Characteristic imaging findings of duodenal perforation.

Two patients were admitted to emergency room with complaint of abdominal pain with abrupt onset and retroperitoneal free air was detected in pararenal area on CT. In this paper, characteristic CT findings of patients diagnosed with duodenal perforation are presented under the light of literature data.

Effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty in cases of vertebral metastases.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) in patients with vertebral collapse due to metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PV procedures performed on 95 vertebras in 52 patients with primary malignancy were retrospectively evaluated. Vertebral metastases, primary malignancies of the patients, pain before and after PV on a visual analogue scale (VAS), amount of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement applied to the vertebral body during PV, PMMA cement leakage and vertebral approaches were evaluated. RESULTS: VAS scores of 43 patients (in total 79 vertebras) were evaluated. Median VAS scores of patients declined from 8 (4-10) before PV to 3 (0-7) within one day after the procedure, to 2 (0-9) one week after the procedure and eventually to 2 (0-9) 3months after the procedure (p<0.001). PMMA amount applied to the vertebral body during PV varied between 1.5-9mL (average±SD 4.91±1.61). There was no significant statistical correlation between PMMA amounts and VAS scores within one day after, 1week after and 3months after the PV procedure (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: PV is a simple, effective, reliable, easy to perform and minimally invasive procedure in patients with painful vertebral metastases.

The evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness and visceral obesity as an atherosclerosis predictor in newly-diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome.

PURPOSE: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder which is associated with multiple risk factors for atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the CIMT which is used in the early diagnosis of atherosclerosis and visceral obesity by ultrasound in newly diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome with normal body mass index. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was conducted on 25 PCOS women (18-30 years of age) and 25 controls. BMI was matched volunteer controls. Carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and fat distribution as visceral fat thickness (VFT) with subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) were measured by ultrasound. After, visceral fat ratio (VFR) fat ratio (VFR) was calculated using VFT divided by SFT. The variables were compared using the χ(2)-test and Student's t test. RESULTS: Comparing women with PCOS to the control group showed that CIMT was similar in both groups (p=0.84). The VFT in the PCOS group was higher than the control group (p=0.048). Whereas, the SFT was higher in the control group when compared to women with PCOS (p=0.007). The VFR was significantly higher in women with PCOS when compared to the control group (1.12 ± 0.38 vs. 0.81 ± 0.34; p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: CIMT which used as early atherosclerosis predictors have not increased in newly diagnosed PCOS women. Body fat distribution was observed in visceral area in the newly diagnosed PCOS women. VFR follow up may provide benefit as a quantitative method for the assessment and follow up of visceral obesity in women with PCOS.

Morphologic and functional vascular alterations in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate morphologic and functional alterations of common carotid arteries (CCA) and femoral arteries and the anteroposterior diameter of the abdominal aorta in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty consecutive females with the complaint of oligoamenorrhea, infertility or hirsutismus, diagnosed with PCOS and 50 healthy females admitted to the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ergani State Hospital between January 2010 and January 2011 were included in the study. RESULTS: The mean BMI of 50 patients with PCOS was higher than control subjects (CS) (25.89 +/- 3.3 vs 22.52 +/- 2.7 kg/m2, p < 0.0001). The mean arterial blood pressure was 88.93 +/- 6.4 mmHg in the patient group and was it 85.73 +/- 7.6 mmHg in CS (p = 0.02). The mean plasma glucose level (74.04 +/- 6.7 vs 70.5 +/- 6.4 mg/dl), total cholesterol level (167.88 +/- 30.1 vs 153.38 +/- 27.8 mg/dl), low density lipoprotein level (101.28 +/- 27.0 vs 79.56 +/- 25.5 mg/dl) and triglyceride level (121.22 +/- 49.2 vs 102.54 +/- 36.6 mg/dl) were higher; also the mean high density lipoprotein level (44.56 +/- 8.1 vs 50.90 +/- 12.3 mg/dl) was lower in patients with PCOS than CS (p = 0.009, p = 0.014, p < 0.0001, p = 0.034 and p = 0.003, respectively). CCA-IMT (0.63 +/- 0.2 vs 0.52 +/- 0.1 mm), and CCA-PI (1.44 +/- 0.3 vs 1.28 +/- 0.22) were higher in patients with PCOS (p = 0.018 andp = 0.005, respectively). Femoral-IMT (0.62 +/- 0.6 vs 0.41 +/- 0.1 mm) and anteroposterior diameter of the infrarenal aorta (12.34 +/- 1.5 vs 11.4 +/- 1.0 mm) were higher in patients with PCOS (p = 0.024 and p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that IMT and PI of CCA, and anteroposterior diameter of the infrarenal abdominal aorta and femoral-IMT were higher in patients with PCOS. These results are probably related with increased androgens, their effects on insulin resistance and lipid profile, increased BMI and blood pressure. Detection of these functional and/or structural abnormalities are important in predicting prognosis. Larger scale prospective studies are needed to determine the effects of PCOS on the mortality and morbidity, and to clarify the relation between the duration of the disease and development of these alterations.

Bruxism: is it a new sign of the cardiovascular diseases?

AIM: To determine the relationship between bruxism and cardiovascular diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 120 patients who referred to the Dentistry Faculty with the complaint of bruxism were selected. All patients gave informed consent for participation in the study. All of the patients were examined and bruxism was classified. And also these were examined by B-mode ultrasound to measure the Intima Media Thickness (IMT) at the far wall of the common carotid artery. A wide range of vascular risk factors including age, gender, body mass index, and previous history were surveyed. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to ascertain quantitative comparison, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for comparison of means RESULTS: There were 66 (55%) male and 54 (45%) female patients, with a female to male ratio of 1/1.2. The mean age was 35.6 +/- 1,25 years (range 18-65 years). In the analysis of bruxism classification and IMT there was a statistical significance between bruxism classification subgroup 1, 2, 3 and IMT. There was no statistical significance between bruxism classification Subgroup 4 and IMT due to the small number of the patients (n = 12). CONCLUSIONS: Stressful situations can cause both bruxism and cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery diseases, hypertension, arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy. The statistical analysis supported this hypothesis. However, we need to new studies with large number of samples to confirm this hypothesis. Clearly, future studies in this field will need to take into consideration the influence of the following variables: age, use of medication or drugs, smoking habits, and other sleep disorders.

Investigation of the effect of exhaust particles on ocular blood flow in highway toll collectors using color Doppler ultrasonography.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of exhaust particles on orbital blood flow velocity of the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and posterior ciliary artery by color Doppler ultrasonography in highway toll collectors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Color Doppler imaging was used to measure the peak-systolic and end-diastolic flow velocities and resistivity indices of the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and posterior ciliary artery in 20 toll collectors and 20 controls. RESULTS: Both the peak-systolic and the end-diastolic flow velocities were decreased in the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and posterior ciliary artery, and the resistivity index was increased in the central retinal artery in toll collectors when compared with control groups. Results were considered statistically significant if P<0.05. CONCLUSION: It was determined that the effect of exhaust particles reduced ocular blood flow velocity in toll collectors as measured by color duplex Doppler ultrasonography.