Patients with nonmetastatic cardiac sarcoma amenable to complete resection experienced improved survival. However, the high overall rates of disease progression and mortality highlight the need for more effective local and systemic treatments that may be used in conjunction with surgery to improve patient outcomes.

Background: Sarcoma arising in the mediastinum is a rare entity. This study evaluates treatment and survival in a cohort of patients with primary mediastinal sarcoma. Methods: Between 1990 and 2006, 16 patients were referred to the British Columbia Cancer Agency with histologically confirmed sarcoma of mediastinal origin. Outcomes examined were diseasefree survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: There were nine male and seven female patients. The median age at diagnosis was 56 years (range 21-70 years). Thirteen (81%) patients had localized disease, and three (19%) patients had distant metastasis at diagnosis. Surgical resection was performed in 8 of 13 patients with localized disease. At a median follow-up of 18 months, 12 patients have died of disease, three were alive with disease, and one was alive with no evidence of disease. In the entire cohort, median DFS was 12 months (range 0-107 months), and median OS was 18 months (range 1-193 months). Patients who underwent surgery experienced improved DFS (p ϭ 0.054) and OS (p ϭ 0.034). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 to 1 was associated with improved DFS (p ϭ 0.038) and OS (p ϭ 0.007). The histologic subtype with the longest survival was well-differentiated liposarcoma. Age, gender, tumor location, T and N stage, tumor size, location, and grade were not associated with significant survival differences. Conclusion: Surgical resection was associated with more favorable survival in patients with mediastinal sarcoma. However, the high rates of progression and mortality underscore the need for more effective adjuvant treatments.

The aim of the study was to establish reliable cut-off values, indicating chronic alcohol abuse, of the relative (and absolute) serum carbohydrate-deficient transfemn (CDT) concentrations determined by the ChronAIco I.D.™-assay. Serum samples from 88 women and 48 men, with the daily alcohol consumption, acute or chronic (liver) diseases and medication ascertained by means of a questionnaire, were analyzed. The cut-off values of the CDT/transferrin ratios and the CDT serum concentrations (95 th percentiles) for women consuming < 20 g ethanol/day and men drinking < 50 g ethanol/day were 2.5% and 102 mg/1. Pathological CDT results were confirmed by isoelectric focusing. Taking into account the intra-individual variance of serum CDT and the analytical imprecision, the use of a borderline of 2.5-2.7% as decision criterion indicating chronic alcohol abuse is suggested.Zusammenfassung: Ziel der Studie war es, für die unter Verwendung des ChronAIco I.D.™-Assays ermittelten und als Marker .für chronischen Alkoholmißbrauch genutzten relativen (und absoluten) Serum-Konzentrationen des Kohlenhydrat-defizienten Transferrins (CDT) zuverlässige Entscheidungsgrenzen zu etablieren. Wir untersuchten Serumproben von 88 Frauen und 48 Männern, von denen anhand eines Fragebogens Angaben zur täglichen Alkoholkonsumption, zu (Leber-)Erkrankungen sowie zur Medikation vorlagen. Die Entscheidungsgrenzen (95. Perzentilen) für die relativen (CDT/Transfenin) bzw. absoluten CDT-Konzentrationen von Frauen und Männern mit normaler Alkoholaufnahme (<20 g/Tag für Frauen und <50 g/Tag für Männer) waren 2.5% bzw. 102 mg/1. Pathologische CDT-Befunde wurden durch Isoelektrische

Background: While pyogenic spondylodiscitis due to Gram-positive aerobic bacteria and its treatment is well known, spondylodiscitis caused by anaerobic Gram-negative pathogen is rare. In particular, the spondylodiscitis caused by Veillonella species is an absolute rarity. Thus no established management recommendations exist. Case Description: A case report of a 79-year-old man with spondylodiscitis caused by Veillonella parvula with intramuscular abscess collection managed conservatively with stand-alone antibiotic therapy without a spinal stabilization procedure. A review of literature of all reported spondylodiscitis caused by Veillonella species was performed. After 3 week-intravenous therapy with the ceftriaxone in combination with the metronidazole followed by 3 weeks per oral therapy with amoxicillin/clavulanate, the complete recovery of the patient with the V. parvula infection was achieved. Conclusion: Treatment of the spondylodiscitis caused by Veillonella species should contain a beta-lactam with beta-lactamase inhibitor or third-generation cephalosporine. Six weeks of treatment seem to be sufficient for the complete recovery of the patient.