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Surgical Endoscopy Apr 2022Evidence and practice recommendations on the use of transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) for rectal cancer are conflicting. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Evidence and practice recommendations on the use of transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) for rectal cancer are conflicting.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to summarize best evidence and develop a rapid guideline using transparent, trustworthy, and standardized methodology.
METHODS
We developed a rapid guideline in accordance with GRADE, G-I-N, and AGREE II standards. The steering group consisted of general surgeons, members of the EAES Research Committee/Guidelines Subcommittee with expertise and experience in guideline development, advanced medical statistics and evidence synthesis, biostatisticians, and a guideline methodologist. The guideline panel consisted of four general surgeons practicing colorectal surgery, a radiologist with expertise in rectal cancer, a radiation oncologist, a pathologist, and a patient representative. We conducted a systematic review and the results of evidence synthesis by means of meta-analyses were summarized in evidence tables. Recommendations were authored and published through an online authoring and publication platform (MAGICapp), with the guideline panel making use of an evidence-to-decision framework and a Delphi process to arrive at consensus.
RESULTS
This rapid guideline provides a weak recommendation for the use of TaTME over laparoscopic or robotic TME for low rectal cancer when expertise is available. Furthermore, it details evidence gaps to be addressed by future research and discusses policy considerations. The guideline, with recommendations, evidence summaries, and decision aids in user-friendly formats can also be accessed in MAGICapp: https://app.magicapp.org/#/guideline/4494 .
CONCLUSIONS
This rapid guideline provides evidence-informed trustworthy recommendations on the use of TaTME for rectal cancer.
Topics: GRADE Approach; Humans; Laparoscopy; Postoperative Complications; Proctectomy; Rectal Neoplasms; Rectum; Transanal Endoscopic Surgery
PubMed: 35212821
DOI: 10.1007/s00464-022-09090-4 -
Gut Mar 2022Effective medical therapy and validated trial outcomes are lacking for small bowel Crohn's disease (CD) strictures. Histopathology of surgically resected specimens is...
OBJECTIVE
Effective medical therapy and validated trial outcomes are lacking for small bowel Crohn's disease (CD) strictures. Histopathology of surgically resected specimens is the gold standard for correlation with imaging techniques. However, no validated histopathological scoring systems are currently available for small bowel stricturing disease. We convened an expert panel to evaluate the appropriateness of histopathology scoring systems and items generated based on panel opinion.
DESIGN
Modified RAND/University of California Los Angeles methodology was used to determine the appropriateness of 313 candidate items related to assessment of CD small bowel strictures.
RESULTS
In this exercise, diagnosis of naïve and anastomotic strictures required increased bowel wall thickness, decreased luminal diameter or internal circumference, and fibrosis of the submucosa. Specific definitions for stricture features and technical sampling parameters were also identified. Histopathologically, a stricture was defined as increased thickness of all layers of the bowel wall, fibrosis of the submucosa and bowel wall, and muscularisation of the submucosa. Active mucosal inflammatory disease was defined as neutrophilic inflammation in the lamina propria and any crypt or intact surface epithelium, erosion, ulcer and fistula. Chronic mucosal inflammatory disease was defined as crypt architectural distortion and loss, pyloric gland metaplasia, Paneth cell hyperplasia, basal lymphoplasmacytosis, plasmacytosis and fibrosis, or prominent lymphoid aggregates at the mucosa/submucosa interface. None of the scoring systems used to assess CD strictures were considered appropriate for clinical trials.
CONCLUSION
Standardised assessment of gross pathology and histopathology of CD small bowel strictures will improve clinical trial efficiency and aid drug development.
