The inferior performance of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT as a diagnostic and theranostic biomarker in [177Lu]Lu-DOTATATE refractory well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the potential of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT as an alternative diagnostic and theranostic tool in well-differentiated NETs refractory to [177Lu]Lu-DOTATATE therapy. METHODS: Patients who received at least two cycles of [177Lu]Lu-DOTATATE therapy for metastatic NETs and progressed under treatment were included. All patients had performed [68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE and [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT within 3 weeks. The number of PET-positive lesions related to NETs and tumor sites was documented. Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests were used to compare SUVmax levels of tracers and the number of detected metastases. RESULTS: Twelve patients (7 male, 5 female) who met the eligibility criteria were included in the study. Ten patients had grade 1-2 NET of various origins, and two had paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma. One hundred ninety-eight of 230 lesions (86%) were SSTR positive with a median SUVmax of 16.6 (2.2-76.5), and 88 of 230 lesions (38.2%) were [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 positive with a median SUVmax of 5.1 (2.3-21). Median SUVmax level and detected number of tumors were significantly higher in [68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT (p=<0.001). [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT was completely (n:2) or almost completely (n:3) negative in 5 (42%) patients. Two (17%) patients had flip-flop SSTR/FAPI uptake in tumors. In four patients (33%), tumor uptake or the number of PET-positive lesions was inferior in [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT. In only one patient (8%), tumor uptakes were higher in [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT. Low-dose [177Lu]Lu-FAPI-46 dosimetry was performed on the FAPI-dominant patient; absorbed radiation doses per GBq were 1.26 Gy, 0.36 Gy, 0.32 Gy, and 0.2 Gy for kidneys, liver, spleen, and total body, respectively. The mean absorbed dose per GBq was 0.33 Gy for liver mass and 0.41 Gy for metastatic lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results demonstrated that [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT mainly failed in well-differentiated NETs refractory to [177Lu]Lu-DOTATATE therapy and had a limited role as an alternative diagnostic or theranostic agent. Further investigations with a larger patient population are required to determine the impact of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT on NETs.

The role of [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT in renal cell carcinoma: a preliminary study.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the role of [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT and uptake patterns of primary and metastatic lesions in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: Twenty patients with a suspicious lesion considered primary renal malignancy or a history of RCC were included in our study. Two patients were excluded from further analyses due to other confirmed malignancies. Six patients were newly diagnosed, while the indication of 12 patients was restaging. All patients underwent [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and [18F]F-FDG PET/CT. SUVmax and tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) of primary (n = 7) and local recurrent lesions (n = 6) and lymph node (n = 26), lung (n = 32), bone (n = 5), and other metastases (n = 14) were compared between the two tracers. RESULTS: We detected 90 lesions in 18 patients with varying FAPI and FDG uptake values on both PET/CT. The median TBR of FAPI-PET/CT of all lesions was higher than TBR of FDG-PET/CT with statistically significance (5.6 vs. 2.1, p < 0.001). In primary and recurrent lesions, the median SUVmax, TBR, and tumor volume on FAPI-PET/CT were higher than FDG-PET/CT. The median SUVmax of lung lesions on FAPI-PET/CT was statistical significantly higher than FDG-SUVmax (3.8 vs. 1.8, p = 0.02). The median of FAPI-SUVmax on primary lesions was lower in the early stage based on TNM compared to the advanced stage. FAPI-SUVmax in 49% of all lesions were SUVmax ≥ 6, and 13% were SUVmax ≥ 10. In patient-based analyses, seven patients (39%) had at least one lesion with FAPI-SUVmax ≥ 10; 12 patients (67%) had at least one lesion with FAPI-SUVmax ≥ 6. CONCLUSION: This study showed the potential utility of [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT showing promising results in RCC. We have presumed that FAPI-PET/CT may be performed for complementary imaging modality providing prognosis and possibility of theranostic application in selected patients.

