A pictorial view on false positive findings of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and their prognostic value in patients with prostate carcinoma after radical prostatectomy and undetectable PSA values.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, gallium-68-prostate-specific membrane antigen-11 (68Ga-PSMA-11) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has become a key imaging method in prostate carcinoma staging and biochemical progression, with varying sensitivities in different studies (from 40% to 80%). After four years of experience with 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT, we found that it is possible to detect lesions with increased PSMA expression in patients with undetectable prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels after radical prostatectomy. The key questions we wanted to answer were as follows: if those lesions were malignant and could the early detection of those malignant lesions have a role in patient management? We aimed to identify and follow up PSMA-positive findings for a period of 4 years in patients with prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy and undetectable PSA values at the time of the examination. We also explored false-positive lesions in detail. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included all patients who underwent radical prostatectomy and had undetectable PSA values <0.05ng/mL and who underwent 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT between July 2019 and December 2019. We performed 220 studies and found 40 patients with these characteristics; these patients were included in this study. All of them were followed up until July 2023. Any finding with increased radiopharmaceutical accumulation above the background activity in the respective area was considered a false positive. Prostate-specific membrane antigen accumulation in established lesions was assessed semi-quantitatively by the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and qualitatively by the four-point visual scale proposed in the E-PSMA recommendations. RESULTS: We found 15/40 (37.5%) patients with PSMA-positive findings. These were predominantly bone changes without a corresponding CT abnormality or discrete cystic or osteoblastic lesions with above-background increased PSMA expression. The mean SUVmax of these non-specific lesions was 3.02 (SD 2.86). After 3.5-4 years of follow-up, biochemical progression was found in only two of the patients.The great sensitivity of the method nowadays is a powerful engine for the development of new therapeutic options. On the other side, the lower specificity due to false positive findings, if misinterpreted, might lead to switching to a higher stage, with the planned radical treatment replaced by palliative treatment. CONCLUSION: The presence of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT-positive findings in patients after radical prostatectomy and an undetectable PSA had a low predictive value for future progression. The interpretation of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT should always include a complex assessment of the clinical setting-the risk group, PSA value and degree of PSMA accumulation in the lesions. In these situations, further clarification of PSMA-positive findings is appropriate before deciding to change treatment.

Comparison of fracture risk calculators in elderly fallers: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Elderly patients presenting with falls are known to carry an extremely high risk of future fragility fractures. Current osteoporosis guidelines recommend using fracture risk calculators such as FRAX, QFracture or Garvan to guide management. However, they differ considerably in their inputs and may therefore provide contrasting risk estimations in certain individuals. In this study, we compare these risk calculators in a high-risk cohort of elderly patients admitted to hospital with falls. DESIGN: Hospital-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: Secondary care, London, UK. PARTICIPANTS: Data from 120 consecutive elderly patients who had falls presenting to a single hospital over 4 months were collected. 10-year major and hip fracture risks were calculated using FRAX, QFracture and Garvan. 1-year major and hip fracture risks from QFracture were assessed against prospective incidence of fracture. RESULTS: Median 10-year major fracture risk was: FRAX 19.5%, QFracture 26.0%, Garvan 32.5%. Median 10-year hip fracture risk was: FRAX 9.6%, QFracture 21.1%, Garvan 6.5%. Correlation between FRAX and QFracture was r=0.672 for major, r=0.676 for hip fracture (both p<0.0001); FRAX and Garvan r=0.778 (p<0.0001) for major, r=0.128 (p=0.206) for hip fracture; QFracture and Garvan r=0.658 (p<0.0001) for major, r=0.318 (p<0.001) for hip fracture. QFracture 1-year predicted major and hip fracture rates were 1.8% and 1.2%, respectively, compared with actual rates of 2.1% and 0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although strong correlations between calculators were observed in the study cohort, there were differences of up to 13% between estimated risks. QFracture captured several elderly-specific inputs not considered by other calculators and so projected higher fracture risk than the other calculators. QFracture provided 1-year fracture risks that were comparable with the prospective observed fracture incidence in the cohort. This study has important clinical implications for the use of fracture risk calculators to guide treatment decisions, particularly in the high-risk cohort of elderly patients admitted to hospital following falls.

