Maastricht University Medical Centre

Practice variation in hospital care for pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence: an analysis of specialists’ expectations, cross-sectional claims data, and the role of clinical guidelines

Abstract Background Pelvic floor disorders, specifically pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence, are highly prevalent conditions that exhibit substantial practice variation. This study aims to examine the relationship between clinical practice guidelines and practice vari...

Exploring a DNA methylation field effect in renal cell carcinoma and its implications for biomarker research

A field effect, the phenomenon of molecular alterations, such as DNA methylation, in normally appearing tissue surrounding a malignant tumor, has been suggested to be associated with malignant transformation. Nevertheless, normally appearing tissue adjacent to the tumor is freque...

Adductor tendinopathy as a source of ongoing chronic postoperative inguinal pain—evaluating outcomes of adductor tenotomy

To evaluate the outcome of an adductor muscle tenotomy in patients with chronic postoperative inguinal pain (CPIP) with a therapy-resistant adductor tendinopathy. In this retrospective cohort study, CPIP patients who underwent an adductor tenotomy between January 2019 and Decembe...

Emergency and disaster preparedness in the zonal hospitals in the Somali Regional State, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Hospital preparedness is essential for effective response to disasters and emergencies. Nevertheless, empirical evidence about hospital disaster preparedness is scarce in most low- and middle-income contexts, including Ethiopia. This study evaluated the degree...

Five years of clinical application of independent Monte Carlo-based patient-specific quality assurance at Maastro Proton Therapy Center

Introduction At the Maastro Proton Therapy Center in Maastricht, patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) based on independent GPU-accelerated Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations fully replaces conventional measurements. Measurement-based PSQA is time- and resource-intensive and...

Effects of romosozumab on the peripheral and axial skeleton in postmenopausal women at high fracture risk: real-world evidence from DXA and HR-pQCT data

Evidence on the effects of romosozumab mainly concerns axial aBMD. In 28 postmenopausal women, we found that spine and hip aBMD (DXA) significantly increased, while volumetric BMD, microarchitecture, and strength at the radius and tibia (HR-pQCT) remained unchanged or deteriorate...

Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the PRAFAB questionnaire in individuals with urinary incontinence

PURPOSE: To translate and culturally adapt the Protection, Amount, Frequency, Adjustment, and Body Image (PRAFAB) questionnaire into Turkish and assess its validity and reliability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Content validity was assessed using the item-level content validity index (...

Surgical Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation During Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery: Risk Dependencies and Long-Term Survival

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common finding among patients with mitral valve disease, with a growing body of evidence showing survival benefits associated with surgical ablation (SA). However, a lack of data persists regarding the safety and survival after SA concomit...

Influence of Ageing on the Pharmacology, Efficacy and Safety of Oral Targeted Therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Focus on Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibitors and Sphingosine-1-Phosphate (S1P) Receptor Modulators

Older adults represent a rapidly expanding subgroup of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, yet they remain markedly under-represented in pivotal clinical trials, limiting age-specific estimates of drug benefit and harm. This review synthesises the available evidence on the...

Proteomic analysis of aqueous humor from patients with Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy reveals downregulated expression of HSP60

The aim of the study is to identify proteins with differential abundance among aqueous humor (AqH) samples from patients with mild or advanced Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) compared to control subjects. Proteins were extracted from AqH samples and analyzed by liquid...

Mucosal melanoma in 1481 patients in the Netherlands. An overview of metastatic patterns, main driver mutations and the efficacy of therapeutic strategies

Mucosal melanomas are a rare melanoma subtype with poor prognosis. This project aimed to identify the main driver mutations of the different mucosal melanomas and to evaluate the efficacy of targeted/immunotherapies in patients with metastatic disease in current practice. In addi...

Volumetric and functional connectivity alterations of the thalamus and thalamic nuclei groups in drug-resistant focal epilepsy: A 7T MRI study

Abstract Purpose Through its global and extensive connections with multiple brain structures, the thalamus can play an important role in seizure propagation. This study investigated volumetric and functional connectivity alterations of the thalamus and more specifically the thala...

Hepatic Steatosis in Pulsed Field Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: Prevalence, Liver Marker Concordance and Acute Procedural Characteristics

Background/Objectives: Hepatic steatosis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are cardiometabolic phenotypes relevant to atrial fibrillation (AF), but their prevalence and acute procedural relevance in pulsed field ablation (PFA) are poorly defined...

Real‐World Medication Adherence and Medication Reviews in Adults and Children With Cystic Fibrosis

BACKGROUND: People with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) have complex treatment regimens with cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators and supportive therapies. Evidence on adherence across cystic fibrosis (CF) therapies using different assessment methods and t...

Deep molecular profiling of lung neuroendocrine tumours and supra-carcinoids

BACKGROUND: Lung neuroendocrine tumours (NETs, also known as carcinoids) are rapidly rising in incidence worldwide but have unknown aetiology and limited therapeutic options beyond surgery. The current WHO classification, based on mitotic count and presence or absence of necrosis...

The future of high-dose, high-intensity neurorehabilitation: Consensus-based core recommendations from the fourth Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable

Objective: Convergent evidence indicates that high-dose, high-intensity rehabilitation (HDHI) improves outcomes beyond usual care after stroke, yet implementation remains limited. While questions of optimal dose, timing, and delivery format continue to be refined, the biological...

Multimodal prehabilitation versus no prehabilitation to improve functional capacity, reduce postoperative complications and improve quality of life in colorectal cancer surgery

OBJECTIVES: This is a protocol for a Cochrane review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the benefits and harms of a multimodal prehabilitation programme versus no prehabilitation with respect to functional capacity, postoperative outcomes, and health-relat...

CREM Marks TCR-Driven T-Cell Activation and Associates with Favorable Prognosis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Single-Cell and Bulk Transcriptomic Study

Although papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is widely considered an immunologically cold tumor, detectable T-cell infiltration can influence disease progression in selected patients. Previous bulk analyses have linked cAMP-responsive element modulator (CREM) expression to a favora...

Parent Mental Health From Preterm Birth Through the NICU Stay

OBJECTIVES: Preterm birth and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission are not only extremely stressful for the infant itself but can also impact parental mental health. This Dutch national prospective cohort study aimed to describe the trajectory of parental mental health f...

Functional Characterization of Myelodysplastic Syndrome by Multiparameter Flow Cytometry: The Clinical Synergy Between Ki-67 and Bcl-2 and Their Potential Role in Diagnostics and Personalized Therapy

The diagnosis and clinical management of myelodysplastic neoplasms are increasingly challenged by the disease’s inherent heterogeneity, particularly with respect to the diagnosis of low-grade variants. While standardized flow cytometric protocols traditionally rely on static biom...