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Background: Segmental arterial mediolysis (SAM) is a non-inflammatory vasculopathy that primarily affects the abdominal visceral arteries leading to hemorrhage, ischemia, or pseudoaneurysms. Its presentation can be mimicked by other vasculopathies including vasculitis involving the medium-sized blood vessels making it difficult to diagnose. Case Presentation: A 55-year-old woman presented with a two-hour history of sudden-onset, severe epigastric pain radiating to the chest. She was noted to be hypotensive with low hemoglobin 8.8 g/dL suspicious for a hemorrhagic cause. Her case was complicated by elevated international normalized ratio 3.7 in the setting of warfarin therapy for the mechanical mitral valve. The remainder of her complete blood count, complete metabolic panel, inflammatory markers, autoantibody serologies, and infectious testing were negative. Abdominal computed tomography angiogram revealed hemoperitoneum, bilateral renal infarctions, a large mesenteric hematoma, aneurysmal disease of the common hepatic and inferior mesenteric arteries, thrombosis and proximal dissection of the superior mesenteric artery, acute thrombosis of the left external iliac vein, and multiple sites of arterial extravasation from the pancreaticoduodenal artery and its branches. Mesenteric artery angiogram showed multivessel visceral artery aneurysms and stenoses characteristic of SAM for which she underwent transcatheter arterial embolization of the bleeding vascular bed. We provide a narrative literature review with a focus on common presentations and differentiating characteristics of vasculopathies that can involve medium-sized blood vessels. It is important to accurately diagnose SAM and its potential mimics as management strategies differ. Conclusions: SAM presents with medium vessel vasculopathy without vasculitis. Differentiation from mimics can be difficult but aided by familiarity of their characteristic findings and differentiating clinical characteristics.

PURPOSE We tested the hypothesis that adding metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) to standard-of-care (SOC) systemic therapy improves progression-free survival (PFS) among patients with oligometastatic disease. METHODS EXTEND was a multicenter randomized phase II trial. Patients with 1-5 metastases were randomly assigned to MDT + SOC versus SOC in one of the six baskets (breast, pancreas, kidney, two prostate baskets, and an other basket) with basket-specific stratification and powering. PFS, the primary end point, was prespecified in the per-protocol set within each basket, across all baskets, and across all baskets excluding the prostate baskets. Exploratory end points included circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and immune profiling. RESULTS From 2018 through 2023, 521 patients were screened, 350 were randomly assigned, and 334 were analyzed per protocol (MDT + SOC, n = 166; SOC, n = 168). Radiotherapy was used as MDT for 98% of metastases (370/379). Overall, after a median follow-up of 53 months, PFS was improved with MDT + SOC (hazard ratio [HR], 0.54 [95% CI, 0.41 to 0.72], P < .001). Similarly, PFS was improved when excluding the prostate baskets (HR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.40 to 0.89]). Within each basket, PFS superiority was identified for the pancreas, prostate, and other baskets, whereas the breast and kidney baskets were inconclusive. At enrollment, detectable ctDNA correlated with shorter PFS and survival; by contrast, ctDNA clearance 3 months postenrollment correlated with improved survival. MDT + SOC-induced systemic immune activation was most pronounced among baskets demonstrating PFS superiority. CONCLUSION The phase II EXTEND trial supports the addition of MDT to SOC for oligometastatic disease. Histology-specific efficacy signals were identified for phase III testing. Translational insights suggest the potential for optimizing the definition of oligometastasis using ctDNA and point to systemic immune responses as a possible mechanism of benefit from MDT.

