Follow-up computed tomography and unexpected hemostasis in non-operative management of pediatric blunt liver and spleen injury.

PURPOSE: While follow-up CT and prophylactic embolization with angiography are often conducted during non-operative management (NOM) for BLSI, particularly in a high-grade injury, the utility of early repeated CT for preventing unexpected hemorrhage remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate whether early follow-up computerized tomography (CT) within 7 days after admission would decrease unexpected hemostatic procedures on pediatric blunt liver and spleen injury (BLSI). METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of a multicenter observational cohort study on pediatric patients with BLSI (2008-2019) was conducted on those who underwent NOM, in whom the timing of follow-up CT were decided by treating physicians. The incidence of unexpected hemostatic procedure (laparotomy and/or emergency angiography for ruptured pseudoaneurysm) and complications related to BLSI were compared between patients with and without early follow-up CT within 7 days. Inverse probability weighting with propensity scores adjusted patient demographics, comorbidities, mechanism and severity of injury, initial resuscitation, and institutional characteristics. RESULTS: Among 1320 included patients, 552 underwent early follow-up CT. Approximately 25% of patients underwent angiography on the day of admission. The incidence of unexpected hemostasis was similar between patients with and without early repeat CT (8 [1.4%] vs. 6 [0.8%]; adjusted OR, 1.44 [0.62-3.34]; p = 0.40). Patients with repeat CT scans more frequently underwent multiple angiographies (OR, 2.79 [1.32-5.88]) and had more complications related to BLSI, particularly bile leak (OR, 1.73 [1.04-2.87]). CONCLUSION: Follow-up CT scans within 7 days was not associated with reduced unexpected hemostasis in NOM for pediatric BLSI.

Wedge extended bronchoplasty with caliber adjustment by membranous suture.

Extended bronchoplasty for the left lower lobe lung tumors with interlobar lymph node involvement is a useful surgical technique for avoiding pneumonectomy. Typically, sleeve bronchoplasty, in which the superior division bronchus and the left main bronchus are separated and anastomosed, is chosen due to the difference in caliber of the anastomosis; herein, we report a wedge extended bronchoplasty in which the superior division bronchus and the left main bronchus were not completely separated. The main point of this technique is to adjust the difference in caliber by suturing the main bronchial membranes.

Unconventional Polarization Response in Titanite-Type Oxides due to Hashed Antiferroelectric Domains.

Domains in a crystal, which have crystallographic uniformity and are geometrically segmented, typically arise from various phase transitions. The physical properties within individual domains are inherently the same as those in the homogeneous bulk. As a result, sufficiently large domains have little influence on the bulk properties. However, as the domains decrease in size to the nanoscale, for instance, due to multiple phase instabilities or spatial inhomogeneities, then the materials often acquire exceptional functionalities that are unattainable without these domains. This effect is exemplified by the ultrahigh dielectric and piezoelectric responses observed in ferroelectric oxides with nanoscale polar domains as well as in ferroelectric relaxors with polar nanoclusters. Here, we demonstrate that hashed nanoscale domains in an antiferroelectric material are also capable of boosting dielectric permittivity in an unconventional way. This discovery has been made in an antiferroelectric titanite-type oxide, CaTi(Si1-xGex)O5, in which the permittivity significantly increases when the antiferroelectric order becomes short-range. Our transmission electron microscopy observations have clarified that polar regions simultaneously appear around antiphase boundaries in the antiferroelectric phase of CaTi(Si1-xGex)O5. As the concentration of the antiphase boundary increases, the polar regions become denser and play a crucial role in boosting the permittivity. At the composition of x = 0.5, the value of the permittivity finally reaches double that in the bulk and shows excellent linearity, at least until an electric field of 500 kV/cm is applied. The present findings highlight the promise of domain engineering for boosting the permittivity in antiferroelectrics as a way to develop materials with excellent dielectric properties.

Accuracy and Efficacy of Artificial Intelligence-Derived Automatic Measurements of Transthoracic Echocardiography in Routine Clinical Practice.

