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Clinical Ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) 2023Sclerochoroidal calcification (SCC) is a rare disease which is characterized by calcium deposition in the sclera. The choroid is secondarily involved. Typical... (Review)
Review
Sclerochoroidal calcification (SCC) is a rare disease which is characterized by calcium deposition in the sclera. The choroid is secondarily involved. Typical localization is in the midperipheral region, outside the vascular arcades. SCC is mostly located in the superotemporal quadrant. Often times, the patients are referred with the diagnosis of an amelanotic tumor. SCC may be dystrophic or metastatic. Metastatic SCC lesions are associated with conditions altering calcium and phosphate metabolism including primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism, vitamin D intoxication, renal failure, hyperphosphatemia, and destructive bony lesions. SCC lesions have a characteristic appearance and appear as distinct, ill-defined, yellow-white, elevated scleral/choroidal masses funduscopically. The purpose of this literature review is to review the current knowledge on SCC, highlight the imaging features, and discuss the differential diagnosis as well as management options.
PubMed: 37720010
DOI: 10.2147/OPTH.S399058 -
Medicine Sep 2023High-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy (HR-PDR) is the advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy progression with poor prior treatment efficacy and high rates of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Efficacy and safety of pan retinal photocoagulation combined with intravitreal anti-VEGF agents for high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
High-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy (HR-PDR) is the advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy progression with poor prior treatment efficacy and high rates of blindness. This meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy and safety of pan retinal photocoagulation (PRP) combined with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (aVEGF) (PRP + aVEGF) versus PRP monotherapy in HR-PDR patients.
METHODS
A thorough search was performed through PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cochran Library from inception to December 18, 2022. Outcome measures included change in central macular thickness, best-corrected visual acuity, fluorescein angiography, incidence of undergoing vitrectomy, and adverse events during the follow-up period.
RESULTS
Eight studies (6 randomized controlled trials and 2 retrospective studies) with 375 eyes were included in this meta-analysis. There were no obvious differences in the changes of best-corrected visual acuity and fluorescein angiography between the PRP + aVEGF and PRP monotherapy groups. However, PRP + aVEGF group had a significant reduction in the change of central macula thickness (standard mean deviations = -1.44, 95%CI = -2.55 to -0.32, P = .01) and the rate of undergoing vitrectomy (odds ratio = 0.20, 95%CI = 0.05-0.83, P = .01). Additionally, the risks of vitreous hemorrhage and other complications were not significantly different between the 2 groups.
CONCLUSION SUBSECTIONS
Our meta-analysis indicated that PRP + aVEGF might have potential benefits in the treatment of HR-PDR patients. However, given several limitations of this study, more research is needed to confirm our findings.
Topics: Humans; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Diabetes Mellitus; Diabetic Retinopathy; Intravitreal Injections; Laser Coagulation; Retrospective Studies; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
PubMed: 37773800
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034856 -
Cureus Dec 2023Cardiovascular medicine and practice in recent times have evolved as complex procedures are performed to manage difficult cases. The majority of these interventions are... (Review)
Review
Cardiovascular medicine and practice in recent times have evolved as complex procedures are performed to manage difficult cases. The majority of these interventions are done percutaneously in order to minimize patient risk. Additionally, training specialist in handling these interventions require a lot of exposure to them; as such, patients are at higher risk of errors and complications from trainees before attaining expertise. In order to avoid these possible risks to patients and ensure their safety, using simulation commonly in cardiovascular specialist education is a possible trend in the future. This article aims to review randomized controlled trials that were performed in cardiology and vascular medicine regarding the use of simulating models to transfer skills to trainees. This study is a systematic review that includes publications dated from 2010 from any country and only in English. The search involved several combinations of search terms from medical subject headings (MeSH). Keywords in the title, abstract, and text for the population, intervention, control, and outcomes were first done in a pilot search to establish the sensitivity of the search strategy. Studies were searched in PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, and Hirani. Data were presented in the PRISMA flowchart and tabular form. A total of 389 studies were obtained from five databases using the search strategies. Eighty-nine studies were excluded for duplication. The total number of studies that did not meet the inclusion criteria was 269, and they were excluded based on abstract and title screening. Another 18 studies were excluded based on full-text screening. In this study, 13 articles were selected ranging from 2011 to 2022. The majority of the outcomes of the study demonstrated that simulation tutoring complements traditional methods of training. Countries of publication were the United States of America, Canada, Italy, Korea, California, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and France. Procedures simulated include coronary angiography, transseptal catheterization, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ultrasound-guided radial artery cannulation, diagnostic angiograms, coiled carotid terminus aneurysms in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage, middle cerebral artery embolectomies, renal artery angioplasty/stenting, endovascular aneurysm repair, transvenous pacing wire, intra-aortic balloon pump, and pericardiocentesis. Despite the accredited drawback of availability and cost noted with simulation-based education, there is evidence that it offers many advantages compared to traditional teaching methods. From this study, simulation-based teaching has been shown to effectively transfer skills to trainees especially when used as an adjunct to the apprenticeship method. As a result, we recommend that virtual reality education should be integrated with real-life teaching in modern cardiovascular modules as this will help ensure early skill transfer while maintaining patient safety.
