COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES FOR DETERMINING INDEX ASSESSMENT OF THE DESTRUCTION OF DENTAL HARD TISSUES

The aim of the study was to compare the obtained data of hard dental tissues destruction indices with the corresponding indications for the choice of the method of treatment by means of mathematical analysis. Materials & methods. 120 patients aged 20 to 55 were examined and 358 teeth hard tissue defects were identified in them. The data of indices was obtained and compared with the indications for orthopedic treatment according two indices in the same clinical situation. Results. The study showed that the indices had different meanings and different indications for treatment in the same situations. Such discrepancies in indications for treatment indicate the subjective data of one of the indices, which does not take into account the depth of destruction and the volume of the remaining natural tissue of the teeth. Comparison of these indices showed different figures in the same clinical situation, identifying corresponding incorrect indications for the choice of the design of the first investigated index, as well as more accurate data of the proposed index. Conclusion. The index assessment of hard dental tissues destruction serves as the main guideline for the dentist when choosing a method for tooth restoration, and can be calculated using photographs, scans and computer software.

Management of Ascending Aorta and Aortic Arch: Similarities and Differences Among Cardiovascular Guidelines

Background: Ascending aorta and aortic arch diseases have an increasing interest among cardiovascular specialists regarding diagnosis and management. Innovations in endovascular surgery and evolution of open surgery have extended the indications for treatment in patients previously considered unfit for surgery. The aim of this systematic review of the literature was to present and analyze current cardiovascular guidelines for overlap and differences in their recommendations regarding ascending aorta and aortic arch diseases and the assessment of evidence. Methods: The English medical literature was searched using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from January 2009 to December 2020. Recommendations on selected topics were analyzed, including issues from definitions and diagnosis (imaging and biomarkers) and indications for treatment to management, including surgical techniques, of the most important ascending aorta and aortic arch diseases. Results: The initial search identified 2414 articles. After exclusion of duplicate or inappropriate articles, the final analysis included 5 articles from multidisciplinary, cardiovascular societies published between 2010 and 2019. The definition of non-A-non-B aortic dissection is lacking from most of the guidelines. There is a disagreement regarding the class of recommendation and level of evidence for the diameter of ascending aorta as an indication. The indication for treatment of aortic disease may be individualized in specific cases while the growth rate may also affect the decision making. The role of endovascular techniques has not been established in current guidelines except by 1 society. Supportive evidence level in the management of aortic arch diseases remains limited. Conclusion: In current recommendations of cardiovascular societies, the ascending aorta and aortic arch remain a domain of open surgery despite the introduction of endovascular techniques. Recommendations of the included societies are mostly based on expert opinion, and the role of endovascular techniques has been highlighted only from 1 society. The chronological heterogeneity apparent among guidelines and the inconsistency in evidence level should be also acknowledged. More data are needed to develop more solid recommendations for the ascending aorta and aortic arch diseases.

Infantile Hemangiomas: An Update on Pathogenesis and Treatment

Infantile hemangiomas are the most common benign vascular tumors in infancy. This review includes an update on the current knowledge on pathogenesis, a discussion on indications for treatment, and a review of the mechanisms underlying the different treatment methods. Although most infantile hemangiomas require only active observation because of their natural course, which results in involution, about 10% present with complications that require immediate treatment. The basic treatment includes systemic and topical options. In cases of insufficient response or rebound growth, other forms of treatment should be considered. In some cases, combined therapy might be initiated.

The Management of Patients With Penetrating Aortic Ulcers: A Systematic Review

Background: Penetrating aortic ulcers (PAUs) are an entity within acute aortic syndrome. They often remain undiagnosed and are found incidentally or when they become symptomatic. Management is currently guided by clinical judgment. This review aims to identify indications for treatment and inform management. Methods: We searched PubMed for studies on the management of PAUs. The outcome measures were mortality, progression and resolution of symptoms. Results: This review incorporates 27 studies involving 1356 patients with PAU. Data was available regarding symptoms for 1213 patients (494 symptomatic, 719 asymptomatic). Overall late mortality for PAUs was found to be higher than 30-day mortality. Early mortality was higher for symptomatic patients as compared to those with asymptomatic PAUs. Early mortality was lowest for PAUs treated with endovascular interventions (5%), followed by PAUs managed medically and highest following open surgical management. Indications for treatment included symptoms, progression/instability, aortic diameter >5 cm, concomitant aortic pathology or pleural effusion. 13% of patients managed conservatively at initial presentation demonstrated progression and were considered for intervention subsequently. 9% of patients required reintervention after initial endovascular surgery. Conclusion: Endovascular treatment, if anatomically suitable, should be considered as first line treatment for symptomatic PAUs. Patients with asymptomatic PAUs, if associated with high-risk features such as PAU diameter >20 mm, PAU depth >10 mm, aortic diameter >42 mm, concomitant pathology, morphological change or an infective etiology, should also be considered for intervention. Small asymptomatic PAUs with no high-risk features may be managed conservatively but must undergo regular surveillance.

