Retrospective Long-term Follow-up Study Research Articles

S663 Investigating the Risk Factors for Recurrence of T1B Esophageal Adenocarcinoma After Esophagectomy: A Long-Term Follow-Up Retrospective Study

S663 Investigating the Risk Factors for Recurrence of T1B Esophageal Adenocarcinoma After Esophagectomy: A Long-Term Follow-Up Retrospective Study

Incidence of and predictive factors for lung cancer in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A retrospective long-term follow-up study.

To determine the incidence and predictive factors of lung cancer in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We conducted a retrospective follow-up study of patients who were diagnosed with RA at our institution between April 2001 and December 2022. Pulmonary complications were evaluated using high-resolution computed tomography at RA diagnosis. Patients were followed until the diagnosis of lung cancer, diagnosis of other malignancies, death, loss to follow-up, or the end of the study. Among 771 RA patients, 3.5% were diagnosed with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE), 4.9% with interstitial lung disease (ILD) alone, and 6.0% with emphysema alone. During follow-up (mean of 9.3 years), the crude incidence rates of lung cancer per 1,000 patient-years were 2.9 in all patients, 47.8 in CPFE patients, 10.5 in ILD patients, 11.9 in emphysema patients, and 0.8 in patients without these complications. The standardized incidence ratios (95% confidence intervals [CI]) compared with the general population were 2.53 (1.29-3.77) for male patients and 0.89 (0.57-1.16) for female patients. In Fine-Gray regression analysis, adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) of lung cancer were 13.48 (3.14-57.85) for CPFE, 6.42 (1.42-29.09) for ILD alone, and 4.65 (1.18-18.30) for emphysema alone versus without these complications, and 1.02 (1.01-1.04) per additional 1 pack-year for smoking history. These factors were not associated with the risk of other malignancies. Close monitoring of lung cancer is needed for RA patients with smoking history and pulmonary complications, especially CPFE.

The majority of patients report satisfaction more than 24years after temporomandibular joint discectomy.

To retrospectively evaluate long-term outcomes after temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discectomy. Included patients (n = 64) had undergone discectomy during 1989-1998 at Umeå University Hospital. A questionnaire was used to evaluate pre- and postoperative symptoms, postoperative complications, general pain, and subjective opinion about the outcome of the surgery. The results are based on responses from 47 patients (40 women/7 men), including 36 (30 women/6 men) who completed the questionnaire and 11 (10 women/1 man) who were contacted by telephone and answered selected questions. Seventeen patients were excluded because of death, a move abroad, declining to participate, or no available patient information. Among the respondents, 41 (87%) were satisfied with the results, five (11%) were unsatisfied, and one (2%) patient did not answer the question. The results showed a significant long-term improvement in locking, clicking/crepitation, and pain when chewing or opening the jaw (p = 0.001). The prevalence of headaches had decreased significantly at follow-up (p = 0.001). Reported impaired jaw-opening capacity showed no significant improvement (p = 0.08). Of the 47 respondents, 19(40%) had asked for additional treatment after the discectomy, and six of the 19 patients (13%) had undergone more surgery of the joint. The results of this retrospective long-term follow-up study indicate that TMJ discectomy has a high success rate, as most patients were satisfied with the postoperative results. Discectomy is thus an effective surgical intervention for patients with disabling TMJ pain and dysfunction when conservative interventions have been unsuccessful.

