A Rare Case:Transphyseal Distal Humerus Fracture in a Newborn.

Transphyseal fractures of the distal humerus are usually seen in children younger than 3 years of age and are considered as Salter-Harris Type I epiphysiolysis. Neonatal transphyseal distal humerus injuries are extremely rare. It usually occurs due to trauma during difficult labour but can also be seen after child abuse. Since the distal humerus is composed of cartilaginous tissue in newborns, it is difficult to make a diagnosis with direct radiography. Patients are often diagnosed with elbow dislocation. However, elbow dislocation is almost never seen under the age of 3 years. Transphyseal fractures can be seen as a result of manoeuvres performed to deliver the baby during difficult normal delivery. Transphyseal humeral injuries can also be seen after caesarean section, child abuse and falling on the hyperextended arm. Clinical symptoms include pain, swelling, ecchymosis and crepitation at the elbow. Pseudoparalysis is present due to pain. In children with a history of difficult birth or trauma, evaluation with direct radiography should be performed initially. Radiocapitellar line is distorted on radiographs and the elbow joint appears subluxated. The treatment algorithm for transfusional humeral fractures in neonates is varied. It should be remembered that patients in this age group have a tremendous healing capacity. In conservative treatment, 2-4 weeks of follow-up with a long-arm splint after reduction is sufficient. In addition, closed reduction-internal fixation or open reduction-internal fixation can be applied according to the amount of displacement of the fracture. Cubitus varus, osteonecrosis, growth disturbance, decreased range of motion, compartment syndrome, neurovascular injury and infection are the main complications seen after transfusional humeral fractures.

Therapeutic plasma exchange in hyperthyroidism prior to surgery.

PURPOSE: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is a treatment option to reduce thyroid hormones in the event of contraindication or unresponsiveness to antithyroid drugs (ATDs). METHODS: We analyzed 11 patients with hyperthyroidism who received TPE prior to surgery between January 2008 and December 2016 at our center. RESULTS: In total, 41 processes were applied to 11 patients with hyperthyroidism. The median age was 40 years, and 90.9% of the patients were female. Seven patients had Graves' disease, while four had a toxic multinodular goiter. The distribution of TPE indications comprised contraindication to ATDs (64%) and insufficient response to ATDs (36%). An adequate response was not obtained with TPE in two patients, and cholestyramine plus methimazole and Lugol solution were applied. The median number of TPE sessions was 3. During the TPE period, a ß-blocker was applied concurrently except in one patient who was contraindicated for the drug. The reduction in FT3 and FT4 hormones and the increase in TSH levels were statistically significant after TPE application (p values of 0.003, 0.033 and 0.008, respectively). Regarding adverse events of TPE application, an allergic reaction was seen in one patient, while prolongation of prothrombin time without any clinical findings was seen in another patient. Ten patients underwent total thyroidectomy, and one patient underwent a gynecological surgery procedure without any major complications. CONCLUSION: The American Society for Apheresis guideline, which is the most referenced guideline, mentions the utilization of TPE before thyroid surgery, only in patients with thyrotoxicosis despite the wider necessity of this treatment choice under the condition of uncontrolled hyperthyroidism prior to any kind of surgery. We concluded that TPE is a reliable and effective application in patients with hyperthyroidism before any surgical procedure, according to our study results.

Mean platelet volume and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: can they be predictive value in diagnosis?

