Systematic review and quality assessment of clinical and economic evidence for superabsorbent wound dressings in a population with chronic ulcers.

Effective exudate management is key for optimal ulcer healing. Superabsorbent dressings are designed to have high fluid handling capacity, reduced risk of exudate leakage, fluid retention under compression, and to sequester harmful exudate components. This study aimed to systematically identify existing evidence for the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of superabsorbent dressings for the treatment of moderate-to-highly exudating chronic ulcers of various etiologies. The aim is focused on examining the 'class' effect of all superabsorbers, not any particular dressing. Clinical and cost effectiveness systematic reviews were conducted, searching Embase, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The Cost Effectiveness Analysis Registry and Econ papers were also searched for the economic review. Outcomes of interest included ulcer closure, dressing properties, hospital- and infection-related outcomes, safety, and economic outcomes. Fourteen studies were included in the clinical systematic review. Eleven were case series, with one randomised controlled trial, one retrospective matched observational study, and one retrospective cohort study. The studies investigated eight superabsorbent dressings and were heterogeneous in their patient population and outcomes. Superabsorbent dressings may result in favourable outcomes, including reductions in frequency of dressing change and pain scores. As most studies were case series, drawing firm conclusions was difficult due to absence of a comparator arm. The economic systematic review identified seven studies, five of which were cost-utility analyses. These suggested superabsorbent dressings are a more cost-effective option for the treatment of chronic ulcers compared with standard dressings. However, the small number and low quality of studies identified in both reviews highlights the need for future research.

Multimodality management of focal nodular hyperplasia / A focalis nodularis hyperplasia multimodális kezelése

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is the second most common benign mass of the liver. According to the current recommendations, removal makes relative indication. Several different treatment methods are known. The purpose of the paper is to provide a summary of FNH care and to present alternative treatment options in two cases. A 40-year old woman was investigated for abdominal complaints; CT scan confirmed FNH of the liver. Given the localization of the lesion, we chose transarterial embolization (TAE) due to the high risk of surgical resection. After multiple treatments, regression was achieved, and the patient became asymptomatic. Painful FNH in a 25-year-old female was confirmed by MRI. The lesion was dominantly seen in segment 1, causing vena cava compression and collaptiform episodes. As a definitive solution, liver resection was performed, after which her complaints ceased. Long-term follow-up of patients may be sufficient when asymptomatic FNH is detected. In the case of symptoms or high risk of surgery, TAE can be used effectively by FNH either alone or in combination with surgical treatment. For lower-risk patients, primary laparoscopic resection is the most appropriate choice.

Polymyositis and rhabdomyolysis caused by hepatocellular carcinoma - Case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome characterized by a rapid necrosis of muscle fibers and the release of muscle-derived metabolic products into the circulatory system. A rare cause of rhabdomyolysis is paraneoplastic polymyositis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 67-year-old man was diagnosed with paraneoplastic polymyositis and rhabdomyolysis caused by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Intravenous steroid was used as a symptomatic therapy for rhabdomyolysis, and the tumour was removed by left hemihepatectomy to treat the underlying cause. After muscle strength gradually improved, steroid therapy was discontinued. The patient was reoperated multiple times due to bleeding and bile leakage. Following the operations, his overall state and muscle strength further improved. Despite that, the patient's condition worsened again, and eventually, he died of candida albicans pneumonia and sepsis. DISCUSSION: HCC is an extremely rare cause of paraneoplastic polymyositis and rhabdomyolysis. Treatment is challenging, as none of the few available case reports record long term survival and less than half of the reports record muscle strength improvement. In our case, the patient was treated with systemic steroid therapy and resection of the tumour. The patient's muscle strength temporarily improved, but subsequently, the patient died. CONCLUSION: Our case confirms the importance of a definitive treatment of HCC, as we achieved a significant improvement in muscle strength by removing the tumour. On the other hand, our paper highlights the dangers of double-sided steroid therapy, which, combined with the essential, effective treatment of rhabdomyolysis, may have contributed to the development of postoperative complications and candida sepsis leading to death.