Hemolytic Anemias: Autoimmune and Beyond

During JADPRO Live Virtual 2020, Ravi Krishnadasan, MD, FACP, provided an overview of the terminology of hemolysis, laboratory tests used in the diagnosis of hemolytic anemias, and appropriate indications for treatment of the various hemolytic anemias.

Waldenström's Macroglobulinaemia in the Modern Era: Real World Outcomes and Prognostication across 35 Chinese Academic Hospitals

Backgroud: Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is an uncommon indolent B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which has heterogeneous clinical presentations and indications for treatment. Mostly the choice of first-line therapy is based on the individual patient's characteristic and indications for treatment. In China, previous studies on WM are mostly from single-center with small sample size, limiting the information available on treatment and outcome patterns. To address this knowledge gap, we present data from an analysis based on a nationwide multicenter registry with 17-years follow-up. Our study focuses on the clinical presentation, first-line therapies, as well as outcome and prognosis of WM in China. Methods: Patients diagnosed with WM between January 2003 and December 2019 at 35 academic hospitals in China, which have been entered in the database of the China Waldenström macroglobulinemia Registration (CWMG), were included in this retrospective study. Data including baseline clinical features, symptoms requiring treatment, treatment and survival were collected. The overall survival (OS) was defined as the duration from the diagnosis of WM to the date of death or last follow-up. Results: Overall 1141 patients were enrolled, 829 patients were male (72.7%), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.7:1. The median age at diagnosis was 64 years (range, 29-89 years), which 472 patients (41.4%) were older than 65 years, and 126 patients (11.0%) were older than 75 years. The patients' family histories included 6 WM and 4 other lymphoproliferative disorders. Symptoms leading to treatment initiation including anemia in 828 patients (72.6%), organomegaly in 441 patients (38.7%), thrombocytopenia in 302 (26.5%), neutropenia in 246 (21.6%), constitutional symptoms in 203 (17.8%), Bing-Neel syndrome in 13 (1.1%), IgM-related symptoms in including secondary amyloidosis in 32 (2.8%), secondary autoimmune hemolysis in 25 (2.2%), peripheral neuropathy in 23 (2.0%), secondary cold agglutinin disease in 21 (1.8%), secondary cryoglobulinemia in 11 (1.0%). At the time of diagnosis, 1125 patients had full information for IPSS-WM risk stratification. Among them, 194 patients (17.2%) were classified as low risk, 436 patients (38.8%) were intermediate risk, and 495 patients (44.0%) were high risk. Overall, 734 patients had documented treatment information. 75 patients (10.2%) received monotherapy, 264 (36.0%) received chemoimmunotherapy, and 395 (53.8%) receive other combination regimens (Figure 1). The most frequently used monotherapy was chlorambucil (3.1%), followed by ibrutinib (2.9%) and rituximab (2.5%). Rituximab, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone or prednisone (DRC or RCP) were the most frequently used chemoimmunotherapy (10.8%). Followed by rituximab plus cyclophosphasmide, vincristine/vincristine and prednisone/prednisolone (R-COP) (6.8%), R-COP plus doxorubicin/epirubicin (R-CHOP) (6.1%), rituximab plus fludarabine, cyclophosphamide (R-FC) (4.5%), rituximab plus bortezomib based regimen (3.5%). Other combination regimens including bortezomib based regimen (18.6%), FC (10.6%), CHOP (9.3%), immunomodulatory drug based regimen (5.7%), chlorambucil plus prednisone (4.4%). After a median of 23 months (range 1-201 months) follow-up, 123 patients died. The estimated 5-year OS was 74.9%. Median OS were similar among patients who received monotherapy, chemoimmunotherapy or other combination regimens. To evaluate the prognostic factors of OS using multivariate Cox regression model, age > 65 years old (P=0.011, HR 0.622, 95% CI 0.431-0.898), platelet < 100×109/L (P=0.006, HR 0.570, 95% CI 0.381-0.853), serum albumin <3.5 g/dl (P=0.020, HR 0.582, 95% CI 0.369-0.918), β-2 microglobulin concentration ≥4 mg/L (P=0.019, HR 0.630, 95% CI 0.429-0.926), LDH≥250 IU/L (P=0.016, HR 0.538, 95% CI 0.326-0.890) and secondary amyloidosis (P<0.001, HR 0.277, 95% CI 0.137-0.562) at baseline had significantly shorter OS . Conclusion: Frontline treatment choices of WM are wide heterogeneity due to various clinical presentations and the rarity of the disease. Old age, low platelet, low albumin, high β-2 microglobulin, high LDH and secondary amyloidosis indicate worse prognosis in WM. These findings may provide guidance for management of WM and better prognostic stratification of risk-adapted treatment strategies. Figure 1 Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Musculoskeletal interventional oncology: current and future practices

Management of musculoskeletal (MSK) tumours has traditionally been delivered by surgeons and medical oncologists. However, in recent years, image-guided interventional oncology (IO) has significantly impacted the clinical management of MSK tumours. With the rapid evolution of relevant technologies and the expanding range of clinical indications, it is likely that the impact of IO will significantly grow and further evolve in the near future. In this narrative review, we describe well-established and new interventional technologies that are currently integrating into the IO armamentarium available to radiologists to treat MSK tumours and illustrate new emerging IO indications for treatment.