Investigation of optimum hemoglobin levels in older patients with chronic kidney disease.

AIM: The aim of the present study is to determine target hemoglobin (Hgb) values ​​in older females and males with chronic kidney disease (CKD) according to best performance in mood, gait and balance, muscle strength and activities of daily living, which are important parameters of geriatric assessment. METHOD: Patients' age, gender, education level, and comorbidities were recorded. All the participants underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) including Basic and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living for functional evaluation, Tinetti Performance-Oriented Assessment of Mobility and Timed Up and Go Test for fall risk, and hand grip strength for muscle strength. Hgb levels and kidney functions were analyzed on the same day as CGA measurements. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to detect the optimum level of Hgb according to the best performance of CGA parameters. RESULTS: 622 elderly CKD patients (69.3% female, 55.7% with anemia) were included. After adjustment for confounders, those with anemia had dynapenia (OR 1.60), high risk of falls (OR 1.60), and decreased functional capacity (OR 1.83) among females and those with anemia had dynapenia (OR 4.31), a high risk of falling (OR 2.42) and decreased functional capacity (OR 2.94) among males. The optimum value of Hgb level is 11.8-12.1 in females and 12.6-12.8 in males according to ROC analysis. CONCLUSION: Anemia is associated with dynapenia, high risk of falls, and decreased functional capacity in older CKD patients regardless of genericity. To prevent these negative outcomes, Hgb should be kept in the range of 11.8-12.1 in older females with CKD and 12.6-12.8 in older males with CKD.

Beta Thalassemia Minor: Patients Are Not Tired but Depressed and Anxious.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate whether the severity of fatigue and the incidences of depression and anxiety of patients with beta thalassemia minor (BTm) are different from healthy individuals using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: BTm patients who were followed at the University of Health Sciences Istanbul Training and Research Hospital Hematology Clinic between 2016 and 2017 and who had normal biochemical parameters, thyroid function tests and C-reactive protein levels, and did not use any medications, consume alcohol or tobacco, have any chronic diseases or sleep disturbances were included in the study. Healthy control subjects who were matched with age, sex, marital status, educational status, and body mass index (BMI) were also included for comparison. RESULTS: Thirty-nine BTm patients and 25 healthy controls were included in the study. The BTm and the control groups were comparable in terms of gender, age, BMI, educational status and marital status (p = 0.368, 0.755, 0.851, 0.785, and 0.709, respectively). FSS score was ≥4 in 23 (59.0%) BTm subjects and in 15 (60%) control subjects (p = 1.0). HADS anxiety score was ≥10 in 20 (51.3%) BTm subjects and in 5 (20.0%) control subjects (p = 0.018), and HADS depression score was ≥7 in 20 (51.3%) BTm subjects and in 6 (24.0%) healthy control subjects (p = 0.039).There was no correlation of hemoglobin with FSS score (p = 0.526, r = -0.105), HADS anxiety score (p = 0.703, r = -0.063), or HADS depression score (p = 0.718, r = -0.06) in the BTm group. CONCLUSION: We found that both depression and anxiety were higher in BTm patients than in healthy individuals, but this difference was not feasible for fatigue.

Comparison of clinical features and survival between young and old chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients: a single center study from Turkey.

We aimed to investigate whether the clinical characteristics, the rate of treatment demand and survival differ between chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients <65 years (y) and ≥65 y. Sixty three (46%) patients were <65 y and 74 (54%) were ≥65 y. 28.6% (18/63) of the patients <65 required treatment, while this rate was 44.6% (33/74) for patients ≥65 y (p > .05). The probability of overall survival (OS) was 90 vs. 51% in patients <65 y and ≥65 y (p = .016). In univariate analysis, the age affected OS (p = .04, HR: 0.212, CI: 0.047-0.946). In subgroup analysis, in treated patients, the probability of OS was 73 vs. 49% in patients <65 y and ≥65 y (p = .389). The survival difference between the young and old patients is too high to be ignored and age seems to affect the outcome of CLL patients.

A diffuse large B cell lymphoma emerging with breast cancer relapse.

The prevalence of secondary cancers associated with the breast cancer treatment has increased, which is due to the administration of cytotoxic/hormonal drugs as well as radiotherapy. A 54-year-old female patient with a history of breast cancer for 4 years and receiving tamoxifen the hematology clinic with fatigue and nosebleed. Laboratory parameters were revealed pancytopenia. The bone marrow biopsy finding was compatible with CD20 positive high-grade B cell lymphoma resembling diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The patient started to receive a chemotherapy. Her hemogram values displayed an improvement after the second cycle. However, interim PET-BT, performed after the fourth cycle, showed an incomplete response in cervical lymphatic nodes. Then, a tru-cut biopsy was performed resulting in breast cancer metastasis. This is an unusual case of secondary-DLBCL presenting with pancytopenia and occuring 4 years after the diagnosis of breast cancer. In conclusion, clinicians should carefully set the dosage of chemotherapy drugs to avoid the long-term side effects associated with such drugs.

Facial localization of malignant chondroid syringoma: a rare case report.

First described by Hirsch and Helwig in 1961, chondroid syringomas (CSs) are rare, benign tumors of the skin arising from the eccrine sweat glands with tumor differentiation in the epithelial and mesenchymal tissues. They most commonly occur in the head and neck, although they may be also found in the axilla, trunk, limbs, and genitalia. The incidence of CS is <0.01% of all primary skin tumors. Malingnant chondroid syringomas (MCS), which are also called malignant mixed tumors of the skin, are extremely uncommon. MCSs commonly involve the limbs and rarely head and neck. In this article, we present a case of malignant chondroid syringoma localized in the face at the left nasolabial region in the light of literature review.