Israel Medical Association Journal

Background: Self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) insertion is an alternative to emergency surgery in malignant colonic obstruction. However, the long-term oncological outcome of stents as a bridge to surgery is limited and controversial.

Objectives: To determine the long-term oncological outcome of stents as a bridge to surgery.

Methods: Data of patients who underwent emergency surgery and endoscopic stent insertion as a bridge to surgery due to obstructing colon cancer at Soroka Medical Center during a 14 year period were collected retrospectively. Preoperative data, tumor staging, and oncological outcomes in terms of local recurrence, metastatic spread, and overall survival of the patients were compared.

Results: Sixty-four patients (56% female, mean age 72 years) were included in the study: 43 (67%) following emergency surgery, 21 stent inserted prior to surgery. A stent was inserted within 24–48 hours of hospital admission. The mean time between SEMS insertion and surgery was 15 days (range 0–30). Most of the patients had stage II (41%) and stage III (34%) colonic cancer. There was no difference in tumor staging and localization between groups. There was no significant difference in disease recurrence between SEMS and surgery groups, 24% and 32%, respectively. Disease-free survival rates were similar between the SEMS group (23.8%) and surgery group (22%). Four year and overall survival rates were 52.4% vs. 47.6%, 33.3% vs. 39.5%, respectively.

Conclusions: SEMS as a bridge to surgery in patients with obstructing colon cancer provide an equivalent long-term oncological outcome to surgery alone.

Background: Survival of patients who were discharged from the hospital following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has not been well defined.

Objective: To verify predictor variables for prognosis of patients following OHCA who survived hospitalization.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical, demographic, and outcome data of consecutive patients who were hospitalized from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2014, into the intensive coronary care unit (ICCU) after aborted OHCA and discharged alive. The patients were followed until December 31, 2015.

Results: Of the 180 patients who were admitted into ICCU after OHCA, 64 were discharged alive (59.3%): 55 were male (85.9%), 14 died 16.5 ± 18 months after their discharge. During 1 year follow-up, nine patients (14.1%) died after a median period of 5.5 months and 55 patients (85.9 %) survived. Diabetes mellitus and chronic renal failure (CRF) were more frequent in patients who died within 1 year after their hospital discharge than those who survived. Ventricular fibrillation, such as initial arrhythmia, and opening of occluded infarct related artery were more frequent in survivors.

Conclusions: Most of the patients who were discharged after OHCA were alive at the 1 year follow-up. The risk of death of cardiac arrest survivors is greatest during the first year after discharge. CRF remains a poor long-term prognostic factor beyond the patients' discharge. Ventricular fibrillation, as initial arrhythmia, and opening of occluded infarct related artery have a positive impact on long-term survival.

Background: In 2006, the Israeli Ministry of Health distributed guidelines for improving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge among hospital staff. The impact of these guidelines on survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is unclear.

Objectives: To compare rates of incidence and survival to discharge after IHCA, preceding and subsequent to issuance of the guidelines: 1995–2005 and 2006–2015.

Methods: Data were retrieved from the computerized records of patients who had an IHCA and underwent CPR. In addition, we retrieved data available from the hospital's resuscitation committee that included number, type, methods of training in CPR refresher courses, type and number of audits carried out during the past 10 years, and type of CPR quality assessments.

Results: From 1995 to 2015, IHCA incidence increased from 0.7 to 1.7 per 1000 admissions (P < 0.001), while survival rate did not increase (P = 0.37). Survival for shockable rhythms increased from 15.4 to 30.2% (P = 0.05) between the two time periods. The ratio of non-shockable to shockable rhythms increased from 2.4 to 4.6 (P = 0.01) between the two time periods.

Conclusions: Overall IHCA survival did not improve following the issuance of guidelines requiring CPR refresher courses, although survival improved for patients with initial shockable dysrhythmia. A decrease of events with initial shockable dysrhythmia, an increase with acute renal failure, and a decrease occurring in intensive care units contributed to understanding the findings. We found that CPR refresher courses were helpful, although an objective measure of their effectiveness is lacking.

Background: A good physical exam is necessary to help pediatricians make the correct diagnosis and can save unnecessary imaging or invasive procedures. Distraction by medical clowns may create the optimal conditions for a proper physical examination.

Methods: Children aged 2–6 years who required physical examination in the pediatric emergency department were recruited and randomly assigned to one of two groups: physical exam by a pediatrician in the presence of caregivers vs. physical exam with the assistance of a medical clown. Outcome measures consisted of the level of child's discomfort, anxiety, and the quality of the physical examination.

