Correction of Tricuspid Regurgitation in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension is a contraindication to correction of tricuspid regurgitation.

Case Summary: A 75-year-old Italian woman with previous episodes of right heart failure was diagnosed with World Health Organization (WHO) functional class IV pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) complicated by torrential tricuspid regurgitation. After 6 months of treatment with diuretic agents, macitentan, and tadalafil, she improved to WHO functional class III, with a pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) decreasing from 5.

The fluid challenge for identification of pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease.

Purpose Of Review: Left heart disease (LHD) is the commonest cause of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The differential diagnosis between PH associated with LHD (PH-LHD) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may be difficult. PH associated with LHD is causally related to chronically increased pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP).

Hopelessness is associated to severity of both digital vasculopathy and lung disease in systemic sclerosis patients: a prospective one-year study.

Objectives: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune fibrosing disease with multi-organ involvement, significantly impacting quality of life. This study assessed the burden of hopelessness and its clinical and psychosocial correlates in SSc patients.

Methods: 76 SSc patients were followed prospectively over one year.

Patients with psoriatic arthritis and comorbid metabolic syndrome show a difficult-to-treat phenotype: another mosaic tile in the definition of a still undefined subset of patients.

Objective: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with psoriasis and characterised by heterogeneous clinical manifestations, including peripheral and axial arthritis, enthesitis and dactylitis. A subset of patients exhibits a 'difficult-to-treat' (D2T) phenotype, necessitating complex therapeutic strategies. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is highly prevalent in PsA patients and has been implicated in increased disease activity.

Feasibility and effectiveness of telemedicine for adult patients with congenital heart disease: A one-year single-center experience-based study.

Introduction: The number of adults with congenital heart disease has significantly increased in recent years. While telemedicine has emerged as a promising approach to improve care delivery and patient outcomes, its use for adults with congenital cardiopathies has not been extensively explored. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and clinical impact of a telemedicine programme for adults with congenital heart diseases.

Muscle Damage and the Repeated-bout Effect After a Typical Nordic Hamstring Exercise Session.

The present study investigated muscle damage and the repeated-bout effect after a typical Nordic hamstring exercise session. Thirteen trained male adults were recruited. Muscle damage was monitored through eccentric strength, passive range of motion, muscle soreness, and muscle swelling.

Echocardiography of the right heart in pulmonary arterial hypertension: insights from the ULTRA RIGHT VALUE study.

Aims: Outcome in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is determined by right ventricular (RV) function adaptation to increased afterload. Echocardiography is easily available to assist bedside evaluation of the RV. However, no agreement exists about the feasibility and most relevant measurements.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension with left to right shunts: When to treat and/or close?

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is defined as increase in mean pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). It can be associated with congenital heart disease (CHD) with the following subtypes: 1) uncorrected left-to-right (L-R) intracardiac shunt leading to overload of the pulmonary circulation and a progressive increase of PVR; 2) Eisenmenger syndrome, appearing when a large post-tricuspid shunt is left uncorrected and pulmonary vascular disease (PVD) is severe, so the shunt becomes bidirectional or right-to-left, causing cyanosis; 3) PAH after shunt closure, when PVR arises after a defect correction; and 4) PAH associated with small or coincidental defects. While the treatment of patients with Eisenmenger syndrome is well established, the treatment of patients with PAH in whom there is a L-R shunt (with no cyanosis) remains unclear and requires expertise.

Clinical presentation and genetic characterization of early-onset atrial fibrillation in patients affected by long QT syndrome: A single-center experience.

Introduction: Early-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) has already been observed in approximately 2% of patients with genetically proven long QT syndrome (LQTS). This frequency is higher than population-based estimates of early-onset AF. However, the concomitant expression of AF in LQTS is likely underestimated.

Antiarrhythmic therapy for narrow QRS supraventricular tachyarrhythmias in newborns and infants in the first year of life: Potent tools to be handled with care.

Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias pose a significant challenge in neonates and infants, particularly within the first year of life, where prompt and effective management is crucial. By synthesizing available evidence and clinical experience, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of antiarrhythmic therapy in this vulnerable population, with a focus on narrow QRS supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. This review examines the current understanding of supraventricular tachyarrhythmia management and discusses the challenges associated with antiarrhythmic therapy in newborns and infants during the critical first year of life, evaluating the efficacy and safety of various antiarrhythmic agents commonly utilized in this population, including dosing considerations, adverse effects, and strategies for acute management and prophylactic long-term antiarrhythmic treatment.

Increased Prevalence of Headaches and Migraine in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis and Axial Spondyloarthritis: Insights from an Italian Cohort Study.

Background: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) are inflammatory diseases with shared genetic backgrounds and clinical comorbidities. Headache, a common global health issue, affects over 50% of adults and encompasses various types, including migraine, tension-type, and cluster headaches. Migraine, the most prevalent, recurrent, and disabling type, is often associated with other medical conditions such as depression, epilepsy, and psoriasis, but little is known about the relationship between autoimmune disease and the risk of migraine.

Single-Chamber and Dual-Chamber Pacemaker Devices in Adults with Moderate and Complex Congenital Heart Disease: A Single Tertiary Referral Center Experience.