In our study, we evaluated whether mean platelet volume (MPV) and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are predictive values in the diagnosis of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in patients diagnosed with scoliosis in our clinic. Approximately 15000 patients who applied to our spine outpatient clinic with the suspicion of scoliosis between 2011 and 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. 292 patients were included in the study. The patients were divided into 3 groups. Group 1; control group group 2; group with the possibility of developing scoliosis under follow-upand group 3; the patient group diagnosed with scoliosis. Spinal curvature degrees of the patients were measured using the Cobb method. The MPV and NLR values of the patients were compared with the degree of curvature measured by the cobb method. NLR was 2.17 ± 2.10 K/ul in Group 1, 2.42 ± 1.76 K/ul in Group 2, and 2.72 ± 3.91 K/ul in Group 3. Although the NLR of the 3rd group was higher than the other 2 groups, it was not statistically significant. (p > 0.05). MPV was 7.90 ± 1.07 fL in Group 1, 7.95 ±1.39 fL in Group 2, 8.33 ± 1.37 fL in Group 3.MPV was higher in Group 3 and was found to be statistically significant (p=0.024). After adjusting for the effects of gender and age variables on the groups, the difference in MPV between groups became more significant (p=0.017) . While there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of NLR, it was observed that MPV was statistically significantly higher in patients with AIS.Could this relationship be a promising inflammatory marker for AIS? We think that this question should be answered by studies involving larger patient and control groups.

Sedation with Propofol and Propofol-Ketamine (Ketofol) in Flexible Bronchoscopy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The flexible bronchoscopy procedure, which is performed in awake conditions or under local anesthesia, is a difficult and complicated procedure for patients and physicians. Propofol is a fast-acting sedative-hypnotic anesthetic with a rapid return. Ketamine hydrochloride is a fast-acting general anesthetic producing an anesthetic state characterized by deep analgesia, normal pharyngeal, and laryngeal reflexes. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study was planned in a randomized, prospective, and double-blind design. The drug(s) administered by the anesthesiologist was not known to the bronchoscopist and the patient. A total of 64 cases were included in the study (34/propofol, 30/ketamine-propofol (ketofol) group). Group propofol received 0.1 mL/kg propofol, and group ketofol received 0.1 mL/kg ketofol intravenously over approximately 30 seconds. Vital signs, non-invasive blood pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation, and pulse values of all cases were measured three times and were recorded just before the start of the procedure, after entering the trachea, and after the procedure was terminated. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and The Ramsay scoring were additionally used in the present study. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were detected between the groups in terms of blood pressure and heart rates. Statistically significant differences were detected between the two groups according to The VAS scoring and additional dose requirement. CONCLUSION: It must be noted that flexible bronchoscopy procedures, which are performed with local anesthesia by both the patient and the physician with a high degree of difficulty, especially combined drugs to be applied with anesthesia support, are more effective/comfortable/reliable, and have fewer complications and higher tolerability if there are no contraindications.

PAGET'S DISEASE OF THE BONE FOUND INCIDENTALLY ON F-18 FDG PET/CT: CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA.

Background: Paget Disease (PD) is usually asymptomatic and discovered incidentally, it is known that it is exhibited low to high grade increased F-18 FDG uptake. Aim: In this study, we investigated the distinguishability of FDG PET/CT in incidental PD cases from other bone diseases and at different stages of the disease. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, "Paget" identification associated with PET/CT reports was found in 69 of 18,119 studies (~3.8%). Of the 45 patients (33 males and 12 females) eligible for inclusion in the study, 35.6% had monostotic and 64.4% had polyostotic disease (p>0.5). There was no statistically significant difference in biochemical parameters between groups. Results: According to the radiological appearance of the patients, 36 were in the mixed stage and 9 were in the blastic stage. Only the difference in ALP and creatinine values between the groups was statistically significant. SUVmax, SUVmean and HU values were found to be statistically significantly higher in pagetoid bones compared to control bone lesions. For SUVmax for PD bone lesion we found the 2.55 cutoff point with a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 84%. Conclusion: The specific radiological appearance of bone lesions and the evaluation of metabolic activity compared to normal bone seem to help differentiate PD from other lesions. Prospective studies are needed in the differentiation of FDG's disease stage and treatment response evaluation. The ability to differentiate between benign and malignant FDG avid bone lesions in oncological patients' enables appropriate patient management, including avoiding unnecessary additional invasive procedures such as bone biopsy.

Tromethamine and dodecanol appear to be the major secondary metabolites of Streptomyces decoyicus M.