Background: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the gold standard modality for evaluating cardiac morphology, function, and hemodynamics in clinical practice. While artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to contribute to improved accuracy and is being applied clinically, its impact on daily clinical practice has not been fully evaluated. Methods: We retrospectively examined 30 consecutive patients who underwent AI-equipped TTE at a single institution. All patients underwent manual and automatic measurements of TTE parameters using the AI-equipped TTE. Measurements were performed by three sonographers with varying experience levels: beginner, intermediate, and expert. Results: A comparison between the manual and automatic measurements assessed by the experts showed extremely high agreement in the left ventricular (LV) filling velocities (E wave: r = 0.998, A wave: r = 0.996; both p < 0.001). The automated measurements of LV end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters were slightly smaller (-2.41 mm and -1.19 mm) than the manual measurements, although without significant differences, and both methods showing high agreement (r = 0.942 and 0.977, both p < 0.001). However, LV wall thickness showed low agreement between the automated and manual measurements (septum: r = 0.670, posterior: r = 0.561; both p < 0.01), with automated measurements tending to be larger. Regarding interobserver variabilities, statistically significant agreement was observed among the measurements of expert, intermediate, and beginner sonographers for all the measurements. In terms of measurement time, automatic measurement significantly reduced measurement time compared to manual measurement (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This preliminary study confirms the accuracy and efficacy of AI-equipped TTE in routine clinical practice. A multicenter study with a larger sample size is warranted.

High-efficiency EGFR genotyping using cell-free DNA in bronchial washing fluid.

BACKGROUND: EGFR mutation testing is required for treatment of lung adenocarcinoma using epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor. However, the amounts of tumor tissue or tumor cells obtained by bronchoscopy are often insufficient. Bronchial washing fluid, obtained by lavage with saline after tumor biopsy or brushing, and the supernatant of bronchial washing fluid are thought to contain cell-free DNA that would be potentially applicable for EGFR testing. METHODS: From among patients with suspected adenocarcinoma or non-small cell lung carcinoma diagnosed from biopsy or surgical specimens at the University of Tsukuba Hospital between 2015 and 2019, cell-free DNAs from 80 specimens of supernatant of bronchial washing fluid (50 with EGFR mutation and 30 with wild type EGFR) and 8 blood serum samples were examined for EGFR mutation using droplet digital PCR. RESULTS: Among the 50 patients harboring EGFR mutation, the rate of positivity for cell-free DNA extracted from supernatant of bronchial washing fluid was 80% (40/50). In nine of the EGFR mutation-positive cases, tumor cells were not detected by either biopsy or cytology, but the mutation was detected in four cases (4/9, 44%). Comparison of the cell-free DNA mutation detection rate between supernatant of bronchial washing fluid and blood serum in six cases showed that mutations were detected from the former in all cases (6/6, 100%), but from the latter in only one case (1/6, 17%). CONCLUSIONS: Using supernatant of bronchial washing fluid samples, the detection rate of EGFR mutation was high, and EGFR mutations were detectable even when no tumor cells had been detectable by biopsy or cytology. Supernatant of bronchial washing fluid might be an effective sample source for EGFR mutation testing.

Prediction of symptom development and aortic valve replacement in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis.

Aims: Current evidence on the prognostic value of exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) in asymptomatic patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis (AS) is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate its prognostic implications for patients with low-gradient severe AS and determine the added value of ESE in risk stratification for this population. Methods and results: This retrospective observational study included 122 consecutive asymptomatic patients with either moderate [mean pressure gradient (MPG) < 40 mmHg and aortic valve area (AVA) 1.0-1.5 cm2] or low-gradient severe (MPG < 40 mmHg and AVA < 1.0 cm2) AS and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (≥50%) who underwent ESE. All patients were followed up for AS-related events. Of 143 patients, 21 who met any exclusion criteria, including early interventions, were excluded, and 122 conservatively managed patients [76.5 (71.0-80.3) years; 48.3% male] were included in this study. During a median follow-up period of 989 (578-1571) days, 64 patients experienced AS-related events. Patients with low-gradient severe AS had significantly lower event-free survival rates than those with moderate AS (log-rank test, P < 0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that the mitral E/e' ratio during exercise was independently associated with AS-related events (hazard ratio = 1.075, P < 0.001) in patients with low-gradient severe AS. Conclusion: This study suggests that asymptomatic patients with low-gradient severe AS have worse prognoses than those with moderate AS. Additionally, the mitral E/e' ratio during exercise is a useful parameter for risk stratification in patients with low-gradient severe AS.

CORRIGENDUM: Preprocedural Controlling Nutritional Status Score as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair　- A Single Center Experience in Japan.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1253/circrep.CR-23-0055.].

Lung cancer detection in perioperative patients' exhaled breath with nanomechanical sensor array.

