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INTRODUCTION: Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) typically considered a condition of the adult population; it is often disregarded in children and adolescents due to its limited recognition within the pediatrics. The current study aims to systematically review and provide insights into TOS among pediatric patients. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were thoroughly searched for English language studies published until March 15th, 2024. The study included those articles focusing on pediatric or adolescent individuals diagnosed with TOS. Data collected from studies encompassed date of publication, number of participants or reported cases, age (years), gender of participants, type of TOS, affected side, type of treatment, surgical approach, bony abnormality, duration of symptoms (months), outcome, and follow-up time duration (months). RESULTS: The current study comprised 33 articles, 21 of which were case reports, 10 of which were case series, and the remaining were cohort studies. In this study, 356 patients were included. Females constituted 234 (65.73%) of the patient population. Among TOS types, neurogenic TOS was found among 201 (56.5%) patients. Sporting-related activity or physical activity was present in 193 (54%) patients, followed by a history of trauma in 27 (7%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients exhibited a higher percentage of vascular TOS than their adult counterparts, with the supraclavicular approach emerging as the preferred treatment method. Sports-related activities were identified as the primary risk factor associated with pediatric TOS.
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Síndrome del Desfiladero Torácico , Humanos , Síndrome del Desfiladero Torácico/cirugía , Síndrome del Desfiladero Torácico/diagnóstico , Adolescente , Niño , Masculino , FemeninoRESUMEN
The characteristics of the pilonidal sinus that are associated with recurrence have scarcely been investigated in the literature. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of patients with sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease who were managed by a non-operative technique using Salih's preparation. This study also tries to classify the patients according to the features that determine the outcome of the intervention. This is a single-group cohort study that enrolled consecutive patients that had pilonidal sinus. All the patients were managed using Salih's preparation. The patients were seen at the clinic 6 weeks after the intervention to record data of recurrence. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25 was used for coding and analysing the data. Test of significance and odds ratio were calculated for all of the features. The total number of patients receiving Salih's preparation was 12 123 cases, of which only 3529 patients were included in this study. The mean age of the participants was 26.95 years, ranging from 14 to 55 years. The most significant factor related to the recurrence was the presence of an abscess. After summation of all odd ratios, the percentage of each one from the total was calculated, and accordingly, the patients were divided into three classes. Non-operative methods using a preparation with antimicrobial and sclerosing properties can be an alternative for surgical intervention with a lower risk of recurrence. Classification of patients based on specific criteria can give clinicians and even patients themselves a vision of the chance of recurrence and treatment success.
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Seno Pilonidal , Cicatrización de Heridas , Humanos , Adulto , Seno Pilonidal/cirugía , Estudios de Cohortes , Recurrencia Local de Neoplasia , Región Sacrococcígea/cirugía , Resultado del Tratamiento , RecurrenciaRESUMEN
Introduction: The prevalence and risk factors of stunting in various geographical regions have been well investigated. However, not enough data exists regarding the communities in Iraq. This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of stunting in preschool children in Halabja governorate. Methods: The required data for the study was collected through a structured questionnaire form from the children's parents. Then, the height and weight of the children were measured. According to the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards and using the WHO Anthro Survey Analyser software, children were classified as "stunted" when their height-for-age z-score was below two standard deviations. Results: A total of 646 children were included, of which 310 (48%) were male and 336 (52%) were female. The gestational age of 556 (86%) children was 9 months, while 84 (13%) were born between 7-9 months, and 6 (1%) were born in 7 months. Regarding feeding during the first 2 years of life, 229 children (35.4%) were exclusively breastfed, 93 (14.4%) were bottle-fed, and 324 (50.2%) had mixed feeding. The prevalence of stunting was 7.9% in the sample pool, with 4.6% of females and 3.3% of males. Among stunted children, 6.35% were term babies, and 1.55% were preterm babies. None of the studied factors had a significant association with stunting. Conclusion: The prevalence of stunting in the studied population was 7.9%. However, we could not find any significant association between the studied factors and stunting. Thus, the factors that may significantly affect stunting in our area of study, especially the historical chemical warfare side effects, need to be more extensively investigated in future studies.