68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT: a promising novel tracer for primary hyperparathyroidism.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to assess 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT for detecting hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue in comparison to [99mTc]Tc-MIBI scintigraphy-SPECT/CT (MIBI scan) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). METHODS: The cohort comprised 13 patients diagnosed with PHPT based on biochemical analyses, including serum calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Each participant underwent cervical ultrasonography, MIBI scan, and 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT imaging. Complementary 4D-CT and [18F]fluorocholine PET/CT were conducted in 7 patients. Ten lesions of 7 patients underwent PTH wash-out (WO) procedure. 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT findings were compared with other modalities and PTH-WO results. RESULTS: Ten patients had sporadic PHPT, while 3 were diagnosed with MEN-1 syndrome-associated PHPT. One patient did not have any identifiable parathyroid lesion across the imaging modalities. On a patient-based analysis, MIBI scan and 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT identified parathyroid lesions in 10 and 11 patients, respectively. However, 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT detected 7 additional parathyroid lesions that were negative on the MIBI scan. Consequently, 17 lesions were identified and confirmed as hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue through imaging, PTH-WO, or a combination of both modalities. In lesion-based evaluation, 68Ga-Trivehexin identified 16 lesions compared to 10 by MIBI scan, resulting in a detection rate of 94.1% and 58.8%, respectively. Notably, in three patients who underwent [18F]fluorocholine PET/CT, no lesions were detected; yet 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT successfully identified parathyroid lesions in two of these patients. CONCLUSION: Our study provides the first evidence that 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT can effectively identify hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue with a high detection rate warranting further investigations to comprehensively explore its potential in PHPT management.

Utility of positron emission tomography as a new tool for muscle involvement in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis: a controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: Idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM) represents a rare group of disease that can affect multiple organs in addition to the muscles. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is an emerging scanning method that is widely used in diagnosing, staging and response to treatment in patients with cancer. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the muscle involvement in PET/CT which was performed for malignancy screening and its correlation with myositis-specific antibodies (MSA) and/or myositis-associated antibodies (MAA) in patients with IIM. METHODS: IIM patients who fulfilled 2017 EULAR/ACR classification criteria and had PET-CT scans during the active phase of myositis (within two weeks of starting steroids) were included into the study. Age and sex matched participants with history of malignancy (non-IIM patients) were defined as control group. RESULTS: Data of 160 IIM patients were evaluated and 34 patients (of 64.7% female) whose PET/CT results were available, included into the study. Fourteen patients with diagnosis of malignancy without IIM (non-IIM patients) defined as the control group. Sensitivity and specificity of a positive FDG muscle uptake were 37.1% and 100%, 65.7% and 92.9%, 91.4% and 7.1% compared to liver, mediastinum and LTM uptakes, respectively. In multivariate analysis, higher baseline CRP (p=0.017, confidence interval [CI] 95%: 1.03-1.36, OR:1.18) and LDH (p=0.029, CI 95%:1.001-1.017, OR:1.01) levels were associated with muscle PET/CT positivity. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with active IIM, median muscle FDG uptake with PET/CT was higher compared to non-IIM. PET/CT may be used for the evaluation of extent and activity in patients with IIM.

Evaluation of baseline F-18 FDG positron emission tomography in the diagnosis and assessment of giant cell arteritis.

Background/aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the baseline F18-FDG PET/CT findings of individuals diagnosed with giant cell arteritis (GCA) and to explore its association with clinical findings and classification criteria. Materials and methods: We analysed data from patients who underwent F18-FDG PET/CT scans to investigate large vessel (LV) involvement between 2010 and 2019. Only patients with a clinical diagnosis of GCA and at least 6 months of follow-up were included. We compared initial clinical features and laboratory findings based on the presence of LV vasculitis on PET/CT and the maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of vascular territories. Results: Twenty-nine patients (median age at diagnosis: 70, F/M: 24/5) were included in the study. Among them, 21 patients (72.4%) presented with cranial symptoms, while 8 patients (27.5%) had isolated LV-GCA. Twenty-two patients (75.9%) met the ACR/EULAR 2022 GCA classification criteria. LV vasculitis was detected on PET/CT in 23 patients (79.3%). A positive correlation was observed between SUVmax in the thoracic aorta and both CRP and ESR levels (r = 0.50, p = 0.026 and r = 0.63, p = 0.002, respectively). PET/CT positive patients were found to be younger (p = 0.016) and more frequently female (p = 0.017). They also exhibited fewer headaches (56.5% vs. 100%, p = 0.04), experienced fewer flares during follow-up (p = 0.03), and had a lower cumulative glucocorticoid dose at the 6th month (p = 0.036). Comparison of PET/CT-positive patients (n = 23) based on the fulfilment of the ACR/EULAR 2022 classification criteria revealed that patients who met these criteria were older (p = 0.02) and had significantly lower CRP levels at diagnosis (p = 0.02). Conclusion: The performance of F18-FDG PET/CT in diagnosing LV involvement in GCA is favourable, and the severity of FDG uptake in the vessel wall correlates with the acute phase response. Patients with extracranial involvement on PET/CT exhibit distinct features, including a younger age and female predominance. Additionally, these patients appear to experience fewer relapses and require lower doses of glucocorticoids. However, the clinical significance of PET/CT in patients who met ACR/EULAR classification criteria, predominantly consisting of patients with ischemic cranial symptoms, could not be determined in our study.