The NCCN Guidelines for Prostate Cancer include recommendations for staging and risk assessment after a prostate cancer diagnosis and for the care of patients with localized, regional, recurrent, and metastatic disease. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize the panel’s discussions on select 2026 updates to the guidelines regarding nonmetastatic disease: the elimination of the very-low-risk group, updates to the Principles of Active Surveillance, and caution in the use of focal therapy in newly diagnosed patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Craniopharyngiomas are complex intracranial tumors that pose significant challenges in surgical management. We aimed to develop risk-stratified surgical outcome benchmarks for adult patients undergoing endoscopic craniopharyngioma resection by using the Registry of Adenomas of the Pituitary and Related Disorders database to facilitate comparisons across institutions and guide clinical decision-making. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of adult patients (18 years and older) with craniopharyngioma undergoing a first-time endoscopic transnasal surgery across 14 academic centers in the United States was analyzed using data collected from 2011 to 2024. Patients were stratified into low-risk and high-risk cohorts based on criteria including age, body mass index, selected tumor characteristics (size, infundibular relationship, intraventricular extension), and previous radiation. Surgical outcomes were analyzed, and benchmarking ranges were defined using the established methodology. RESULTS: The overall cohort included 318 patients with a mean age of 50 years. Upon benchmarking analysis (50th-75th percentile performance), low-risk patients (n = 136) had a median length of stay of 4.0 to 6.0 days, 90-day readmission rates of 15.5% to 22.2%, skilled nursing facility discharge rates of <1.0%, postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak incidence of <1.0% to 14.3%, gross total resection rates of 50.0% to 60.8%, new postoperative arginine vasopressin deficiency rates of 33.3% to 50.0%, and tumor progression/recurrence rates of <1.0% to 18.3% over a median follow-up period of 27.0 (IQR 10.5-56.5) months. Benchmarking ranges were proposed for each outcome to facilitate cross-institutional comparisons. CONCLUSION: Establishing surgical outcome benchmarks for adult patients undergoing craniopharyngioma resection using data from the Registry of Adenomas of the Pituitary and Related Disorders provides a framework for assessing surgical performance and guiding clinical decision-making. Benchmark ranges can inform institutional quality improvement efforts, perioperative risk stratification, and patient counseling regarding expected postoperative outcomes.

Abstract Background Hypotension is a recognized predictor of mortality in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) (1-3). Although prior studies link lower mean/averaged mean arterial pressure (MAP) to adverse outcomes, they highlight the need for dedicated research on the minimum MAP (mMAP), as mean data may fail to capture the clinical significance of brief, severe hypotensive episodes. Purpose This study aims to investigate the mortality outcomes associated with the mMAP within the first 24 hours of CICU admission and further stratified according to admission diagnoses. Methods This retrospective cohort study included adult CICU patients with available mMAP data (2007-2018). Patient data were extracted including admission diagnoses, critical care therapies (hemodynamic/ventilatory support, continuous renal replacement therapy), comorbidities, vital signs, lab values, and mortality outcomes. MAP was measured either invasively (arterial catheter) or non-invasively (blood pressure cuff). Primary exposure was mMAP, defined as the lowest recorded MAP in first 24 hours of CICU admission. Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality analyzed using logistic regression, before and after multivariable adjustment. Mortality outcomes were analyzed according to mMAP and stratified by admission diagnoses (not mutually exclusive). Results 11,930 patients were included. Median age was 69.4 (58.1, 79.2) years and 37.7% were female. Admission diagnoses included heart failure (48.7%), acute coronary syndrome (42.7%), shock (14.9%), and cardiac arrest (11.8%). Critical care therapies were used in 58.5%. Median mMAP was 54 (47, 62) mmHg. 1080 (9.1%) patients died during hospitalization, including 672 (5.6%) in the CICU. Median mMAP was lower in patients who died in the CICU (46 vs. 55 mmHg, p&lt;0.001) and during the hospitalization (47 vs. 55 mmHg, p&lt;0.001). In the overall cohort, the lowest mortality was at mMAP of 71-75 mmHg. Patients with lower mMAP had higher mortality across admission diagnosis subgroups (Fig1). The mMAP associated with the nadir mortality was slightly higher for acute coronary syndrome or cardiac arrest patients (66-70 mmHg) than for heart failure or cardiogenic shock patients (61-65 mmHg) (Fig2). Each 5 mmHg increase in mMAP was associated with lower in-hospital mortality in patients with (unadj OR 0.81 [0.79-0.84], AUC 0.64) and without (unadj OR 0.76 [0.71-0.82], AUC 0.67) critical care therapies. Conclusion Our findings re-affirm that hypotension is a significant predictor of mortality, consistent across all admission diagnoses. Notably, the mMAP range associated with the lowest in-hospital mortality was slightly lower for patients with circulatory failure (heart failure or cardiogenic shock) compared to those with acute coronary syndromes or cardiac arrest. This difference may represent an optimal balance between maintaining perfusion and preventing excessive afterload in the setting of circulatory failure, but further investigation is required.1) Mortality Per mMAP & Admission Diag 2) Nadir Mortality Point