Results: Ninety three children participated. Mean age was 3.3 ± 3.6 years (range 2–6). The duration of the physical exam was similar between the clown and control groups (4.6 ± 1.4 minutes vs. 4.5 ± 1.1 minutes (P = 0.64). The duration of discomfort was shorter in the clown group (0.2 ± 0.6 minutes) than the control group(1.6 ± 2.0 minutes, P = 0.001). In the medical clown group, 94% of pediatricians reported that the medical clown improved their ability to perform a complete physical examination. A trend of less hospitalization in the medical clown group was also noticed (11.3% in the medical clown group vs. 18.3% in the control group, P = 0.1); however, further study is required to verify this observation.

Conclusions: Integration of a medical clown in physical examination improves the overall experience of the child and the caregivers and helps the pediatrician to perform a complete physical examination.

Background: During the past decades, beta thalassemia major (TM) and beta thalassemia intermedia (TI) have transformed from a universally fatal disease at a young age into a chronic disease. This advancement is attributed to improved chelation therapy as well as enhanced management strategies, with focused attention on disease and treatment-related complications.

Objectives: To describe characteristics of adults with thalassemia as well as treatment modalities, disease and treatment-related complications, and socioeconomic information of the patients.

Methods: We preformed a retrospective analysis of 14 adult patients > 35 years of age with TM and TI who were treated at our institute, a single center specializing in the care of adult thalassemia patients living in Israel, between the years 2006 and 2016.

Results: The median age of patients was 37 years and most patients were transfusion-dependent. The median number of chelation therapeutic lines was three, and 85.7% of patients were treated at one point by combination chelation therapy. Most patients suffered from at least some form of endocrine dysfunction (n=12), and four patients developed overt heart failure. Of the patients, 85% had completed at least a high school education, 78% were employed, and 64.2% were married.

Conclusions: Prolonged survival of thalassemia patients in recent years has been accompanied by a new set of challenges for both the patients and the treating staff. Further research is warranted to improve both medical management and the socioeconomic well-being of this unique group of adult thalassemia patients.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive imaging modality for the detection of sacroiliitis. Diagnosing sacroiliitis on MRI is not always straightforward and can be challenging in some cases.

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of alternative diagnoses suggested by MRI and characterize the MR appearance of the most common ones.

Methods: Consecutive MRI examinations of the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) performed between 2005 and 2012 were retrospectively evaluated for the presence of structural and active sacroiliitis findings according to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society guidelines. Alternative diagnoses, including degenerative changes, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), Osteitis condensans ilii (OCI), septic sacroiliitis/discitis, stress reaction as well as anatomic variants, were registered

Results: We evaluated 281 MRI examinations, 116 males, 165 females, average age 44 ± 15 years. Sacroiliitis was found in 71 examinations (25%) and alternative diagnoses were suggested in 87 (31%) (OCI 8.9%, anatomic variants 5.3%, septic sacroiliitis 5.3%, degenerative findings 4.3%, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis [DISH] 1.5%, stress reaction 0.7%, tumor 0.3%). A normal examination was found in the remaining 123 examinations. Patients with alternative diagnoses were older than those with sacroiliitis (62 vs. 47 years of age, respectively, P > 0.05). Alternative pathologies in the SIJ were significantly more common in females (66) than males (21), P < 0.05.

Conclusions: A substantial proportion of patients with suspected sacroiliitis had normal SIJ while the rest were more commonly diagnosed with other pathologies. A referral by an experienced rheumatologist may improve the sensitivity and specificity of this important examination.

Background: Metal-on-metal total hip prostheses (MoM-THR) have been shown to produce hypersensitivity reactions and fluid collection (pseudotumor) by the hip as well as high blood metal ions levels (BMILs).

Objectives: To evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) in selected body tissues around the hip of patients who underwent MoM hip replacement and to correlate to BMILs.

Methods: Sixty-one MRI hip examinations in 54 post-MoM-THR patients (18 males, 36 females, mean age 65 years) were retrospectively evaluated independently by two readers. The mean S/N ratio in a region of interest was calculated for periprosthetic pseudotumor collection (PPC), the bladder, fat, and muscle on axial T1w, FSE-T2w, and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences on the same location. BMILs were retrieved from patient files.