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BACKGROUND: Urolithiasis is one of the most prevalent urological diseases and is associated with a substantial economic burden. Its prevalence varies according to geographical location. Qatar is a Middle Eastern country located in the Afro-Asian Stone Belt. It has a dry and hot climate, which may predispose individuals working in these environments to form kidney stones (KSs). METHODS: A population sample of 4204 patients was categorized into five occupational classes. The frequencies and correlations of these occupations with KS formation were calculated. RESULTS: Among the total cases, 2000 presented with KSs, with the majority being of Asian descent (49%), followed by individuals of Middle Eastern descent (35.1%). Technicians accounted for 35.15% of KS cases followed by clerks (29.2%) and executives (14.6%). Among KS cases, 44% had a single stone, 30% had multiple stones, and 26% had two stones. In comparing both KS and non-KS groups, age, gender, occupation, and race were significantly associated with KS formation (p<0.05), while BMI did not show any significant correlation (p>0.05). Asian males aged 31-40, working as technicians, were significantly more prone to urolithiasis. In comparing age, BMI, and gender with stone characteristics, only age was found significantly associated with stone size (p<0.05). Occupation showed an impact on all studied stone characteristics. Clerks and technicians presented more frequently with stones within the 11-15 mm range, while executives more frequently presented with smaller stones (p<0.001). Stone density was more frequently <500 HU in workers, technicians and housewives and >500 HU in executives and clerks (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed an elevated risk of urolithiasis among certain occupational groups, particularly technicians, who frequently work outdoors in high-temperature environments. Alternatively, the sedentary nature of clerical and executive positions can also contribute to the risk of urolithiasis.
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Cálculos Renales , Urolitiasis , Masculino , Humanos , Estudios Transversales , Qatar/epidemiología , Urolitiasis/epidemiología , Urolitiasis/etiología , PrevalenciaRESUMEN
Mullerian anomalies occur as a result of errors during embryogenesis. The estimated incidence of these anomalies is around 1% in the general population and 3% in women complaining of suboptimal reproductive outcomes and infertility. A 21-year-old female patient was referred to our hospital due to primary infertility for 18 months. After a proper history, physical examination and further diagnostic steps, including ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, a diagnosis of complete septate uterus with septate cervix and longitudinal vaginal septum was made. Following hysteroscopic resection of all the septa and two cycles of ovulation induction, the patient was able to conceive. However, she needed cervical cerclage later due to cervical insufficiency. The baby was delivered at term and was healthy. A uterine, cervical and longitudinal vaginal septum is a unique entity of Mullerian anomalies. Resection of all septa through a hysteroscopic approach resulted in a good outcome for our patient.
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Introduction and importance: Hydatid cysts are seldom identified in cytologic smears and are often incidental. This report highlights a case where fine needle aspiration cytology was unintentionally utilized to diagnose a pulmonary hydatid cyst clinically mistaken for an abscess. Case presentation: A 29-year-old female presented with intermittent respiratory symptoms, including a mild cough and sputum, that she has been complaining of since 2020. A blood investigation revealed an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (25 mm/h), C-reactive protein (>5 mg/dl), and white blood cells (>11×109/l). A high-resolution computed tomography scan of the chest revealed an irregular pulmonary opacity in the right lower lobe with central fluid attenuation, suspecting an abscess or, less likely, a pulmonary neoplasm. The patient underwent fine needle aspiration cytology, which was diagnosed as a hydatid cyst. A thoracotomy was performed, and the cyst was totally excised. Histopathological results of the specimen confirmed the previous diagnosis. Clinical discussion: Various diagnostic modalities have been discussed for diagnosing hydatid cysts, including radiology, serology tests, and fine needle aspiration. These modalities have been evaluated in terms of their respective advantages and drawbacks. Conclusion: Hydatid cysts can be challenging to diagnose based on imaging findings and may be misidentified as abscesses or masses. Despite the risk of anaphylaxis, fine needle aspiration cytology can be a reliable diagnostic method if performed meticulously by experienced radiologists.