Retrospective evaluation of the effectiveness of using two different products in preventing the development of pressure injuries in patients undergoing lung lobectomy.

AIM: This retrospective study aims to determine the impacts of two different products (barrier cream, barrier spray) routinely used before surgery on the development of postoperative pressure injuries in patients undergoing lung lobectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the study, the researchers retrospectively examined the data of 60 patients who underwent lobectomy in a university hospital's thoracic surgery clinic between 12.02.2021 and 14.02.2022. The patients were divided into two groups: those to whom a barrier cream was applied (30) and those to whom a barrier spray was applied. The Patient Description Form and the Braden Risk Assessment Tool were used in data collection. The Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted for statistical analyses. RESULTS: In the study, the development rates of blanchable erythema and stage I pressure injuries in the sacral and dorsal regions were significantly higher in patients to whom a barrier spray was applied than in patients to whom a barrier cream was applied (p < 0.05). Pain intensity in the sacral and dorsal regions was significantly lower in patients to whom a barrier cream was applied than those to whom a barrier spray was applied (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Blanchable erythema and intraoperative pressure injury were observed less in patients in whom a barrier cream was used before surgery. Surgical nurses should first evaluate the risk in the preoperative period in the clinics and benefit from the use of barrier cream to prevent the development of blanchable erythema and intraoperative pressure injury.

The Fear of Surgery and Coronavirus in Patients Who Will Undergo a Surgical Intervention.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the fear of surgery and Coronavirus in patients who will undergo a surgical intervention. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study was carried out with 103 patients who were hospitalized in the thoracic and cardiovascular surgery departments of a university hospital between July and December 2021 and underwent elective cardiac/thoracic surgery for various indications. The Patient Information Form, Surgical Fear Questionnaire, and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fear Scale were used to collect data. One hundred three patients were reached within the scope of the study. Data were analyzed with the Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests and Spearman's correlation analysis in IBM SPSS (V.22.0) program. FINDINGS: The mean age of the participants was 57.8 ± 14.0 years (19-82), 68.0% (n = 70) were male, and 78.7% (n = 81) underwent thoracic surgery. The total mean score of the patients on the Surgical Fear Scale was 26.9 ± 20.5 while the total mean score on the Coronavirus Fear Scale was 18.2 ± 7.5. A weak positive correlation was identified between the patients' total score averages on the Surgical Fear Scale and the Coronavirus Fear Scale (COVID-19) (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery had a low fear of surgery and a close to moderate fear of Coronavirus. Patients' fears of surgery and Coronavirus should be determined before surgery, and psychological support should be provided to patients with high levels of fear.

Turkish Validity and Reliability Study of the Surgical Anxiety Questionnaire for Adult Patients.

PURPOSE: This research aims to adapt the Surgical Anxiety Questionnaire (SAQ) to Turkish culture and conduct validity and reliability studies. DESIGN: This research is a methodological study. METHODS: The sample of the research consisted of 311 patients and research data were collected between April 2019 and May 2021. FINDINGS: The scale content validity index was 0.931. As a result of the factor analysis, the items were distributed in four subdimensions and explained 58.745% of the variance, and the model had good fit values. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.890. CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish version of SAQ is a valid and reliable measurement tool and can be used for adult patients.

Effect of Sending SMS, Which Reminds About the Intake of Medication, on Reducing Postoperative Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PURPOSE: Patients undergoing cataract surgery find postoperative medication management difficult and are anxious about this issue. Differences in the number of medications and frequency of administration can lead to confusion in patients. The aim of this randomized-controlled study was to evaluate the effect of sending short message service (SMS) texts, to reminds patients about need to take postoperative medications, on reducing postoperative anxiety in patients undergoing cataract surgery. DESIGN: The randomized, controlled study. METHODS: The patients in the experimental group received short message service reminders on the first to the seventh days postoperatively. FINDINGS: The SMS group was found to have significantly lower State Anxiety Inventory mean scores than the control group on the seventh postoperative day (P = .001). The majority (82.9%) of patients were satisfied with receiving an SMS reminder. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, SMS reminders may be effective in decreasing postoperative anxiety for patients undergoing cataract surgery and this intervention was welcomed by patients.