Hypometabolism in the Posteromedial Temporal and Medial Occipital Cortex on Preoperative 2-Deoxy-2-(18F) Fluoro-D-Glucose Positron Emission Tomography Suggests Exacerbation of Visual Field Defects After Surgery for Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: A Retrospective Long-Term Follow-Up Study

ObjectiveSurgery is a good treatment option for drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). 2-deoxy-2-(18F) fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is used to detect epileptic foci as hypometabolic lesions in presurgical evaluation. Visual field defects (VFDs) in the contralateral homonymous upper quadrant are common postoperative complications in TLE. This study aimed to quantify VFDs using pattern deviation probability plots (PDPPs) and examine the effect of hypometabolism in FDG-PET on VFDs. MethodsThis study included 40 patients. Both visual fields were assessed using the Humphrey field analyzer (HFA) preoperatively and 3 months and 2 years postoperatively. PDPPs with <0.5% confidence level counted in the contralateral homonymous upper quadrant. FDG-PET results were compared between groups with (15 patients) and without (24 patients) hypometabolism in the optic radiation. ResultsAll 40 patients were evaluated by HFA at 3 months postoperatively and 39 at 2 years postoperatively. The incidence of VFDs 3 months postoperatively was 35/40 (87.5%), and 17/40 (42.5%) patients had severe VFDs. In cases of surgery on the left temporal lobe, ipsilateral eyes appeared to be more significantly affected than contralateral eyes. VFDs were more severe in patients with FDG hypometabolism than in those without hypometabolism in posteromedial temporal and medial occipital cortex (P < 0.01); however, 85% of patients with FDG hypometabolism had a reduced VFD 2 years postoperatively. ConclusionPDPP counting is useful for quantifying VFDs. Preoperative dysfunction indicated by preoperative FDG-PET in the posteromedial temporal and medial occipital cortex could enhance VFDs early after TLE surgery.

Low-dose anti-thymocyte globulin plus low-dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide-based regimen for prevention of graft-versus-host disease after haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplants: a large sample, long-term follow-up retrospective study.

The novel low-dose anti-thymocyte (ATG, 5 mg/kg) plus low-dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy, 50 mg/kg) (low-dose ATG/PTCy)-based regimen had promising activity for prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in haploidentical-peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (haplo-PBSCT), but its impacts on long-term outcomes remain to be defined. We performed a large sample, long-term follow-up retrospective study to evaluate its efficacy for GVHD prophylaxis. The study enrolled 260 patients, including 162 with myeloid malignancies and 98 with lymphoid malignancies. The median follow-up time was 27.0 months. For the entire cohort, the cumulative incidences (CIs) of grade II-IV and III-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) by 180 days were 13.46% (95% CI, 9.64%-17.92%) and 5.77% (95% CI, 3.37%-9.07%); while total and moderate/severe chronic GVHD (cGVHD) by 2 years were 30.97% (95% CI, 25.43%-36.66%) and 18.08% (95% CI, 13.68%-22.98%), respectively. The 2-year overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM), and CIs of relapse were 60.7% (95% CI, 54.8%-67.10%), 58.1% (95% CI, 52.2%-64.5%), 50.6% (95% CI, 44.8-57.1%), 23.04% (95% CI, 18.06%-28.40%), and 18.09% (95% CI, 14.33%-23.97%, respectively. The 1-year CIs of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation were 43.46% (95% CI, 37.39%-49.37%) and 18.08% (95% CI, 13.68%-22.98%), respectively. In multivariate analysis, the disease status at transplantation was associated with inferior survivor outcomes for all patients and myeloid and lymphoid malignancies, while cGVHD had superior outcomes for all patients and myeloid malignancies, but not for lymphoid malignancies. The results demonstrated that the novel regimen could effectively prevent the occurrence of aGVHD in haplo-PBSCT.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy for the management of primary and recurrent chordomas: a retrospective long-term follow-up study.

