Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio is not a predictor of clinically significant prostate cancer at the prostate biopsy: A large cohort study

Previous studies have reported conflicting results on the predictive role of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer (CSPCa) at the time of prostate biopsies. We explored the predictive value of pre-biopsy PLRs for CSPCa using our large-cohort database. Consecutive men with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels of ≥ 3.0 ng/mL or abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) findings and who underwent prostate biopsies were included in the study. There was no significant difference in the pre-biopsy PLR between men with benign disease, clinically insignificant prostate cancer (CISPCa), and CSPCa. Only the subset of CSPCa patients with serum PSA levels of < 10 ng/mL showed lower PLRs than those with benign disease or CISPCa. In the entire patient cohort, multivariate analyses revealed that older age, diabetes mellitus, DRE abnormalities, higher serum PSA levels, and smaller prostate volume were predictors of CSPCa. However, the pre-biopsy PLR was not a significant predictor of CSPCa at the prostate biopsy in the entire patient cohort or the subset of patients with serum PSA levels of < 10 ng/mL. In summary, the pre-biopsy PLR is not an independent predictor of CSPCa at the prostate biopsy, regardless of the serum PSA level.

BMI and Comorbidities in Patients with Syndesmosis Screw Breakage

Category: Ankle; Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Syndesmosis screw fixation remains a common standard of care in patients with syndesmosis injuries. Post-operative screw breakage is a common occurrence in these patients. The purpose of this is study is to compare BMI, comorbidities, and characteristics of patients who had a syndesmosis injury repaired with screw fixation resulting in screw failure. Numerous studies (21) have examined patients with syndesmosis screw fracture, focusing primarily on screw characteristics such as width, length, and screw material. Of those studies, only six considered BMI, while only one of the six differentiated BMI between patients with a broken screw and those without. Only three of the studies collected patient comorbidity data. Methods: This study examined all tibia procedures at a level 1 trauma center from 2008 to 2019. Only patients treated with syndesmosis screw fixation that resulted in a screw fracture were included for further analysis. In total, 14 patients satisfied this criterion. A comprehensive analysis of each patients BMI, comorbidities, and characteristics was then performed. Age, gender, height, weight, BMI, smoking status, diabetes, hypertension, alcohol abuse, and soft tissue conditions were all analyzed. Further examination of conditions with potential to impact bone quality such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis were also included. Results: Eight females and 6 males with an average age of 42.43±13.90(20-43) were included in the analysis. The average number of comorbidities was 2.93±(0-6). BMI average was 38.92±(22.05-56.34) indicating Grade II obesity for the entire patient cohort. Six patients had a BMI > 40 or Grade III (morbidly obese) while only two patients had a satisfactory BMI < 25. All patients in the syndesmosis fracture group had more than one comorbidity apart from a single patient (case 3). Six patients had at least 2 comorbidities, 3 patients had 3, 2 patients had 2, and 2 patients had 6. Eight (57%) of 14 had post-operative complications including: Symptomatic hardware + removal (6), revision surgery (4), and compartment syndrome (1). Five patients retained their broken screw without complication. Conclusion: Patients with syndesmosis screw breakage are a highly comorbid population. Patients in this study, on average, had a significantly elevated BMI potentially predisposing them to screw failure. In conclusion, future analysis of syndesmosis injuries should include BMI and comorbidities. Future studies should pay special attention to BMI as potential confounding variable when attempting to determine reasons for syndesmosis screw breakage. [Table: see text]

Should ondansetron use be a reason to admit children with isolated, nondisplaced, linear skull fractures?

