MRI in rectal cancer: An institutional real life analysis of technical parameters.

INTRODUCTION: MRI plays a key role in the preoperative staging of rectal cancers and choice of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy. Yet, the acquisition and interpretation of rectum magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) turn out to be unequal, impacting patients'care. The present study aims at evaluating the quality of the acquisition of technical parameters of the rectal MRI performed by comparing them according to the various guidelines. METHODS: The medical MRI reports of all consecutive patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated in a curative intent, by preoperative RCT and completion surgery were retrospectively reviewed over two periods (January 2010-December 2014 and January 2018 and December 2020) according to international 2012 and 2016 ESGAR and 2017 SAR MRI recommendation reports. RESULTS: During the first period (69 MRI performed), 58% of these MRI abided by the recommendations and 75% of essential criteria could be found in 25.5% of MRI reportings. During the second period (73 MRI performed), the protocol used by 6.8% of MR images abided by the 2016 Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR) recommendations and 39.7% abided by the Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR) recommendations. 75% of essential criteria could be found in 52.3% of MRI reportings and 90% of essential criteria could be found in 6.2% of MRI reportings. DISCUSSION: In an era of increasing individualized patient care and conservative treatment focused on tumour response and prognostic factors, the present study showed that compliance to MRI protocols and reporting guidelines needs improving to upgrade patient care.

Prevalence and risk factors for outer retinal layer damage after macula-off retinal detachment.

PURPOSE: To report the prevalence of outer retinal layer (ORL) damage after macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) surgery and to determine its associated preoperative risk factors. METHODS: 253 eyes successfully operated for macula-off RRD were included in the study. The integrity of the external limiting membrane (ELM), ellipsoid zone (EZ) and cone interdigitation zone (CIZ) of the photoreceptors was assessed at 1 month and 6 months using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Risk factors were analysed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The correlation between ORL integrity and visual outcomes was also evaluated. RESULTS: CIZ, EZ and ELM defects were found in, respectively, 198 (93.4%) eyes, 100 (47.2%) eyes, 64 (30.2%) eyes at 1 month and in 160 (63.2%) eyes, 44 (17.4%) eyes and 18 (7.1%) eyes at 6 months. In multivariate analysis, duration of macular detachment was the only factor associated with ORL damage at 6 months (p=0.007). Best-corrected visual acuity significantly improved from 0.5±0.3 at 1 month to 0.3±0.3 logarithm of minimal angle of resolution at 6 months (p<0.001) and was strongly correlated with the number of affected bands (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Prevalence of outer retinal band defects substantially decreased through the study period, confirming the ability of photoreceptors to recover over time. However, shorter interval to surgery and better visual outcomes were significantly associated with fewer defects within the ORL at 6 months. These findings suggest that earlier surgery may limit RRD-associated photoreceptor degeneration and improve the patient's visual prognosis.

Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling in Macula-off Retinal Detachment Complicated by Grade B Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical benefit of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling as a surgical adjunct in the repair of primary retinal detachment (RD) complicated by grade B proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). DESIGN: Retrospective, interventional, comparative case series. METHODS: Setting, study population, observationalprocedures and Main outcome measures. SETTING: Institutional. STUDY POPULATION: Seventy-five consecutive patients who underwent vitrectomy for primary macula-off RD complicated by grade B PVR. OBSERVATIONAL PROCEDURES: Patients were divided into an ILM peeling (Group P) and a no ILM peeling group (Group NP). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anatomic success rate, best-corrected visual acuity, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) characteristics were collected at 1 and 6 months. RESULTS: In all, 37 eyes with ILM peeling were included in Group P and 38 eyes without ILM peeling were included in Group NP. The anatomic success rate after single surgery was higher in Group P (89%) than in Group NP (66%, P = .03). Mean final visual acuity was 0.41 ± 0.40 logMAR in Group P vs 0.43 ± 0.22 logMAR in Group NP (P = .82). We found no epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation in Group P, whereas 5 cases of ERM (20%) were detected in Group NP (P = .012). The 2 groups did not differ in terms of cystoid macular edema occurrence, macular thickness, or photoreceptor damage. CONCLUSIONS: ILM peeling during vitrectomy in macula-off RD complicated by grade B PVR reduces the need for a second surgery for redetachment or macular pucker.

[Prescription of acetaminophen in five French hospitals: What are the practices?] / Prescription du paracétamol dans cinq centres hospitaliers français : quelles sont les pratiques ?

AIM: Acetaminophen is widely used in hospital settings and often considered as nontoxic. We conducted a multicentric study in order to evaluate its proper use. METHOD: Prescriptions from five general hospitals were analyzed, according to dose adjustments required in renal or liver failure, weight or chronic alcoholism, determined using a literature review. Other criteria have been assessed: indication for parenteral access, accuracy of administration time and pain assessment. RESULTS: Among the 1256 analyzed prescriptions, 21% are non-compliants. The main causes of non-compliance (NC) are adjustments to weight and renal failure. Higher NC rates concern chronic alcoholism and liver failure. CONCLUSION: Misuse of acetaminophen seems related to a lack of official recommendations concerning dose adjustments. Hospital pharmacists have an important role to play in the promotion of proper use of acetaminophen. Therefore we established a prescribing aid.

