Microsurgical techniques are increasingly used for treating severe lymphoedema cases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of free vascularized lymph node transfer (LNT) in stage II breast cancer-related lymphoedema patients in comparison with non-surgical management. During the last 3 years, 83 female patients were examined at our lymphoedema clinic. Finally, 36 cases were included in this study and randomly divided in two groups: group A patients (n = 18, mean age 47 years) underwent microsurgical LNT; followed by 6 months of physiotherapy and compression, while group B patients (n = 18, mean age 49 years) were managed by physiotherapy and compression alone for 6 months. Patients of both groups removed their elastic garments after 6 months and were re-examined 1 year later. All the 36 patients had detailed evaluation of the affected extremity including limb volume measurement, infection episodes and scale scoring of pain, feeling of heaviness and functional status both at baseline and 18 month. Limb volume reduction was observed in both groups; mean reduction was greater in group A (57 %) than in group B (18 %). Infection episodes in group A were significantly reduced compared to those in group B patients. All group A patients reported painless and feeling of heaviness-free extremities with overall functional improvement, while the corresponding changes in group B patients were no more than marginal. Moreover, the LNT procedure was estimated as cost effective compared to conservative treatment alone. LNT represents an effective therapeutic approach for stage II lymphoedema patients; it significantly reduces limb volume, decreases recurrent infections and improves the overall function.

No abstract

Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) represent one of the most frequent and disabling morbidities of longstanding diabetes; therefore, early diagnosis is mandatory. The aim of this multicenter retrospective study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of white blood cell scintigraphy (WBC), 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18F) FDG PET/CT), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in patients with suspected DFI. Images and clinical data from 251 patients enrolled by five centers were collected in order to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of WBC, FDG, and MRI in diagnosing osteomyelitis (OM), soft-tissue infection (STI), and Charcot osteoarthropathy. In OM, WBC acquired following the European Society of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) guidelines was more specific and accurate than MRI (91.9% vs. 70.7%, p < 0.0001 and 86.2% vs. 67.1%, p = 0.003, respectively). In STI, both FDG and WBC achieved a significantly higher specificity than MRI (97.9% and 95.7% vs. 83.6%, p = 0.04 and p = 0.018, respectively). In Charcot, both MRI and WBC demonstrated a significantly higher specificity and accuracy than FDG (88.2% and 89.3% vs. 62.5%, p = 0.0009; 80.3% and 87.9% vs. 62.1%, p < 0.02, respectively). Moreover, in Charcot, WBC was more specific than MRI (89.3% vs. 88.2% p < 0.0001). Given the limitations of a retrospective study, WBC using EANM guidelines was shown to be the most reliable imaging modality to differentiate between OM, STI, and Charcot in patients with suspected DFI.

