The wildfire-like spread of COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus-2, has resulted in a pandemic that has put unprecedented stress on the world’s healthcare systems and caused varying severities of socio-economic damage. As there are no specific treatments to combat the virus, current approaches to overcome the crisis have mainly revolved around vaccination efforts, preventing human-to-human transmission through enforcement of lockdowns and repurposing of drugs. To efficiently facilitate the measures implemented by governments, rapid and accurate diagnosis of the disease is vital. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and computed tomography have been the standard procedures to diagnose and evaluate COVID-19. However, disadvantages, including the necessity of specialized equipment and trained personnel, the high financial cost of operation and the emergence of false negatives, have hindered their application in high-demand and resource-limited sites. Nanoparticle-based methods of diagnosis have been previously reported to provide precise results within short periods of time. Such methods have been studied in previous outbreaks of coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus and middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Given the need for rapid diagnostic techniques, this review discusses nanoparticle use in detecting the aforementioned coronaviruses and the recent severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus-2 to highlight approaches that could potentially be used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background/Objectives: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are aggressive malignancies with a challenging prognosis, especially for patients with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Their low incidence necessitates comprehensive studies to investigate the survival outcome. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, including data from 16 studies and 4265 patients, to explore surgical outcomes and survival rates, focusing on time-related outcomes, including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and recurrence rate. Results: The analysis revealed that the OS rate was 86% [95% CI: 75–97%] at 1 year, decreasing to 60% [95% CI: 45–75%] at 3 years, and further declining to 47% [95% CI: 35–58%] by 5 years. For PFS, the 1-year rate was 61% [95% CI: 25–98%], which remained similar at 62% [95% CI: 35–89%] for 3 and 5 years. In NF1-associated MPNSTs, the 1-year OS was relatively high at 93% [95% CI: 83–100%], but it dropped to 68% [95% CI: 53–84%] at 3 years and further to 50% [95% CI: 31–68%] at 5 years. Additionally, the hazard ratio indicated a 38% lower survival rate in NF1 patients than those with sporadic MPNSTs when data were presented in the same study. Recurrence rates were high, with 56% of patients experiencing a relapse, primarily as local recurrences (70.6%). Mortality was significant, with over 50% of patients dying within an average follow-up period of 33.45 months. Conclusions: MPNSTs, particularly in NF1 patients, are associated with poor prognosis and high recurrence rates. These results underline the necessity of targeted therapeutic strategies and improved programs for screening, mainly through a multidisciplinary approach to optimize management.

Background: Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are intracranial vascular lesions characterized by a nidus of vessels fed by an artery and drained by a vein, lacking intervening capillaries. Angiography remains the gold standard for a definitive diagnosis. There is a paucity in the literature regarding clinical presentation and management of patients with calcified cerebral AVM (cCAVM). This study aims to highlight the clinical presentation and management of patients with cCAVM and also to propose a classification of calcification patterns in cCAVMs based on brain computed tomography (CT) findings. Methods: A systematic review using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was done according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to identify cases that illustrate cCAVM. A case series was also presented to supplement the current literature. Results: Twenty patients with cCAVM were included, with the male gender representing more than 50% of the patient population. Their age ranged from 11 to 69 years, with seizures being the most common presenting symptom. The frontal lobe was the most common location of AVMs, followed by the parietal lobe. Most (80%) of the calcifications were nidal, with the remaining being extranidal (20%). Conclusion: The CT scans of patients displayed significant variability due to the unique characteristics of each cCAVM. To address this diversity, a novel classification system was developed to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding cCAVMs based on their location, size, and extent.