Added value of EUS-B-FNA to bronchoscopy and EBUS-TBNA in diagnosing and staging of lung cancer.

Background: Bronchoscopy and EBUS are standard procedures in lung cancer work-up but have low diagnostic yield in lesions outside the central airways and hilar/mediastinal lymph nodes. Growing evidence on introducing the EBUS endoscope into the oesophagus (EUS-B) in the same session as bronchoscopy/EBUS gives access to new anatomical areas that can be safely biopsied.

Objective: To summarize the current evidence of the added value of EUS-B-FNA to bronchoscopy and EBUS-TBNA in lung cancer work-up.

Using the Endoscope for Endobronchial Ultrasound in the Esophagus.

EUS-B is a procedure using the echoendobronchoscope in the esophagus and stomach. The procedure is a minimally invasive, safe, and feasible approach that pulmonologists can use to visualize and biopsy structures adjacent to the esophagus and stomach. EUS-B gives access to many structures of which some may also be reached by EBUS (mediastinal lymph nodes, lung or pleural tumors, pericardial fluid) while others cannot be reached such as retroperitoneal lymph nodes, ascites, and lesions in the liver, pancreas or left adrenal gland.

Needs-based novel digital curriculum for the neuromodulation training deficit: Pain Rounds.

This study reports the needs-based development, effectiveness and feasibility of a novel, comprehensive spinal cord stimulation (SCS) digital curriculum designed for pain medicine trainees. The curriculum aims to address the documented systematic variability in SCS education and empower physicians with SCS expertise, which has been linked to utilization patterns and patient outcomes. Following a needs assessment, the authors developed a three-part SCS e-learning video curriculum with baseline and postcourse knowledge tests.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreas biopsy in the hands of a chest physician.

This is the first paper to report sampling of pancreatic lesions by EUS-B-FNA. A 76 year old patient suspected of primary lung cancer presented with a 36 × 24 mm lesion in the pancreas. Thoracentesis showed malignant cells suggestive of mucinous adenocarcinoma, but immunohistochemistry was inconclusive.

Filler-Induced Interstitial Nephritis in a Male-to-Female Transgender Person: A Case Report.

Transgender individuals experience lower overall health outcomes than cisgender individuals due to a higher burden of chronic illnesses in this demographic. An early loss in renal function is frequently seen in acute interstitial nephritis (AIN), which is defined by the presence of inflammatory infiltrates and edema inside the interstitium. Infections or medication use can cause interstitial nephritis.

North American Solitaire Stent Retriever Acute Stroke registry: post-marketing revascularization and clinical outcome results.

Background: Limited post-marketing data exist on the use of the Solitaire FR device in clinical practice. The North American Solitaire Stent Retriever Acute Stroke (NASA) registry aimed to assess the real world performance of the Solitaire FR device in contrast with the results from the SWIFT (Solitaire with the Intention for Thrombectomy) and TREVO 2 (Trevo versus Merci retrievers for thrombectomy revascularization of large vessel occlusions in acute ischemic stroke) trials.

Methods: The investigator initiated NASA registry recruited North American sites to submit retrospective angiographic and clinical outcome data on consecutive acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with the Solitaire FR between March 2012 and February 2013.

Rescue Thrombectomy in Large Vessel Occlusion Strokes Leads to Better Outcomes than Intravenous Thrombolysis Alone: A 'Real World' Applicability of the Recent Trials.

Background: The Interventional Management of Stroke III (IMS-III) trial demonstrated no benefit for intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) followed by endovascular therapy versus IV rt-PA alone. However, IMS-III mostly included earlier generation devices. The recent thrombectomy trials have incorporated the stent-retriever technology, but their generalizability remains unknown.

Predictors of Mortality in Acute Ischemic Stroke Intervention: Analysis of the North American Solitaire Acute Stroke Registry.

Background And Purpose: Failure to recanalize predicts mortality in acute ischemic stroke. In the North American Solitaire Acute Stroke registry, we investigated parameters associated with mortality in successfully recanalized patients.

Methods: Logistic regression was used to evaluate baseline characteristics and recanalization parameters for association with 90-day mortality.

Predictors of poor outcome despite recanalization: a multiple regression analysis of the NASA registry.

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy with stent-retrievers results in higher recanalization rates compared with previous devices. Despite successful recanalization rates (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) score ≥2b) of 70-83%, good outcomes by 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤2 are achieved in only 40-55% of patients. We evaluated predictors of poor outcomes (mRS >2) despite successful recanalization (TICI ≥2b) in the North American Solitaire Stent Retriever Acute Stroke (NASA) registry.