Validity of aqueous flare measurement in predicting proliferative vitreoretinopathy in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

PURPOSE: To investigate aqueous flare as a preoperative predictor for later proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) development in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) and to determine the validity of this measurement in patients at low clinical risk for postoperative PVR. METHODS: This study included 100 eyes of 100 patients who underwent surgery for primary RD. Aqueous flare was determined preoperatively with a laser flare-cell meter (Kowa FM-500, Kowa Company Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). Patients were followed for at least 6 months postoperatively. Failures related to PVR were recorded for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Twenty eyes (20%) developed PVR postoperatively. Preoperative flare values in these eyes were significantly higher than in eyes with no redetachment (48.12 ± 61.24 versus 17.74 ± 29.63 photon counts per millisecond (pc/ms), p = 0.002). The odds ratio for PVR development with flare values >15 pc/ms was 12.3 (p < 0.0001, 95% confidence interval, 3.54-42.59). Of 54 eyes at low clinical risk for postoperative PVR, five developed PVR postoperatively. Flare values were significantly higher in these eyes (25.30 ± 7.10 pc/ms) than in eyes with no redetachment (12.44 ± 10.16 pc/ms, p = 0.008). Using logistic regression, the odds ratio of PVR redetachment risk increased by the factor 1.078 per 1 pc/ms of flare value (95% CI, 1.01-1.15). CONCLUSION: Preoperative aqueous flare is a strong predictive factor for PVR redetachment. The laser flare-cell meter provides a fast and safe tool to accurately identify patients at risk for postoperative PVR, especially when clinical examination did not predict this risk.

Previous radiation for prostate neoplasm alters surgical and oncologic outcomes after rectal cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: Previous radiation for prostate cancer (PC) contra-indicates neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer (RC) because of risk of cumulative radiation dose toxicity. Postoperative outcomes after proctectomy have not been well studied in these patients who did not receive optimal treatment. METHODS: Eighty-four consecutive male patients underwent surgery for stage II-III mid or low RC between 2002 and 2011. Patients who previously received radiation for PC (n = 8) and patients who had not previously undergone radiation for PC but who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for RC (n = 64) were retrospectively compared. RESULTS: Previous radiation for PC was an independent factor that significantly increased intraoperative (25% vs. 1.6%, P = 0.002) and postoperative morbidities (62.5% vs. 28.1%, P = 0.028), anastomotic leakage (62.5% vs. 12.5%, P < 0.001) and definitive stoma rates (25% vs. 17.4%, P = 0.022). It significantly altered median overall survival (32.0 vs. 130.6 months, P = 0.05) and local recurrence-free survival rates (14.0 months vs. "median not reached," P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of altered survival rates after proctectomy in patients who had previously received radiation for PC. Postoperative morbidity and definitive defunctioning stoma rates were significantly increased in these patients with poor prognoses. Therapeutic strategies should thus be individualized. Large, multicenter cohort studies are needed.

Imiquimod and pulmonary embolism: a case report.

Bilateral pulmonary embolism possibly related due to topically applied imiquimod is reported in a 47-year-old male patient with no evidence of risk factors.

Evaluation of fluoroquinolone reduced dosage regimens in elderly patients by using pharmacokinetic modelling and Monte Carlo simulations.

OBJECTIVES: Fluoroquinolones are widely used in geriatric patients, but elderly patients are known to be at increased risk of decline in renal function. As fluoroquinolones usually exhibit a dominant renal elimination pathway, reduced dosage regimens are often used in geriatric patients. Our objective was to assess the capability to reach a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic target of efficacy with such reduced dosage regimens of ofloxacin, levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in elderly patients. METHODS: Using Monte Carlo simulations, 1000 simulated elderly patients were created, based on published pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data, and measured demographic data. Three usually proposed drug regimens taking renal function into account were evaluated using compartmental models. The probability of reaching an fAUC/MIC >100 was calculated for each regimen. RESULTS: For MICs <1 mg/L, all simulated patients reach the efficacy target. However, with higher values of MIC, the proposed regimens were inefficient for patients with moderate or severe renal impairment: 3.4% and 30.2% of patients with moderate renal impairment reached the efficacy target for ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin, respectively, for an MIC of 2 mg/L. For ciprofloxacin, more than 80% of patients with severe renal impairment were unable to reach the target fAUC/MIC with an MIC as low as 1 mg/L, whereas for levofloxacin, all simulated patients reached the efficacy target until an MIC of 4 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that the proposed dosage reduction does not allow the same exposure to be achieved in elderly patients with renal impairment, eventually leading to treatment failure or development of resistant strains.