INTRODUCTION: Breath analysis using a chemical sensor array combined with machine learning algorithms may be applicable for detecting and screening lung cancer. In this study, we examined whether perioperative breath analysis can predict the presence of lung cancer using a Membrane-type Surface stress Sensor (MSS) array and machine learning. METHODS: Patients who underwent lung cancer surgery at an academic medical center, Japan, between November 2018 and November 2019 were included. Exhaled breaths were collected just before surgery and about one month after surgery, and analyzed using an MSS array. The array had 12 channels with various receptor materials and provided 12 waveforms from a single exhaled breath sample. Boxplots of the perioperative changes in the expiratory waveforms of each channel were generated and Mann-Whitney U test were performed. An optimal lung cancer prediction model was created and validated using machine learning. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients were enrolled of whom 57 were included in the analysis. Through the comprehensive analysis of the entire dataset, a prototype model for predicting lung cancer was created from the combination of array five channels. The optimal accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 0.809, 0.830, 0.807, 0.806, and 0.812, respectively. CONCLUSION: Breath analysis with MSS and machine learning with careful control of both samples and measurement conditions provided a lung cancer prediction model, demonstrating its capacity for non-invasive screening of lung cancer.

ST-Segment Elevation During Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure.

A 70-year-old patient with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation underwent left atrial appendage closure. The patient experienced transient hypotension during device implantation. The procedure was abandoned because of ST-T-wave changes on electrocardiography and elevated coronary flow velocity on transesophageal echocardiography, which indicated that the device caused coronary artery compression.

Practical methods to differentiate thymic malignancies by positron-emission tomography and tumor markers.

PURPOSE: An accurate diagnosis of thymic malignancies is important, but challenging due to the broad range of differential diagnoses. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of PET/CT and tumor markers for diagnosing thymic malignancies. METHODS: Patients admitted to our department between January 2012 and December 2021 with primary anterior mediastinal tumors were retrospectively evaluated. We evaluated the relationship between the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), tumor markers, and pathological diagnosis in four groups: thymic carcinoma, thymoma, lymphoma, and others. RESULTS: In total, 139 patients were included in this study. The SUVmax was significantly higher in lymphoma, thymic carcinoma, and thymoma, in that order. The cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1) was significantly higher in thymic carcinoma than in the other groups. An ROC curve analysis indicated that the optimal cut-off values of SUVmax for thymic carcinoma plus lymphoma and CYFRA 21-1 for thymic carcinoma were 7.97 (AUC = 0.934) and 2.95 (AUC = 0.768), respectively. Using a combination of cut-off values (SUVmax = 8, CYFRA 21-1 = 3), the accuracy rate for diagnosing thymic carcinoma was 91.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The SUVmax and CYFRA 21-1 levels are significant indicators for the diagnosis of thymic carcinoma. Combining these indicators resulted in a more accurate diagnosis of thymic malignancies, which could facilitate the decision-making process for determining the optimal treatment strategies.

Pulmonary artery sarcoma and severe valvular diseases in late-septuagenarian women: was 2-stage surgery an appropriate strategy? A case report.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary artery sarcomas (PASs) are rare, and complete tumor resection is often difficult at the time of detection. We encountered a case of PAS that was thought to be resectable; however, the patient had severe symptomatic valvular disease. We faced a difficult decision regarding the surgical strategy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76-year-old female presented with a history of polysurgery for multiple primary cancers. She was referred to our department with a calcified mass in the right pulmonary artery (PA) and severe symptomatic valvular disease. After a discussion with the cardiovascular surgeon, we decided to perform a two-stage surgery. She underwent valvuloplasty through a median sternotomy, resulting in an improvement in her exertional dyspnea. The tumor was removed three months later with a right upper lobectomy and PA patch reconstruction through a posterolateral thoracotomy. When the PA was opened, the edge of the tumor was entrapped by vascular clamp forceps because of insufficient dissection of the adhesions between the superior vena cava and the right main PA resulting from the first operation. The patient underwent proton therapy twice for chest wall metastases which recurred three months after surgery, and local recurrence in the PA was diagnosed five months after surgery. The patient was alive with stable disease 25 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: Two-stage surgery for PAS and valvular disease resulted in incomplete resection of the PAS in the right PA. It is important not to underestimate surgical adhesions due to the initial surgery and to consider and implement measures to prevent adhesions of critical vessels during the second operation.

Sex-specific emphysematous changes evaluated by a three-dimensional computed tomography volumetric analysis among patients with smoking histories who underwent resection for lung cancer.