Chordomas have a high risk of recurrence. Radiotherapy (RT) is required as adjuvant therapy after resection. Sufficient radiation doses for local control (LC) can be achieved using either particle therapy, if this technology is available and feasible, or intensity-modulated radiotherapy. 57 patients (age, 11.8-81.6 years) with chordomas of the skull base, spine and pelvis who received photon radiotherapy between 1995 and 2017 were enrolled in the study. Patients were treated at the time of initial diagnosis (68.4%) or during recurrence (31.6%). 44 patients received adjuvant radiotherapy and 13 received definitive radiotherapy. The median total dose to the physical target volume was 70 Gy equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) (range: 54.7-82.5) in 22-36 fractions. LC was 76.4%, 58.4%, 46.7% and 39.9% and overall survival (OS) was 98.3%, 89%, 76.9% and 47.9% after 1, 3, 5 and 10 years, respectively, with a median follow-up period of 6.5 years (range, 0.5-24.3 years). Age, dose and treatment concept (post-operative or definitive) were significant prognostic factors for OS. Primary treatment, macroscopic tumour at RT and size of the irradiated volume were statistically significant prognostic factors for LC. Photon treatment is a safe and effective treatment for chordomas if no particle therapy is available. The best results can be achieved against primary tumours if the application of curative doses is possible due to organs at risk in direct proximity. We recommend high-dose radiotherapy, regardless of the resection status, as part of the initial treatment of chordoma, using the high conformal radiation technique if particle therapy is not feasible.

Combination of smoking and Epstein-Barr virus DNA is a predictor of poor prognosis for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a long-term follow-up retrospective study

BackgroundThis retrospective study was performed to determine the prognostic potential of smoking and its combination with pre-treatment plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).MethodsMedical records of 1080 non-metastatic NPC patients who received intensity-modulated radiotherapy were reviewed. Male patients were categorized as never and ever smokers, and the smoking amount, duration, and cumulative consumption were used to evaluate dose-dependent effects. Survival outcomes were assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the multivariate Cox regression analysis. Propensity score matching (PSM) was constructed.ResultsThe 5-year overall survival (OS) was worse for ever smokers than never smokers, and significantly decreased with the increase of smoking amount, duration, and cumulative consumption. Compared with never smokers, the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of death was higher in ever smokers (HR = 1.361, P = 0.049), those smoked ≥20 cigarettes/day (HR = 1.473, P = 0.017), those smoked for ≥30 years (HR = 1.523, P = 0.023), and those cumulative smoked for ≥30 pack-years (HR = 1.649, P = 0.005). The poor prognostic effects of smoking was also confirmed in the PSM analysis. The combination of cumulative smoking consumption and pre-treatment EBV DNA levels was proven to be an independent poor prognostic factor for male NPC, and the risk of death, progression, and distant metastases gradually increased with both factors (P < 0.001).ConclusionsCombination of smoking and pre-treatment EBV DNA levels as a predictor of poor prognosis could further improve the risk stratification and prognostication for NPC.

Use of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of osteoarthritis: A retrospective long-term follow-up study

BackgroundAvailable studies suggest that bone marrow concentrate, highly enriched in mesenchymal stem cells, is a potentially encouraging treatment for knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical outcome in patients affected by this condition after treatment with autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC). Methods55 patients who had undergone a single intra-articular injection of BMAC were administered two questionnaires to clinically evaluate their condition based on patient-reported outcome measures before treatment and at follow-up. ResultsAnalysis of the data collected indicates that patients experienced improvements in Tegner, VAS and WOMAC scores and that all outcomes at the follow-up improved in a statistically significant manner compared to outcomes at baseline. ConclusionsThe changes observed in the different scores examined suggest that a single BMAC injection seems to be a beneficial and safe treatment for knee osteoarthritis.

Low-Dose Antithymocyte Globulin Plus Low-Dose Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide for Prevention of Graft-Versus-Host Disease after Haploidentical Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplants: A Large Sample, Long-Term Follow-up Retrospective Study