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The choice between nodulectomy and lobectomy for managing thyroid nodules is a subject of debate in the field of thyroid surgery. The present study aims to share the experience of a single center in managing solitary thyroid nodules through nodulectomy from January 2023 to October 2023. The inclusion criteria encompassed symptomatic or suspicious solitary nodules and medically necessitated cases. The extracted data included patient demographics, medical history, symptoms, diagnostic details, surgery indication, procedure outcome and histopathological findings. The follow-up included clinic visits and phone calls. The mean age of the patients was 36.64±11.63 years, with 85.0% females and 15.0% males. Predominantly, patients were housewives (58.5%). Neck swelling (62.3%) was the most common presentation. Ultrasound examination revealed mixed nodules in more than half of the cases (54.7%). Right nodulectomy was performed in 26 cases (49.1%) and left nodulectomy in 23 (43.4%), and four cases (7.5%) underwent isthmusectomy. The mean operation time was 36.04±9.37 min and no drainage tube was used in any of the cases. One case (1.9%) of seroma was the only observed complication during the observational period. Nodulectomy may be a suitable choice for managing benign, large, solitary thyroid nodules, small suspicious nodules or microcarcinomas.
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Urolithiasis is a common disease that affects approximately one-fifth of the global population. This systematic review explores the predictive role of inflammatory markers for the spontaneous passage of ureteral stones. The literature was systematically searched via Google Scholar, PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Science Direct, CINAHL, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases to identify papers published until 2023. Overall, 26 articles were identified, of which 10 were excluded. The remaining 16 papers reported 2,695 patients (1,723 males and 972 females), with 1,654 (61.37%) experiencing spontaneous stone passage (SSP) and 1,041 (38.63%) not experiencing it (non-SSP). Stones located in the upper part of the ureter were less likely to pass spontaneously (152/959, 15.94% in the SSP group vs. 180/546, 32.48% in the non-SSP group; p < 0.001). Mid-ureteral stones were present in 180/959 (18.75%) of the SSP group compared to 84/546 (14.52%) of the non-SSP group (p = 0.0974). Lower ureteral stones were more likely to pass spontaneously, with 627/959 (63.31%) in the SSP group compared to 282/546 (49.36%) in the non-SSP group (p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between most inflammatory markers and SSP (p > 0.05). However, procalcitonin levels were lower in the SSP group compared to the non-SSP group (132.7 ± 28.1 vs. 207 ± 145.1, respectively) (p < 0.001). This systematic review has revealed that except procalcitonin, most inflammatory markers do not offer significant predictive capability for ureteral SSP.
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Biomarcadores , Valor Predictivo de las Pruebas , Cálculos Ureterales , Humanos , Cálculos Ureterales/sangre , Biomarcadores/sangre , Biomarcadores/análisis , Remisión Espontánea , Inflamación/sangreRESUMEN
Introduction: While different methods are employed for fixing narrowed nasal valves and preventing the notching of soft triangles, this study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of a new technique called Süreyya-Dani Technique. Methods: This prospective study composed 100 patients who underwent rhinoplasty using the Süreyya-Dani technique. All patients presented with either notching of the soft triangle and/or external nasal valve dysfunction. Patients with the absence of soft triangle notching and external nasal valve dysfunction were excluded from this study. Facial analysis was conducted for all patients to identify any asymmetry in the face, and all nasal defects were identified. Descriptive statistics were calculated for different variables. Analytical statistics, namely Chi-Square test, was conducted with a significance level set at P < 0.05. Results: In the current study, 100 patients were involved, out of which 63 (63%) were female and 37 (37%) were male. The participants' ages ranged from 18 to 46 years, with a mean age of 30 years. various chief complaints were found among patients, with the majority 37(37%) expressing cosmetic concerns. A statistically significant difference was found for the association of nasal tip defects with genders, intraoperative findings, and chef complaints, and the association between the degree of external valve insufficiency and crural weakness (P-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Despite many techniques that have been put forward to fix narrowed nasal valves and prevent notching of the soft triangle, the Süreyya-Dani Technique could work to prevent its occurrence successfully.
