Medicina
-
Background and Objectives: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains a worldwide management problem. Although there is a general effort for characterizing this population, few studies have assessed the predictive value of the echocardiographic E/e' ratio in patients with acute HFpEF. The aim of the study was to identify groups with different prognosis in patients hospitalized with a first acute episode of HFpEF. ⋯ Conclusions: The dimensionless E/e' ratio is a useful discriminator between patients with acute HFpEF. An E/e' value over 13.80 represents a simple, yet effective instrument for assessing the HFR risk. However, all-cause mortality at six months is not influenced by the E/e' ratio.
-
Review Case Reports
Elastofibroma Dorsi, a Rare Condition, with Challenging Diagnosis. Case Report and Literature Review.
Elastofibroma dorsi (ED) is known as a particular clinical and biological entity. We report a case of a bilateral elastofibroma dorsi (ED) in a 65-year-old female who presented to the Department of General and Oncologic Surgery of Emergency Clinical Municipal Hospital Timisoara, Romania. The patient was symptomatic on the right side, presenting pain in the interscapulothoracic region associated with a variable tumoral mass, dependent on the position of the right arm. ⋯ Microscopic examination of hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, and orcein stained slides revealed the diagnosis of ED. Considering the high rate of reported postoperative complications and the asymptomatic presentation of the contralateral subscapular mass, the patient underwent clinical and imagistic monitoring for the contralateral tumor. Due to its rare nature, ED is a difficult preoperative diagnosis that can, however, be suggested by its specific location and may require an accurate histopathological examination for a final diagnosis.
-
Multicenter Study
Lingual Lymph Node Metastases as a Prognostic Factor in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma-A Retrospective Multicenter Study.
Backgrounds and Objectives: The epidemiology and prognostic role of lingual lymph node (LLN) metastasis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear. Here, we aimed to analyze the clinicopathological features, risk factors, and prognostic role of LLN metastasis in patients with OSCC. Materials and Methods: In total, 945 patients with OSCC were retrospectively analyzed. ⋯ LLN metastasis was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free and overall survival, although LLN dissection did not improve survival outcomes. Conclusion: LLN metastasis is an independent adverse prognostic factor. Further prospective studies are needed to fully assess the extent of LLN dissection required in OSCC patients.
-
Background and Objectives: The jumping kick of Taekwondo was a unilateral exercise that repeatedly moves in one direction. The exercise was exposed to the risk of injury due to the heavy ground reaction force and load in the landing. The first purpose of this study was to compare the impact force (IF), peak vertical ground reaction force (PVGRF), vertical loading rate (VLR), vertical stiffness (VS), and landing foot angle (LFA) during the landing of the jumping kick according to the experience of lower injury. ⋯ However, in the bilateral asymmetry of the ankle plantar flexor and the ipsilateral asymmetry of the hip abductor/adductor, IG was statistically larger than NG (p < 0.05). The landing foot angle also showed negative correlation to all impact variables (IF, PVGRF, VLR, and VS) (p < 0.05); Conclusions: It is desirable to place the landing foot down at a wide angle to prevent injury in performing Taekwondo jumping kicks. Although NGs have been shown to have better muscle strength symmetry and balance in some areas compared to IG, further research is needed to determine whether they are effective in preventing injury.
-
Both laboratory investigations and body composition quantification measures (e.g., computed tomography, CT) portray muscle loss in symptomatic Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Muscle loss is associated with a poor prognosis of the disease. The exact mechanism of muscle damage in COVID-19 patients, as well as the long-term consequences of muscle injury in disease survivors, are unclear. ⋯ Neuromuscular electrical stimulation may restore muscle condition in ICU-admitted patients, albeit empirical evidence is needed. Given the contribution of malnutrition to disease severity and muscle damage, providing proper nutritional management for emaciated patients may be one of the key issues to achieve a better prognosis and prevent the after-effects of the disease. Considerable attention to longer-term consequences of muscle injury in recovering COVID-19 patients is necessary.