Background: The use of haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) to treat hematological diseases is increasing. Two regimens for in vivo T-cell depletion are currently used in haplo-HSCT for prophylaxis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), including anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG)-based and posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy)-based regimens. Our previous studies have demonstrated that low-dose ATG plus low-dose PTCy (low-dose ATG/PTCy) combined with cyclosporine (CSA) and mycophenolate mofetil had promising activity for the prevention of GVHD in haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (haplo-PBSCT). Now, the efficacy of the low-dose ATG/PTCy regimen for GVHD prevention in haplo-HSCT was evaluated in a large sample with a long-term follow-up. Methods: The patients undergoing haplo-PBSCT between May 2017 and June 2021 in our center were enrolled in the retrospective study. The study included a variety of hematological diseases, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML, n=113), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, n=49), mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL, n=4), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS, n=18), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML, n=10), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL, 30) and multiple myeloma (MM, n=1). All patients received low-dose ATG/PTCy regimen for prophylaxis of GVHD including ATG 2.5 mg/kg administered on day −2 to −1 and cyclophosphamide (Cy) 50 mg/kg on day +3, cyclosporine A (CsA) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) initiating on day +4. The starting infusion dose of CsA was 2 mg/kg, after which the dose was modified to obtain a nadir serum level between 200 and 300 ng/ml, eventually tapering from day +90 to day +180. MMF was administered orally at 15 mg/kg three times daily (maximum dose of 3 g per day) until day +34 and discontinued if no aGvHD. Mycophenolic acid sodium enteric tablets (MPA) correspond to MMF instead. Grafts were from mobilized peripheral blood stem cells. Family members selected as haploidentical donors were defined on the HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 locus at the high-resolution level of the recipient donor number of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatches >2. Results: Two hundred and twenty-five patients undergoing haplo-PBSCT were enrolled in the study. There were 144 males and 81 females with a median age of 38 years (range, 6 to 69 years). At the time of transplantation, 146 (64.89%, 146/225) patients were in complete response (CR), while 79 (35.11%, 79/225) patients had active disease. One hundred and five patients received myeloablative conditioning (MAC) regimens, while 40 patients received reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens. All patients received PBSC grafts with the median CD34+ cells of 10.3 (1.64-46.55) × 108/kg, and the median mononuclear cells (MNCs) was 15.35 (3.48-39.74) × 108/kg. Ten patients failed to engraft, including 6 patients with primary graft failure and 4 with secondary graft failure. The median time for neutrophil engraftment was 12 days (range, 9-28 days), while the median time for platelet engraftment was observed in 13 days (range, 9-87 days). The cumulative incidence (CI) of grades I-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) was 30.7% (24.6-36.9%). The CIs of grades II-IV and III-IV acute GVHD by 100 days post-transplant were 12.4% (95%CI, 8.0-16.8%) and 4.6% (95%CI, 1.8-7.4%), respectively. While chronic GVHD was 31.2% (95%CI, 24.6-37.9%) and moderate/severe chronic GVHD was 16.4% (95%CI, 11.1%-21.7%). A total of 90 patients died. Fifty-nine patients died of non-relapse causes (NRM 59/225, 26.2%). With a median follow-up of 26 months (range, 0-61 months), 50 cases relapsed. The median time of relapse was 15.5 months (range, 1−46 months). The mean OS and DFS were 38.01 months (95%CI, 34.33-41.6%) and 35.45 months (95%CI, 31.75-39.15%). The 2-year disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) was 54.8% (95%CI, 48.94-62.26%) and 60.9% (95%CI, 54.24-67.56%) and 48.0% (95%CI, 41.14-54.86%), respectively. The 2-year CI of relapse was 26.6% and NRM was 16.6%. All patients were included in immune reconstitution studies and 81 cases were analyzed at each endpoint. On days +120, median CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+ and CD56/CD16+ counts were 954 (95-4891), 180 (8-743),754 (73-4272), 34 (1-276) and 215 (19-2539)/μl, respectively. Conclusion: The low-dose ATG/PTCy regimen presented a high efficacy for prophylaxis of GVHD in haplo-PBSCT.

