Background Superior rectal artery embolization (“Emborrhoid”) offers a catheter-based alternative for grade I–III internal hemorrhoids when office therapies fail or surgery is undesirable. Methods Following PRISMA 2020, PubMed and Embase were searched (Jan 2014–Jan 2024). Two reviewers independently screened records, extracted data, and applied RoB 2, ROBINS-I, or an adapted Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Prespecified outcomes were technical success, clinical success (≥ 2-point fall in bleeding score or equivalent), adverse events, and recurrence. Substantial heterogeneity blocked meta-analysis; results were narratively synthesized. Results Twenty-two studies encompassing 810 procedures qualified. Technical success reached 93–100%. Clinical success ranged from 63 to 94%, yielding marked bleeding control and symptom relief. Reported complications were mild and self-limited (pelvic discomfort, nausea, and low-grade fever); no ischemic injury, continence disturbance, or mortality occurred. Recurrence necessitating repeat treatment affected 8–20% of patients, usually when collateral arterial supply persisted. Patient-reported satisfaction exceeded 80% in every series. Only two small, heterogeneous comparative studies versus rubber-band ligation or sclerotherapy were available, precluding a pooled analysis. Conclusions Current evidence suggests Emborrhoid is a safe, effective bridge between office procedures and surgery—particularly valuable for frail or anticoagulated patients. Yet small single-center cohorts, disparate techniques, and scarce head-to-head trials limit external validity. Multicenter randomized studies with harmonized outcomes and ≥ 24-month follow-up are required to confirm long-term efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and optimal patient selection.

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) exhibit profound immune dysregulation, predisposing them to severe outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Current evidence highlights shared immunopathological mechanisms linking MM and COVID-19, with particular emphasis on the interleukin-6 (IL-6) axis as a shared amplifier of inflammation rather than the sole driver of disease. MM is characterized by a baseline pro-inflammatory milieu, in part mediated by IL-6, which is further amplified during SARS-CoV-2 infection, resulting in cytokine escalation, complement activation, coagulopathy, and multi-organ injury. This amplification operates within a broader, redundant network that also includes T-cell exhaustion, NK-cell dysfunction, checkpoint signaling, complement and endothelial injury, and treatment-induced immune defects. This overlap provides a mechanistic basis for the disproportionately high morbidity and mortality observed in this population. Even with advancements in vaccination, antiviral therapy, and clinical practice, patients with MM who exhibit impaired vaccine responses, active disease, or treatment-related immune dysfunction continue to experience considerable vulnerability to COVID-19. In addition, MM patients demonstrate suboptimal vaccine-induced immune responses, contributing to persistent vulnerability to severe and breakthrough infections. Modern MM therapies, including anti-CD38 antibodies, BCMA-directed agents, and bispecific T-cell redirecting antibodies, further reshape antiviral immunity by reducing NK cells, inducing plasma cell aplasia, causing hypogammaglobulinemia, and impairing T-cell function. Emerging treatment approaches targeting this shared pathway have been explored, with a focus on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs exhibit multimodal properties, including suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, restoration of immune homeostasis, inhibition of viral entry, and promotion of tissue repair and regeneration. Early clinical experience in severe COVID-19 populations suggests a favorable short-term safety profile; reported efficacy, however, derives from small, largely uncontrolled or early-phase studies, and the single randomized trial reporting a mortality benefit did so only in an exploratory post hoc subgroup, with its pre-specified primary endpoint not met. Overall, EVs constitute a biologically plausible but as yet unproven adjunctive strategy that warrants further investigation. Critically, no MM patient has ever been enrolled in an EV trial; current rationale for EV use in MM is therefore extrapolated entirely from non-MM populations, and no MM-specific data exist. Difficulties such as EV heterogeneity, manufacturing variability, uncertain pharmacokinetics, limited targeting efficiency, and potential prothrombotic effects must be resolved before their application in MM-specific clinical settings.

Biomarkers play a pivotal role in modern medicine by guiding diagnosis, outlining prognosis, and shaping therapeutic decisions. Identifying reliable biomarkers is essential to improving patient out...