PURPOSE: The present study evaluated the sex-specific susceptibility to the development of emphysema in patients with smoking histories who underwent lung cancer surgeries. METHODS: Lung cancer patients with smoking histories who underwent lung resection at the University of Tsukuba Hospital, Japan, were enrolled. Radiologic emphysematous changes were analyzed using three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT). The volume proportion of emphysematous lung per unit of smoking and the relationship between emphysematous change and clinicopathologic factors were evaluated. RESULTS: Radiologic emphysematous changes analyzed using 3D-CT per pack-year smoked, defined as the Smoking-Emphysema Index (SEI), were greater in females than males. The difference was more profound in adenocarcinoma patients than in non-adenocarcinoma patients (0.70 ± 2.30 vs. 0.21 ± 0.28, P = 0.037). CONCLUSION: Female lung cancer patients are more susceptible to smoking-induced emphysema than males. The SEI may be an effective indicator for evaluating smoking-induced emphysema.

Relationship between changes in pulmonary function and patient-reported outcomes of lung cancer surgery.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between changes in pulmonary function (PF) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of lung cancer surgery. METHODS: We recruited 262 patients who underwent lung resection for lung cancer, to evaluate the PROs, using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ)-C30 and the Lung Cancer 13-question supplement (LC13). The patients underwent PF tests and PRO assessments preoperatively (Pre) and 1 year after surgery (Y1). Changes were calculated by subtracting the value at Pre from the value at Y1. We set two cohorts: patients under the ongoing protocol (Cohort 1) and patients who were eligible for lobectomy with clinical stage I lung cancer (Cohort 2). RESULTS: Cohorts 1 and 2 comprised 206 and 149 patients, respectively. In addition to dyspnea, changes in PF were also correlated with scores for global health status, physical and role function scores, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, and financial difficulties. Absolute correlation coefficient values ranged from 0.149 to 0.311. Improvement of emotional and social function scores was independent of PF. Sublobar resection preserved PF more than lobectomy did. Wedge resection mitigated dyspnea in both cohorts. CONCLUSION: The correlation between PF and PROs was found to be weak; therefore, further studies are needed to improve the patient's postoperative experience.

Safety and feasibility of zero-contrast transcatheter aortic valve implantation using balloon-expandable valves in patients with aortic stenosis and severe renal impairment: A single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Aortic stenosis (AS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) can coexist. Repeat exposure to contrast media in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has latent mortality risks and increased risk for acute kidney injury. We aimed to assess our "zero-contrast TAVI" protocol for patients with advanced CKD. METHODS: Consecutive patients with severe AS who underwent TAVI at a single center registry were enrolled. Zero-contrast TAVI group included patients who underwent TAVI without contrast and who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 m2. Conventional TAVI group included patients who underwent the regular TAVI procedure. Patients using balloon-expandable valves via transfemoral approach were analyzed. Baseline clinical and procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared between two groups. The primary outcome was early safety as defined by Valve Academic Research Consortium Criteria. Secondary outcomes included the presence of severe prosthesis-patient mismatch, moderate or greater perivalvular leakage, and requirement for new dialysis (within 3 months). RESULTS: A total of 520 patients were analyzed. Among these, 32 (6 %) underwent zero-contrast TAVI and 488 (94 %) conventional TAVI. In the zero-contrast TAVI group, 12 patients (37.5 %) had to use 20.7 (11.0-31.2) mL of contrast media. There were no significant differences in the primary and secondary outcomes between zero-contrast TAVI and conventional TAVI groups (78.1 % vs. 86.8 %, P = 0.184 and 9.4 % vs. 8.1 %, P = 0.738 for the primary and secondary outcomes, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Zero-contrast TAVI is feasible, safe, and effective in patients with AS and stage 4 CKD.

Impact of Renal Congestion in Patients With Secondary Mitral Regurgitation After Mitral Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair.

BACKGROUND: Renal congestion is a potential prognostic factor in patients with heart failure and recently, assessment has become possible with intrarenal Doppler ultrasonography (IRD). The association between renal congestion assessed by IRD and outcomes after mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) is unknown, so we aimed to clarify renal congestion and its prognostic implications in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) who underwent TEER using MitraClip system.Methods and Results: Patients with secondary MR who underwent TEER and were assessed for intrarenal venous flow (IRVF) by IRD were classified according to their IRVF pattern as continuous or discontinuous. Of the 105 patients included, 78 patients (74%) formed the continuous group and 27 (26%) were the discontinuous group. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significant prognostic power of the IRVF pattern for predicting the composite outcome of all-cause death and heart failure rehospitalization (log-rank P=0.0257). On multivariate Cox regression analysis, the composite endpoint was independently associated with the discontinuous IRVF pattern (hazard ratio, 3.240; 95% confidence interval, 1.300-8.076; P=0.012) adjusted using inverse probability of treatment weighting. CONCLUSIONS: IRVF patterns strongly correlated with clinical outcomes without changes in renal function. Thus, they may be useful for risk stratification after mitral TEER for patients with secondary MR.