The number of device implantation procedures has increased in adult patients with congenital heart disease (ACHD). Despite significant improvements in materials and implantation techniques, these patients are exposed to higher risk of device related complications than general population. Herein, we describe our single tertiary referral center experience on transvenous pacemaker (PM) implantation and follow-up in adult patients with moderate and complex congenital heart disease (CHD) as limited data are available on long-term outcome.

The clinico-pathological spectrum of plaque-type blue naevi and their potential for malignant transformation.

Aims: Plaque-type blue naevi are rare melanocytic tumours presenting as large, pigmented plaques at birth or during childhood. There is a risk for malignant transformation, but no larger comprehensive studies exist and the diagnosis is challenging, especially on limited biopsy material. The aim is to describe the clinicopathological features and behaviour of the disease more comprehensively.

Efficacy of Electrochemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients of Different Receptor Status: The INSPECT Experience.

Electrochemotherapy has been proven to be an efficient treatment for cutaneous metastases of various cancers. Data on breast cancer (BC) patients with cutaneous metastases were retrieved from the INSPECT database. Patients were divided by their receptor status: HER2+, HR+ (ER/PgR+), and TN (triple negative).

Rethinking Electronic Effects in Photochemical Hydrogen Evolution Using CuInS@ZnS Quantum Dots Sensitizers.

Molecular catalysts based on coordination complexes for the generation of hydrogen via photochemical water splitting exhibit a large versatility and tunability of the catalytic properties through chemical functionalization. In the present work, we report on light-driven hydrogen production in an aqueous solution using a series of cobalt polypyridine complexes as hydrogen evolving catalysts (HECs) in combination with CuInS@ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as sensitizers, and ascorbate as the electron donor. A peculiar trend in activity has been observed depending on the substituents present on the polypyridine ligand.

Electrochemotherapy for the treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: The INSPECT experience (2008-2020).

Introduction: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a frequent skin cancer with a high risk of recurrence characterized by tumor infiltration and, in advanced cases, a poor prognosis. ECT (electrochemotherapy) is an alternative treatment option for locally advanced or recurrent cSCC that is unsuitable for surgical resection. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the data in the InspECT (International Network for Sharing Practice on ECT) registry of the referral centers and to clarify the indications for the use of ECT as a treatment modality for cSCC.

Prospektive Kohortenstudie von InspECT zur Sicherheit und Wirksamkeit der Elektrochemotherapie bei Hauttumoren und Metastasen in Abhängigkeit von Ulzeration.

Hintergrund: Elektrochemotherapie (ECT) ist eine wirksame lokale Behandlung von Hauttumoren. Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Wirksamkeit der ECT bei ulzerierten gegenüber nichtulzerierten Tumoren zu vergleichen und den Effekt auf tumorassoziierte Symptome zu untersuchen.

Methodik: 20 Krebszentren des International Network for Sharing Practices on Electrochemotherapy (InspECT) sammelten prospektiv Daten.

A Novel, Likely Pathogenic Germline Variant in a Patient With Unilateral Pheochromocytoma.

Context: Inherited MYC-associated factor X () gene pathogenic variants (PVs) increase risk for pheochromocytomas (PCCs) and/or paragangliomas (PGLs) in adults and children. There is little clinical experience with such mutations.

Objective: This report highlights an important approach.

Outcomes of older adults aged 90 and over with cutaneous malignancies after electrochemotherapy with bleomycin: A matched cohort analysis from the InspECT registry.

Background: With extending life expectancy, more people are diagnosed with cutaneous malignancies at advanced ages and are offered nonsurgical treatment. We assessed outcomes of the oldest-old adults after electrochemotherapy (ECT).

Methods: The International Network for Sharing Practices of ECT (InspECT) registry was queried for adults aged ≥90 years (ys) with skin cancers/cutaneous metastases of any histotype who underwent bleomycin-ECT (2006-2019).

Electrochemotherapy for advanced cutaneous angiosarcoma: A European register-based cohort study from the International Network for Sharing Practices of electrochemotherapy (InspECT).

Background: Cutaneous angiosarcoma (cAS) is a highly aggressive malignancy that challenges the radicality of surgical treatment. Electrochemotherapy (ECT), a skin-directed treatment based on cytotoxic chemotherapy combined with local electric pulses, may be an intraoperative adjunct and a new opportunity in the therapeutic strategy. This cohort study reports the experience with ECT as an option.

Linguine technique for excision of lentigo maligna and poorly defined non-melanotic skin cancer - A case series.

Accurately identifying the clinical margins of lesions such as lentigo maligna, lentigo maligna melanoma and other non-melanotic skin cancers can often be a clinical challenge. Irregular, poorly-defined peripheral margins accompanied by the presence of subclinical disease only detectable histologically can mean rates of incomplete excision are increased. We seek to highlight the use of the linguine technique for excision of lesions with poorly-defined peripheral margins.

Prognostic evaluation in palliative care: final results from a prospective cohort study.

Prognostic characterization in the initial assessment of patients with advanced cancer disease is an essential step to plan the most appropriate therapeutic program. Since clinical prediction of survival (CPS) may be of limited value, some authors have tried to integrate specific prognostic factors into prognostic multidimensional scores. We carried out a prospective cohort study in two palliative care units to compare the accuracy of the Palliative Prognostic (PaP) Score, the Objective Prognostic Score (OPS), and the Palliative Prognostic Index (PPI).