Topics: Consensus; Constriction, Pathologic; Crohn Disease; Humans; Intestinal Obstruction; Intestine, Large; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 33952604
DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-324374 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2022The likelihood of timely treatment for cervical cancer increases with timely detection of abnormal cervical cells. Automated methods of detecting abnormal cervical cells... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The likelihood of timely treatment for cervical cancer increases with timely detection of abnormal cervical cells. Automated methods of detecting abnormal cervical cells were established because manual identification requires skilled pathologists and is time consuming and prone to error. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for the prediction, screening, and diagnosis of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Comprehensive searches were performed on three databases: Medline, Web of Science Core Collection (Indexes = SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI, A & HCI Timespan) and Scopus to find papers published until July 2022. Articles that applied any AI technique for the prediction, screening, and diagnosis of cervical cancer were included in the review. No time restriction was applied. Articles were searched, screened, incorporated, and analyzed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines.
RESULTS
The primary search yielded 2538 articles. After screening and evaluation of eligibility, 117 studies were incorporated in the review. AI techniques were found to play a significant role in screening systems for pre-cancerous and cancerous cervical lesions. The accuracy of the algorithms in predicting cervical cancer varied from 70% to 100%. AI techniques make a distinction between cancerous and normal Pap smears with 80-100% accuracy. AI is expected to serve as a practical tool for doctors in making accurate clinical diagnoses. The reported sensitivity and specificity of AI in colposcopy for the detection of CIN2+ were 71.9-98.22% and 51.8-96.2%, respectively.
CONCLUSION
The present review highlights the acceptable performance of AI systems in the prediction, screening, or detection of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions, especially when faced with a paucity of specialized centers or medical resources. In combination with human evaluation, AI could serve as a helpful tool in the interpretation of cervical smears or images.
PubMed: 36428831
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12112771 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2023The recovery of severely altered cadavers (i.e., extensively decomposed, mummified, charred or dismembered) can be a challenge for forensic pathologists due to the... (Review)
Review
The recovery of severely altered cadavers (i.e., extensively decomposed, mummified, charred or dismembered) can be a challenge for forensic pathologists due to the difficulties in identification, PMI estimation and manner and cause of death determination. In such cases, integrating routine approaches (autopsy, histology, toxicology) to more specific forensic branches can be fundamental to improving the investigative process. In this paper a systematic review using PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases has been performed. The aim was to evaluate the forensic approaches implemented in the management of severely altered bodies due to decomposition, mummification, skeletonization, charring or dismemberment (to which we refer to as "complex"), and the role of each approach in the solution of a case. Then, the literature revision results were used to propose a schematic flowchart summarizing the post mortem activities that can be performed in forensic practice, adaptable in relation to each case.
PubMed: 36673120
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13020310 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2022The vitality demonstration refers to determining if an injury has been caused ante- or post-mortem, while wound age means to evaluate how long a subject has survived... (Review)
Review
The vitality demonstration refers to determining if an injury has been caused ante- or post-mortem, while wound age means to evaluate how long a subject has survived after the infliction of an injury. Histology alone is not enough to prove the vitality of a lesion. Recently, immunohistochemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology have been introduced in the field of lesions vitality and age demonstration. The study was conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic review (PRISMA) protocol. The search terms were "wound", "lesion", "vitality", "evaluation", "immunohistochemistry", "proteins", "electrolytes", "mRNAs", and "miRNAs" in the title, abstract, and keywords. This evaluation left 137 scientific papers. This review aimed to collect all the knowledge on vital wound demonstration and provide a temporal distribution of the methods currently available, in order to determine the age of lesions, thus helping forensic pathologists in finding a way through the tangled jungle of wound vitality evaluation.
Topics: Autopsy; Forensic Pathology; Immunohistochemistry
PubMed: 35805886
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23136881 -
Injury Oct 2021Trauma-related preventable death (TRPD) has been used to assess the management and quality of trauma care worldwide. However, due to differences in terminology and... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Trauma-related preventable death (TRPD) has been used to assess the management and quality of trauma care worldwide. However, due to differences in terminology and application, the definition of TRPD lacks validity. The aim of this systematic review is to present an overview of current literature and establish a designated definition of TRPD to improve the assessment of quality of trauma care.