Impact of the MitraClip G4 System on Routine Practice and Outcomes in Patients With Secondary Mitral Regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: The MitraClip G4 system is a new iteration of the transcatheter edge-to-edge repair system. We assessed the impact of the G4 system on routine practice and outcomes in secondary mitral regurgitation (2°MR).Methods and Results: Consecutive patients with 2°MR treated with either the MitraClip G2 (n=89) or G4 (n=63) system between 2018 and 2021 were included. Baseline characteristics, procedures, and outcomes were compared. Inverse probability of treatment weighting and Cox regression were used to adjust for baseline differences. Baseline characteristics were similar, except for a lower surgical risk in the G4 group (Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality ≥8: 38.1% vs. 56.2%; P=0.03). In the G4 group, more patients had short (≤2 mm) coaptation length (83.7% vs. 54.0%; P<0.001) and fewer clips were used (17.5% vs. 36.0%; P=0.02). Acceptable MR reduction was observed in nearly all patients, with no difference between the G4 and G2 groups (100% vs. 97.8%, respectively; P=0.51). The G4 group had fewer patients with high transmitral gradients (>5mmHg; 3.3% vs. 13.6%; P=0.03). At 1 year, there was no significant difference between groups in the composite endpoint (death or heart failure rehospitalization) after baseline adjustment (10.5% vs. 20.2%; hazard ratio 0.39; 95% confidence interval 0.11-1.32; P=0.13). CONCLUSIONS: The G4 system achieved comparable device outcomes to the early-generation G2, despite treating more challenging 2°MR with fewer clips.

Prognostic value of transvalvular flow rate in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis: A dobutamine stress echocardiography study.

BACKGROUNDS: There are limited data on the clinical relevance of transvalvular flow rate (Qmean ) at rest (Qrest) and at peak stress (Qstress ) during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis (LG-SAS). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with LG-SAS who underwent DSE. LG-SAS was defined as an aortic valve (AV) area index of < .6 cm2 /m2 and a mean AV pressure gradient (AVPG) of < 40 mm Hg. The primary endpoint included all-cause death and heart failure hospitalization. RESULTS: Of 100 patients (mean age 79.5 ± 7.3 years; men, 45.0%; resting left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 52.1% ± 15.9%; resting stroke volume index 35.8 ± 7.7 mL/m2 ; Qrest 171.8 ± 34.9 mL/s), the primary endpoint occurred in 51 patients during a median follow-up of 2.84 (interquartile range 1.01-5.21) years. When the study patients were divided into three subgroups based on Qrest and Qstress , the multivariate analysis showed that Qrest < 200 mL/s and Qstress ≥200 mL/s (hazard ratio 3.844; 95% confidence interval 1.143-12.930; p = .030), as well as Qrest and Qstress < 200 mL/s (hazard ratio 9.444; 95% confidence interval 2.420-36.850; p = .001), were significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes with Qrest and Qstress ≥200 mL/s as a reference after adjusting for resting LVEF, resting mean AVPG, chronic kidney disease, New York Heart Association functional class III/IV, and AV replacement. CONCLUSIONS: Flow conditions based on the combination of Qrest and Qstress are helpful for risk stratification in LG-SAS patients.

Changes in exercise stress echocardiographic parameters before and after transcatheter mitral valve edge-to-edge repair.

The safety and feasibility are still not well known for exercise-induced mitral regurgitation (MR). This study is aimed to assess and compare the hemodynamic and symptomatic changes in patients with significant secondary MR during exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) before and after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). The study included a total of 15 patients with secondary MR who underwent ESE before and after TEER using the MitraClip system (Abbott, Abbott Park, IL, USA). Echocardiographic data of ESE were collected both before the procedure and during the follow-up visit at 3 months. During the one-year postoperative observation period, the rate of readmission due to heart failure was 13% (n = 2), with no recorded fatalities. Although no significant differences of ESE data were observed in exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension or cardiac output before and after the repair, the severity of MR was significantly improved after the procedure, both at rest (2 [2-3] vs. 1 [1-2], p = 0.0125) and during ESE (3 [3-3] vs. 1 [1-1], p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the New York Heart Association Functional Classification was improved (3 [3-3] vs. 1 [1-1], p < 0.0001) after treatment. For a supplemental analysis, MR during ESE was significantly improved not only in cases with atrial secondary MR but also in ventricular secondary MR. Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair for exercise-induced MR resulted in a significant improvement in postoperative MR severity and subjective symptoms. These results are novel, as they have not been extensively reported previously, particularly among Japanese patients.