C (Tn-C), matrix metalloproteinase 9, CD34, and CD68. Col-1 and Tn-C showed variable patterns of fibrillar plexiform network, associated with a high micro-vascular density of newly formed capillaries revealed by CD34, and an interstitial infiltrate with histiocytes demonstrated by CD68 presence. The ECM represents therefore a polymorphic microenvironment with its own dynamics that is in continuous change, involving a large spectrum of heterogenous molecules, which play different roles in myocardium remodeling under hypoxic ischemic conditions.

The Prevalence, Management and Impact of Dysmenorrhea on Medical Students' Lives-A Multicenter Study.

INTRODUCTION: Dysmenorrhea is defined as the presence of painful menstruation, and it affects daily activities in different ways. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence and management of dysmenorrhea and to determine the impact of dysmenorrhea on the quality of life of medical students. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study conducted was prospective, analytical and observational and was performed between 7 November 2019 and 30 January 2020 in five university centers from Romania. The data was collected using an original questionnaire regarding menstrual cycles and dysmenorrhea. The information about relationships with family or friends, couples' relationships and university activity helped to assess the effects of dysmenorrhea on quality of life. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The study comprised 1720 students in total. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 78.4%. During their menstrual period, most female students felt more agitated or nervous (72.7%), more tired (66.9%), as if they had less energy for daily activities (75.9%) and highly stressed (57.9%), with a normal diet being difficult to achieve (30.0%). University courses (49.4%), social life (34.5%), couples' relationships (29.6%), as well as relationships with family (21.4%) and friends (15.4%) were also affected, depending on the duration and intensity of the pain. CONCLUSION: Dysmenorrhea has a high prevalence among medical students and could affect the quality of life of students in several ways. During their menstrual period, most female students feel as if they have less energy for daily activities and exhibit a higher level of stress. The intensity of the symptoms varies considerably and, with it, the degree of discomfort it creates. Most student use both pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods to reduce pain (75.7%). University courses, social life, couples' relationships, as well as relationships with family and friends are affected, depending on the duration and intensity of the pain.

Histopathological elements analyzed in dynamics in mechanical bowel obstructions - experimental study on laboratory animals.

Bowel obstruction is a syndrome that produces important alterations to the digestive tract, both macroscopically and microscopically. We conducted an experimental study using rats, Wistar strain, as subjects, dividing them into three groups. The group A consisted of six rats and served as control group, in the first day of the experiment a surgical procedure being performed to resect a small bowel and a colic segment to be analyzed microscopically afterwards. The 10 subjects from group B underwent a surgical procedure, in which we induced a mechanical bowel obstruction in the sigmoid colon, while to the 10 subjects from group C we induced a mechanical bowel obstruction in the small bowel. The initial protocol implied to observe the macroscopic modifications from five subjects from each group B and C after two days and afterwards to resect the digestive tract segment adjacent to the obstruction site. After another two days, a similar procedure was planned for the remaining subjects alive from both groups. A few subjects from group C died prematurely and the initial protocol had to be partially modified. The results highlighted an important distension of the digestive tract proximal to the obstruction, with important microscopically reactions, including edema, thrombosis, ischemic lesions and accumulation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and macrophages.