Medicine and Pharmacy Reports最新文献

Background and aims: To evaluate the performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in restaging locally advanced rectal cancers (LARC) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT), with pathologic correlation.

Methods: 80 patients with LARC treated with neoadjuvant therapy, with restaging MRI and surgery, were enrolled and prospectively reviewed. The diagnostic accuracy of the restaging MRI was assessed for tumor (ymrT), nodal status (ymrN), circumferential resection margin (ymrCRM), extramural vascular invasion (ymrEMVI) and tumoral deposits (ymrN1c) by calculating the sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), negative predictive values (NPV) and positive predictive values (PPV). Response to treatment was classified as good response (complete/near complete) vs. poor response (poor/partial response). The agreement between the tumor regression grade at MRI (mrTRG) and pathology (pTRG) was reported, as well the performance of mrTRG to identify good responders. The correlation between restaging MRI and histopathology was assessed by Spearman correlation coefficient.

Results: The MRI accuracy ranged between 63.8% and 92.5% for T stage and was 81.3% for N stage. All MRI parameters evaluated at restaging were statistically significant correlated with histopathology evaluation, but EMVI. There was moderate correlation for N and N1c and a positive strong correlation for T, CRM and TRG (Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.390 for mrN1c-pN1c, 0.428 for mrN-pN, 0.522 for mrCRM-pCRM, 0.550 for mrT-pT and 0.731 for mrTRG-pTRG). Diagnostic accuracy of anal sphincter invasion was 91.3%, with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 100%. Accuracy rate varied between 70% for partial response to 93.75% for complete response after nCRT.

Conclusions: MR imaging had good accuracy in restaging LARCs after nCRT. Our results showed high MRI accuracy in detecting anal sphincter involvement for low rectal tumors, with high NPV to exclude tumoral invasion. Restaging MRI predicted well the tumor regression grade, with good diagnostic performance in differentiating good responders from poor/partial responders. The accuracy was high for detecting complete response.

Background/aim: A biobank is an organization that gathers, refines, preserves and provides access to biospecimens along with relevant clinical data that can be used in applied or clinical research. Biobanking is a critical component of the scientific foundation for personalized medicine; this implies the accessibility of high-quality human biospecimens, such as blood, tissue, and other body fluids, along with the patient clinical data that goes with them.

Methods: This paper summarizes the function of biobanks in oncology and the requirements for biobank development in translational and clinical research.

Results: Biobanks raise numerous ethical issues that government agencies address by enacting particular laws. To develop personalized medicine, biobanks are crucial, given that the availability of an extensive collection of patient samples with thoroughly annotated clinical and pathological data is an essential necessity. Also, data related to biobanking raises complex ethical, legal, and social issues, particularly concerning the protection of donor privacy and the appropriate use of collected samples. International standards have been developed to address these issues to ensure biobanking practices' quality, safety, and integrity.

Conclusions: Biobanking is vital in advancing biomedical research, supporting clinical applications, and enhancing our understanding of human health and disease. Using real-world data and biobanking can accelerate medical research, support personalized medicine initiatives, and improve patient care.

Background: Porocarcinoma is a rare cancer of the developing sweat glands. It often occurs in older adults and frequently affects the head, neck, and extremities. We report a rare case of metastatic porocarcinoma with intriguing approach of the diagnosis and management due to limited resource setting.

Case report: A 60-year-old man with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus presented with nodules on the left foot with no palpable lymph node. A chest radiograph revealed multiple coin lesions and histopathological findings were suggestive for porocarcinoma. We assessed the case as a metastatic porocarcinoma in a patient with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus. Surgery was performed in the initial phase of treatment, consisting of below-knee amputation. The patient refused the planned chemotherapy in the referral hospital and then underwent other modalities of palliative care. He passed away eleven months after the initial diagnosis.

Conclusions: Metastatic porocarcinoma is a rare oncological case with a challenging approach of the diagnosis and management. High awareness of clinical clues in rare cancer is needed for early diagnosis and prompt treatment, especially in limited resource settings.