The Effectiveness of Ischemia Modified Albumin in Determining Acute Cholecystitis and its Severity.

BACKGROUND: Acute cholecystitis (AC) is caused by chemical and bacterial inflammation of the gallbladder. The use of Tokyo guidelines is recommended in determining the diagnosis of AC and its clinical severity. In the early stages of AC, many cytokines are secreted due to the local inflammatory cell activation, leading to exacerbation of inflammation and organ failure. Ischemia modified albumin (IMA) is a type of albumin that occurs in ischemia and oxidation and is used as a marker of hypoperfusion and oxidative stress. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of ischemia modified albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and some other inflammation parameters in predicting the severity of the AC on admittance. METHODS: Forty-two patients diagnosed with AC and 30 healthy individuals in the control group were included in the study. The severity assessment of the patients was performed based on the revised Tokyo guidelines (TG 13). The patients were divided into 3 groups according to severity of the disease. Blood samples were taken from the subjects on admittance. Serum IMA levels were studied using an ELISA kit. SPSS 22.00 package program was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Thirty (71.4%) of the participants were in the mild group, while 12 (28.6%) were in the moderate group. There were no patients in the severe group. Leukocyte, CRP, and IMA values in the patient group were higher than those of the control group (p > 0.05). According to the Tokyo classification, a significant difference was found between the groups with mild and moderate grades in terms of CRP and IMA values (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). When the cutoff value of IMA was 84 ng/mL, the sensitivity was found to be 76% and specificity was determined to be 40% (AUC: 0.665, p = 0.017, 95% Confidence Interval). CONCLUSIONS: It is considered that IMA could be useful in predicting the clinical severity of TG13-based acute cholecystitis and, therefore, could be used in the management of treatment by the clinician such as medical treatment, early surgery, and interval surgery.

Effect of Short Message Service Use on Bowel Preparation Quality in Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy.

This study aimed to determine the effect of SMS use on the bowel preparation quality and satisfaction in patients who underwent colonoscopy. This study was conducted as an experimental-control study with 200 patients who had received colonoscopy in the endoscopy unit of a university hospital in Eastern Thrace of Turkey between December 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017. All patients received a standard bowel preparation. The SMS was sent in addition to the standard bowel preparation to patients in an SMS group. In the SMS group, patients were informed about the standard bowel preparation practices via SMS 3 days before colonoscopy. "Patient identification," "bowel preparation quality," and "patient satisfaction" forms were used for data collection. Chi-square and independent sample t tests were used in data analysis. The average age of the participants was 57.57 ± 12.37 years, and it was determined that most of the participants were male (64.5%) and had colonoscopy experience (55%). The bowel preparation quality was significantly higher in the SMS group than in the no-SMS group (p = .044), and most patients (91%) were "very satisfied" with being informed via SMS. Sending SMS about bowel preparation practices to colonoscopy patients improves bowel preparation quality and patient satisfaction. Integrating SMS into standard care may help patients manage the bowel preparation process.

Determination of the Effectiveness of Informing With the Guidance of an Education Booklet in Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of precolonoscopy information with the guidance of an education booklet on anxiety and bowel preparation adequacy in patients undergoing colonoscopy. DESIGN: A randomized controlled study. METHODS: The education group was informed face to face by the researcher with the guidance of the colonoscopy education booklet and provided the education booklet. The control group received usual care. FINDINGS: The mean state and trait anxiety scores of the patients in the education group were found to be significantly lower than the control group. In the education group, the bowel preparation adequacy was determined to be higher compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Informing patients with the guidance of the education booklet before the colonoscopy decreased patients' state and trait anxiety levels and increased their bowel preparation adequacy.