OBJECTIVE -To investigate the relation between diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) and left ventricular (LV) function in type 1 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-A total of 57 type 1 diabetic patients free of coronary artery disease and arterial hypertension were studied. Diagnosis of DAN was established by autonomic nervous function (ANF) tests, and LV systolic and diastolic functions were assessed by radionuclide ventriculography at rest.RESULTS -There were 24 patients who had definite DAN, established by the presence of two or more abnormal ANF tests, and 33 subjects were without DAN. DAN patients had impaired LV filling pattern, obvious by a reduced peak filling rate (3.1 Ϯ 1.1 vs. 3.7 Ϯ 0.7 end-diastolic volume [EDV]/s, P ϭ 0.011) and first third filling fraction (35.3 Ϯ 19.5 vs. 50.8 Ϯ 16%, P ϭ 0.002) as well as an increased time to peak filling (159.4 Ϯ 45.1 vs. 134.2 Ϯ 33.4 ms, P ϭ 0.02) after correction for age and heart rate. There were no differences between the two groups with regard to ejection fraction, cardiac output, and cardiac index, whereas the peak emptying rate was greater in DAN patients (4.1 Ϯ 0.8 vs. 3.6 Ϯ 0.8 EDV/s, P ϭ 0.019), suggesting LV hypercontractility. DAN patients had an increased heart rate (83.4 Ϯ 11.9 vs. 72.7 Ϯ 9.3 bpm, P ϭ 0.001) and slightly higher systolic blood pressure. As a result, LV working load at rest was higher in DAN patients (11,109 vs. 9,096 bpm ϫ mmHg, P Ͻ 0.001). Moreover, a correlation was found between abnormal LV systolic and diastolic indexes and the number of abnormal ANF tests.CONCLUSIONS -At rest, DAN patients have impaired LV filling pattern, slightly increased LV systolic function, and a higher LV working load, in comparison to non-DAN type 1 diabetic patients. Diabetes Care 26:1955-1960, 2003C linical and epidemiological studies have confirmed that patients with diabetes appear susceptible to heart failure, which is the leading cause of death in these patients (1). Impairment of left ventricular (LV) function is frequent in patients with type 1 diabetes, even in the absence of ischemic, hypertensive, or valvular heart disease (2). Possible mechanisms for a specific diabetic cardiomyopathy include abnormalities of small intramural coronary vessels, deposition of collagen, and lipids and metabolic derangements that alter actomyosin and myosin adenosine triphosphatase activities (3). Although histopathologic and biochemical evidence for a distinct diabetic cardiomyopathy is available, it remains unclear whether these pathologic processes may cause significant LV systolic or diastolic dysfunction. Numerous studies have reported normal LV systolic function at rest in most type 1 diabetic patients (4), whereas others have suggested increased LV systolic function (5,6). Several investigators have shown abnormal LV diastolic function in the majority of type 1 diabetic patients (7-11), whereas others (12) found no evidence of LV diastolic dysfunction at rest in longterm type 1 diabetic patients. It has been suggested that LV dysfunction in type...

No abstract

This study aimed to determine the ultrasonographic prevalence of Baker's cysts in knees with chronic osteoarthritic pain and investigate for cysts correlates and relationships with scintigraphically established synovitis. Consecutive patients with chronic osteoarthritic knee pain underwent clinical examination, X-rays, ultrasonography and early-phase bone scintigraphy. Eighty-nine Baker's cysts were detected in 328 knees with chronic osteoarthritic pain (27%), whereas one cyst was identified among the 54 non-osteoarthritic knees (2%, P<0.001). Baker's cysts were detected in 72/195 (37%) patients with knee osteoarthritis. Abnormal and intense tracer accumulation in early-phase bone scintigraphy were significantly more frequent in osteoarthritic knees with Baker's cysts (97 and 56%, respectively), than in those without (89 and 40%, respectively, P<0.05 for both). Clinical and radiographic variables could not predict the presence of those cysts. Baker's cysts are a common ultrasonographic finding in knees with chronic osteoarthritic pain and are associated with synovial inflammation and its grade.

No abstract

Background A new technique named “Selected Lymph Node” (“SeLyN”) was evaluated, aiming to identify the most functional groin lymph nodes (LNs) for an effective LN transplantation. Methods Bilateral lower‐limb SPECT‐CT was performed in the upper‐limb lymphedema patients, to select the most radioactive inguinal LN. Recorded data included demographics, stage, etiology of lymphedema, flap consistency in accordance to preoperative findings, flap size, number of LN, and harvesting time. Infection episodes per year and volume changes of the upper limbs were documented. Donor‐site complications were recorded and lower‐limb evaluation was performed through clinical examination, volume analysis, and lymphoscintigraphy. Results A total of 41 patients underwent a “SeLyN” transfer technique. The mean flap size was 28.34 cm2 containing a mean of 3.4 LNs. The mean time spent on flap harvest was 39 minutes. A mean 56.5% volume reduction (P < .001) and a mean 1.41 to 0.29 infection episodes per patient per year (P < .001) were recorded. Clinical evaluation and lymphography of the donor site advocated no major complications for a mean follow‐up period of 42.5 months. Conclusions “SeLyN” is a safe and effective technique in selecting the most suitable LNs, minimizing the donor‐site morbidity, and decreasing the overall operating time.