Background and aim: The aim of the study was to determine the impact of prior anticoagulant treatment on the characteristics of intracranial hematomas.

Methods: We included in this retrospective study 135 patients who were diagnosed with subdural hematoma in the context of traumatic brain injury. We recorded the demographic and clinical data, the paraclinical examinations and the characteristics of subdural hematoma evidenced by preoperative computed tomography (CT). We also reported the other brain injuries, entailed by primary and secondary lesions, as described by CT.

Results: The anticoagulation therapy was recorded in 35 patients, at the moment of diagnosis. Acute subdural hematoma was recorded in 89 (65.9%) patients, 21 (60%) of these had anticoagulation therapy on admission. There were 46 (34.1%) patients with chronic subdural hematoma, 14 (40%) of these were on anticoagulant therapy. The midline shift was significantly moved in patients with anticoagulation therapy. The thickness of the subdural hematoma was significantly higher in patients with anticoagulation. We did not find any significant association of the other brain lesions (cranial fracture, extradural hematoma, intraparenchymal hematoma, nor intracranial hypertension, brain herniation, brain swelling), and the presence of anticoagulation therapy.

Conclusion: The study showed that anticoagulants significantly influence some neuroimaging aspects of the SDH in head trauma.

Background and aim: A beautiful smile with white and shiny teeth is nowadays a must, according to aesthetics norms. The color of the lips, with or without lipstick, may influence the appearance of the teeth color. The objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of the lipstick on the tooth color appearance.

Methods: Four female patient smiles were photographed from the frontal view with five different colored lipsticks. Each photo was evaluated by 100 observers and noted from 1-dark to 6-white. Data were statistically analyzed with dedicated software.

Results: The majority of the observers noted with lower grades the nude lipstick color photos and with higher grades the red and purple ones.

Conclusion: Within the limitation of the study, the surrounding (the lipstick) has an important influence on the appearance of the tooth color.

Background and aims: Sustainability is the sensitive and responsible way of using the natural resources, its goal being to prevent their depletion and preserving the ecological balance. An essential requirement to achieve this is to practice environmentally conscious behavior. The main objective of the present study was to carry out a survey among dentists about the importance of sustainability, feasibility of an environmentally friendly dental practice and the steps in favor of it.

Methods: An online survey with 6 question groups, including a total of 50 questions, was performed. The survey was available online for dentists on different platforms. In total 98 responses were recorded during September - November 2020.

Results: Out of the responding dentists, 74.49% liked the idea of an environmentally friendly dental practice and 98.97% would take some steps toward environmental awareness in their practice. A statistically significant (p<0.05) difference between those who prefer an environmentally conscious practice and those who had not yet thought about it was only in the questions related to environmentally conscious lifestyle in their household, the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products, the creation of a 'green wall' and selective waste collection in their practice.

Conclusions: Most of the respondents were open to the idea of forming an environmentally conscious dental practice and they would act to achieve it. In order to reach this, it is necessary to provide dentists with feasible solutions for better practice. Some of the guidance issues, which would be easy to implement, are listed at the end of the present study. We intend to provide a guidance regarding sustainable dental practice.

Introduction: The role of probiotics/prebiotics in modulating the procarcinogenic effects of microbiota have been studied with inconclusive results. This systematic review aimed to identify the role of several studied interventions on the gut microbiota modulation in humans for the prevention and management of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: We conducted a systematic search using PubMed and Cochrane Central electronic databases, identifying clinical studies published within the last 20 years. We performed a qualitative analysis of eligible studies included in our review on each of the 4 investigated topics: CRC potential biomarkers, dietary interventions, probiotic administration in non-surgical and surgical patients, respectively.

Results: A total of 54 studies involving healthy volunteers, in addition to colorectal adenoma and CRC patients were included in our qualitative synthesis. We were able to identify bacterial signatures of CRC including Fusobacterium nucleatum and Clostridium butyricum. Moreover, dietary supplementation with oligosaccharides or fibers increased short chain fatty acid-producing bacteria levels, thus inhibiting tumorigenesis. Furthermore, we have confirmed that Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium intake modulates gut microbiota towards tumor suppression. We have also showed that probiotic intake around colectomy significantly reduces complications.