Effect of stoma model based education on knowledge and skill levels of student nurses: a quasi-experimental study from Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of education with a stoma model on knowledge and skill levels of student nurses. METHODS: The quasi-experimental study was conducted at a professional education and skills laboratory of the Nursing Department within a health sciences faculty in Turkey between March 2015 and November 2016. The sample comprised an experimental group that had students who took a surgical diseases nursing course during the spring, and a control group that had students who took the same course during the autumn. A student information form, a knowledge level evaluation form, and a skill level evaluation form were used data collection. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. . RESULTS: Of the 133 students, 69(52%) were in the experimental group and 64(48%) in the control group. It was determined that the skill level of the experimental group was higher than the control group (p<0.05) and there was a positive correlation between knowledge and skill levels of student nurses in both groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Education with a stoma model increased student nurses' skills and promotes their knowledge.

Serum ghrelin and obestatin levels in patients with acne vulgaris: are they important for the severity?

INTRODUCTION: Acne vulgaris (AV) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit. Recently, three peptide-structured hormones, products of a single gene, have been discovered. These hormones are acylated ghrelin, des-acyl ghrelin and obestatin. AIM: To demonstrate the association of serum acylated ghrelin, des-acyl ghrelin, and obestatin levels with acne severity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 63 patients grouped as mild (n = 22), moderate (n = 21) and severe (n = 20) acne according to the Global Acne Grading System and 20 medically healthy volunteers were included in the study. Serum ghrelin and obestatin levels obtained from the participants were examined. RESULTS: When mean ghrelin, des-acyl-ghrelin and obestatin values of the acne-group (AG) were compared with the control group (CG), they were found be lower in the AG, but were not statistically significant. Among the patient groups, while acylated ghrelin values were highest in the severe AG, des-acyl ghrelin values were highest in mild severe AG and mean obestatin values were highest in moderate severe AG (p > 0.05). When the groups were compared for obestatin values; the highest average value was detected in the CG. However, it was not significant when the groups were compared. CONCLUSIONS: It has been suggested that there may be a link between acne and the levels of acylated ghrelin, des-acyl ghrelin and obestatin which are decreased in the serum of acne patients. Because of the decrease observed in the levels of these hormones which have antimicrobial features, we suggest that inflammation in acne cannot be suppressed and the reproduction of the microorganisms that play a role in the aetiology of the disease cannot be prevented. The replacement of these hormones at physiologic concentrations may contribute to the acne treatment.

Attitudes of surgical nurses towards pressure ulcer prevention.

STUDY AIM: Nurses play the key role in prevention of pressure ulcers, and negative attitudes of them may affect preventive care strategies. This research aimed to identify surgical nurses' attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional study design was used to collect data between March 31-May 16, 2016 on 101 voluntary nurses (66.01% of all nurses) working in surgical units of a university hospital in Turkey. "Attitude towards Pressure Ulcer Prevention Instrument" and "Nurse Information Form" were used to investigate nurses' attitude toward preventing pressure ulcer. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, independent samples t-test, Pearson's chi-squared, and correlation tests were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The mean age of nurses' was 32.0 ± 6.3 years and, the average duration of clinical experience was 72.3 ± 61 months. A total of 54.5% were working in surgical wards and, 40.6% gained additional education about pressure ulcer care. The mean total attitude score was found to be 80.5% (41.8 ± 4.8). Previous education significantly affected the total attitude score of nurses (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The total scale score showed that surgical nurses had a positive attitude towards pressure ulcer prevention and nurses who had previous education about pressure ulcer care has higher attitude score than who had not. It is recommended that effective in-service education programs be developed at hospitals or that nurses be required to attend courses to help them to improve their pressure ulcer care.

Dose-Dependent Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Ketamine in Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Introduction: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is commonly observed in severe sepsis, hemorrhagic shock, liver transplantation, hepatic resection, and major trauma. Ketamine suppresses the production of cytokines, such as IL-6 and TNF-α, via NF-κB inhibition. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of ketamine in liver I/R injury. Materials and Methods: Female Wistar-Albino rats (n = 18), weighing 150-200g, were divided into three groups (n = 6 each). Group I underwent reperfusion for 4h following 30 min of ischemia. Group II received 2.5 mg/kg ketamine IM following 30 min of ischemia and 4h of reperfusion and Group III received 10 mg/kg ketamine IM following 30 min of ischemia and 4h of reperfusion. Blood samples were obtained before and after ischemia and reperfusion. MDA, AST, ALT, TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and NO levels were determined. Liver tissue samples were evaluated histologically. Results: Increased TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels were observed in all groups post-ischemia versus pre-ischemia (p <0.05). The TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels in Group III increased less than they did in Groups I and II (p <0.05). Higher MDA, NO, AST, and ALT levels were found during the ischemia and reperfusion periods compared with during the pre-ischemia period in all groups (p <0.05). The MDA, NO, AST, and ALT levels of rats that received ketamine increased less than did those of Group I (p <0.05). Significantly less injury was observed in the histopathological analysis of livers of rats administered ketamine (p <0.05). Conclusions: Ketamine showed a dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effect in I/R injury in the liver when administered after ischemia.