Influence of age on clinical and revascularization outcomes in the North American Solitaire Stent-Retriever Acute Stroke Registry.

Background And Purpose: The Solitaire With the Intention for Thrombectomy (SWIFT) and thrombectomy revascularization of large vessel occlusions in acute ischemic stroke (TREVO 2) trial results demonstrated improved recanalization rates with mechanical thrombectomy; however, outcomes in the elderly population remain poorly understood. Here, we report the effect of age on clinical and angiographic outcome within the North American Solitaire-FR Stent-Retriever Acute Stroke (NASA) Registry.

Methods: The NASA Registry recruited sites to submit data on consecutive patients treated with Solitaire-FR.

North American SOLITAIRE Stent-Retriever Acute Stroke Registry: choice of anesthesia and outcomes.

Background And Purpose: Previous work that predated the availability of the safer stent-retriever devices has suggested that general anesthesia (GA) may have a negative impact on outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing endovascular therapy.

Methods: We reviewed demographic, clinical, procedural (GA versus local anesthesia [LA], etc), and site-adjudicated angiographic and clinical outcomes data from consecutive patients treated with the Solitaire FR device in the investigator-initiated North American SOLITAIRE Stent-Retriever Acute Stroke (NASA) Registry. The primary outcomes were 90-day modified Rankin Scale, mortality, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage.

The role of esophageal stent placement in the management of postesophagectomy anastomotic leak.

Background/aim: Anastomotic leak after esophagectomy is one of the most challenging complications resulting in a high morbidity and mortality and prolonged hospitalization. The study intended to assess the outcome of endoluminal self-expanding stent in the treatment of this problem.

Settings And Design: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Arhus University Hospital, Skejby, Arhus, Denmark.

Balloon guide catheter improves revascularization and clinical outcomes with the Solitaire device: analysis of the North American Solitaire Acute Stroke Registry.

Background And Purpose: Efficient and timely recanalization is an important goal in acute stroke endovascular therapy. Several studies demonstrated improved recanalization and clinical outcomes with the stent retriever devices compared with the Merci device. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of the balloon guide catheter (BGC) and recanalization success in a substudy of the North American Solitaire Acute Stroke (NASA) registry.

North American Solitaire Stent Retriever Acute Stroke registry: post-marketing revascularization and clinical outcome results.

Background: Limited post-marketing data exist on the use of the Solitaire FR device in clinical practice. The North American Solitaire Stent Retriever Acute Stroke (NASA) registry aimed to assess the real world performance of the Solitaire FR device in contrast with the results from the SWIFT (Solitaire with the Intention for Thrombectomy) and TREVO 2 (Trevo versus Merci retrievers for thrombectomy revascularization of large vessel occlusions in acute ischemic stroke) trials.

Methods: The investigator initiated NASA registry recruited North American sites to submit retrospective angiographic and clinical outcome data on consecutive acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with the Solitaire FR between March 2012 and February 2013.

Refining angiographic biomarkers of revascularization: improving outcome prediction after intra-arterial therapy.

Background And Purpose: Angiographic revascularization grading after intra-arterial stroke therapy is limited by poor standardization, making it unclear which scale is optimal for predicting outcome. Using recently standardized criteria, we sought to compare the prognostic performance of 2 commonly used reperfusion scales.

Methods: Inclusion criteria for this multicenter retrospective study were acute ischemic stroke attributable to middle cerebral artery M1 occlusion, intra-arterial therapy, and 90-day modified Rankin scale score.

The natural history of vertebral artery origin stenosis.

Background: We sought to determine the long-term survival and natural history of vertebral artery origin stenosis (VAOS) as it relates to stroke.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data on patients admitted at a single institution for possible stroke between 2004 and 2007 and selected subjects who underwent angiography of the neck. We classified VAOS subjects as having "moderate" to "severe" (≥50%) occlusion.

Stroke severity predicted by aortic atheroma detected by ultra-fast and cardiac-gated chest tomography.

Background And Purpose: The presence of aortic atherosclerosis is an independent risk factor for secondary stroke. The present study was designed to have an initial exploration of the correlation between the load and extent of aortic atheroma (AA) and initial stroke severity or clinical outcome 3 months after stroke.

Methods: Cardiac-gated chest tomography (CGCT) was used to detect and measure AA in patients with acute ischemic stroke as shown by our group in prior prospective studies and this is part four sub-exploratory study of the same cohort.