OBJECTIVEIsolated, nondisplaced skull fractures (ISFs) are a common result of pediatric head trauma. They rarely require surgical intervention; however, many patients with these injuries are still admitted to the hospital for observation. This retrospective study investigates predictors of vomiting and ondansetron use following pediatric ISFs and the role that these factors play in the need for admission and emergency department (ED) revisits.METHODSThe authors identified pediatric patients (< 18 years old) with a linear ISF who had presented to the ED of a single tertiary care center between 2008 and 2018. Patients with intracranial hemorrhage, significant fracture displacement, or other traumatic injuries were excluded. Outcomes included vomiting, ondansetron use, admission, and revisit following ED discharge. Both univariable and multivariable analyses were used to determine significant predictors of each outcome (p < 0.05).RESULTSOverall, 518 patients were included in this study. The median patient age was 9.98 months, and a majority of the patients (59%) were male. The most common fracture locations were parietal (n = 293 [57%]) and occipital (n = 144 [28%]). Among the entire patient cohort, 124 patients (24%) had documented vomiting, and 64 of these patients (52%) received ondansetron. In a multivariable analysis, one of the most significant predictors of vomiting was occipital fracture location (OR 4.05, p < 0.001). In turn, and as expected, both vomiting (OR 14.42, p < 0.001) and occipital fracture location (OR 2.66, p = 0.017) were associated with increased rates of ondansetron use. A total of 229 patients (44%) were admitted to the hospital, with vomiting as the most common indication for admission (n = 59 [26%]). Moreover, 4.1% of the patients had ED revisits following initial discharge, and the most common reason was vomiting (11/21 [52%]). However, in the multivariable analysis, ondansetron use at initial presentation (and not vomiting) was the sole predictor of revisit following initial ED discharge (OR 5.05, p = 0.009).CONCLUSIONSIn this study, older patients and those with occipital fractures were more likely to present with vomiting and to be treated with ondansetron. Additionally, ondansetron use at initial presentation was found to be a significant predictor of revisits following ED discharge. Ondansetron could be masking recurrent vomiting in ED patients, and this should be considered when deciding which patients to observe further or discharge.

Embolization of brain arteriovenous malformations with intent to cure: a systematic review

OBJECTIVEEndovascular embolization has been established as an adjuvant treatment strategy for brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). A growing body of literature has discussed curative embolization for select lesions. The transition of endovascular embolization from an adjunctive to a definitive treatment modality remains controversial. Here, the authors reviewed the literature to assess the lesional characteristics, technical factors, and angiographic and clinical outcomes of endovascular embolization of AVMs with intent to cure.METHODSElectronic databases—Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, and PubMed—were searched for studies in which there was evidence of AVMs treated using endovascular embolization with intent to cure. The primary outcomes of interest were angiographic obliteration immediately postembolization and at follow-up. The secondary outcomes of interest were complication rates. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate rates and means.RESULTSFifteen studies with 597 patients and 598 AVMs treated with intent-to-cure embolization were included in this analysis. Thirty-four percent of AVMs were Spetzler-Martin grade III. Complete obliteration immediately postembolization was reported in 58.3% of AVMs that had complete treatment and in 45.8% of AVMs in the entire patient cohort. The overall clinical complication rate was 24.1%. The most common complication was hemorrhage, occurring in 9.7% of patients. Procedure-related mortality was 1.5%.CONCLUSIONSWhile endovascular embolization with intent to cure can be an option for select AVMs, the reported complication rates appear to be increased compared with those in studies in which adjunctive embolization was the goal. Given the high complication rate related to a primary embolization approach, the risks and benefits of such a treatment strategy should be discussed among a multidisciplinary team. Curative embolization of AVMs should be considered an unanticipated benefit of such therapy rather than a goal.

Primary versus Redo Urethroplasty: Results from a Single-Center Comparative Analysis

Objectives. To explore the differences between primary and redo urethroplasty and to directly compare according stricture-free survival (SFS). Materials and Methods. Data of all male patients who underwent urethroplasty at Ghent University Hospital were collected between 2000 and 2018. Exclusion criteria for this analysis were age <18 years and follow-up <1 year. Two patient groups were created for further comparison: the primary urethroplasty (PU) group (no previous urethroplasty) and redo urethroplasty (RU) group (≥1 previous urethroplasty), irrespective of prior endoscopic treatments. A comparison between groups was performed using the Mann–Whitney U test and Fisher’s Exact test. SFS was calculated using Kaplan–Meier statistics. A functional definition of failure, being the need for further urethral manipulation, was used. Uni- and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed on the entire patient cohort. Results. 805 patients were included. Median (IQR) follow-up of the PU (n = 556) and RU (n = 249) groups was 87 (50–136) and 76 (40–133) months, respectively (p=0.1). The RU group involved more penile strictures (p<0.001), Lichen Sclerosus (p=0.016), failed hypospadias repair (p=0.004), multistage procedures (p<0.001), and definitive perineostomies (p=0.001). The 5- and estimated 10-year SFS was, respectively, 86% and 79% for the PU group and, respectively, 75% and 63% for the RU group (p<0.001). Prior urethroplasty (HR: 1.52; p=0.01) and diabetes (HR: 1.83; p=0.03) remained statistically significant in the multivariate Cox regression analysis. Conclusions. Several differences between primary and redo urethroplasties exist. Redo urethroplasty entails a distinct patient population to treat and is, in general, associated with lower stricture-free survival than primary urethroplasty, although more homogeneous series are required to corroborate these results. Prior urethroplasty and diabetes are independent risk factors for urethroplasty failure.

