BACKGROUND:In thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology, further clinical assessment aimed at ruling out malignancy is often mandatory. Ancillary imaging techniques and genetic mutation analysis can improve the risk stratification of such lesions, ...

Objectives: Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) is a safe procedure comparable to surgical biopsy for the characterization of distortions, microcalcifications, and mass lesions. Vacuum-assisted excision of T1 breast tumors could be on potential management in alternative to surgery. The primary objective of this work was to assess the therapeutic success of the stereotaxic vacuum breast biopsy in small breast cancer (T1N0M0) lesions excision. Methods: From our electronic database, all the vacuum breast biopsies performed from January 1, 2015, to December 1, 2019, have been retrospectively reevaluated. N = 2,200 cases were identified and n = 145 ensured “mammographic complete removal” at the end of vacuum-assisted excision treatment and were considered for analysis. Surgical gold standard was used. Results: N = 143 procedures were successfully completed with complete removal of mammographic calcifications. The mean size of the lesions completely excised with VABB was 8.9 ± 3.6 mm (range, 3–23 mm). Lesions below 10 mm were n = 118 and lesion with diameter >10 mm were n = 28. N = 3/146 cases (4.4%), relapses were observed in follow-up (at 12–24 up to a maximum of 60 months): the mean size of relapsed lesions completely excised was 3.6 ± 2.1 mm (range, 2–6 mm). No relapse before 12 months were observed. The mean size of the lesions in these patients with relapse at the time of the first VABB procedures was 13 ± 6.5 mm (range, 7–12 mm). N = 117/118 (99%) lesions excised using VABB without relapse after 1 year of follow-up had a diameter below 10 mm. Conclusions: Vacuum breast biopsy could safely remove small breast cancers (T1N0M0) with few relapses.

Background/Objectives: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly when delays in pathogen identification hinder timely and targeted antimicrobial therapy. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) accelerate microbiological identification, yet their clinical impact remains heterogeneous across different healthcare settings. This study aimed to evaluate the real-world effect of implementing FAST microbiology, a diagnostic workflow that integrates RDTs into conventional blood culture processing, on diagnostic timeliness, antimicrobial decision-making, and patient management in a hospital specializing in complex infectious diseases. Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study comparing non-FAST and FAST workflows over a 24-month period, including 166 adult patients with sepsis admitted to ICU and non-ICU units, accounting for 231 BSIs. Microbiological outcomes, treatment dynamics, time to targeted therapy, and key clinical endpoints were compared between non-FAST and FAST groups. Results: FAST microbiology significantly reduced the time to initiation of targeted therapy across clinical settings. No statistically significant differences were observed in hospital length of stay, overall mortality, or 28-day mortality between the two groups. Baseline clinical severity, age, and comorbidity burden remained the main determinants of clinical outcomes. Conclusions: These real-world findings support the integration of rapid diagnostics into existing antimicrobial stewardship frameworks by improving diagnostic timeliness and supporting earlier microbiologically guided therapeutic decisions. However, the results also highlight that accelerating diagnostics alone may not be sufficient to improve survival in critically ill patients with complex infectious diseases, where outcomes are predominantly driven by patient- and disease-related factors.