METHODS
A search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and the Web of Science Core Collection. Including studies regarding TRPD, published between January 1, 1990, and April 6, 2021. Studies were assessed on the use of a definition of TRPD, injury severity scoring tool and panel review.
RESULTS
In total, 3,614 articles were identified, 68 were selected for analysis. The definition of TRPD was divided in four categories: I. Clinical definition based on panel review or expert opinion (TRPD, trauma-related potentially preventable death, trauma-related non-preventable death), II. An algorithm (injury severity score (ISS), trauma and injury severity score (TRISS), probability of survival (Ps)), III. Clinical definition completed with an algorithm, IV. Other. Almost 85% of the articles used a clinical definition in some extend; solely clinical up to an additional algorithm. A total of 27 studies used injury severity scoring tools of which the ISS and TRISS were the most frequently reported algorithms. Over 77% of the panels included trauma surgeons, 90% included other specialist; 61% emergency medicine physicians, 46% forensic pathologists and 43% nurses.
CONCLUSION
The definition of TRPD is not unambiguous in literature and should be based on a clinical definition completed with a trauma prediction algorithm such as the TRISS. TRPD panels should include a trauma surgeon, anesthesiologist, emergency physician, neurologist, and forensic pathologist.
Topics: Algorithms; Humans; Injury Severity Score; Medical History Taking; Probability; Trauma Severity Indices; Wounds and Injuries
PubMed: 34389167
DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2021.07.040 -
Head and Neck Pathology Jun 2022The aim of the present study was to integrate the available data published in the literature on oral and maxillofacial neuroendocrine carcinomas concerning the... (Review)
Review
The aim of the present study was to integrate the available data published in the literature on oral and maxillofacial neuroendocrine carcinomas concerning the demographic, clinical and histopathological features of this condition. An electronic search with no publication date restriction was undertaken in April 2021 in four databases. Eligibility criteria included reports published in English having enough data to confirm a definite diagnosis, always showing a neuroendocrine marker. Cases originating in the oropharynx, including base of the tongue and tonsils, were excluded. Outcomes were evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method along with Cox regression. Twenty-five articles (29 cases) from nine different countries were detected. Mean patient age was 56.3 (± 17.5) years, with a slight male predilection. Symptomatology was present in 72.2% of informed cases. Regarding clinical presentation, a non-ulcerated nodule located in the gingiva with a mean size of 3.4 (± 2.0) cm was most frequently reported. Concomitant metastasis was identified in seven individuals. Histopathologically, most neoplasms were of the small cell type, and immunohistochemistry for both epithelial and neuroendocrine differentiation was used in 65.5% cases. Radical surgery was the treatment of choice in almost all cases, with or without adjuvant therapy. Mean follow-up was 20.5 (± 21.2) months, and only four patients developed recurrences. Eleven (44.0%) individuals died due to the disease. Ulcerated lesions were a prognostic factor. This study provides knowledge that can assist surgeons, oncologists, and oral and maxillofacial pathologists with the diagnosis and management of neuroendocrine carcinomas. Our findings demonstrated that the long-term prognosis of this lesion continues to be poor.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis
PubMed: 34870796
DOI: 10.1007/s12105-021-01398-2 -
Biomedicines Jun 2023Oral cancer (OC) is one of the most common forms of head and neck cancer and continues to have the lowest survival rates worldwide, even with advancements in research... (Review)
Review
Oral cancer (OC) is one of the most common forms of head and neck cancer and continues to have the lowest survival rates worldwide, even with advancements in research and therapy. The prognosis of OC has not significantly improved in recent years, presenting a persistent challenge in the biomedical field. In the field of oncology, artificial intelligence (AI) has seen rapid development, with notable successes being reported in recent times. This systematic review aimed to critically appraise the available evidence regarding the utilization of AI in the diagnosis, classification, and prediction of oral cancer (OC) using histopathological images. An electronic search of several databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the Saudi Digital Library, was conducted for articles published between January 2000 and January 2023. Nineteen articles that met the inclusion criteria were then subjected to critical analysis utilizing QUADAS-2, and the certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. AI models have been widely applied in diagnosing oral cancer, differentiating normal and malignant regions, predicting the survival of OC patients, and grading OC. The AI models used in these studies displayed an accuracy in a range from 89.47% to 100%, sensitivity from 97.76% to 99.26%, and specificity ranging from 92% to 99.42%. The models' abilities to diagnose, classify, and predict the occurrence of OC outperform existing clinical approaches. This demonstrates the potential for AI to deliver a superior level of precision and accuracy, helping pathologists significantly improve their diagnostic outcomes and reduce the probability of errors. Considering these advantages, regulatory bodies and policymakers should expedite the process of approval and marketing of these products for application in clinical scenarios.