Color Doppler twinkling improves visibility and ultrasound-guided localization of biopsy markers made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). This study examines the time- and frequency-domain features of twinkling. We performed beamforming on the raw radiofrequency (RF) data collected using a L7-4 transducer, followed by in-phase/quadrature (IQ) demodulation and wall filtering. Frequency content variations were evaluated both within individual Doppler ensembles (pulse-to-pulse) and across multiple frames. Normalized FFT magnitude spectra were computed for both twinkling and non-twinkling (metal) cases using beamformed RF and IQ data. The median of the normalized FFT magnitude (3–10 MHz) was consistently higher for the twinkling case compared to the metal case across RF (–13.75 dB vs –17.29 dB) and the IQ real component (–12.72 dB vs –16.15 dB), indicating broader and more energetic spectral content in twinkling. The frequency spread above the –20 dB threshold was approximately 2.5 times wider (5.38 MHz vs 1.95 MHz) in the twinkling case compared to the metal case. In time domain, the RMS of the standard deviation for the twinkling signal was approximately 28 times higher than that of the metal case across both RF and IQ data. These findings indicate that the ultrasound data from twinkling exhibits a more distributed frequency profile, consistent with observed aperiodic nature.

Color Doppler twinkling is associated with rough-surfaced objects like kidney stones, some clinical breast biopsy markers, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement. Microbubbles are theorized as the predominant source of twinkling, supported by decreased twinkling under increased pressure. PMMA, metallic breast markers, a low-twinkling PMMA sample, and a non-twinkling metal rod were scanned in a pressure chamber up to 1000 psi using a General Electric Logiq E9 system and C1-6 probe (1.7–3.6 MHz Doppler transmit frequency). Clinical markers maintained distinct twinkling up to 250 psi. PMMA often twinkled at higher pressures, sometimes up to 1000 psi. The controls showed no twinkling. To understand physical structure associations with twinkling, the samples were scanned in a micro-CT system with a pixel resolution of 2 μm. Analysis of PMMA and Cork internal voids showed no correlation with twinkling. However, a correlation between Sa (average difference between the mean surface profile and actual surface profile) values and twinkling was found. This indicates that internal structure is not important for twinkling, and certain surface roughness is critical, possibly providing sites for surface microbubbles to oscillate from incident ultrasound waves.

PURPOSE For patients with breast cancer undergoing breast conservation, escalating the dose (boost) of radiation to the lumpectomy cavity after whole-breast irradiation (WBI) reduces ipsilateral breast recurrence (IBR) but extends treatment duration. This phase III trial investigated whether boost delivery during WBI versus after WBI provides noninferior IBR and preserves cosmetic appearance. METHODS NRG/RTOG 1005 randomly assigned patients at higher risk for IBR after lumpectomy and axillary surgery to either a sequential boost of 12 Gy in six fractions(F) or 14 Gy in 7F after WBI of 50 Gy in 25F or 42.7 Gy in 16F (sequential arm) or a concurrent boost of 8 Gy in 15F of 0.53 Gy per day with WBI of 40 Gy in 15F (concurrent arm) using 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (RT) or intensity-modulated RT. Based on 1.59% 5-year IBR for the sequential arm, defining the noninferiority margin as a hazard ratio upper limit on the 90% CI of 2.12, 2,312 patients provide 80% power for noninferiority of IBR as first recurrence for the concurrent arm. Secondary end points included disease-free survival and overall survival, adverse events (AEs), and cosmetic outcomes. RESULTS Between May 24, 2011, and June 20, 2014, 2,354 patients were randomly assigned, with 2,255 eligible for analysis (sequential arm, n = 1,118; concurrent arm, n = 1,137). With median follow-up of 7.3 years, there were 56 IBR events; 5- and 7-year IBR were 2.1% and 2.2% on the sequential arm and 1.9% and 2.6% on the concurrent arm, respectively. The noninferiority criterion was met: HR (90% CI): 1.31 (0.84 to 2.04), P = .037. No differences were observed in AEs, cosmetic outcomes, or survival between arms. CONCLUSION Concurrent boost during WBI results in noninferior IBR compared with sequential boost without worsening toxicity or cosmetic outcomes and reduces overall treatment time.