Conclusions: Bacterial metabolism is strongly linked with colonic carcinogenesis and influenced by diet. Probiotics and prebiotics can act as microbiota modulators, suppressing epithelial proliferation and reversing DNA toxicity. As adjuvants to surgery or chemotherapy, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria decrease complications. Improved outcomes in CRC patients can possibly be achieved through future research directed towards the benefits of bacterial agents as tumor suppressors or as treatment of oncological therapy resistance.

Background and aims: The COVID-19 lockdowns are reported to have negatively influenced the wellbeing and learning efficacy of students. In this context, we analyzed the psychological impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on healthcare students, a subpopulation experiencing high stress levels.

Methods: Our survey-based, cross-sectional study assessed wellbeing indicators, lifestyle and learning behaviors before and during the quarantine for 388 Romanian healthcare students.

Results: Our findings included the increase in phone and social media use, at the expense of formal and independent study time; deteriorations in mood, self-organization capacity and learning efficacy, and increased procrastination behaviors. Unexpectedly, our study identified an improvement in sleep quality and duration. The increase in social media use was less severe among rural students. We identified correlations between study time, online activities (including social media), wellbeing indicators and procrastination.

Conclusion: Our study draws attention to quarantine-induced deteriorations of wellbeing and learning capacity in an important category of students.

Background and aims: The early detection of dental crowding and its potential for aggravation is important during the clinical examination of mixed dentition patients, and these desiderates can be addressed by including among the clinically assessed items a series of accessible morphological characteristics of teeth and dental arches. The present study investigates possible correlations between morphological features of permanent teeth, widths of dental arches, and the onset of dental crowding during mixed dentition.

Methods: A selected group of 100 class I dental casts on mixed dentition was analyzed. The dental arches were grouped as spaced, normally aligned, and crowded. The dental parameters consisted of mesiodistal dimensions of permanent teeth and specific morphological features of permanent incisors and first molars. The anterior and posterior arch widths according to Pont indices were measured.

Results: Statistical analysis of data showed that mesiodistal dimensions of the permanent upper central incisors and lower incisors are significantly larger on severely crowded arches than on normally aligned arches; increased differences between mesiodistal dimensions of central and lateral permanent upper incisors and the presence of semi-shavel incisors and Carabelli cusps are associated with a greater extent of anterior crowding. The severely crowded arches presented significantly narrower anterior and posterior arch widths.

Conclusions: Increased mesiodistal dimensions of permanent incisors, the presence of incisors shoveling, the Carabelli cusps on upper first permanent molars, and narrowing of dental arches during the early mixed dentition period were associated with severe dental crowding in class I cases.

Objective: The relationship between Socio-Economic Status (SES) and the factors that may play a role in orthodontic treatment demand and uptake have not been explored. Such information is needed for better planning of orthodontic services and to ensure that health care is provided equally among all social classes. The objective of this systematic review was to find out whether socioeconomic status affects the treatment needs of orthodontic patients.

Methods: Literature search was done using Medical Subject Heading terms (MeSH) in PubMed, LIVIVO, Google Scholar, and EbscoHost from 1 January 1965 to 1 August 2021. All cross-sectional studies were included. Both male and female participants were included in the review. The quality of assessment for the included studies was evaluated independently by two reviewers using "The Jonna Briggs Institute" tool (JBI) for cross-section studies. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool was modified and used for assessing the risk of bias and risk of summary.

Results: A total of 704 articles were found. The relevant database searches were PubMed 259 articles, followed by EbscoHost 280, LIVIVO 145, and Google Scholar 20 articles. A final of 10 cross-sectional studies were included in the review.

Conclusion: The reviewers found evidence that parents ultimately decide whether the child will undergo treatment, possibly depending on their financial situation.