PubMed: 38098737
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.50414 -
EClinicalMedicine Aug 2023Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) is associated with adverse outcomes of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). However, there are no studies describing the long-term,...
BACKGROUND
Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) is associated with adverse outcomes of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). However, there are no studies describing the long-term, full-spectrum right ventricular parameters on morphology, pressure and function at certain follow-up time points after PE onset. More exploration of right ventricular function would provide useful clues for long-term management of patients with PE.
METHODS
For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we completed a literature search in Pubmed, EMBASE and WebofScience (from Jan 1st, 1998 to April 20th, 2023). Studies of patients with acute PE followed-up longer than 3 months with right ventricle assessment and written in English-language were included. Right ventricular function was assessed by either echocardiography or computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA). The primary outcome was structural and functional parameters of the right ventricle, and the secondary outcomes were functional assessments [New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification and 6-min walk test distance (6 MWD)], at each follow-up time points. Random effect meta-analyses were performed using R software (PROSPERO: CRD42023433332).
FINDINGS
A total of 33 studies (3920 patients) were included in the final analysis. The 3-month, 6-month and 1-year prevalence of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) was 0.34 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.21-0.48, I = 96%], 0.26 (95% CI 0.17-0.36, I = 93%) and 0.34 (95% CI 0.19-0.48, I = 94%), respectively. Pooled tricuspid annulus plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), right ventricular to left ventricular diameter (RV/LV) ratio and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) at 1-year was 21.80 mm (95% CI 20.08-23.52, I = 93%), 0.64 (95% CI 0.48-0.81, I = 92%) and 27.33 mmHg (95% CI 18.88-35.78) (I = 96%), respectively. The proportion of NYHA III-IV was 0.06 (95% CI 0.0-0.12) and the pooled 6 MWD was 462.98 m (95% CI 447.55-478.41) over 1 year. Patients treated with thrombolysis had lower prevalence of RVD (1-year 0.17 and 0.07 in systemic thrombolysis and catheter-directed thrombolysis, respectively) than those treated with anticoagulation therapy alone (1-year 0.24) but the pooled risk ratio (RR) was not statistically significant.
INTERPRETATION
Although the conclusion of this study may be limited by its high heterogeneity from varied study designs, inclusion criteria and definition of RVD of each study, our findings suggested that persistent RVD and functional impairment were of considerable high prevalence during long-term follow-up after acute PE. Treatment strategy may influence the prevalence of long-term RVD.
FUNDING
This study is supported by CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS) (2021-I2M-1-061). The National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC0905600). National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding (2022-NHLHCRF-LX-01-02-03). CAMS Institute of Respiratory Medicine Grant for Young Scholars (2023-ZF-8).
PubMed: 37638233
DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102153 -
ESC Heart Failure Jun 2024Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a rare complication of vaccination. In this study, we sought to provide insight into the characteristics of reported TTS induced by...
AIMS
Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a rare complication of vaccination. In this study, we sought to provide insight into the characteristics of reported TTS induced by vaccination.
METHODS AND RESULTS
We did a systematic review, searching PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, Journals@Ovid, and Scopus databases up to 26 April 2023 to identify case reports or case series of vaccine-induced TTS. We then extracted and summarized the data from these reports. Eighteen reports were identified, with a total of 19 patients with TTS associated with vaccinations. Of the 19 included patients, the majority were female (n = 13, 68.4%) with a mean age of 56.6 ± 21.9 years. Seventeen patients developed TTS after coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination, 14 of whom received an mRNA vaccination. Two cases of TTS occurred after influenza vaccination. Among the 19 patients, 17 (89.5%) completed transthoracic echocardiography and 16 (84.2%) underwent angiography procedures. Seven patients (36.8%) completed cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The median time to symptom onset was 2 (inter-quartile range, 1-4) days. The most common symptoms were chest pain (68.4%), dyspnoea (57.9%), and digestive symptoms (31.6%). A total of 57.9% of patients developed nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, myalgia, diaphoresis, and fever. Among the 16 reported cases of TTS, 15 patients (93.8%) exhibited elevated cardiac troponin levels, while among the nine reported cases, eight patients (88.9%) had elevated natriuretic peptide levels. All patients had electrocardiographic changes: ST-segment change (47.1%), T-wave inversion (58.8%), and prolonged corrected QT interval (35.3%). The most common TTS type was apical ballooning (88.2%). Treatment during hospitalization typically included beta-blockers (44.4%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (33.3%), and diuretics (22.2%). After treatment, 81.3% of patients were discharged with improved symptoms. Among this group, nine patients (56.3%) were reported to have recovered ventricular wall motion during follow-up. Two patients (12.5%) died following vaccination without resuscitation attempts.
