.
Food allergy (FA) is a common chronic condition, yet its behavioral and psychosocial impact in early childhood remains insufficiently understood. This cross-sectional study assessed emotional-behavioral outcomes, maternal anxiety, and perceived child vulnerability (PCV) in preschoolers with FA versus healthy controls, with subgroup analyses for food-related anaphylaxis and respiratory allergic comorbidities. A total of 186 children aged 1.5–5 years (84 with FA and 102 age- and sex-matched controls) and their mothers were included. Behavioral functioning was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist, while maternal anxiety and PCV were measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait and Child Vulnerability Scale. Children with FA demonstrated higher levels of emotional reactivity, somatic complaints, and sleep problems compared with healthy peers (all p < 0.05). Mothers of affected children reported higher PCV. Within the FA group, children with respiratory allergic comorbidity exhibited more pronounced internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems, whereas those with a history of anaphylaxis had lower attention problem scores (all p < 0.05). Maternal anxiety and PCV were positively associated with children’s internalizing, externalizing, and total behavioral difficulties (all p < 0.05). In multivariate analyses, FA was associated with higher PCV (OR = 4.31, 95
Objective: To evaluate early and mid-term outcomes of transapical beating-heart mitral valve repair with the NeoChord DS1000 system, using time-to-event analysis to assess freedom from recurrent mitral regurgitation in a single-center cohort. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 31 consecutive patients with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation who underwent NeoChord DS1000 implantation between 2016 and 2022. Freedom from moderate-or-greater (≥ grade 2) recurrent regurgitation was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis, and outcomes were compared between the first 16 and last 15 procedures to evaluate the learning curve. Results: Mean age was 57.1 ± 14.0 years (87.1% male); 71.0% had a low surgical risk profile (EuroSCORE II < 2). All patients had severe (grade 3–4) MR, predominantly of the P2 segment (90.0%). Procedural success was 100%, with a mean operative time of 122.2 ± 14.3 minutes. There was no intraoperative or 30-day mortality; new-onset atrial fibrillation occurred in 9.7% of cases. At discharge, 96.8% achieved MR ≤ grade 1. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed freedom from moderate-or-greater (≥ grade 2) MR of 93.5% at 3 months, 77.4% at 1 year, and 66.9% at 2 years; one patient (3.2%) required reoperation for chordal rupture. Durability trended better in the later half of the series. Conclusions: Transapical NeoChord DS1000 repair provides excellent early safety and favorable perioperative outcomes in well-selected patients, but time-to-event analysis shows that mid-term durability is more limited than cross-sectional reporting suggests, underscoring the need for strict anatomical screening, structured surgical experience, and continued echocardiographic surveillance.
The aim was to compare clinical and radiographic outcomes between myelomeningocele (MMC) and other neuromuscular early-onset scoliosis (EOS) patients following graduation from growing rod treatment and to evaluate whether MMC should be considered a distinct subgroup within the classification of EOS. This single-center retrospective cohort study included 26 patients with neuromuscular EOS (10 with MMC, 16 with other neuromuscular etiologies) treated with traditional or magnetically controlled growing rods between 2004 and 2023, all of whom achieved graduation and had a minimum of 2-year of post-graduation follow-up. Demographic, clinical, radiographic, and complication data were analyzed. Complication burden was assessed using unplanned return to the operating room (UPROR), modified Clavien–Dindo–Sink grading, and negative binomial regression. Wound-related complications were significantly more frequent in the MMC group (80.0
Sarcopenia is prevalent conditions associated with adverse surgical outcomes, yet its detection in hospitalized patients often relies on subjective screening tools with limited sensitivity. This study aims to describe the prevalence of probable sarcopenia and the distribution of SARC-F classifications, and to quantify discordance indicating potential under-recognition when relying on body mass index and SARC-F alone. In this prospective observational study, all consecutive patients admitted to the general surgery clinic of a tertiary university hospital between May and June 2025 were evaluated. Sarcopenia risk was evaluated using the SARC-F questionnaire and anthropometric measurements, including mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), calf circumference (CC), and handgrip strength (HGS). Sex-specific EWGSOP2 thresholds were applied to classify probable sarcopenia. Based on SARC-F scores, only 2.9
Anthracycline-based chemotherapy agents are widely used and are highly effective, particularly for breast cancer treatment. Although the cardiotoxic effects of anthracyclines on left ventricular (LV) function are well established, their impact on right ventricular (RV) function has not been sufficiently investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of anthracycline therapy on RV function and to compare them with LV function to determine the potential cardiotoxic effects on both ventricles. This single-center retrospective cohort study included 38 female patients with breast cancer who were treated with anthracyclines between January 2021 and June 2023. Echocardiographic parameters and cardiac biomarkers were evaluated at baseline and at 6-month follow-up visit. LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was calculated using the Teichholz method due to the retrospective design. RV function was assessed by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), and the TAPSE/sPAP ratio. Cancer therapy–related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) was defined according to current European Society of Cardiology criteria. Serum troponin I and pro–brain natriuretic peptide levels were recorded. Paired comparisons were performed using the paired-samples t-test. Following anthracycline therapy, LV end-systolic diameter increased (2.76 ± 0.24 cm vs. 3.03 ± 0.29 cm, P < 0.001), and LVEF decreased (67.3