Transvenous coil embolization with intra-operative cone beam CT assistance in the treatment of hypoglossal canal dural arteriovenous fistulae

BackgroundHypoglossal canal dural arteriovenous fistulae (HC-dAVF) are a rare subtype of skull base fistulae involving the anterior condylar confluence or anterior condular vein within the hypoglossal canal. Transvenous coil embolization is a preferred treatment strategy, however delineation of fistula angio-architecture during workup and localization of microcatheter tip during embolization remain challenging on planar DSA. For this reason, our group have utilized intra-operative cone beam CT (CBCT) and selective cone beam CT angiography (sCBCTA) as adjuncts to planar DSA during workup and treatment. The purpose of this article is to present our experience in the treatment of HC-dAVF using transvenous coil embolization (TVCE) with cone beam CT assistance, describing our technique as well as presenting our angiographic and clinical outcomes.MethodsTen patients with symptomatic HC-dAVF were treated using TVCE with intra-operative cone beam CT assistance. Prospectively collected data regarding clinical and angiographic results and complication rates was recorded and reviewed.ResultsComplication-free fistula occlusion was achieved in our entire patient cohort. The dominant symptom of pulsatile tinnitus resolved in all 10 patients.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that TVCE with CBCT assistance is a highly effective treatment option for HC-dAVF, achieving complication-free fistula occlusion in our entire patient cohort. We have found low-dose sCBCTA and CBCT to be an extremely useful adjunct to planar DSA imaging during both workup and treatment of these rare fistulae.

Flow Cytometry-Based Platelet Function Testing Is Predictive of Symptom Burden in a Cohort of Bleeders

Platelet function disorders (PFDs) are common in patients with mild bleeding disorders (MBDs), yet the clinical significance of laboratory findings suggestive of a PFD remain unclear due to the lack of evidence for a clear link between test results and patient phenotype. Herein, we present results from a study evaluating the potential utility of platelet function testing using whole-blood flow cytometry in a cohort of 105 patients undergoing investigation for MBD. Subjects were evaluated with a test panel comprising two different activation markers (fibrinogen binding and p-selectin exposure) and four physiologically relevant platelet agonists (ADP, PAR1-AP, PAR4-AP and CRP-XL). Abnormal test results were identified by comparison with reference ranges constructed from 24 healthy controls or the fifth percentile of the entire patient sample. We found that abnormal test results are predictive of bleeding symptom severity, and that the greatest predictive strength was achieved using a subset of the panel, comparing measurements of fibrinogen binding after activation with all four agonists with the fifth percentile of the patient sample (P = 0.00008, hazard ratio 8.7; 95 % CI 2.5-40). Our results suggest that whole-blood flow cytometry-based platelet function testing is a feasible alternative for the investigation of MBDs. We also show that platelet function testing using whole-blood flow cytometry could provide a clinically relevant quantitative assessment of platelet-related primary hemostasis. Figure 1. Test results for each patient in comparison with reference range (A) and the fifth percentile of the entire patient cohort (B). Normal test results are colored grey, abnormal test results are colored with a continuous color gradient using the deviation from the mean divided by the standard deviation as a measure of degree of abnormality. Grey horizontal bars illustrate the number of abnormal test results for each patient. Figure 1. Test results for each patient in comparison with reference range (A) and the fifth percentile of the entire patient cohort (B). Normal test results are colored grey, abnormal test results are colored with a continuous color gradient using the deviation from the mean divided by the standard deviation as a measure of degree of abnormality. Grey horizontal bars illustrate the number of abnormal test results for each patient. Disclosures Lindahl: Diapensia: Equity Ownership.

