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Purpose: Following SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, patients may suffer from long-lasting symptoms regardless of disease severity. Preliminary results show limitations in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this study is to show a possible change depending on the duration since infection and the accumulation of symptoms. Additionally, other possible influencing factors will be analyzed. Methods: The study population consisted of patients (18–65 years) presenting to the Post-COVID outpatient clinic of the University Hospital Jena, Germany, between March and October 2021. The HRQoL was assessed by the use of the RehabNeQ and the SF-36. Data analysis was descriptive with frequencies, means, and/or percentages. In addition, a univariate analysis of variance was performed to show the dependence of physical and psychological HRQoL on specific factors. This was finally tested for significance at an alpha level of 5%. Results: Data from 318 patients were analyzed, most of whom had 3–6 months of infection (56%) and 5–10 symptoms persisted (60.4%). Both mental (MCS) and physical sum score (PCS) of HRQoL were significantly lower than those of the German normal population (p <.001). The number of remaining symptoms (MCS p =.0034, PCS p =.000) as well as the perceived ability to work (MCS p =.007, PCS p =.000) influenced the HRQoL. Conclusion: The HRQoL of patients with Post-COVID-syndrome is still reduced months after infection and so is their occupational performance. In particular, the number of symptoms could have an influence on this deficit, which would need to be further investigated. Further research is needed to detect other factors influencing HRQoL and to implement appropriate therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various late complications are associated with the Fontan procedure. In patients who undergo the Fontan procedure, the central venous pressure (CVP) tends to be higher than normal. However, the relationship between CVP (at rest and during exercise) and late complications associated with the Fontan procedure is unknown. Thirty-four patients who underwent the Fontan procedure were enrolled in this study. The median age was 19.3 years, and the median time after the Fontan procedure was 12.7 years. With exercise, the CVP increased from a median of 11 to 19 mmHg, and the cardiac index increased from a median of 2.1 to 4.4 l/min/m2. In 38% of the patients, CVP measured at the resting condition and during exercise differed. Laboratory results indicated no significant difference between the patients in the high-CVP group and low-CVP group at rest. In contrast, during exercise, brain natriuretic peptide (67 ± 38 vs. 147 ± 122 pg/ml, p < 0.05), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (63 ± 33 vs. 114 ± 30 IU/l, p < 0.05), type IV collagen 7S (6.7 ± 1.3 vs. 8.1 ± 1.3 ng/ml, p < 0.05), and creatinine (0.72 ± 3.14 vs. 0.83 ± 3.16 mg/dl, p < 0.05) levels were significantly higher in the high-CVP group than in the low-CVP group. Elevated CVP during exercise may be associated with long-term complications after the Fontan procedure; hence, CVP should be measured during exercise in patients who underwent the Fontan procedure to accurately predict the risk of developing such complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) was first introduced in 1985 as a noninvasive, promising treatment option for gallbladder stones and extensively used especially in central European countries the following years. Due to high stone recurrence rates with secondarily indicated cholecystectomy and the introduction of laparoscopic surgery, ESWL gradually disappeared and is nowadays only rarely performed. In new techniques, long-term issues are sometimes not recognized initially. Methods: We present a case of gallbladder cancer 22 years after ESWL in a 46-year-old female patient with fatal outcome. A short review on the history and technique of ESWL is presented and a possible relation to gallbladder cancer is discussed. Results: Although gallbladder cancer after other gallbladder-preserving treatments for cholecystolithiasis-such as cholecystostomy-is a well-described issue, the present case is the only published report after ESWL in the English literature. In our patient, gallbladder cancer is probably not a direct cause of ESWL shock waves. Most likely chronic inflammation due to recurrent stones caused cancer. The fatal course of this case could have been prevented if regular follow-up and cholecystectomy would have been performed earlier. Conclusions: Thousands of patients were treated with ESWL for gallbladder stones in the 1980s. Stone recurrence rates are high, but late complications such as malignancy are rare. On the other hand, since many patients were treated at a young age, regular long-term follow-up should be discussed in this cohort. We aim to draw attention to this topic and possibly prevent further cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report long-term outcome in 102 patients with cCML transplanted from an HLA-identical sibling donor from 1982 to 1998. The conditioning regimen was based on cyclophosphamide associated with either total body irradiation (TBI) (37 patients) or with busulfan (63 patients). Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporin and methotrexate in the majority of the patients. Fifteen year overall survival was estimated at 53% (95% confidence interval (CI), 44–65) with a plateau after 2.5 years. Long-term survival was adversely affected by: longer time from chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) diagnosis to transplantation, older age at time of transplantation and GvHD (acute grade III–IV or chronic extensive). The main cause of death was infection, related to GvHD in 69% of patients. Splenectomy also significantly increased the risk of bacterial infection. 15-year relapse was estimated at 8% (95% CI, 0.1–14). Late malignancies occurred in seven patients, four of whom had an invasive cancer. Other frequent late complications included cataracts, psychological depression, osteonecrosis and hypothyroidism. These complications were more frequent following splenectomy, TBI and in patients with chronic extensive GvHD. We conclude that allogeneic transplantation with a related donor can cure more than half of CML patients in chronic phase, although physicians should be alert to long-term complications.Leukemia (2005) 19, 1613–1620. doi:10.1038/sj.leu.2403821; published online 30 June 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]