An isolate of Streptomyces decoyicus M* (code of the isolate) was identified by the sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. It was grown on solid media and secondary metabolites were extracted with n-butanol. The extract was dried and run in a sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel (SDS-PAGE, 10%). Two main bands obtained were sliced and the metabolites were regained in n-butanol. These two samples were then identified by gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results demonstrated that tromethamine- and 1-dodecanol were the main constituents (band 1: 61% and 17.7%; band 2: 41% and 54%, respectively). This finding maintained that the isolate of Streptomyces decoyicus produced high amounts tromethamine- and 1-dodecanol under the conditions investigated.

Assessment of the diagnostic performance of the 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test in class 3 obese patients.

Objective. This study was aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Cushing's syndrome and the diagnostic performance of the 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test in class 3 obese patients. Methods. Anthropometric measurements and other laboratory data, including 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test of 753 class 3 obese patients, who applied to the Endocrinology and Metabolism Outpatient Clinic for the pre-bariatric surgery evaluation between 2011 and 2020, were evaluated retrospectively. Results. An abnormal response to the 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test (cortisol ≥1.8 mcg/dl) was observed in 24 patients and the presence of Cushing's syndrome was confirmed by additional tests in 6 patients. The prevalence of abnormal dexamethasone suppression test was 3.18% and the prevalence of Cushing's syndrome 0.79%. The specificity value was determined as 97.5% for 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test with cortisol threshold value ≥1.8 mcg/dl. Conclusions. The prevalence of Cushing's syndrome was found to be low in class 3 obese patients and 1 mg of dexamethasone suppression test had a very sufficient performance for Cushing's syndrome screening in this patient group.

Differences in SUV39H1 and androgen receptor distribution in adenomyomatous hyperplasia and prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Background: Androgen receptor (AR) contributes to the growth of both early- and late-stage prostate cancer. Overexpression of suppressor of variegation 3-9 homolog 1 (SUV39H1) increases migration of prostate cancer cells, while depletion of SUV39H1 suppresses migration of prostate cancer cells. Aim: In this study, the aim was to show the relationships of AR and SUV39H1 with adenomyomatous hyperplasia (AH) and prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa). Materials and Methods: 70 AH and 70 PCa preparations in Pathology Department from 2013 to 16 were retrospectively investigated. Samples with immunohistochemical staining for AR and SUV39H1 were evaluated with a light microscope. After pathologic investigation of samples, AR and SUV39H1 expressions were scored. The changes in the frequencies of the obtained scores in the AH and PCa groups were analyzed statistically. Results: AR expression was observed to be greater in AH compared to PCa. This difference was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.003). SUV39H1 expression was identified to be greater in PCa compared to AH and this showed statistical significance (p = 0.031). PCa samples were identified to have nearly 1.5 times more SUV39H1 mild staining compared to AH samples and this increase was two times for SUV39H1 strong staining. Conclusion: In our study, AR expression was greater in AH compared to PCa samples. This situation is inverse to the known mechanism and cannot be clearly explained. It needs to be supported with large series and other prognostic parameters. This study observed increased SUV39H1 values in PCa compared to AH and from this aspect, it may be considered an important poor prognosis parameter.

SURVIVIN POSITIVITY AND PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMAS.

Context: Papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC)s are the indolent progressive tumours. Survivin is a unique bifunctional protein with cell cycle regulation and apoptosis inhibition. The expression of this protein has been shown to be increased in thyroid tumours correlated with aggressive behavior from well differentiated to anaplastic. Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between immunohistochemically survivin expression and tumour-associated prognostic factors in papillary thyroid carcinomas. Design: In patients with thyroidectomy, we compared the clinicopathological findings and immunohistochemical positivity for survivin. Subjects and Methods: In 109 patients, sex, age, tumour size, histological tumour variant, tumour focality, tumour border pattern, tumour peripheral/intratumoural lymphocytic and stromal response, intraglandular spread, extrathyroideal spread, lymph node metastases, lymphocytic tiroiditis and relationships of these findings with survivin positivity were investigated. Results: When we indicated the tumour size and compared it with survivin expression, tumour size correlates with, survivin expression (p = 0.016). Survivin expression was correlated statistically significant with lymphovascular invasion, without stromal response and with intraglandular extension respectively (p<0.001, p = 0.043, p<0.001). No significant correlation was found between other clinicopathological parameters and survival. Conclusion: Few studies have investigated the relationship of survivin expression with prognosis in thyroid papillary carcinomas and showed that survivin was a poor prognostic marker. If its expression is detected in preoperative cytology smears, it may affects the surgical treatment strategy. When it is detected in the tissue, postoperative radioactive iodine treatment plan may be modified and the need for more aggressive follow-up may be considered.