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INTRODUCTION: The rising prevalence of global end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a significant health concern, especially among children. Although renal replacement therapy is available, children with ESRD are at an increased risk of mortality. Kidney transplantation is the preferred modality of treatment and surpasses renal replacement therapy in terms of survival. However, pediatric renal transplantation could prove difficult due to factors like smaller recipients and donor-recipient mismatches leading to higher complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective single-group case series study was conducted on children with ESRD who were planned to undergo kidney transplantation from living donors between 2015 and 2021. The data was collected from two centers in the city of Sulaymaniyah. RESULTS: The study comprised a predominantly male patient population, with a total of 39 individuals (n = 39) and 13 female patients. The donors were mostly males between 25-40 years old. The majority of participants were 15-18 years old. In majority of the patients Thymoglobulin was the immunosuppressive agent used in induction. The most common etiology for renal failure was reflux nephropathy and artery anastomosis was performed to the external iliac artery in the majority of patients. Only 9 patients had complications following the transplantation and 3 patients had an episode of acute rejection. CONCLUSIONS: Renal transplantation is the preferred treatment of renal failure in pediatric patients in the city of Sulaymaniyah. The most common etiology for pediatric renal failure was reflux nephropathy which was different from the findings of North American Pediatric Renal Trials and Collaborative Studies.
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Fallo Renal Crónico , Trasplante de Riñón , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Estudios Retrospectivos , Adolescente , Niño , Fallo Renal Crónico/cirugía , Inmunosupresores/uso terapéutico , Adulto , Donadores Vivos , Preescolar , Complicaciones Posoperatorias/epidemiología , Complicaciones Posoperatorias/etiología , Rechazo de Injerto/epidemiología , Adulto Joven , Suero AntilinfocíticoRESUMEN
Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) are unusual remnants of the thyroid gland that are rarely observed in association with carcinoma. The present study aimed to showcase the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and management of patients with TGDC carcinoma. It was a single-center study conducted from February 2016 to February 2020. The study involved the retrospective analysis of a series of cases with TGDC carcinoma. A total of 10 patients were included in the study, of whom eight (80%) were females. Their age ranged from 25 to 48 years with a mean age of 39.1 years. A total of five cases (50%) underwent only Sistrunk's procedure, four patients (40%) underwent total thyroidectomy along with Sistrunk's procedure and one patient (10%) was treated by Sistrunk operation and lobectomy. In all of the cases (100%), histopathological examination confirmed papillary thyroid carcinoma in TGDCs. In addition, in the thyroid tissue, 2 cases (20%) also had papillary thyroid carcinoma and 3 cases (30%) had papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Radioiodine was administered in one patient (10%) with suppressive thyroxine. A three-year follow-up with ultrasound revealed no suspicious lesions in any of the cases. Although rare, carcinoma may develop in the thyroglossal cysts. In this situation, both the thyroid gland and different lymph node compartments should be evaluated for malignancy. Surgical intervention is the cornerstone of management.
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Background and Aims: Behçet's disease is a chronic, multisystemic, and relapsing inflammatory disorder. It lacks a permanent cure, the focus of treatment is on mitigating symptoms, decreasing the frequency and severity of relapses, and preventing life-threatening complications. This study aims to report the experience of a single center in managing patients with Behçet's disease and discuss the treatment outcomes. Methods: This study was a retrospective case series conducted over 2 years. All cases were clinically diagnosed according to the International Criteria for Behçet's Disease. The extracted data were demographics, family history, clinical findings, criteria scores, treatment, and outcomes. Results: A total of 31 patients were included, consisting of 13 males (42%) and 18 females (58%). Most cases were over the age of 30, and both genders were nearly equally distributed among age groups. The most commonly affected site was the oral cavity, observed in 96.77% of cases. Genital, cutaneous, and vascular involvements were more common in males, while females were more likely to have oral, ocular, and musculoskeletal involvements. For various treatment regimens, oral, cutaneous, vascular, and musculoskeletal involvements showed complete response in all cases. Among cases with genital involvement, complete response was achieved in seven cases (41.2%), while four cases (23.5%) showed only partial response, and six cases (35.3%) experienced recurrence. In cases with ocular involvement, only partial responses were observed. Conclusion: Oral, cutaneous, vascular, and musculoskeletal involvements may have a higher likelihood of a complete response to treatment regimens. However, genital involvement may be the most recurrent manifestation, followed by ocular involvement.