CONCLUSIONS
TTS is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of vaccination. Typical TTS symptoms such as chest pain and dyspnoea should be considered alarming symptoms, though nonspecific symptoms are common. The risks of such rare adverse events should be balanced against the risks of infection.
Topics: Humans; Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy; COVID-19 Vaccines; COVID-19; Vaccination; SARS-CoV-2; Echocardiography
PubMed: 38344896
DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.14719 -
Eye (London, England) Aug 2023The aim of this systematic literature review is twofold, (1) detail the impact of retinal biomarkers identifiable via optical coherence tomography (OCT) on disease... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
The aim of this systematic literature review is twofold, (1) detail the impact of retinal biomarkers identifiable via optical coherence tomography (OCT) on disease progression and response to treatment in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and (2) establish which biomarkers are currently identifiable by artificial intelligence (AI) models and the utilisation of this technology. Following the PRISMA guidelines, PubMed was searched for peer-reviewed publications dated between January 2016 and January 2022.
POPULATION
Patients diagnosed with nAMD with OCT imaging.
SETTINGS
Comparable settings to NHS hospitals.
STUDY DESIGNS
Randomised controlled trials, prospective/retrospective cohort studies and review articles. From 228 articles, 130 were full-text reviewed, 50 were removed for falling outside the scope of this review with 10 added from the author's inventory, resulting in the inclusion of 90 articles. From 9 biomarkers identified; intraretinal fluid (IRF), subretinal fluid, pigment epithelial detachment, subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM), retinal pigmental epithelial (RPE) atrophy, drusen, outer retinal tabulation (ORT), hyperreflective foci (HF) and retinal thickness, 5 are considered pertinent to nAMD disease progression; IRF, SHRM, drusen, ORT and HF. A number of these biomarkers can be classified using current AI models. Significant retinal biomarkers pertinent to disease activity and progression in nAMD are identifiable via OCT; IRF being the most important in terms of the significant impact on visual outcome. Incorporating AI into ophthalmology practice is a promising advancement towards automated and reproducible analyses of OCT data with the ability to diagnose disease and predict future disease conversion.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
This review has been registered with PROSPERO (registration ID: CRD42021233200).
Topics: Humans; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Artificial Intelligence; Retrospective Studies; Prospective Studies; Fluorescein Angiography; Biomarkers; Macular Degeneration; Disease Progression; Wet Macular Degeneration; Angiogenesis Inhibitors
PubMed: 36526863
DOI: 10.1038/s41433-022-02360-4 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023(1) Background: The current diagnostic algorithm for acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with the overuse of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). An additional... (Review)
Review
(1) Background: The current diagnostic algorithm for acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with the overuse of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). An additional highly specific blood test could potentially lower the proportion of patients with suspected PE that require CTPA. The aim was to summarize the literature on the diagnostic performance of biomarkers of patients admitted to an emergency department with suspected acute PE. (2) Methods: Medline and Embase databases were searched from 1995 to the present. The study selection process, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were conducted by two reviewers. Eligibility criteria accepted all blood biomarkers except D-dimer, and CTPA was used as the reference standard. Qualitative data synthesis was performed. (3) Results: Of the 8448 identified records, only 6 were included. Eight blood biomarkers were identified, of which, three were investigated in two separate studies. Red distribution width and mean platelet volume were reported to have a specificity of ≥ 90% in one study, although these findings were not confirmed by other studies. The majority of the studies contained a high risk of selection bias. (4) Conclusions: The modest findings and the uncertain validity of the included studies suggest that none of the biomarkers identified in this systematic review have the potential to improve the current diagnostic algorithm for acute PE by reducing the overuse of CTPA.
PubMed: 37443693
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13132301 -
Journal of the American Heart... Jan 2024Despite the initial evidence supporting the utility of intravascular imaging to guide percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), adoption remains low. Recent new trial... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Despite the initial evidence supporting the utility of intravascular imaging to guide percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), adoption remains low. Recent new trial data have become available. An updated study-level meta-analysis comparing intravascular imaging to angiography to guide PCI was performed. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of intravascular imaging-guided PCI compared with angiography-guided PCI.