Results: PPC was detected in 32 patients (52%) with an average volume of 82.48 mm³. BMIL did not correlate with the presence of PPCs but positively correlated with the PPC's volume. A trend for positive correlation was found between BMILs and S/N levels of STIR images for muscle and bladder as well as for PPC and cobalt levels. A trend for correlation was also seen between BMIL with PPC's T1 w S/N.

Conclusions: Alteration of MRI S/N for different hip tissues showed a tendency for correlation with BMILs, possibly suggesting that metal deposition occurs in the PPC as well as in the surrounding tissues and bladder.

Background: Facial rejuvenation using different dermal and sub-dermal injectable compounds is a popular cosmetic procedure which may pose a diagnostic dilemma to the radiologist.

Objectives: To describe the appearance of cosmetic facial fillers on PET-CT.

Methods: All PET-CT exams performed between January 2015 and May 2017 in which findings suggestive of prior facial filler procedures was evident and where anamnestic confirmation with the patient was possible were reviewed.

Results: We describe five females who had undergone facial filler procedures leading to calcifications around the mouth and nasolabial triangle.

Conclusions: Familiarity with the appearance of such cosmetic procedures on PET-CT is of paramount importance in order to avoid misinterpretation of the findings leading to unnecessary apprehension and work-up.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which has recently become the leading imaging modality in the study of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), has not been evaluated in the assessment of disease-specific changes at the craniocervical junction (CCJ) in patients with AS.

Objectives: To describe the spectrum of active inflammatory lesions at the CCJ using MRI in a cohort of patients with AS and neck pain.

Methods: The study included 18 patients with AS presenting with neck pain and a control group of 9 fibromyalgia patients matched for age and levels of neck pain. All patients underwent a focused rheumatologic examination, X-ray of the cervical spine, and a 3T MRI study, which included STIR, CUBE T2, FSE and FSE FAT SAT sequences before and after administration of gadolinium.

Results: The median age of AS patients was 43 years with a median disease duration of 7 years. Fifteen of 18 patients were under biologic treatment. Seven of 18 AS patients had evidence of cervical syndesmophytes on X-ray films. Active inflammatory lesions of atlanto-occipital joints and apical and alar ligaments were detected in MRIs in 2 out of the 18 patients with AS and in none of the patients with fibromyalgia. Both AS patients with active inflammation of CCJ detected on MRI received treatment with biological agents prior to and during the study.

Conclusions: Active inflammation of both entheses and joints of the CCJ can be demonstrated by MRI in patients with AS.

Background: Blogs have become a major venue of information sharing and emotional release for people worldwide. Illness blogs are a specific type of blog in which patients describe their experience with illness and coping with disease. Illness blog research has been conducted on several disorders; however, blogs by Parkinson's disease (PD) patients have been neglected.

Objectives: To categorize the characteristics of PD patients from blogs and explore whether we can learn about the medical issues with which they are most concerned, as conveyed through their blog posts.

Methods: Using located PD patients' blogs, we analyzed the contents of 78 blogs, and employed thematic analysis of eight arbitrarily selected blogs.

Results: The majority of blog authors in our sample (N=78) were from the United States (42%). The number of blogs written by male and female authors was fairly similar: 49% and 44%, respectively, while gender was unknown for 7%. Blogs were written by both early- and late-onset PD patients. The thematic analysis revealed five major themes: diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, coping mechanisms, and information.

Conclusions: Thematic analysis of blogs by PD patients provided considerable information and insight regarding the experience of these patients, which is significant to other patients and their families, as well as to medical professionals. Further qualitative studies of larger blog samples utilizing data mining techniques are needed to further explore the subjective experiences of patients.

Background: In colon cancer, data regarding proximal and distal metastasis to lymph nodes remains scarce.

Objectives: To evaluate lymph node distribution along the longitudinal axis of the colon as related to a tumor to re-examine the common practice of 5 cm proximal and 2 cm distal resection margins.

Methods: We studied 106 patients (53 males and 53 females, mean age 67.9 ± 10 years) who had undergone left hemicolectomy or sigmoidectomy. Colonic cancer specimens were divided into five zones proximally and distally to the tumor. For each zone, overall lymph node evaluation and ratio was performed.

Results: The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes per patient was 24.3 ± 12, with 54.9% of the nodes concentrated in zone I, 22.1% in zone II, 9.5% in zone III, 10.3% in zone IV, and 3% in zone V. While most positive nodes were found in zone I, significant numbers were also detected in both directions proximally and distally to the tumor.

Conclusions: It seems that longer colonic segments proximally, and especially distally, should be considered for resection to significantly reduce the chances of finding involved lymph node.