Kidney biopsy diagnosis in childhood in the Norwegian Kidney Biopsy Registry and the long-term risk of kidney replacement therapy: a 25-year follow-up

BackgroundThere is scarce information on biopsy-verified kidney disease in childhood and its progression to chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD 5). This study aims to review biopsy findings in children, and to investigate risk of kidney replacement therapy (KRT).MethodsWe conducted a retrospective long-term follow-up study of children included in the Norwegian Kidney Biopsy Registry (NKBR) and in the Norwegian Renal Registry (NRR) from 1988 to 2021.ResultsIn total, 575 children with a median (interquartile range, IQR) age of 10.7 (6.1 to 14.1) years were included, and median follow-up time (IQR) after kidney biopsy was 14.3 (range 8.9 to 21.6) years. The most common biopsy diagnoses were minimal change disease (MCD; n = 92), IgA vasculitis nephritis (IgAVN; n = 76), IgA nephropathy (n = 63), and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS; n = 47). In total, 118 (20.5%) of the biopsied children reached CKD 5, median (IQR) time to KRT 2.3 years (7 months to 8.4 years). Most frequently, nephronophthisis (NPHP; n = 16), FSGS (n = 30), IgA nephropathy (n = 9), and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN; n = 9) led to KRT.ConclusionsThe risk of KRT after a kidney biopsy diagnosis is highly dependent on the diagnosis. None of the children with MCD commenced KRT, while 63.8% with FSGS and 100% with NPHP reached KRT. Combining data from kidney biopsy registries with registries on KRT allows for detailed information concerning the risk for later CKD 5 after biopsy-verified kidney disease in childhood.Graphical abstractA higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information

Cochlear Implantation in Patients with Mitochondrial Gene Mutation: Decline in Speech Perception in Retrospective Long-Term Follow-Up Study.

Clinical evidence of the effectiveness of cochlear implantation for hearing loss with mitochondrial DNA mutation is limited. Most reports have only described short-term postoperative speech perception, which may not reflect the limitations of cochlear implantation caused by progressive retrocochlear dysfunction. The present study aimed to investigate long-term speech perception after cochlear implantation in patients with severe to profound hearing loss associated with mitochondrial DNA mutation. A retrospective chart review was performed on patients with mitochondrial DNA mutation who had undergone cochlear implantation at the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Tokyo Hospital. We extracted data on causative mutations, clinical types, clinical course, perioperative complications, and short-term and long-term postoperative speech perception. Nine patients with mitochondrial DNA mutation underwent cochlear implantation. The mean observation period was 5.5 ± 4.2 years (range, 1–13 years), and seven patients were followed for more than 3 years. Two of the seven patients who initially showed good speech perception exhibited deterioration during long-term follow-up. The absence of an acute progression of cognitive decline in patients, showing a gradual decrease in speech perception, suggests that the deterioration of speech perception was caused by progressive retrocochlear degeneration. Although most patients with mitochondrial DNA mutation maintained good speech perception for more than 3 years after cochlear implantation, retrocochlear degeneration could cause the deterioration of speech perception during long-term follow-up.

Inflammation Markers Have Important Value in Predicting Relapse in Patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma: A Long-Term Follow-Up Retrospective Study.

PurposeMany markers of inflammation are increasingly found to have prognostic significance in some cancers. This study investigated the prognostic value of albumin/globulin (AGR), lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR), and other inflammatory markers, including neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the data of 764 patients newly diagnosed with PTC (608 women, 156 men) aged 10-83 years. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze recurrence rates and assess potential prognostic factors. Furthermore, we used random survival forests to construct a random survival forest score (RSFscore). The correlations between various inflammatory factors and traditional prognostic factors were analyzed. We also compared the areas under the curve (AUCs) of the RSFscore and 4 inflammation-based markers.ResultsAGR, NLR, PLR, and LMR were strongly associated with invasive clinicopathological features (tumor size, lesions, lymph node metastasis, and lymph node metastasis rate) and postoperative recurrence. In the multivariate analysis, AGR and LMR were independent prognostic markers for recurrent PTC. Higher NLR and PLR values indicated a higher risk of recurrence, while higher LMR and AGR values suggested a lower recurrence risk. The predictive power of the combined indicators was stronger than that of single indicators alone.ConclusionCompared to the analysis of a single indicator, the combination of inflammatory markers was more helpful in determining the risk of PTC recurrence, which has an important impact on predicting patients’ cancer-free survival and quality of life.