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BACKGROUND: Carotid body tumors are uncommon neuroendocrine growths near the carotid bifurcation. While some advocate preoperative embolization to minimize bleeding, others avoid it due to complications. This study shares the experience of a single center in managing patients with carotid body tumors without practicing preoperative embolization. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of patients with carotid body tumors managed between 2020 and 2024. Data were collected from the hospital's registry. When necessary, routine blood tests, neck ultrasonography, and computed tomography scans were conducted. The tumors were categorized according to Shamblin's classification. The average duration of follow-up was 20 months. RESULTS: The study involved 25 patients, 22 (88%) females and 3 (12%) males. Their ages ranged from 27 to 85 years old. Twenty (80%) cases presented with neck swelling, and six (24%) had a positive medical history. Tumors were mainly on the right side (52%), with 20 (80%) showing ill-defined neck masses. Tumor sizes ranged from 1.5 to 7 cm, with Shamblin type II tumors being discovered in the majority of cases (72%). Types of tumors were significantly associated with the tumor size (p-value < 0.05). Blood transfusion was required in five cases (20%), three from type III and two from type II, with none from type I (p-value = 0.001). Temporary neurological deficits occurred in 3 cases (12%). No functional impairment or mortality was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid body tumors are rare tumors with an unknown etiology. Operation without practicing preoperative embolization may be feasible with an acceptable outcome.
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Tumor del Cuerpo Carotídeo , Humanos , Tumor del Cuerpo Carotídeo/cirugía , Tumor del Cuerpo Carotídeo/diagnóstico por imagen , Masculino , Femenino , Anciano , Persona de Mediana Edad , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Adulto , Estudios Transversales , Resultado del Tratamiento , Tomografía Computarizada por Rayos X , Estudios RetrospectivosRESUMEN
The Bentall procedure is a surgical technique used in the management of aortic root abnormalities with ascending aorta and aortic valve issues. The present study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of 18 patients treated with the Bentall procedure in a single center. The present study was a single-center retrospective case series conducted over a period of 3 years. The patients had either acute ascending dissection and/or dilated ascending aorta with aortic valve dysfunction. The Bentall procedure was performed via standard median sternotomy. St. Jude Medical composite grafts with a valve were applied in all cases. A total number of 18 patients with either acute ascending dissection and/or dilated ascending aorta with aortic valve dysfunction were included in the study. The age of the participants ranged from 27-60 years. The ratio of males to females was 16:2 (males, 88.8%). The symptoms developed 3-4 days prior to hospital admission. Chest pain was the most common presenting symptom (n=10, 55.5%). Hypertension was the most common risk factor (n=12, 66.6%). In total, 14 cases underwent emergency surgery (77.7%). The emergency surgery was performed in 9 patients within 24 h of arrival owing to the association of aortic root dissection with tamponade. For the other cases, the surgery was performed within 2 and 7 days (n=5, 27.7% and n=4, 22.2%) respectively. Early post-operative complications occurred in 5 patients (27.7%). On the whole, as demonstrated herein, the modifications of the Bentall procedure have a notable impact on decreasing the overall mortality rates. Raising the awareness of clinicians and the general population as regards aortic dissection may aid in the early referral of patients to specialized centers and may thus decrease the overall mortality rate.