Intraoperative Radiotherapy with Balloon-Based Electronic Brachytherapy System-A Systematic Review and First Bulgarian Experience in Breast Cancer Patients.

(1) Background: We aimed to analyze currently available studies with intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) as a choice of treatment where the Xoft Axxent® electronic brachytherapy (eBx) system was used as a single-dose irradiation and an exclusive radiotherapy approach at the time of surgery in patients with early breast cancer (EBC). We also compared the results of the systematic review to the Bulgarian experience. (2) Methods and Materials: We performed a systematic review of the studies published before February 2021, which investigate the application of a single-fraction 20 Gy radiation treatment, delivered at the time of lumpectomy in EBC patients with the Xoft Axxent® eBx System. A systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect was performed. The results are reported following the PRISMA guidelines. The criteria on patients' selection for IORT (the additional need for EBRT), cosmetic outcomes, and recurrence rate from the eligible studies are compared to the treatment results in Bulgarian patients. (3) Results: We searched through 1032 results to find 17 eligible studies. There are no published outcomes from randomized trials. When reported, the cosmetic outcomes in most of the studies are defined as excellent. The observed recurrence rate is low (1-5.8%). Still, the number of patients additionally referred to postoperative external breast radiotherapy (EBRT) is up to 31%. Amongst the 20 patients treated in Bulgaria, the cosmetic outcomes are also evaluated as excellent, five of which (25%) are referred for EBRT. Within median follow-up of 39 months, there was one local and one distal recurrence. (4) Conclusions: Current evidence demonstrates the Xoft Axxent® eBx system as a safe and feasible technique for IORT delivery in EBC patients. There are no randomized controlled trials conducted at this time point to prove its long-term effectiveness. Better patient selection and a reimbursement strategy have to be proposed to extend the application of this technique in Bulgaria.

Lateral retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy: advantages and drawbacks.

Lateral retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (LRA) is performed mostly by urologists. It is gaining popularity among general surgeons because of the direct access to the adrenal gland. However, the management of large tumors remains controversial. We report our experience and discuss the advantages and the drawbacks of this approach. Between December 2011 and April 2015, 89 consecutive patients underwent LRA for adrenal tumors. Conversion to open surgery, operative time, blood loss, hospital stay, intra-operative complications, early and late postoperative complications, and mortality were analyzed. The entire group was divided into patients with large tumors (> 5 cm) and patients with small tumors (≤ 5 cm), which were further compared. The conversion rate was 1.1%. The mean operative time was 107.4 ± 27.95 min, the mean blood loss 33.15 ± 25.45 ml. The mean hospital stay was 4.7 ± 2.05 days. Most of the complications were minor. There was zero mortality. Concerning the size of the tumor, we found statistically significant difference in operative time (p = 0.001), hospital stay (p = 0.020), incidence of early postoperative complications (p = 0.049), and conversion rate to open surgery (p = 0.037). LRA is a feasible, effective and safe procedure that offers additional advantages over the standard transabdominal approach because of its direct access to the adrenal gland. However, malignancy, large tumor size, bilateral pathology, and concomitant intra-abdominal pathology may represent a potential setback for this approach.

Diffuse Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis: Master of Disguise.

A 67-year-old woman presented with clinical symptoms, radiological findings, and preoperative work-up highly suggestive of advanced stage IV carcinoma of the gallbladder (CG). An extended cholecystectomy with the excision of adjacent liver segments and loco-regional lymphadenectomy was performed. Final pathology results revealed diffuse xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XG) with ruptured Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses with tumor-resembling adenomyosis without atypical or malignant cells. There was a reactive inflammatory and fatty degeneration of the adjacent hepatic tissue and a nonspecific inflammatory reaction of the enlarged periportal lymph nodes. The main concern in the management of patients with mass-forming XG is that this benign condition shares strikingly similar clinical, imaging, biochemical, and intraoperative features with advanced CG, which has one of the poorest overall survival rates. Misdiagnosis is not uncommon, which causes significant distress for patients and their families and, in some cases, may result in erroneous treatment. Although the presence of some preoperative imaging findings and/or intraoperative frozen section biopsies may be helpful in suspecting XG, definitive diagnosis is usually delayed until the final pathology result that may come as a surprise. Increasing awareness of this rare, insidious disease will contribute to a better understanding of its biology and natural history and, eventually, help improve management.

