Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), or Graves’ orbitopathy (GO), is a complex autoimmune disorder affecting orbital tissues, often leading to vision-threatening complications such as dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON). In this systematic review, conducted following PRISMA guidelines, 22 studies were evaluated to investigate the role of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in assessing retinal and choroidal changes in TAO. Parameters such as the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC), ganglion cell layer (GCL), and choroidal thickness were analyzed. RNFL changes varied by disease severity, with significant thinning in DON due to nerve fiber loss and thickening in early DON due to optic disk edema. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) was consistently higher in active TAO, correlating positively with the clinical activity score (CAS) and proptosis, suggesting its role as a marker of disease activity. Subgroup analysis revealed that spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) was the most sensitive for detecting retinal changes. The findings highlight the effectiveness of OCT in detecting minor retinal and choroidal alterations in TAO. However, the variability of study designs, as well as the lack of longitudinal data, limits the ability to draw broad conclusions. Further standardized, long-term investigations are required to properly understand OCT’s diagnostic and prognostic value in TAO.

Background and Objectives: Anthracycline chemotherapy is a cornerstone in pediatric oncology but carries a significant risk of cardiotoxicity. The early detection of cardiac dysfunction is crucial for timely intervention. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of combining speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) parameters with traditional cardiac biomarkers for the early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in pediatric oncology patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, involving 99 pediatric oncology patients undergoing anthracycline therapy and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Cardiac function was assessed using STE parameters—global longitudinal strain (GLS), Simpson’s method of disk ejection fraction (SMOD EF), and myocardial performance index (MPI)—alongside biomarkers including cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Assessments were performed at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-therapy initiation. Results: A total of 28.3% of patients developed cardiotoxicity based on the LVEF decrease. Significant differences were observed between oncological patients under anthracycline treatment and healthy controls. Patients had reduced GLS (−16.1 ± 4.7% vs. −19.6 ± 5.1%, p < 0.001), a lower SMOD EF (55.7 ± 6.3% vs. 60.2 ± 6.0%, p < 0.001), and a higher MPI (0.38 ± 0.06 vs. 0.33 ± 0.05, p < 0.001). Elevated cTnI levels were found in patients compared to controls (3.1 ± 0.9 ng/mL vs. 1.3 ± 0.6 ng/mL, p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that combining GLS, SMOD EF, MPI, and cTnI levels significantly predicted cardiotoxicity (odds ratio = 7.12, 95% CI: 3.04–12.76, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Combining STE parameters with cardiac biomarkers enhances the early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in pediatric oncology patients. This combined assessment may facilitate timely interventions to prevent long-term cardiac complications.

Background/Objectives: Cystic fibrosis is a chronic multisystem disease in which pulmonary involvement is the main determinant of morbidity and mortality. Chest computed tomography is the reference standard for assessing structural lung damage, but its repeated use is limited by cumulative radiation exposure. Lung ultrasound has emerged as a radiation-free alternative; however, its role in adult patients remains incompletely defined. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between CT-derived structural lung damage and ultrasound findings, and to assess the complementary role of these imaging modalities. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted including adult patients with cystic fibrosis who underwent both chest computed tomography and lung ultrasound during the same clinical episode. Structural lung involvement was assessed using the Bhalla score, while lung aeration was evaluated using the Lung Ultrasound Score. Correlation analyses, severity stratification, regression modeling, and longitudinal comparisons were performed. Results: Thirteen patients contributed 24 imaging evaluations. A strong positive correlation between Bhalla score and ultrasound findings was observed in the cross-sectional analysis and remained consistent when all examinations were included. Ultrasound scores increased significantly across CT-defined severity groups, and regression analysis confirmed a significant association between the two methods. Exploratory analysis showed stronger associations for peripheral and aeration-related abnormalities, while weaker associations were observed for deeper airway changes. No significant correlation was identified in longitudinal analysis. Conclusions: Lung ultrasound correlates well with CT-derived structural lung damage and may serve as a complementary, radiation-free tool for disease assessment in adult cystic fibrosis. However, its limited sensitivity in detecting temporal changes highlights the continued importance of CT in selected clinical scenarios.