Effect of Shenmai Injection on Long-Term Prognosis of Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Multicenter, Large Sample Capacity, Long-Term Follow-Up Retrospective Cohort Study.

To explore the effect of Shenmai Injection (SMI) on the long-term prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The Hospital Information System was used to extract data of CHF patients, and the retrospective cohort study was conducted for analysis. In non-exposed group, standardized Western medicine treatment and Chinese patent medicine or decoction were applied without combination of SMI while in the exposed group, SMI were applied for more than 7 days. Evaluation indicators are followed with New York Heart Association functional classification (NYHA classification), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide precursor (NT-ProBNP), cardiogenic death and heart failure (HF) readmission. Statistical analysis includes Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression which are used to explore the relationship between SMI and outcome events. A total of 1,211 eligible CHF patients were involved and finally 1,047 patients were followed up successfully. After treatment, the cases of NYHA classification decline in the exposed and non-exposed groups accounted for 64.30% and 43.45%, respectively; the improvement values of LVEF were 8.89% and 7.91%, respectively; the improvement values of NT-ProBNP were 909 pg/mL and 735 pg/mL, respectively. After exposure on SMI, the rates of cardiogenic death and HF readmission reduced from 15.43% to 10.18% and 38.93% to 32.37%. According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, the log-rank P value of SMI and cardiogenic death was 0.014, while the counterpart of SMI and HF readmission was 0.025. Cox regression analysis indicated that for cardiogenic death, age, cardiomyopathy, diabetes, and NYHA classification were risk factors while β-blockers, aldosterone receptor antagonists, Chinese patent medicine/decoction and SMI were protective factors. Likewise, for HF readmission, age, cardiomyopathy, and NYHA classification were risk factors while SMI was a protective factor. Combination with SMI on the standardized Western medicine treatment can effectively reduce cardiogenic mortality and readmission rate in CHF patients, and thereby improve the long-term prognosis.

Retrospective interview-based long-term follow-up study of cats diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis in 2003-2009.

The aim of this study was to register long-term recurrence rates and mortality rates in cats diagnosed with feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC), with an observation period until death or a minimum of 10 years. Data regarding recurrence of signs of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and FLUTD-related mortality in cats diagnosed with FIC between 2003 and 2009 were obtained through structured telephone interviews with the cat owners from December 2018 until February 2019. The interviews were based on a standardised questionnaire covering whether the cat was still alive or not, whether death/euthanasia were due to FLUTD and whether the cat had experienced recurrent episodes of clinical signs of FLUTD. If recurrences had occurred, exact numbers or estimates of 1-3, 4-6 or >6 recurrences were recorded. The owners of 50/105 FIC cats included in a previous study (48%) were available for inclusion in the present study. At the time of the interview, only 6/50 cats (12%) were still alive. The FLUTD-related mortality rate was 20% (n = 10/50). Twenty-three cats (46%) had no recurrences, three cats (6%) were euthanased shortly after diagnosis, nine cats (18%) had 1-3 recurrences, three cats (6%) had 4-6 recurrences and six cats (12%) had >6 recurrences. For the remaining six cats, the number of recurrences was uncertain. The long-term prognosis for cats diagnosed with FIC may, based on the results from the present study, be regarded as fairly good, as approximately 70% of the cats either recovered without additional episodes, experienced only a few recurrences, are still alive after a minimum of 10 years since inclusion in the study, or were euthanased for reasons unrelated to FLUTD.

Clinical indications for the use of computed tomography in children who underwent frequent computed tomography: a near-13-year follow-up retrospective study at a single institution in Japan.