Treatment of vena cava inferior leiomyosarcoma with cavotomy and right renal vein neoimplantation / Vena cava inferior leiomyosarcoma kezelése cavotomiával és a jobb vena renalis neoimplantatiójával

Leiomyosacroma of the inferior vena cava is an extremely rare malignancy originating from the tunica media of the venous wall. Its symptoms and radiomorphological signs do not always lead to an accurate diagnosis. Histological sampling can be dangerous due to its location. Therefore the diagnosis is often a challenge for clinicians. Its treatment is primarily surgical, supplemented by radiotherapy and chemotherapy applied together or in monotherapy. In our case, an asymptomatic 74-year-old female patient was diagnosed with a tumor of the inferior caval vein located just above the right renal vein and involving the right adrenal gland. As serum cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), total and free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) was at normal level, the tumor showed no hormone secretion. Primary surgical resection was planned. Preoperative biopsy was not performed due to its high risk of complications. During operation, tumor resection was performed by resection of the venous wall, removal of the right adrenal gland and neoimplantation of the right renal vein. For better exposure, cholecystectomy was also performed at the beginning of surgery. There were no postoperative complications. The patient received adjuvant radiation therapy. Thanks to the early diagnosis of the tumor and the complete resection, we significantly increased the patient's chances of total recovery. With the radiotherapy performed, we reduced the likelihood of tumor recurrence.

[Decreasing morbidity after Associating Liver Partition and Portal vein ligation for Staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) with technical modification and patient selection]. / Speciális májmutét (Associating Liver Partition and Portal vein ligation for Staged hepatectomy, ALPPS) morbiditásának csökkentése átértékelt betegkiválasztási elvek és mutéttechnikai módosítás révén.

Introduction: Resecability of liver tumors is exclusively depending on the future liver remnant (FLR). The remnant can be hypertrophised using portal vein occlusion techniques. The latest hypertrophising method is Associating Liver Partition and Portal vein ligation for Staged hepatectomy (ALPPS), which provides the most significant induced hypertrophy in the shortest time. Morbidity and mortality of this procedure were initially unacceptably high. Aim: Reducing complications by better patient selection and modified surgical technique. Method: The First Department of Surgery, Semmelweis University, Budapest, prefers the 'no touch' technique, instead of 'complete mobilization'. For optimizing patient selection, an international registry (including our patients' data) was established. In addition to the surgical, we collected demographic, disease, liver function, histology, morbidity (Clavien-Dindo) and mortality parameters. Volume and function measurements were performed by using CT-volumetry and 99mtechnecium-mebrofenin SPECT/CT. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis (significance: p<0.05). Results: We performed 20 ALPPS procedures from 2012 to 2018. The relative volume increment and resectability in our department and among the 320 registry patients were 96% vs. 86% and 95% vs. 98%. Using 'no touch' technique, the Clavien-Dindo III-IV morbidity and mortality rates were significantly lower (22%-0%) than with 'complete mobilization' (63%-36%) (p<0.05). Based on the multivariate analysis of the registry patients, age over 60 years, liver macrosteatosis, non-colorectal liver tumor, >300 minutes operation time, >2 units of red blood cell transfusion, or insufficient FLR function before stage 2 were identified as independent factors influencing mortality (p<0.05). Conclusion: Mortality and morbidity of ALPPS can be reduced by proper patient selection and 'no touch' surgical technique. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(32): 1260-1269.

Modeling stream fish distributions using interval-censored detection times.

Controlling for imperfect detection is important for developing species distribution models (SDMs). Occupancy-detection models based on the time needed to detect a species can be used to address this problem, but this is hindered when times to detection are not known precisely. Here, we extend the time-to-detection model to deal with detections recorded in time intervals and illustrate the method using a case study on stream fish distribution modeling. We collected electrofishing samples of six fish species across a Mediterranean watershed in Northeast Portugal. Based on a Bayesian hierarchical framework, we modeled the probability of water presence in stream channels, and the probability of species occupancy conditional on water presence, in relation to environmental and spatial variables. We also modeled time-to-first detection conditional on occupancy in relation to local factors, using modified interval-censored exponential survival models. Posterior distributions of occupancy probabilities derived from the models were used to produce species distribution maps. Simulations indicated that the modified time-to-detection model provided unbiased parameter estimates despite interval-censoring. There was a tendency for spatial variation in detection rates to be primarily influenced by depth and, to a lesser extent, stream width. Species occupancies were consistently affected by stream order, elevation, and annual precipitation. Bayesian P-values and AUCs indicated that all models had adequate fit and high discrimination ability, respectively. Mapping of predicted occupancy probabilities showed widespread distribution by most species, but uncertainty was generally higher in tributaries and upper reaches. The interval-censored time-to-detection model provides a practical solution to model occupancy-detection when detections are recorded in time intervals. This modeling framework is useful for developing SDMs while controlling for variation in detection rates, as it uses simple data that can be readily collected by field ecologists.