Incidence and Prognostic Influence of DNMT3A Mutations in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Purpose To study the incidence and prognostic impact of mutations in DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Patients and Methods A total of 489 patients with AML were examined for mutations in DNMT3A by direct sequencing. The prognostic impact of DNMT3A mutations was evaluated in the context of other clinical prognostic markers and genetic risk factors (cytogenetic risk group; mutations in NPM1, FLT3, CEBPA, IDH1, IDH2, MLL1, NRAS, WT1, and WT1 SNPrs16754; expression levels of BAALC, ERG, EVI1, MLL5, MN1, and WT1). Results DNMT3A mutations were found in 87 (17.8%) of 489 patients with AML who were younger than 60 years of age. Patients with DNMT3A mutations were older, had higher WBC and platelet counts, more often had a normal karyotype and mutations in NPM1, FLT3, and IDH1 genes, and had higher MLL5 expression levels as compared with patients with wild-type DNMT3A. Mutations in DNMT3A independently predicted a shorter overall survival (OS; hazard ratio [HR], 1.59; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.21; P = .005) by multivariate analysis, but were not associated with relapse-free survival (RFS) or complete remission (CR) rate when the entire patient cohort was considered. In cytogenetically normal (CN) AML, 27.2% harbored DNMT3A mutations that independently predicted shorter OS (HR = 2.46; 95% CI, 1.58 to 3.83; P < .001) and lower CR rate (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.84; P = .015), but not RFS (P = .32). Within patients with CN-AML, DNMT3A mutations had an unfavorable effect on OS, RFS, and CR rate in NPM1/FLT3-ITD high-risk but not in low-risk patients. Conclusion DNMT3A mutations are frequent in younger patients with AML and are associated with an unfavorable prognosis.

Assessment of morbidity following resection of cingulate gyrus gliomas

Object The morbidity associated with resection of tumors in the cingulate gyrus (CG) is not well established. The goal of the present study is to define the short- and long-term morbidity profile associated with resection of gliomas within this region. Methods Ninety consecutive patients with gliomas involving the CG were analyzed. Resections were classified by zones corresponding to functionally defined regions of the CG as follows: Zone I (perigenual, anterior), Zone II (midcingulate), Zone III (posterior), and Zone IV (retrosplenial). Basic demographic, imaging, operative details, and pre- and postoperative neurological examinations were recorded for each patient. Patients in whom neurological morbidity was documented during their initial postoperative examination who did not completely improve by the 6-month follow-up examination were considered to have a permanent deficit. For each patient with surgery-related morbidity, postoperative MR imaging and operative notes were reviewed, and the cortical regions incorporated in the surgical trajectory were recorded. The analysis was carried out for tumors confined to the CG (> 90% of tumor contained within the CG) as well as those involving the CG but extending into adjacent cortical structures. Results Analysis of the entire patient cohort demonstrated that 29% of patients experienced a new or worsened neurological deficit immediately after surgery. The most common deficits were supplementary motor area (SMA) syndrome (20%), weakness (6%), and sensory changes (2%). All patients with an SMA syndrome in our series had intentional resection of SMA as part of the surgical approach. Patients with resections including Zone II or III had a higher rate of total morbidity and SMA syndrome than patients with Zone I resections (p < 0.05). Only 4% of patients had a persistent neurological deficit at 6 months postoperatively. A similar morbidity profile was observed in the subset analysis of patients with tumors confined to the CG, with no additional morbidity related to known cingulate-specific functions. Conclusions Resection of gliomas involving the CG can be performed with minimal, predictable long-term morbidity (< 5%). Surgical morbidity is primarily a function of surgical trajectory rather than the particular cingulate region resected.

Identification and Treatment of Anaemia in Patients Awaiting Hip Replacement

INTRODUCTION The correction of anaemia prior to total hip arthroplasty reduces surgical risk, hospital stay and cost. This study considers the benefits of implementing a protocol of identifying and treating pre-operative anaemia whilst the patient is on the waiting list for surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS From a prospective series of 322 patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty (THA), patients identified as anaemic (haemoglobin (Hb) < 12 g/dl) when initially placed upon the waiting list were appropriately investigated and treated. Pre- and postoperative Hb levels, need for transfusion, and length of hospital stay were collated for the entire patient cohort. RESULTS Of the cohort, 8.8% of patients were anaemic when initially placed upon the waiting list for THA and had a higher transfusion rate (23% versus 3%; P < 0.05) and longer hospital stay (7.5 days versus 6.6 days; P < 0.05). Over 40% of these patients responded to investigation and treatment whilst on the waiting list, showing a significant improvement in Hb level (10.1 g/dl to 12.7 g/dl) and improved transfusion rate. CONCLUSIONS Quantifying the haemoglobin level of patients when initially placed on the waiting list helps highlight those at risk of requiring a postoperative blood transfusion. Further, the early identification of anaemia allows for the utilisation of the waiting-list time to investigate and treat these patients. For patients who respond to treatment, there is a significant reduction in the need for blood transfusion with its inherent hazards.