METHODS AND RESULTS
A random-effects meta-analysis was performed on the basis of the intention-to-treat principle. The primary outcomes were major adverse cardiac events, cardiac death, and all-cause death. Mixed-effects meta-regression was performed to investigate the impact of complex PCI on the primary outcomes. A total of 16 trials with 7814 patients were included. The weighted mean follow-up duration was 28.8 months. Intravascular imaging led to a lower risk of major adverse cardiac events (relative risk [RR], 0.67 [95% CI, 0.55-0.82]; <0.001), cardiac death (RR, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.34-0.71]; <0.001), stent thrombosis (RR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.40-0.99]; =0.046), target-lesion revascularization (RR, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.49-0.91]; =0.01), and target-vessel revascularization (RR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.45-0.80]; <0.001). In complex lesion subsets, the point estimate for imaging-guided PCI compared with angiography-guided PCI for all-cause death was a RR of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.55-1.02; =0.07).
CONCLUSIONS
In patients undergoing PCI, intravascular imaging is associated with reductions in major adverse cardiac events, cardiac death, stent thrombosis, target-lesion revascularization, and target-vessel revascularization. The magnitude of benefit is large and consistent across all included studies. There may also be benefits in all-cause death, particularly in complex lesion subsets. These results support the use of intravascular imaging as standard of care and updates of clinical guidelines.
Topics: Humans; Coronary Artery Disease; Coronary Angiography; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; Ultrasonography, Interventional; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Thrombosis; Treatment Outcome; Death
PubMed: 38214263
DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.031111 -
IScience Aug 2023Fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is recommended in revascularization guidelines for intermediate lesions. However, recent...
Fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is recommended in revascularization guidelines for intermediate lesions. However, recent studies comparing FFR-guided PCI with non-physiology-guided revascularization have reported conflicting results. PubMed and Embase were searched for studies comparing FFR-guided PCI with non-physiology-guided revascularization strategies (angiography-guided, intracoronary imaging-guided, coronary artery bypass grafting). Data were pooled by meta-analysis using random-effects model. 26 studies enrolling 78,897 patients were included. FFR-guided PCI as compared to non-physiology-guided coronary revascularization had lower risk of all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR] 0.79 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64-0.99, I = 53%) and myocardial infarction (MI) (OR 0.74 95% CI 0.59-0.93, I = 44.7%). However, no differences between groups were found in terms of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) (OR 0.86 95% CI 0.72-1.03, I = 72.3%) and repeat revascularization (OR 1 95% CI 0.82-1.20, I = 43.2%). Among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), FFR-guided PCI as compared to non-physiology-guided revascularization was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and MI.
PubMed: 37520737
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107245 -
Global Spine Journal May 2024Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (Review)
Review
STUDY DESIGN
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
OBJECTIVE
Identify the incidence, mechanism of injury, investigations, management, and outcomes of Vertebral Artery Injury (VAI) after cervical spine trauma.
METHODS
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO-ID CRD42021295265). Three databases were searched (PubMed, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, CINAHL PLUS). Incidence of VAI, investigations to diagnose (Computed Tomography Angiography, Digital Subtraction Angiography, Magnetic Resonance Angiography), stroke incidence, and management paradigms (conservative, antiplatelets, anticoagulants, surgical, endovascular treatment) were delineated. Incidence was calculated using pooled proportions random effects meta-analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 44 studies were included (1777 patients). 20-studies (n = 503) included data on trauma type; 75.5% (n = 380) suffered blunt trauma and 24.5% (n = 123) penetrating. The overall incidence of VAI was .95% (95% CI 0.65-1.29). From the 16 studies which reported data on outcomes, 8.87% (95% CI 5.34- 12.99) of patients with VAI had a posterior stroke. Of the 33 studies with investigation data, 91.7% (2929/3629) underwent diagnostic CTA; 7.5% (242/3629) underwent MRA and 3.0% (98/3629) underwent DSA. Management data from 20 papers (n = 475) showed 17.9% (n = 85) undergoing conservative therapy, anticoagulation in 14.1% (n = 67), antiplatelets in 16.4% (n = 78), combined therapy in 25.5% (n = 121) and the rest (n = 124) managed using surgical and endovascular treatments.
CONCLUSION
VAI in cervical spine trauma has an approximate posterior circulation stroke risk of 9%. Optimal management paradigms for the prevention and management of VAI are yet to be standardized and require further research.
PubMed: 37924280
DOI: 10.1177/21925682231209631