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De Quervain's tenosynovitis (DQT) is a painful stenosing tenosynovitis of the first dorsal compartment of the wrist, which may be refractory to conservative treatments. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound (US)-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection for the management of DQT. For this purpose, from January, 2020 to February, 2021, 12 patients with DQT who received the US-guided PRP injection were studied prospectively. All patients were evaluated clinically for pain intensity using the visual analog scale and sonographically prior to treatment. The patients were followed-up at 1 and 3 months after the procedure to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment. In total, 12 hands of 12 female patients with DQT were analyzed in the present study. The post-treatment clinical evaluation revealed complete recovery in 4 (33.3%) of the patients, and 6 (50%) of them had recovered and returned to their daily activities. The sonographic evaluation revealed a significant reduction in the mean retinaculum thickness from 1.84 to 1.069 mm, and mean tendon sheath effusion from 2.06 to 1.25 mm, with only 58% of the cases having tendon sheath effusion at 3 months post-treatment. On the whole, the findings of the present study demonstrate that US-guided PRP injection with needle tenotomy can be used as an alternative non-surgical therapy for patients who do not respond to conventional conservative treatments, particularly in cases with sub-compartmentalization. The use of US may play a crucial role in the treatment of DQT, as improved clinical outcomes can be obtained with US-guided injections, particularly in cases with sub-compartmentalization.
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Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 1-2% of all malignancies and is the most common renal tumor in adults. Imaging studies are used for diagnosis and staging. Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging strongly affects prognosis and management, while contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) is regarded as a standard imaging technique for local and distant staging. The present study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of CECT for the preoperative staging of RCC by using surgical and pathological staging as the reference methods. This single-center prospective study was conducted between October 2019 and November 2021. The preoperative abdominal CT scans of patients suspected of having RCC were reviewed. Imaging data were collected, including tumor side and size, and perinephric fat invasion. Intraoperative notes were recorded, including the operation type, perinephric fat invasion, renal vein (RV) or inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor extension, and surrounding organ invasion. pathological data were collected on tumor size, RCC type, presence of clear margins, presence of renal capsule or perinephric fat invasion, renal sinus or pelvicalyceal system (PCS) invasion, segmental or main RV extension, and the involvement of Gerota's fascia and nearby organs. Preoperative CECT revealed that 42 out of 59 tumors had a greater maximum diameter than the pathological specimen, with an overall disparity of 0.25 cm. The specificity of CT for the detection of tumor invasion of the perinephric and renal sinus fat and PCS was 95%, and the sensitivity ranged from 80 to 88%. CT had an 83% sensitivity and a 95 specificity in detecting T4 stage cancer, with a 100% specificity for adrenal invasion. The concordance between radiographic and histological results for RV and IVC involvement was high, with specificities of 94 and 98%, and sensitivities of 80 and 100%, respectively. Overall accuracy for correct T staging was 80%. In conclusion, CECT is accurate in the local T staging of RCC, with high sensitivity and specificity for estimating tumor size and detecting extension to nearby structures and venous invasion.
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There are controversies regarding the normal size of the adult spleen and its correlation with age, sex and body parameters. The present study aimed to establish a reference value of splenic dimensions, volume and their correlations with different body parameters. The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 healthy adult volunteers of both sexes. Age, sex, height, weight and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. The ultrasound measurements of spleen parameters included length, thickness and width. The spleen volume was calculated using the standard prolate ellipsoid formula (length x thickness x width x0.523). The mean ± SD age was 38.7±14 years, the mean height was 166±9.9 cm, the mean weight was 74.7±15.8 kg and the mean BMI was 27±5 kg/m2. The mean spleen length, thickness, width and volume were 10.68±1.28 cm, 4.1±0.58 cm, 7.3±0.9 cm and 174.4±52.4 ml, respectively. Males had larger spleen parameters than females. Spleen volume significantly correlated with the subjects' height (r=0.655, P<0.001) and weight (r=0.643, P<0.001). However, weaker correlations were detected between age (r=-0.238, P<0.001) and BMI (r=0.299, P<0.001) with spleen volume. A higher significant correlation was found between spleen volume and spleen length rather than with its thickness and width. In the present study, the normative data of splenic dimensions and volume have been provided and may be used in certain clinical situations.
