University Medical Centre Mannheim

Trends in glaucoma diagnosis and medical management in Germany: A nationwide claims data analysis over 10 years

Abstract Purpose Analysing longitudinal trends in recorded diagnosis and medical management of glaucoma in Germany over a 10‐year period. Methods A retrospective cohort study using nationwide outpatient claims and prescription data from the German statutory health insurance syste...

Globalising the access to advanced molecular diagnostics of CNS tumors: Experience of the Molecular Neuro-Pathology (MNP) Outreach Consortium

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors pose a major global health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where outcomes remain disproportionately poor. The global CONCORD-3 study (Lancet Oncology) highlighted stark disparities in five-year survival (201...

Predicting the clinical course of advanced systemic mastocytosis on treatment with avapritinib or midostaurin

Abstract Advanced systemic mastocytosis (AdvSM) is driven by KIT D816V in approximately 95% of cases. Accurate assessment and prediction of clinical course and disease outcome before and during treatment with the KIT inhibitors midostaurin and avapritinib may facilitate optimizat...

RINGSIDE Phase II Study of Varegacestat for Treatment of Desmoid Tumors: A Randomized Dose-Finding Clinical Trial

PURPOSE Desmoid tumors (DTs) are rare, often locally aggressive, connective tissue neoplasms with limited effective treatment options. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of varegacestat, an oral gamma-secretase inhibitor. METHODS RINGSIDE phase II was an open-label, randomized,...

Intraluminal thrombus burden is an independent imaging predictor of distal runoff impairment in popliteal artery aneurysms

Background : In popliteal artery aneurysms (PAAs), computed tomography angiography (CTA)-derived intraluminal thrombus burden and distal runoff vessel patency remain insufficiently characterized. We examined this relationship and the added value of thrombus burden assessment in C...

Characterization of SPP1 + macrophages and their correlation with resistance to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer liver metastasis

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) remains a major clinical challenge, with outcomes varying widely among patients, yet the mechanisms that drive therapeutic resistance remain incompletely understood. In this study, we integrated single‑c...

Two cases of an imatinib-sensitive PRKG2::PDGFRA-positive chronic myeloid neoplasm with basophilia

The clinical and morphological phenotype of myeloid/lymphoid neoplasms with tyrosine kinase (TK) gene fusions (MLN-TK) is influenced by both the TK and the partner gene [ 1 ]. Here, we report on two patients with an initial diagnosis of a chronic myeloid neoplasm with prominent b...

Total en Bloc Urethra Preservation at Robot-Assisted Prostatectomy (ToP-RAP): A Prospective IDEAL Stage 1–2a Study

Background/objective: Urinary continence recovery after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy remains variable despite technical refinements intended to preserve function. We describe Total en bloc Urethra Preservation at Robot-assisted Prostatectomy (ToP-RAP), a technique that pr...

Prophylactic vs Therapeutic Anticoagulation in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19

Importance Coagulopathy in the context of COVID-19 is a major threat due to deep vein thromboses and pulmonary embolisms. Objective To assess whether therapeutic anticoagulation on top of standard of care (SOC) compared with prophylactic anticoagulation as part of SOC can improve...

Quantitative and qualitative lung parameters in photon-counting CT: comparison of ultra-low-dose with standard low-dose protocols

Abstract Objectives Photon-counting CT (PCCT) enables dose reduction beyond energy-integrating CT, but ultra-low-dose acquisitions may impair assessment of airways and lung parenchyma. We evaluated the impact of ultra-low-dose (ULD) PCCT on quantitative and qualitative lung param...

A structural cardiac pathway mediates the risk of ischemic heart disease from TyG-related indices: A prospective cohort study

The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and its derivatives are surrogate markers of insulin resistance and are closely associated with cardiovascular risk. However, whether and to what extent they are associated with IHD risk through subclinical cardiac remodeling remains unclear....

Assessment of Horizontal Semicircular Canal and Graviceptive Perception Before and After Cochlear Implantation

Background/Objectives: Cochlear implantation (CI) effectively treats severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss, but its vestibular effects remain under investigation. This retrospective study assessed perioperative changes in horizontal canal function (video head impulse test...

Pulse-resolved spatial dosimetry of ultra-high dose rate electron FLASH beams using optical imaging

PURPOSE: Ultra-high dose rate FLASH radiotherapy has shown the potential to reduce normal tissue toxicity while maintaining tumor control. However, investigating the underlying radiobiological mechanisms requires dosimetry systems capable of resolving spatial and temporal charact...

Management of Soft Tissue and Visceral Leiomyosarcomas

Importance Leiomyosarcoma is a rare and heterogeneous malignant mesenchymal neoplasm associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Given recent advances in biologic understanding and the complexity of leiomyosarcoma, a consensus-driven approach is needed to harmonize manag...

Patient-centred and fit-for-purpose clinical trials in rare cancers: lessons from sarcomas for operationalising 2024 WHO Guidance and ICH E6(R3)

Rare cancers account for approximately one quarter of cancer diagnoses in Europe, yet prevailing clinical trial governance frameworks were developed for common malignancies and conventional randomised designs. The 2024 WHO Guidance for best practices for clinical trials and ICH E...

Milvexian with Antiplatelet Therapy after Acute Coronary Syndrome Event

BackgroundPatients are at increased risk for recurrent ischemic events after an acute coronary syndrome event. Milvexian, an oral factor XIa inhibitor, may reduce the risk of major adverse clinical events with minimal bleeding risk. MethodsIn this phase 3, randomized, placebo-con...

Robotic-assisted compartmental dissection for retroperitoneal sarcoma: a feasibility study on cadavers with the da Vinci Xi system

Abstract Purpose Retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) pose major technical challenges because of their size, anatomical complexity, and need for multivisceral resection. We evaluated the feasibility of a standardized robotic approach for right- and left-sided retroperitoneal sarcoma (R...

Impact of CPAP and ventilator system resistance on respiratory effort in healthy volunteers

Abstract Introduction Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is widely used for the treatment of acute and chronic respiratory failure and inspiratory support pressure (ΔP insp ) can be added to achieve non-invasive ventilation (NIV). We performed a physiological study to det...

Gene Expression of TGF-β1 , Matrix Metalloproteinases, and Collagen in Keloid Patients and Their Growth Patterns in 2D and 3D Cell Cultures: An In Vitro Study

Background/Aim: Keloids result from abnormal wound healing and are characterized by excess fibroblast activity, extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation, and elevated collagen types. The contemporary research often relies on 2D cell cultures, which do not fully replicate keloid pa...

miR-155-5p drives coordinated tumor and macrophage reprogramming across multiple cancer entities

Abstract Background T cell-based immunotherapies have improved cancer treatment, however their efficacy is frequently limited by tumor-intrinsic resistance mechanisms and by the immune suppressive tumor microenvironment, counteracting tumor specific immune responses through impai...