PubMed: 37371706
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11061612 -
Journal of Infection Prevention May 2023Bronchoscopy is generally a safe and efficient procedure. However, the risk of cross-contamination with reusable flexible bronchoscopes (RFB) has been detected in... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Bronchoscopy is generally a safe and efficient procedure. However, the risk of cross-contamination with reusable flexible bronchoscopes (RFB) has been detected in several outbreaks worldwide.
AIM
To estimate the average cross-contamination rate of patient-ready RFBs based on available published data.
METHODS
We performed a systematic literature review in PubMed and Embase to investigate the cross-contamination rate of RFB. Included studies identified indicator organisms or colony forming units (CFU) levels, and total number of samples >10. The Contamination threshold was defined according to the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Nurse and Associates (ESGE-ESGENA) guidelines. To calculate the total contamination rate, a random effects model was applied. Heterogeneity was analysed via a Q-test and illustrated in a forest plot. Publication bias was analysed via the Egger's regression test and illustrated in a funnel plot.
RESULTS
Eight studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The random effects model included 2169 samples and 149 events (positive tests). The total RFB cross-contamination rate was 8.69% ± 1.86 (standard division [SD]) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.06-12.33%). The result showed significant heterogeneity of 90% and publication bias.
DISCUSSION
Significant heterogeneity and publication bias is likely associated with varying methodology and aversion towards publishing negative findings, respectively. Based on the cross-contamination rate an infection control paradigm shift is needed to ensure patient safety. We recommend to follow the Spaulding classification and classify RFBs as critical items. Accordingly, infection control measures such as obligatory surveillance, and implementing single-use alternatives must be considered where feasible.
PubMed: 37065274
DOI: 10.1177/17571774231158203 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023The main objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the evidence on the occurrence and characteristics of stuttering in individuals with Down syndrome and... (Review)
Review
The main objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the evidence on the occurrence and characteristics of stuttering in individuals with Down syndrome and thus contribute knowledge about stuttering in this population. Group studies reporting outcome measures of stuttering were included. Studies with participants who were preselected based on their fluency status were excluded. We searched the Eric, PsychInfo, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection databases on 3rd January 2022 and conducted supplementary searches of the reference lists of previous reviews and the studies included in the current review, as well as relevant speech and language journals. The included studies were coded in terms of information concerning sample characteristics, measurement approaches, and stuttering-related outcomes. The appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS) was used to evaluate study quality. We identified 14 eligible studies, with a total of 1,833 participants (mean = 131.29, standard deviation = 227.85, median = 45.5) between 3 and 58 years of age. The estimated occurrence of stuttering ranged from 2.38 to 56%, which is substantially higher than the estimated prevalence (1%) of stuttering in the general population. The results also showed that stuttering severity most often was judged to be mild-to-moderate and that individuals with Down syndrome displayed secondary behaviors when these were measured. However, little attention has been paid to investigating the potential adverse effects of stuttering for individuals with Down syndrome. We judged the quality of the evidence to be moderate-to-low. The negative evaluation was mostly due to sampling limitations that decreased the representability and generalizability of the results. Based on the high occurrence of stuttering and the potential negative effects of this condition, individuals with Down syndrome who show signs of stuttering should be referred to a speech and language pathologist for an evaluation of their need for stuttering treatment.
PubMed: 38094702
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1176743