There have been some modest recent advancements in the research of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, yet the amount and quality of the work in this complicated multifactorial disease remains low (with some notable exceptions; e.g., the recent work on the dorsal root ganglion stimulation). The semi-systematic (though in some cases narrative) approach to review is necessary so that we might treat our patients while waiting for "better research." This semi-systematic review was conducted by experts in the field, (deliberately) some of whom are promising young researchers supplemented by the experience of "elder statesman" researchers, who all mention the system they have used to examine the literature. What we found is generally low- to medium-quality research with small numbers of subjects; however, there are some recent exceptions to this. The primary reason for this paucity of research is the fact that this is a rare disease, and it is very difficult to acquire a sufficient sample size for statistical significance using traditional statistical approaches. Several larger trials have failed, probably due to using the broad general diagnostic criteria (the "Budapest" criteria) in a multifactorial/multi-mechanism disease. Responsive subsets can often be identified in these larger trials, but not sufficient to achieve statistically significant results in the general diagnostic grouping. This being the case the authors have necessarily included data from less compelling protocols, including trials such as case series and even in some instances case reports/empirical information. In the humanitarian spirit of treating our often desperate patients with this rare syndrome, without great evidence, we must take what data we can find (as in this work) and tailor a treatment regime for each patient.
Background: The aim of this study was to find out how candidacy criteria have evolved differently across the globe.
Methods: Candidacy criteria and outcome measurements applied in 19 HEARRING clinics were analyzed.
Results: Candidacy criteria vary between clinics. Overall, both bilateral implantation and cochlear implantation in patients with single-sided deafness are becoming more frequent.
Conclusion: Standardized outcome measurement instruments need to be applied to provide access to the hearing world to all patients with hearing loss who would benefit from cochlear implantation.
Objectives: This was a retrospective analysis of liver transplant for pediatric patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Materials and methods: Fourteen pediatric patients with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma underwent liver transplant from 2004 to 2021. Preexisting diseases were tyrosinemia (n = 6), progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 2 (n = 2) and type 3 (n = 3), cryptogenic cirrhosis (n = 2), hepatitis B and D (n = 1), and biliary atresia (n = 1).
Results: Mean age was 9.43 ± 4.9 years (range, 13 months to 16 years). Three patients had 1 tumor, 4 had 2 tumors, and 7 had multiple (≥3) lesions. Six patients were classified as Pretreatment Extent of Disease Staging System for Hepatoblastoma (PRETEXT) stage IV, 3 as stage II, and 5 as stage I. Some patients received systemic chemotherapy before (n = 4) or after transplant (n = 3) or transarterial chemoembolization and microwave ablation pretransplant (n = 1). Hepatocellular carcinoma posttransplant recurrence was observed at 23, 47, and 108 months in 3 patients (21%). Recurrence sites were omentum (n = 1) and liver graft (n = 2). One patient was treated with hepatic resection, radiofrequency ablation, and radiotherapy, while the other received radiofrequency ablation and chemotherapy for graft tumor recurrence. Relapse-free patient survival rates were 92%, 82.5%, and 72.2% at 2, 4, and 10 years, respectively. Four recipients (28.5%) died; posttransplant cause of death was infection at 19 (n = 1) and 188 months (n = 1) or hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence at 79 (n = 1) and 165 months (n = 1). Median follow-up was 178 months (range, 13-204 months). Mean estimated survival was 171.25 ± 16.6 months. Overall patient posttransplant survival was 100%, 92.3%, 92.3%, 83%, and 72% at 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively.
Conclusions: Hepatocellular carcinoma was mainly associated with inherited liver diseases in our pediatric series. Liver transplant provided a long-term survival advantage to pediatric patients with preexisting cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