Recent studies suggest a causal link of childhood leukemia and brain tumor with repeated computed tomography (CT) scans. The reasons why frequent CT scans are taken in a specific child remain unclear. The present study aimed to clarify the medical reasons why frequent CT examinations in children, and the characteristics of the diseases of those children that required multiple CT scans. A long-term follow-up retrospective study was conducted over a 12.75-year period at a single institution. Radiological reports were investigated that contained the indications for the CT scans. The clinical indications were classified for the examination of children under 16 years of age who underwent more than three CT scans into trauma, tumor, inflammation, and others. This study showed that 8.5% of CT examinations were done three times or more. The numbers of patients by indication were 23.3% for trauma, 5.3% for hydrocephalus, and 2.3% for appendicitis. The frequencies of trauma and inflammation decreased rapidly with an increasing number of CT scans. In particular, hydrocephalus brought high frequency more than ten scans. Regarding the frequencies of clinical indications by age groups, there was a significant difference (p<0.05). The near-13-year follow-up study indicated the main clinical indications for frequent CT scans in children were trauma and hydrocephalus. Multiple follow-up CT scans in children with hydrocephalus would be traded off against the resultant increase in brain tumor risk associated with CT exposure.

Long-Term Quality of Life after Free Flap Upper Extremity Reconstruction for Traumatic Injuries.

Microsurgical reconstruction of upper extremity injuries is often challenging, and the resulting impact on the quality of life (QoL) may be significant. However, there is a lack of knowledge on long-term patient-reported QoL. In a retrospective long-term follow-up study, all consecutive patients with an upper extremity injury who had undergone a free flap reconstruction were identified and categorized into three groups based on the type of injury. Patient-reported upper extremity function and QoL were assessed using three validated questionnaires: the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, and the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ). A total of 61 patients were identified, of whom 10% had undergone a free flap reconstruction for soft tissue loss only, 62% for an injury accompanied by a fracture, and 28% for a (sub) total amputation. Twenty-one (44%) patients responded to the questionnaires, with a mean follow-up time of 9.7 ± 6.2 years. Patients, on average, reported poorer SF-36 "physical component score" and "role limitations due to physical health" scores compared with Dutch norms. Also, they reported poorer mean DASH scores compared with the general population, indicating worse upper extremity function. Mean MQH scores were lower for the injured side compared with the noninjured side. Pain correlated negatively with the total scores of DASH, MHQ, and SF-36. Free flap upper extremity reconstruction is challenging. At 10 years of follow-up, the injury and its treatment continued to have a significant impact on the upper extremity function and daily QoL, with chronic pain being an important factor negatively affecting these outcomes.

Clinical outcomes and risk factors of secondary extraintestinal manifestation in ulcerative colitis: results of a multicenter and long-term follow-up retrospective study.

BackgroundExtraintestinal manifestations (EIM) are common in ulcerative colitis (UC). In Shanghai, China, data on the incidence rate and risk factors of EIM in UC patients remain scarce.MethodsThe study population consisted of UC patients who were identified from a prospectively maintained, institutional review board-approved database at our institutes from June 1986 to December 2018. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the study participants were analyzed. The study included secondary EIM in UC patients and follow-up, while primary EIM was excluded. The diagnosis of EIM was based on clinical, radiological, endoscopic, and immunologic examination and histological findings.ResultsIn total, 271 eligible patients were included in the current study, with a median follow-up time of 13.0 years (interquartile range, 9.0–17.0), and including 31 cases (11.4%) that developed EIM. EIM was associated with clinical outcomes in UC patients and the following factors were identified as contributing factors for the development of EIM: a disease duration of >5 years (odds ratio (OR), 3.721; 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.209–11.456]), age at diagnosis >40 years (OR, 2.924, 95% CI [1.165–7.340]), refractory clinical symptoms (OR, 4.119; 95% CI [1.758–9.650]), and moderate or severe anemia (OR, 2.592; 95% CI [1.047–6.413]).ConclusionIn this study, approximately 11.4% UC patients go on to develop at least one EIM. Clinicians should prioritize early control of the disease and treatment of anemia in UC in order to prevent the development of EIM and improve disease prognosis.