An obstruction not to forget: Pseudo-obstruction (Ogilvie syndrome): Single center experience.

PURPOSE: Colonic pseudo obstruction disease commonly seen in the elderly, immobile patient group can cause serious mortality and morbidity. Our objective in this retrospective study is to share our clinical experience by evaluating patients with Ogilvie syndrome who were followed and treated in our clinic. METHODS: Eleven cases with the diagnosis of Ogilvie syndrome followed up and treated between September 2010 and April 2013 were evaluated retrospectively. All the patients that had no symptoms of acute abdominal pain were initiated conservative treatment. Colonoscopic decompression was attempted for patients whose clinical pictures were not recovered. Patients underwent operation if they developed peritoneal irritation symptoms during these procedures and of their number of white blood cells seriously increased during the follow-up period. RESULTS: A total of 11 patients were treated for Ogilvie syndrome. 6 of the patients underwent surgical treatment, and 5 were treated medically. Mortality developed in two patients. The main cause of mortality was a delay in diagnosis and additional severe underlying diseases. Seven patients were given Neostigmine. Of these, 2 patients required surgery and 3 patients responded to Neostigmine. CONCLUSION: Ogilvie syndrome is a rare cause of ileus of the colon. It is more common particularly in old patients with additional problems. If the disease is suspected and diagnosed early, unnecessary surgical interventions can be prevented with medical treatment choices.

Association between thyroid hormone levels and insulin resistance and body mass index.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown an association between thyroid function and insulin resistance and obesity. We compared insulin resistance and body mass index (BMI) in patients with normal TSH levels (2.5-4.2 µIU/mL), patients diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism, and healthy control subjects. METHODS: The study included 104 subjects and was conducted at the Taksim Education and Research Hospital. The subjects were divided into three groups according to TSH levels: Group 1 (high-normal), TSH levels were 2.5-4.2 µIU/mL (n=33); Group 2 (subclinical hypothyroidism), TSH levels were 4.2-10 µIU/mL (n=42); and Group 3 (healthy control), TSH levels were 0.27-2.5 µIU/mL (n=29). The fT3 and fT4 levels were within normal limits in all groups. Insulin resistance and BMI were compared among groups. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used to estimate insulin resistance. RESULTS: HOMA-IR and BMI were not significantly different among groups (p>0.05). A significant positive correlation was found between BMI and HOMA-IR in the high-normal TSH (p>0.059) and subclinical hypothyroidism (p>0.05) groups. CONCLUSIONS: HOMA-IR and BMI are important for the assessment of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. We found no significant difference in HOMA-IR and BMI values among the three TSH reference range groups.

The distinctive role of vowel harmony in visual word recognition: The case of Turkish.

Vowel harmony is a phenomenon in which the vowels in a word share some features (e.g., frontness vs. backness). It occurs in several families of languages (e.g., Turkic and Finno-Ugric languages) and serves as an effective segmenting cue in continuous speech and when reading compound words. The present study examined whether vowel harmony also plays a role in visual word recognition. We chose Turkish, a language with four front and four back vowels in which approximately 75% of words are harmonious. If vowel harmony contributes to the formation of coherent phonological codes during lexical access, harmonious words will reach a stable orthographic-phonological state more rapidly than disharmonious words. To test this hypothesis, in Experiment 1, we selected two types of monomorphemic Turkish words: harmonious (containing only front vowels or back vowels) and disharmonious (containing front and back vowels)-a parallel manipulation was applied to the pseudowords. Results showed faster lexical decisions for harmonious than disharmonious words, whereas vowel harmony did not affect pseudowords. In Experiment 2, where all words were harmonious, we found a small but reliable advantage for disharmonious over harmonious pseudowords. These findings suggest that vowel harmony helps the formation of stable phonological codes in Turkish words, but it does not play a key role in pseudoword rejection.