Background: High-heeled footwear is widely used by women, yet its systemic influence on spatiotemporal gait parameters, pelvic kinematics, and propulsion across a range of heel heights remains incompletely characterised. This study aimed to quantify gait changes across four footwear conditions and assess the contribution of anthropometric characteristics to observed gait variability. Methods: A within-subject repeated-measures study was conducted with 75 healthy young adult women (mean age 24.3 years, BMI 21.3 kg/m²) assessed barefoot, in ballerina flats, 8 cm heels, and 12 cm heels using the G-WALK inertial measurement system (BTS Bioengineering). Thirty gait parameters were analysed using the Friedman test with Bonferroni-corrected Wilcoxon post hoc comparisons (α_adj = 0.0083), Spearman rank correlations, multiple linear regression, and Kruskal–Wallis tertile analysis. Results: Footwear significantly affected 22 of 30 parameters. Walking speed was higher in all shod conditions than barefoot (up to +9.2%), driven entirely by stride elongation with cadence unchanged, indicating a general effect of footwear rather than heel elevation specifically. Stride length peaked at 8 cm heel (+8.9% vs. barefoot) and declined at 12 cm. Gait symmetry decreased progressively with heel height. Ballerina shoes produced a distinctively dynamic temporal profile—shortest stance duration, lowest double support, and highest single support time—significantly different from both barefoot and heeled conditions. The propulsion index increased height-dependently with heel height, rising 23.3% from barefoot (8.20) to 12 cm heel (10.11; p < 0.001). Pelvic obliquity symmetry was disrupted at 12 cm heel, while tilt symmetry was unaffected. Anthropometric analysis identified 110/600 significant Spearman correlations (23 surviving Benjamini–Hochberg FDR correction) and 29/120 significant regression models (14 surviving FDR); age, body weight, and shoe size were the most consistent predictors, most reliably in the barefoot condition. Conclusions: Heel height exerts condition-specific effects on gait biomechanics. Ballerina shoes produce a gait pattern distinct from both barefoot and heeled walking. Propulsion demand increases height dependently with heel elevation. Because participants walked in their own footwear, the observed effects reflect the combined characteristics of each shoe type rather than heel elevation in isolation. Anthropometric characteristics—particularly age, body weight, and shoe size—are modestly associated with footwear–gait responses and may inform future biomechanical research, although clinical application requires confirmation in standardised-footwear studies and clinical populations.

Background/Objectives: Fluoroquinolones cause Achilles tendinopathy within a narrow, early therapeutic window, yet preventive strategies given alongside these antibiotics remain largely untested. This exploratory pilot study assessed whether four mechanistically distinct adjuvants attenuated histopathological tendon change in a rabbit model of levofloxacin exposure. Methods: Twenty-one male New Zealand White rabbits received oral levofloxacin (100 µg/kg/day, seven days). A contralateral-limb design yielded 42 tendons (two cohorts provided paired limb-specific comparisons and a third cohort received the systemic intervention). Animals were allocated to various groups, receiving platelet-rich plasma (PRP), injectable porcine collagen, oral vitamin E + selenium, topical essential oils with augmented soft-tissue mobilization (ASTM), or a levofloxacin-only control. The main outcome was a modified Bonar composite (tenocyte morphology, cellularity, vascularity, paratendinous fibrosis; 0–12) at three months; additional outcomes were the individual domains and ultrasonographic tendon thickness. Results: Composite scores were low throughout (group medians 2.0–4.0) and did not differ between groups (H = 3.663, p = 0.45); no domain differed, and the untreated control did not show the greatest change. Within animals, collagen-treated tendons scored higher than the paired essential-oil tendons (median difference +3.0, nominal p = 0.031, Bonferroni-adjusted p = 0.062). Tendon thickness increased by day 14 only with vitamin E + selenium (+14.1%; p = 0.003, and p = 0.006 adjusted for baseline); this finding arose in a separate cohort with thinner baseline tendons, cannot be confidently attributed to the intervention, and was unrelated to histopathology (ρ = −0.02, p = 0.91). Macroscopic findings differed between groups (nominal p = 0.031) without predicting tissue grade. Conclusions: No statistically detectable difference in the study-specific four-domain composite was identified among the treatment conditions; the study lacked a levofloxacin-free control and could not provide a definitive efficacy assessment. The model produced only mild pathology, limiting its power, and neither imaging nor gross inspection predicted tissue-level change. These preliminary observations are hypothesis-generating and are intended to inform the design of an adequately powered confirmatory study. The findings are inconclusive for efficacy; the design cannot distinguish lack of adjuvant efficacy from failure of the model to induce measurable disease.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the main causes of vision impairment globally, and it is increasingly recognized as a neurovascular disease characterized by both microvascular and neural dysfunction. Traditional assessment approaches primarily focus on structural retinal alterations and visual acuity, which may fail to identify early functional impairments. Contrast sensitivity (CS), which measures the capacity to distinguish subtle luminance differences, is increasingly recognized as an early manifestation of retinal dysfunction in diabetes mellitus. This narrative review seeks to describe current knowledge on the role of CS in DR, including its pathophysiological foundation, clinical importance, and link to structural retinal alterations. A systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2000–2026) was performed to identify studies on CS in diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy. Multiple investigations found that diabetic patients, including those with no clinically evident DR and normal visual acuity, had lower contrast sensitivity. CS impairment was associated with retinal neurodegeneration, ganglion cell dysfunction, microvascular alterations, and diabetic macular edema severity. OCT and OCT-A findings showed important structure–function correlations between reduced CS and retinal thinning, capillary dropout, and impaired perfusion. CS testing may provide additional functional information beyond standard visual acuity assessment and may improve early disease detection and monitoring. In conclusion, contrast sensitivity represents a promising functional biomarker for early diabetic retinal dysfunction and may complement structural imaging and visual acuity testing in DR evaluation. Although methodological variability currently limits widespread clinical implementation, advances in digital technologies and multimodal assessment strategies may facilitate its future integration into routine ophthalmologic practice.