Pollockblum7073

Objective To evaluate the outcome of twin pregnancies that were complicated by rupture of membranes at 13-20 weeks of gestation and were managed by expectant management or by selective termination. Methods A retrospective cohort study of all bichorionic twin pregnancies that were referred to three fetal medicine units between 2001 and 2016, due to rupture of membranes of one sac at 13-20 weeks of gestation. Women without clinical signs of infection who opted for expectant management or selective termination were included. Results 20 patients met the inclusion criteria. 7 of them were managed expectantly and 13 underwent selective termination. In the expectant management group there was one case of fetal demise and two cases of neonatal death, resulting in a survival rate of 79 %. The median gestational age at delivery was 30 weeks. 3 neonates suffered from prematurity-related complications and 2 suffered from oligohydramnios-related orthopedic complications. Following selective termination the survival rate was 50 % (all fetuses that were not reduced), the median gestational age at delivery was 39 weeks, and the neonatal outcome was favorable. The maternal outcome was favorable in both groups. Conclusion Selective termination in twin pregnancies complicated by rupture of membranes at 13-20 weeks has a favorable outcome and should be offered.Aim The objective of this study was to assess the impact of implementing FDG-PET imaging in treatment algorithms for differentiated thyroid cancer with suspected recurrence. Primary end points were overall, event-free and disease-specific survival. Secondary end points were therapies, disease control and the sensitivity and specificity of PET imaging. Methods 194 patients with DTC treated at our center from 1996 to 2014 following thyroidectomy and routine 131I ablation with no remaining 131I uptake in whole-body scans but persisting or rising thyroglobulin values were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. Of these, 149 (76.8 %) received an 18F-FDG scan (PET group) whereas the remaining 45 patients (23.2 %) did not (non-PET group). Survival, disease-specific characteristics at inclusion, disease control and therapies were compared. Results Patients of the PET group generally showed characteristics associated with higher disease activity from inclusion onwards. This did not translate to statistically significant differences in survival. If PET imaging was performed following inclusion, patients received significantly less radioiodine treatments during the first nine months after inclusion (63.1 % of the PET-group vs 82.2 % of the non-PET group). Simultaneously, patients tended to receive more surgeries following PET imaging (27.5 % PET-group vs 13.3 % non-PET group). No significant differences regarding disease control were observed. Conclusion The early use of FDG-PET imaging in cases of suspected recurrence or existence of dedifferentiated DTC can lead to changes in therapy management, specifically identifying patients unlikely to benefit from additional radioiodine therapy who would instead qualify for surgical therapy methods.Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory and estrogen-dependent disease affecting about 10 % of the female population in fertile ages. There is no cure for endometriosis. The main symptoms include severe menstrual pain, ovulation pain, dyspareunia, dysuria and painful bowel movements. Endometriosis is associated with infertility. Endometriosis affects every day life with pain and fatigue and a negative impact on education, career, social life and quality of life. Endometriosis can emerge at the first menstruations and also continue to give symptoms after menopause. The symptoms can vary greatly between individuals and also during life. The pathofysiology is unknown but the most accepted theory is retrograde menstruation where endometrial cells implant into the peritoneum affecting different abdominal organs. The immune system fails to clear the endometrial cells which results in endometriotic lesions that might cause inflammation, pain and adhesions. The treatment includes hormone treatment, surgical treatment, pain medication, physiotherapy, counseling and sometimes multi-disciplinary pain rehabilitation. It is important to increase the knowledge of this common disease both among the public and health professionals since early treatment is of great importance to reduce the risk for chronic pain and severe effects on quality of life. We hope that the recently published clinical guidelines will result in better and more equal care for patients with endometriosis in Sweden.Right-sided heart failure is a common disease that leads to increased morbidity and mortality. Despite this it is ill understood. Echocardiography is currently the primary mode for diagnosis and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and fractional area change are good measurements to use for assessment. Volume management is central in treatment of both acute and chronic right-sided heart failure. In acute failure achieving effective diuresis is often more important than the addition of fluids. In the treatment of chronic heart failure, no strong evidence supports the use of RAAS-blockers, beta-blockers, aldosterone antagonists or digoxin. In the case of right-sided heart failure caused by pulmonary arterial hypertension vasodilator therapy may be of use, but not in cases of other forms of pulmonary hypertension.Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in children are generally mild and many are asymptomatic. However, recent international reports have described clusters of children presenting with an unusual syndrome of high, persistent fever, severe inflammation and single- or multiorgan dysfunction, with a suspected association to COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended that clinicians are aware of this rare syndrome and that suspected cases are treated in a multidisciplinary setting.Based on an agreement between the Swedish Government and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, the Confederation of Regional Cancer Centers was assigned to promote national concentration of highly specialised cancer care. From 2014 to 2018, concentration was implemented regarding treatments in ten different areas. It's too early to evaluate the medical results, but early experience indicates an increased consolidation of care, improved cooperation at the national level, establishment of national multiprofessional conferences and increased adherence to the national guidelines. Need for solutions at national level has been identified e.g. regarding national pricing and IT structure.This article describes the Scandinavian expansion of the previously described kidney exchange program STEP, and the first two exchanges that were performed between two Scandinavian countries late in 2019. All surgical procedures were performed simultaneously and/or coordinated at different hospitals in Scandinavia and the kidney grafts were transported between the participating units. Human cathelicidin Anti-infection chemical Four weeks after surgery, all recipients had a good and stable kidney function and all donors had recovered.X-ray scattering enables the structure of collagen-rich tissues, such as the cornea, to be examined at both the molecular and fibrillar level. The high-intensity X-rays available at synchrotron radiation sources, coupled with minimal sample preparation requirements, facilitates the rapid generation of high-quality X-ray scattering data from corneal tissue at a close-to-physiological state of hydration. Analysis of resulting X-ray scatter patterns allows one to quantify numerous structural parameters relating to the average diameter, lateral arrangement and alignment of collagen fibrils within the cornea, as well as the axial and lateral arrangements of collagen molecules within the fibrils. Here we describe the typical experimental setup and considerations involved in the collection of X-ray scattering data from corneal tissue.Tissue-engineered corneal constructs offer the potential of readily available corneal substitutes for transplantation. As with all medical devices and implants, these constructs require rigorous safety assessments, combined with well-described analyses of the implant's physical and biological characteristics. Although the constructs are developed in vitro, such studies are currently unable to fully emulate the complex biomechanical and biochemical conditions within living tissue, as well as the interplay between this environment and immunological factors. For these reasons, animal models remain essential to characterize such interactions. They form a stage where corneal implants can be tested for utility and survival in a living location to assess their ability to provide vision and avoid adverse event. Here, we examine the surgical considerations of animal models and we describe how the rabbit can be used for this purpose. This animal has been the routine model for ophthalmological studies and we set out methods to implant corneal constructs with this species.The femtosecond laser has achieved widespread use in ophthalmology owing to its ability to deliver focused high energy that is rapidly dissipated and thereby does not damage surrounding tissue outside the precise focal region. Extremely accurate and smooth cuts can be made by the laser, enabling a range of applications in anterior segment surgery. Minimally invasive corneal surgical procedures can be performed using the femtosecond laser, and here we describe the application of such procedures to improve implantation of bioengineered materials into the cornea. Bioengineered corneal tissue, including the collagenous corneal stroma, promises to provide a virtually unlimited supply of biocompatible tissue for treating multiple causes of corneal blindness globally, thereby circumventing problems of donor tissue shortages and access to tissue banking infrastructure. Optimal implantation of bioengineered materials, however, is required, in order to facilitate postoperative wound healing for the maintenance of corneal transparency and avoidance of postoperative complications such as scarring, inflammation, and neovascularization. Moreover, the avoidance of a detrimental physiological physiological wound healing response is critical for facilitating the corneal stromal regeneration enabled by the bioengineered stroma. link2 Without proper implantation, the tissue response will favor inflammation and pathologic processes instead of quiescent keratocyte migration and new collagen production. link3 Here we describe several procedures for optimized biomaterial implantation into the corneal stroma, that facilitate rapid wound healing and regenerative restoration of corneal transparency without the use of human donor tissue. A step-by-step methodology is provided for the use of the femtosecond laser and associated techniques, to enable seamless integration of bioengineered materials into the corneal stroma.Chemotaxis plays a pivotal role in crucial biological phenomena including immune response, cancer metastasis, and wound healing. Although many chemotaxis assays have been developed to better understand these multicomplex biological mechanisms, most of them have serious limitations mainly due to the poor representation of native three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment. Here, we describe a method to develop and validate a novel 3D in vitro chemotaxis model to study the migration of corneal fibroblasts through a stromal equivalent. A hydrogel was used that contained gelatin microspheres loaded with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) in the inner section and corneal fibroblasts in the outer section. The cell migration toward the chemical stimuli over time can be monitored via confocal microscopy. The development of this in vitro model can be used for both qualitative and quantitative examinations of chemotaxis.