Cushing's Syndrome: A Historic Review of the Treatment Strategies and Corresponding Outcomes in a Single Tertiary Center over the Past Half-Century.

Cushing's syndrome (CS) is associated with serious comorbidities and an increased mortality rate that could be reduced only if strict biochemical control is achieved. The aim of this study was to show the 50-year experience of a single tertiary center in the management of CS patients - the different treatment modalities used over the years and the corresponding outcomes. It was a retrospective study of a large cohort of patients from the Bulgarian CS database: 613 patients (374 with ACTH-dependent and 239 with ACTH-independent CS). Pituitary surgery was applied to 242 patients with Cushing's disease (CD) with initial remission rate of 74% of which 10% relapsed. Approximately 36% manifested with active disease during the long-term follow-up (26% with persistent disease, 10% relapses) most of which were subjected to a secondary treatment (13.6% to pituitary resurgery, 14% to pituitary radiotherapy, and 5.4% to bilateral adrenalectomy). A total of 294 CD patients received medical therapy with overall remission rates for the most commonly used drugs: dopamine agonists 20%, pasireotide 30%, and ketoconazole 63%. Significant improvement of results was achieved by combining drugs with different mechanisms of action. Regardless of the progress in the neurosurgery and radiotherapy techniques and new drugs discovery, the management of patients with CS remains a real challenge for physicians. Not only patients with adrenal carcinoma but also significant percentage of subjects with persistent and recurrent Cushing's disease often require a polymodal approach and the efforts of a multidisciplinary highly qualified, experienced, and motivated team in order to achieve a long-term remission.

The impact of the extent of surgical resection on survival of gastric cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the significance of the extent of gastric resection on the postoperative and overall gastric cancer survival. BACKGROUND: Resection with clean margins (4 cm or more) is widely accepted as the standard-ized goal for radical treatment of gastric cancer according to current guidelines, while the type of resection (subtotal or total) is still a matter of debate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 155 patients diagnosed and treated in the Department of Surgery, Aleksandrovska University Hospital between January 2005 and December 2014. In order to determine the significance of the resection volume, we excluded from the study 54 patients receiving palliative intervention or staging exploratory laparoscopy. The remaining 101 patients were divided into two groups based on the volume of the performed gastric resection (total and subtotal) and compared based on overall survival and perioperative mortality. We also investigated the 3-year survival in the two groups as well as the overall survival only in the subgroup of patients with D2 lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: We could not determine any statistically significant difference in overall survival and 3-year survival (P=0.990) based on the extent of surgical resection (P=0.824) or perioperative mortality. The statistical analysis on patients with D2 lymph node dissection only did not show significance for overall survival. CONCLUSION: Our study shows no difference in safety and long-term survival rate of patients with gastric carcinoma based on the volume of stomach resection. Comparison with other studies also shows no difference in survival based on volume of the resection.

Clinical and pathological characteristics, and prognostic factors for gastric cancer survival in 155 patients in Bulgaria.

Almost one million new cases of gastric cancer were estimated to have occurred in 2012, making it the fifth most common malignancy in the world. It is also the third leading cause of cancer death of people of both genders worldwide. The aim of this study is to evaluate the significance of some prognostic factors for gastric cancer survival in 155 patients treated at Aleksandrovska University Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria. This retrospective study includes patients diagnosed and treated at Department of Surgery of Aleksandrovska University Hospital for the 9-years period of time between January 2005 and December 2013. We classified the prognostic factors as patient-related (age at diagnosis specification, gender, and blood type), tumor-related (N-stage, tumor differentiation, process localization), and treatment related (patients who had radical surgery and adjuvant therapy). We found that blood type is the only statistically significant prognostic factor for overall survival from the patients-related group of factors (p = 0.030). The only prognostic factor from the ones in the tumor related group remains the N-stage according to the TNM classification (p = 0.003). Adjuvant could not prove its value for overall survival (p = 0.675).