Is a V/Q scan based algorithm correctly used to diagnose acute pulmonary embolism? A daily practice survey.

INTRODUCTION: Diagnostic flow-charts for pulmonary embolism (PE) are widely implemented in the management of PE. A major drawback of a diagnostic PE algorithm is the use of several consecutive tests, which may be challenging in daily clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Evaluation whether the use of an algorithm, starting with a ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scan after a normal chest X-ray, is correctly used in daily clinical practice for diagnosing acute PE. Consecutive V/Q scans of patients with suspected acute PE were assessed to evaluate the use of the predefined diagnostic algorithm. RESULTS: A chest X-ray had been performed in 101 of the 130 patients who underwent V/Q scanning; 89 patients had a normal chest X-ray. The V/Q scan was normal in 77/130 patients (59%), 30/130 patients (23%) had a non-high probability and 23/130 patients (18%) a high probability for PE. Only 3 of the 30 patients with a non-high V/Q scan (10%) underwent a computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) scan, in contrast to the algorithm that required a CTPA scan in every patient with a non-high V/Q scan. Overall, the diagnostic strategy, starting with a V/Q scan as the baseline diagnostic tool with a prior chest X-ray, was appropriately followed in only 75/101 patients (74%). CONCLUSIONS: A complex diagnostic algorithm for diagnosing PE is often not followed properly. This improper use of an algorithm could lead to a potential delay of establishing or excluding PE, a delay of therapy and/or unnecessary treatment. More simple algorithms could resolve this diagnostic management dilemma.

Versican expression is associated with tumor-infiltrating CD8-positive T cells and infiltration depth in cervical cancer.

Cervical carcinoma is the second most frequent cancer type in women worldwide. Both inflammatory cells and stromal cells are important for tumor progression. Stromal cells produce growth factors and extracellular matrix and provide an adequate environment for angiogenesis. Versican, a member of the extracellular matrix, has been shown to have a role in tumor progression. The aim of this study was to investigate versican expression, and its association with tumor-infiltrating inflammatory cell subsets and with clinicopathological parameters in human cervical cancers. We have studied the expression of versican in 149 cervical cancers using immunohistochemistry and mRNA in situ hybridization. Versican was predominantly expressed in the stroma (myofibroblasts). Using quantitative real-time-PCR, V0 was found to be the most prominent isoform. High stromal versican expression was significantly associated with a low number of tumor-infiltrating T cells (P=0.018) and particularly a low number of CD8-positive T cells (cytotoxic T cells; P=0.002). Stromal versican expression was significantly higher in patients with an infiltration depth >14 mm (P=0.004) and in patients with parametrial invasion (P=0.044). Stromal versican expression was not associated with survival. Our results suggest that versican expression in the stromal compartment of cervical cancers results in reduced numbers of intraepithelial CD8-positive T cells and enhanced local invasion.