Risk factors for recurrence of ameloblastoma: a long-term follow-up retrospective study

Ameloblastoma is a benign odontogenic tumour showing locally aggressive characteristics. This retrospective study was performed to investigate the long-term treatment outcomes of ameloblastoma and to evaluate the risk factors for recurrence. The study was conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong and covered the years 1990–2017. Patient demographic data, radiographic pattern and findings, clinical findings, tumour site and size, World Health Organization classification, treatment modality, histological pattern, duration of follow-up, and timing of recurrence were recorded and analyzed. The potential risk factors were analyzed by Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression tests. The cases of a total of 128 patients were reviewed; 65 were male and 63 were female. The mean follow-up period was 117 months. The 5-, 10-, and 15-year recurrence rates were 9.3%, 17.6%, and 24.4%, respectively. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression tests showed that recurrence was significantly associated with radiographic pattern, tumour size, and treatment modality. Multiple regression analysis for these three variables demonstrated that treatment modality was the only independent prognostic factor for recurrence. This study showed that radical resection is the only significant factor for a low recurrence rate of ameloblastoma and patients require long-term follow-up for late-onset recurrence.

Prognostic Value of Ultrasonography in Predicting Therapeutic Outcome for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after Conservative Treatment: A Retrospective Long-term Follow-up Study.

Purpose:This study aimed at investigating prognostic values of different ultrasound variables in predicting therapeutic outcome of the patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) after conservative treatment in a long-term follow-up data.Materials and Methods:One hundred and three participants with 162 affected hands were enrolled in this retrospective study. Records of baseline clinical information, nerve conduction studies (NCSs), and ultrasound assessment were retrieved. A structured telephone interview was conducted for acquiring patients’ response to recovery after treatment. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of individual ultrasound variable, adjusted for age, gender, and other confounding factors.Results:Perimeter at wrist (W-P), ratio of cross-sectional area of wrist over one-third distal forearm (R-CSA), changes of CSA from wrist to the one-third distal forearm (△CSA), and changes of perimeter from wrist to one-third distal forearm (△P) were negatively and significantly associated with “improved” and “no change” categories relative to reference category (“deteriorated” category). After adjustment for age, gender, affected hand side, surgical history, and comorbidity, for one unit increase of W-P/△CSA/△P, the odds of “improved” category versus “deteriorated” category decreased by 89.1%/56%/95.2%, whereas the odds of “no change” relative to “deteriorated” category decreased by 77.8%/54.6%/84.9% should one unit increase in the correspondent individual ultrasound variable.Conclusion:Ultrasound variables can significantly predict therapeutic outcome in CTS after conservative management in a long-term follow-up. Further studies may be required to assess whether a combination of clinical, NCS, and ultrasound variables can better predict the therapeutic outcome.

Is the removal of osteosynthesis plates after orthognathic surgery necessary? Retrospective long-term follow-up study

The removal of titanium miniplates is a controversial topic in oral and maxillofacial surgery. This retrospective study examined the timing of and reasons for titanium plate removal after orthognathic surgery. The study included 240 orthognathic surgery patients (71 male, 169 female; age range 16–55 years, mean 25.0±8.8 years) who had maxillofacial osteosynthesis plates inserted or inserted and then removed at the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital, between April 2003 and March 2017. During the study period, a total of 717 miniplates were inserted in the 240 patients, and 71 of the patients (29.6%) had 236 plates (32.9%) removed. Ten patients (14.1%) had their plates removed within a year due to early complications. Although no patient had their plate removed due to complications at 1–5 years postoperative, a further 14 patients (19.7%) had their plates removed after more than 5 years of long-term follow-up due to plate-related complications. Complications requiring plate removal were evidently biphasic, occurring within 1 year after the operation and at ≥5 years after the operation. Therefore, after confirming postoperative bone healing, it is necessary to explain to patients the risks of plate removal and the importance of long-term follow-up.