Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy: Our Experience of Consecutive 50 Cases at a Tertiary Care Center

Objective The aim of this study was to do a retrospective analysis of the various neurosurgical pathologies where endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) was used and to evaluate the outcome and prognosis. Methods The retrospective data collection was done for the patients who underwent ETV with or without other adjunct procedures; the results were prepared for clinical presentation, diagnosis, surgical approach, and surgical goal; and success rate and prognosis were analyzed and compared with other studies. Results A total of 50 patients were included in the study, with overall success rate of ETV as 88%; aqueductal stenosis was the most common indication where ETV was used; headache and vomiting were the most common presenting complaints followed by ataxia and visual blurring; and ETV provided flexibility in its use with biopsy, abscess drainage, temporary external ventricular drain placement, etc. Conclusion ETV being superior to ventriculo-peritoneal shunt for obstructive hydrocephalus provides flexibility in its use and possibly is a useful adjunct to prevent postoperative hydrocephalus after endoscopic intraventricular surgery; proper case selection in accordance to ETV success score yields a better success rate. In experienced hands with proper precautions, perioperative complications can be kept at minimum. Wherever possible, in cases of obstructive hydrocephalus, especially in patients >1 year of age, ETV should be the treatment of choice. We recommend a proper case selection, including preoperative detailed reading of sagittal magnetic resonance imaging scan, to improve the success rate with less complication.

Performance of Ultrasound for Identifying Morphological Characteristics and Thickness of Cutaneous Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review

Advances in ultrasound technology and non-surgical treatments of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) have raised the need to study the performance of high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) in BCCs. We aimed to assess the performance of HFUS in the evaluation of BCCs to formulate recommendations for its uses and conducted a systematic review of the literature to do so. A search of Central, Medline, Embase, CINHAL, and Web of Science was performed using key/MESH terms “ultrasonography” and “basal cell carcinoma” (January 2005–December 2020). We included primary studies reporting biopsy-confirmed BCCs for which the target intervention was ultrasound assessment at 15 MHz or higher frequency. Thirty articles were included, studying a total of 1,203 biopsy-confirmed BCCs. HFUS provides accurate depth measurements, especially for BCCs >1 mm. The definition of lateral margins in vivo needs further studies; however, ex vivo margin assessment seems convincing. There is a diagnostic role for HFUS in identifying higher recurrence risk BCC subtypes, which can help in risk stratification. Performance of HFUS is significant in BCC management. Pre-surgical scans may support case selection for Mohs. HFUS can improve safety when used to plan brachytherapy treatments, help with case selection and adjunct treatment choice pre-photodynamic therapy. Finally, HFUS can help follow lesions after intervention, particularly non-surgical management, and support the decision to observe or re-intervene. HFUS can enhance clinical practice by providing useful information that cannot be deducted from the clinical examination. It would be recommended to evaluate the extent, mainly depth, and detect the aggressiveness of the BCCs.

Surgical Management of Impacted Lower Second Molars: A Comprehensive Review

Impacted lower second molars (ILM2) are rarely reported in the literature, but various studies have been done for its treatment. Apart from solely orthodontic approaches, different surgical management techniques were reported to have successful outcomes. Surgical intervention of ILM2 can help expose the tooth for further orthodontic purposes, simplifying complex treatment methods, and reducing treatment time. This review illustrates the comprehensive evaluation and updated methods of surgical uprighting, repositioning, and transplantation of ILM2 with future directions for better understanding and treatment planning in the clinical setting. The successful outcome of surgical intervention depends on case selection, root development of ILM2, careful surgical manipulation, and adherence to sound biological principles.

Components of Context: Respecifying the Role of Context in Migration Research

For a century, scholars have studied immigrant integration in a range of destinations. Yet, the precise role of context in shaping integration outcomes remains poorly understood. Drawing from an analysis of an original database of articles and books in migration studies, I argue that this knowledge gap may be due to two closely related tendencies in the scholarship. First, case selection has relied on criteria such as the immigrant population's size and growth rate that are not clearly connected to integration outcomes. Second, most scholars have studied either heavily urban contexts (with large immigrant populations) or very rural contexts (where the immigrant population is growing rapidly), while much less attention has been given to destinations in-between. To improve the understandings of the role of context in immigrant integration, migration scholars should endeavor to move past population criteria when selecting study sites and to study the full range of contexts where immigrants are settling. To contribute to these efforts, I propose a framework that does not rely on population or newness as criteria for case selection and that focuses, instead, on the components of context that existing research has shown matters for intergenerational mobility. I also introduce a typology of contexts based on possible combinations of four of these components and offer some initial hypotheses of how these context types might affect immigrant integration. The arguments presented here recenter the role of local context in migration studies and contribute to debates about where and how scholars should study context moving forward.

Mechanical, technical, and biological complications of dental implants

Evidence indicates the effectiveness of these modalities in enhancing the quality of life for the affected patients. Furthermore, many previous investigations have assessed the survival rates of these modalities. Estimates show that implant-supported fixed partial dentures have survival rates of up to 10 years. However, it should be noted that many complications were reported following implantation procedures. These events can reduce the prognosis of the process and worsen the outcomes by decreasing the survival rate. The present literature review aims to provide evidence regarding dental implants' technical, biological, and mechanical complications. It should be noted that the incidence of these complications is generally decreasing based on the recent advance in the field. Adequate knowledge of the landmarks, careful treatment planning, proper case selection, obtaining a comprehensive history and information about implant procedure, and proper sterilization protocol are all different factors that can enhance the prognosis of the implant procedure. These can also reduce the frequency of the reported complications. Furthermore, these complications can be further reduced by being up to date with the recent advances and potential problem-solving research that usually provides adequate solutions that can reduce the frequency of these complications.

Systematic Literature Review on Test Case Selection and Prioritization: A Tertiary Study

Software testing is undertaken to ensure that the software meets the expected requirements. The intention is to find bugs, errors, or defects in the developed software so that they can be fixed before deployment. Testing of the software is needed even after it is deployed. Regression testing is an inevitable part of software development, and must be accomplished in the maintenance phase of software development to ensure software reliability. The existing literature presents a large amount of relevant knowledge about the types of techniques and approaches used in regression test case selection and prioritization (TCS&P), comparisons of techniques used in TCS&P, and the data used. Numerous secondary studies (surveys or reviews) have been conducted in the area of TCS&P. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive examination of the analysis of the enhancements in TCS&P using a thorough systematic literature review (SLR) of the existing secondary studies. This SLR provides: (1) a collection of all the valuable secondary studies (and their qualitative analysis); (2) a thorough analysis of the publications and the trends of the secondary studies; (3) a classification of the various approaches used in the secondary studies; (4) insight into the specializations and range of years covered in the secondary texts; (5) a comprehensive list of statistical tests and tools used in the area; (6) insight into the quality of the secondary studies based on the seven selected Research Paper Quality parameters; (7) the common problems and challenges encountered by researchers; (8) common gaps and limitations of the studies; and (9) the probable prospects for research in the field of TCS&P.

Beware of the Impostors—Scalp Pathology Primer for the Hair Transplant Surgeon

Histopathological features are important for the practicing hair transplant surgeon to ensure proper case selection, diagnosis, choice of proper treatment, and successful outcome. While the primary focus of the hair transplant surgeon is androgenetic alopecia (AGA), it is important to be aware of other conditions that can mimic AGA, whose treatment may be different. This article outlines some of these conditions such as scarring alopecias, alopecia areata, etc., and how to distinguish them. Proper identification will ensure proper treatment and avoid potential missteps in management.