Evaluating pulmonary nodules in children requires balancing reliable detection with minimizing risks, particularly radiation exposure. Chest radiography serves as a useful first-line modality, but computed tomography (CT) remains essential despite concerns about radiation dose and motion artifacts. Pulmonary nodules are frequently identified even in otherwise healthy children, and distinguishing benign lesions from metastatic disease in those with solid tumors continues to be clinically challenging, with no universally accepted diagnostic criteria. This article aims, firstly, to provide clues for defining pulmonary nodules with typically or definitively benign characteristics and, secondly, to underscore an overview of current imaging criteria per tumor group and the clinical implication of the presence of pulmonary nodules on event-free survival and overall survival. Accurate differentiation is crucial because it directly influences staging, management, and prognosis. Several issues like interobserver variability in detection/characterization and the inherent difficulty to finally characterize the nodule's etiology are still to be resolved, but the development of new techniques (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), etc.) challenges these uncertainties.
EVT is standard care for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO), but benefit with mild stroke (NIHSS ≤ 5) remains unclear. Patients from the INSPIRE‑S global registry with AIS treated with Medtronic Neurovascular devices on the first pass were grouped by mild stroke (NIHSS ≤ 5) and moderate-to-severe stroke (NIHSS > 5) at baseline. Clinical and safety outcomes were compared, with analysis for the subset treated with Solitaire™ on first pass with or without aspiration. From May 2020–December 2022, 801 patients (29 sites, 13 countries) met eligibility criteria and were enrolled into stent retriever, aspiration alone, or combination therapy cohorts. For this analysis, outcomes were compared by baseline NIHSS: mild stroke (n = 75) versus moderate-to-severe stroke (n = 713). Mild stroke patients had higher rates of 90-day mRS 0–2 (75.3
This update and revision of the international guideline for urticaria was developed in accordance with the methods recommended by Cochrane and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group. It is an initiative of the Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network (GA(2)LEN) and its Urticaria and Angioedema Centers of Reference and Excellence (UCAREs and ACAREs), with the participation of 210 delegates from 107 national and international societies, from 59 countries. The consensus conference was held on December 6th, 2024. This guideline was acknowledged and accepted by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Urticaria is a frequent, mast cell-driven disease, defined by a rapid appearance of wheals, angioedema, or both. The lifetime prevalence of acute urticaria is estimated to be approximately 20%. Chronic urticaria, categorized as either chronic spontaneous urticaria or chronic inducible urticaria, is disabling, impairs quality of life, and affects performance at work and school, however, novel therapies are available. This updated version of the international guideline for urticaria covers the definition and classification of urticaria and outlines expert-guided and evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the different subtypes of urticaria.
BACKGROUND:No large registries of patients with acute eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) are available. However, EM is perceived as a cardiac disease with high mortality, affecting mainly young and middle-aged adults according to small series and case reports. Awareness of the clinical presentation, associated systemic conditions, treatments, and outcomes of this uncommon condition is an unmet need. METHODS:In this international, multicenter, retrospective cohort study, 53 centers screened 193 patients with histologically proven acute EM between 1992 and 2023. After the exclusion of patients with insufficient data (n=10), symptoms lasting >30 days (n=19), or histological diagnosis not confirmed after review (n=8), 156 patients were included. RESULTS:Median age at presentation was 48 years (first to third quartile, 34-59 years) with male predominance (67.3%), and only 2 were pediatric cases (≤16 years of age; 1.3%). The main signs and symptoms at presentation were dyspnea (75.6%), fever (61.3%), and chest pain (53.2%). Unexpectedly, peripheral eosinophilia was reported in only 57.4% of cases, with a median cell count of 630 eosinophils/μL. The median left ventricular ejection fraction at presentation was 32% (first to third quartile, 25%-48%). The disorders most frequently associated with EM were eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (22.4% of cases) and hypersensitivity forms (14.1%). Idiopathic/undefined forms accounted for 44.9% of cases, and miscellaneous causes accounted for 18.6%. In-hospital death or need for heart transplantation (HTx) occurred in 23 patients (14.7%; 22 deaths and 1 HTx), despite 43.6% being treated with temporary mechanical circulatory support and 92.9% being treated with immunosuppressive agents. Estimated rates of death or HTx at 1 and 3 years were 19.0% and 23.8%. Increased age, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction on admission, and no immunosuppressive therapy during hospitalization were independent predictors of death or HTx. A nonsignificant higher occurrence of deaths or HTx was observed in the hypersensitivity form (46.1%) compared with the eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis-associated form (13.1%) at 3 years (P=0.15). CONCLUSIONS:Acute EM can often present without peripheral eosinophilia, and rates of in-hospital and midterm mortality or HTx are high. Endomyocardial biopsy is required to reach the final diagnosis of EM because relying on peripheral eosinophilia can lead to missing diagnosis. In-hospital immunosuppression is associated with HTx-free survival, although tailored immunosuppressive therapies are needed to improve outcomes. REGISTRATION:URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT06447935.
Migraine imposes a heavy burden on patients and societies. Preventive treatments aimed at reducing the occurrence of migraine attacks and their intensity have been largely underused, leaving a multitude of people with migraine to rely exclusively on acute treatments, which, when used in excess, might even worsen the clinical situation. Large, randomised trials have established the tolerability and efficacy of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-targeting drugs, a new class of migraine-specific treatment. The increased adherence to longer treatment cycles with migraine-specific preventive drugs, such as CGRP-targeting therapies, compared with non-migraine specific treatments has the potential to improve control of the disease. These migraine-specific drugs also provide benefits to individuals with migraine who previously did not benefit from non-specific migraine preventive medications. Increased reliance on preventive treatment with migraine-specific options is progressively optimising the management of migraine for mounting numbers of patients disabled by the disease, thereby improving disease control and their quality of life.