Background and aims: This prospective trial was designed to compare the performance characteristics of five different screening tests in parallel for the detection of advanced colonic neoplasia: CT colonography (CTC), colonoscopy (OC), flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS), faecal immunochemical stool testing (FIT) and faecal occult blood testing (FOBT). Methods: Average risk adults provided stool specimens for FOBT and FIT, and underwent same-day low-dose 64-multidetector row CTC and OC using segmentally unblinded OC as the standard of reference. Sensitivities and specificities were calculated for each single test, and for combinations of FS and stool tests. CTC radiation exposure was measured, and patient comfort levels and preferences were assessed by questionnaire. Results: 221 adenomas were detected in 307 subjects who completed CTC (mean radiation dose, 4.5 mSv) and OC; 269 patients provided stool samples for both FOBT and FIT. Sensitivities of OC, CTC, FS, FIT and FOBT for advanced colonic neoplasia were 100% (95% CI 88.4% to 100%), 96.7% (82.8% to 99.9%), 83.3% (95% CI 65.3% to 94.4%), 32% (95% CI 14.9% to 53.5) and 20% (95% CI 6.8% to 40.7%), respectively. Combination of FS with FOBT or FIT led to no relevant increase in sensitivity. 12 of 45 advanced adenomas were smaller than 10 mm. 46% of patients preferred CTC and 37% preferred OC (p,0.001). Conclusions: High-resolution and low-dose CTC is feasible for colorectal cancer screening and reaches sensitivities comparable with OC for polyps .5 mm. For patients who refuse full bowel preparation and OC or CTC, FS should be preferred over stool tests. However, in cases where stool tests are performed, FIT should be recommended rather than FOBT.Colorectal cancer is one of the major public health issues in industrialised countries. Most colorectal cancers are thought to originate from benign adenomatous polyps that develop over a period of many years.1 Early detection followed by removal of adenomas has been shown to reduce incidence and colorectal cancer-related mortality.2 3Therefore, screening of the asymptomatic and average risk population is recommended by many organisations and expert panels, and is reimbursed by insurance companies in several countries. 4-7Next to colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) and guaiac-based faecal occult blood test (FOBT) are widely applied screening procedures which have been compared prospectively with each other. Colonoscopy has been found to be the screening test with the highest sensitivity and outperforms FS and FOBT which miss a significant number of relevant adenomas. 8 Colonoscopy, however, is not a perfect test in itself, and misses 6-12% of large adenomas. 9-11CT colonography (CTC), also known as virtual colonoscopy, and faecal immunochemical tests (FITs) have been proposed as screening tests for colonic neoplasia.12-14 They have at present not been integrated into screening programmes. Based on recent research, CTC shows heterogeneous results in the detection of colonic polyps: some studies demonstrated high sen...

We assume that conduction tissue impairment is provoked by mechanical compression with large prostheses in smaller annuli or in the larger area of the CoreValve covering the outflow tract and may appear instantly during the implantation procedure. Continuous post-operative electrocardiogram monitoring should be performed for at least 3 days in all patients after TAVI procedures and until discharge in patients with increased risk for this complication.

Background Population‐based data about the incidence and mortality of patients with aortic dissections ( ADs ) are sparse. Therefore, the hospital incidence and in‐hospital mortality of patients undergoing open or endovascular surgery for type A ADs ( TAADs ) and type B ADs ( TBADs ) in Germany were analyzed on a nationwide basis between 2006 and 2014. Methods and Results A secondary data analysis of the nationwide diagnosis‐related group statistics, compiled by the German Federal Statistical Office, was performed for patients who were surgically/interventionally treated for AD ( International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, German Modification [ ICD ‐10‐ GM ] codes I71.00‐I71.07; n=20 533). By using specific procedure codes, a distinction between TAAD (n=14 911/72.6%) and TBAD (n=5622/27.4%) could be made. The standardized hospital incidence of surgically/interventionally treated AD was 2.7/100 000 per year, comprising 2.0/100 000 per year for TAAD and 0.7/100 000 per year for TBAD . The in‐hospital mortality of TAAD was 19.5%; and of TBAD, 9.3%. Both the incidence and in‐hospital mortality increased over the 9‐year period. The share of endovascularly treated TBAD increased steadily during the same time interval. A multilevel multivariable analysis revealed that, for TAAD , age and comorbidity were significantly associated with a higher mortality risk. The latter was also true for TBAD . Sex was not significantly associated with mortality. A significant association between higher annual center volume and mortality was found for TAAD , but not for TBAD . Conclusions This is the first report on hospital incidence and mortality for surgically/interventionally treated AD on a nationwide basis. Overall, in Germany, hospital incidence and mortality of TAAD and TBAD increased over time. In addition, TAAD is performed more safely in high‐volume centers.

Background-Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is a highly specialized technique offering a new therapeutic option to patients at high risk for conventional surgery. Complications associated with this catheter procedure differ from complications after surgical aortic valve replacement. This is to report incidence, management, and impact on morbidity and mortality of CoreValve dislocation during catheter valve implantation. Methods and Results-Between June 2007 and September 2009, the self-expandable CoreValve prosthesis (Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, Minn) was implanted in 212 patients through a transarterial (femoral or subclavian) access. Patients with severe aortic stenosis who were at high risk for conventional surgery were included. We observed dislocation of the prosthesis during CoreValve implantation in 21 patients. In 16 cases, the CoreValve could be implanted in the correct annular position after retrieving it and reloading the catheter. In 4 patients, the completely deployed prosthesis had to be placed in the ascending or abdominal aorta before implanting a second one. One patient underwent open surgery. Overall 30-day mortality was 11.0%, 21.5% in the dislocation group and 9.9% in patients without dislocation (Pϭ0.024). Coronary ischemia, stroke, and renal failure occurred more frequently in patients with dislocation, whereas pacemaker dependency did not differ significantly between the groups. Conclusions-CoreValve