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Pseudo-Wellens syndrome refers to any electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern that mimics Wellens syndrome with no critical left anterior descending (LAD) artery-associated coronary artery disease. The present study describes a rare case of pseudo-Wellens syndrome associated with pulmonary embolism. A female patient presented with chest tightness for 72 h. The precordial examination and heart sounds were normal. A mild bilateral lower pitting leg edema with a superficial varicose vein was observed. The levels of C-reactive protein (98.80 mg/l) and D-dimer (7599.9 ng/ml) were abnormal. An electrocardiogram presented a biphasic inversion of the T-wave in precordial leads in the pain-free interval. Coronary angiography did not reveal any notable findings. A computed tomography pulmonary angiography demonstrated an acute pulmonary embolism. The patient received unfractionated heparin (20,000 IU) by intravenous infusion. She was discharged on rivaroxaban (15 mg) twice daily for 21 days. The inverted T-wave specificity, sensitivity and positive predictive values for LAD stenosis are 89, 69 and 86% respectively. This indicates that ECG alternations with the properties of Wellens syndrome do not always guarantee its occurrence, and in the presence of a normal coronary artery, the condition may be pseudo-Wellens syndrome. The case described herein suggests that clinicians need to carefully screen patients that have pulmonary embolisms with an abnormal electrocardiographic pattern in order to prevent unnecessary intervention.
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Subcutaneous metastasis from esophageal cancer (EC), particularly to the chest wall, is a very rare phenomenon. The present study describes a case of gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma that metastasized to the chest wall, invading the fourth anterior rib. A 70-year-old female presented with acute chest pain 4 months after undergoing Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy for gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. A chest ultrasound revealed a solid hypoechoic mass on the right side of the chest. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the chest revealed a destructive mass on the right anterior fourth rib (7.5x5 cm). Fine needle aspiration revealed a metastatic moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma to the chest wall. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography/computed tomography revealed a large FDG avid deposit on the right side of the chest wall. Under general anesthesia, a right-side anterior chest incision was made and the second, third and fourth ribs were resected with overlying soft tissues, including the pectoralis muscle and overlying skin. The histopathological examination confirmed a metastasized gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma to the chest wall. There are two common assumptions regarding chest wall metastasis from EC. The first one states that this metastasis can occur due to the implantation of the carcinoma during tumor resection. The latter supports the notion of tumor cell dissemination along the esophageal lymphatic and hematogenous systems. Chest wall metastasis from EC invading ribs is an extremely rare incident. However, its likelihood of occurrence should not be neglected following primary cancer treatment.
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Various studies on the etiology and other aspects of granulomatous mastitis (GM) have been performed; however, a lot of controversies have arisen. The present study aimed to present the clinicopathological findings and identify the sensitivity and resistance of isolated bacteria in patients with GM. In this cross-sectional study 63 female patients with a confirmed histopathological diagnosis of GM were included. A core needle biopsy was conducted for the patients to obtain a sample for histopathological examination and bacterial culture. In total, 46 types of antibiotics were used to determine the sensitivity and resistance of each isolated bacterial species. All the medical and clinical records of the patients were acquired through the completion of a questionnaire form in person or, if necessary, through the evaluation of their medical records in the database of the relevant center. The majority of the patients were in the premenopausal or perimenopausal period. GM was unilateral in 58.7% of the patients. The most common symptom was pain, followed by fever and chills. The mean ranges of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, IL-6, IL-17, C5a, white blood count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and prolactin tests were significantly elevated in comparison to the normal ranges. In total, nine different bacterial species were isolated from the bacterial culture of the core biopsy samples, and 50% of the isolated bacterial species were sensitive to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Since there is no consensus on the etiology of GM, any additional studies related to this aspect expand the current understanding of this puzzling condition.