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Background and Aims: The metaverse has enormous potential in health care, continuously developing and offering innovative solutions by combining artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR), Internet of Medical Devices, and quantum computing technologies. In addition to using virtual platforms to help and boost medical education, familiarity with this platform is necessary to strengthen medical skills and communication with patients in medical sciences in the future. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search using keywords and their MeSH synonyms, including "metaverse," "medical education," and "health care," across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. After screening the results, relevant articles were selected to inform the writing of this manuscript. Results: The metaverse is shaping the future of medical sciences, offering new opportunities for health education, advocacy training, and patient outcome improvement. The combination of real and virtual worlds may advance international relations, facilitate data sharing, increase medical care speed, and reduce infectious diseases. The metaverse, despite its benefits, has some limitations. Only 37% of 15−24‐year‐olds have internet access, and AR/VR glasses are expensive and may cause eye discomfort. It is also a potential risk for medical students, who may need help understanding the limitations of simulations and develop unrealistic expectations. Considering the metaverse as a supplement to clinical practice, not a replacement for supervised training, is crucial. Ethical concerns, data security, privacy, and lack of instructions for education are also issues. However, providing information about the metaverse can increase health care workers' attribution to use it for patient examinations, students' education, and tests. Conclusion: This paper explores the impact of the metaverse on medical science education and underscores the need to integrate the metaverse into all areas of medical sciences as a supplement to existing evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is known to present with acute respiratory distress syndrome pathological manifestations. Studies have shown that patients with COVID-19 can develop diffuse alveolar damage, acute bronchopneumonia, necrotic bronchiolitis, and viral pneumonia. In this study, we investigated 11 cases. Needle necropsies of 11 patients, hospitalized at Tohid and Kowsar hospitals of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, with a positive antemortem SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) real-time PCR test, were fixated within 3 hours after death in the negative-pressure isolation morgue. The participants included six men (54%) and five women (46%) with a mean age of 73.82±10.58 (52–86) years old. The average hospitalization was 14.27±15.72 days. The results showed interstitial lymphocytic pneumonitis in most of the cases, varied from mild to moderate and up to severe in some cases. In 7 cases, anthracosis was noted, while one case demonstrated anthracosis with fibrosis. The hyaline membrane was reported in two patients. In one case, severe interstitial lymphocytic pneumonia with intra-alveolar exudate with organization, lithiasis, bronchiolitis pattern (BOOP), intra-alveolar hemorrhage, and mild fibrosis were seen. As a result, it is suggested to keep an eye on these pathologies in management of the severe cases of COVID-19 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The letter to the editor in Medical Education Online emphasizes the importance of incorporating medical law into the curriculum for doctors and medical students. By understanding legal boundaries and rights, students can improve service efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance patient safety. Integrating medical law with ethics and offering a dual MD/JD degree can equip professionals to address complex legal issues in healthcare, ultimately leading to improved outcomes and increased trust in the judicial system. The letter suggests introducing medical law during the internship period and residency programs to provide practical, real-world learning experiences. [Extracted from the article]

Intestinal 18F-FDG uptake is variable in whole-body PET/CT. In cancer patients, particularly those suspected of relapse or metastasis, 18F-FDG absorption might interfere with scan interpretation. This study evaluated the effect of diet on intestinal 18F-FDG absorption. Methods: In total, 214 patients referring for oncologic 18F-FDG PET/CT participated. They were randomly divided into 2 groups and asked to follow either a routine diet (RD) or a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (LCHFD) for 24 h before the study. The small bowel and different parts of the colon (the cecum; the ascending, transverse, and descending segments; and the hepatic and splenic flexures) were evaluated and visually interpreted by nuclear medicine experts. Bowel uptake was graded through comparison with that in the liver as absent, mild, moderate, or severe. Results: Significantly higher 18F-FDG uptake in the descending colon (P = 0.001) and small intestine (P = 0.01) was observed in the RD group than in the LCHFD group. After patients with bowel cancer were omitted from the statistical analysis, no significant differences in the final results were seen. Conclusion: An LCHFD for 24 h before 18F-FDG PET imaging resulted in lower 18F-FDG uptake in the descending colon and small bowel than did an RD, assisting the interpreting physician by reducing the intestinal activity interference for more accurate diagnostic interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Myocardial 18F-FDG uptake is highly variable in oncologic whole body 18F-FDG PET/CT studies, ranging from quite intense to minimal distribution. Intense or heterogeneous myocardial 18F-FDG uptake is undesirable as it may interfere with the visual or quantitative evaluation of tumoral invasion and metastases in pericardium, myocardium or adjacent mediastinal structures. The diet, as well as many other factors, is assumed to influence the myocardial 18F-FDG uptake. Using a multivariate model, we tried to identify and predict the main factors influencing cardiac 18F-FDG uptake in patients referred for oncologic PET/CT evaluation. Methods: A total of 214 patients referred for oncologic 18F-FDG PET/CT scan were enrolled in our study. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups according to the diet they were instructed to follow during 24-hour period before imaging. One hundred and seven cases with a routine diet (RD) and the same number of patients with a low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diet were included. All patients were fast 6 hours before imaging. Weight, height, blood glucose, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured before radiotracer injection. Visual and quantitative analysis were done after imaging and the pattern of 18F-FDG uptake, as well as standardized quantitative value of cardiac uptake was determined for each case. Results: The frequency of undesirable cardiac 18F-FDG uptake in the LCHF group was significantly less than RD group (17% vs. 72%, p<0.001). The univariate analyses showed male gender, BMI>=30 as well as consumption of cardiotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, benzodiazepines and β blockers were significantly associated with higher intensity of myocardial 18F-FDG uptake, while this undesirable finding was less evident in cases with diabetes mellitus. A multivariate logistic regression model including all of the mentioned variables revealed the diet was the only significant independent factor that predicted undesirable myocardial 18FFDG uptake (p<0.001). Conclusion: LCHF diet 24 hours before PET/CT imaging is the only controllable independent factor influencing the intensity and pattern of myocardial 18F-FDG uptake and is recommended as an optimal preparation to suppress cardiac 18F-FDG uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal 18 F-FDG uptake is variable in whole-body PET/CT. In cancer patients, particularly those suspected of relapse or metastasis, 18 F-FDG absorption might interfere with scan interpretation. This study evaluated the effect of diet on intestinal 18 F-FDG absorption. Methods: In total, 214 patients referring for oncologic 18 F-FDG PET/CT participated. They were randomly divided into 2 groups and asked to follow either a routine diet (RD) or a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (LCHFD) for 24 h before the study. The small bowel and different parts of the colon (the cecum; the ascending, transverse, and descending segments; and the hepatic and splenic flexures) were evaluated and visually interpreted by nuclear medicine experts. Bowel uptake was graded through comparison with that in the liver as absent, mild, moderate, or severe. Results: Significantly higher 18 F-FDG uptake in the descending colon ( P = 0.001) and small intestine ( P = 0.01) was observed in the RD group than in the LCHFD group. After patients with bowel cancer were omitted from the statistical analysis, no significant differences in the final results were seen. Conclusion: An LCHFD for 24 h before 18 F-FDG PET imaging resulted in lower 18 F-FDG uptake in the descending colon and small bowel than did an RD, assisting the interpreting physician by reducing the intestinal activity interference for more accurate diagnostic interpretation., (© 2021 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.)