EFFICACY OF INSULIN, HEPARIN AND FENOFIBRATE COMBINATION TREATMENT IN SEVERE HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIA: DOUBLE CENTER EXPERIENCE.

CONTEXT: Severe hypertriglyceridemia (SH), which calls for a triglyceride (TG) level above 1000 mg/dL, remains an important health issue. While some data exist to offer combination of heparin, insulin and fenofibrate as a reasonable treatment option, safety and benefits of this therapy have not been accurately weighted, largely due to the limited sample size of the relevant studies. AIM: Assess the efficacy and safety of the heparin, insulin and fenofibrate combination in the treatment of patients with SH. PATIENTS - METHODS: Patients aged ≥18 years with TG level above 1000 mg/dL and adequate organ function were included. Triglyceride levels were measured immediately before the treatment and on the 3rd and 6th days of the treatment. Treatment dosage, duration, response and side effects were assessed. Patients with hypertriglyceridemia presenting with acute pancreatitis were treated additionally with lipid apheresis. RESULTS: A total of 42 patients were included. Of these, 85.8% came to medical attention with some kind of secondary hypertriglyceridemia causes. The baseline median TG value of the cases was 2141.0 mg/ dL (1026-12250). There were 6 patients (14.3%) with acute pancreatitis at presentation. In patients without pancreatitis, with administration of insulin infusion, unfractionated heparin infusion and fenofibrate capsule, median TG values decreased to 921 mg/ dL (190-6400) on the 3rd day and to 437 mg/ dL (112-1950) on the 6th day of the treatment (p<0.0001, Friedman test). Potential toxicities related to insulin, heparin and fenofibrate combination treatment including hypoglycemia, hemorrhage, rise in creatine kinase levels, hepato - and nephrotoxicity were not observed. CONCLUSION: In this trial involving patients with SH, our data suggest that insulin, heparin and fenofibrate combination therapy was safe and effective.

Cytopathology of pericardial effusions : Experience from a tertiary center of cardiology.

BACKGROUND: Pericardial effusion (PE) is a common clinical condition that can develop as a result of systemic or cardiac diseases. Here, we report the results of cytology for patients who underwent pericardiocentesis for PE. METHODS: The study comprised 283 patients who underwent primary percutaneous pericardiocentesis between 2007 and 2016. The mean age of the patients was 60.0 ± 16.6 years; 162 (57.2%) were male and 121 (42.8%) were female. The presence of reactive mesothelial cells, acute and chronic inflammatory cells, and/or blood without evidence of malignant cells was considered as benign. The presence of malignant cells with/without reactive mesothelial cells, inflammatory cells, and/or blood was considered as malignant. RESULTS: The vast majority of PE specimens (219 cases; 77.4%) were classified as benign. Only 20 cases (7.1%) were classified as atypical, and malignant cells were present in the PE specimens of 44 cases (15.5%). The most common diagnosis was benign PE. The most commonly encountered malignancy was lung cancer. The rate of malignancy was 1.9% in the serous group and 24% in the hemorrhagic group, which was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Benign PE was the most frequent cytological diagnosis in our study. Chronic nonspecific pericarditis was the most frequent type of pericarditis in the benign PE group, while lung adenocarcinoma was the most frequent malignancy in the malignant PE group. The rate of malignancy was significantly higher in the hemorrhagic group than in the serous group.

A RARE CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A PATIENT WITH CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE, SECONDARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM AND CALCIPHYLAXIS.

Calciphylaxis, also known as calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA), is usually observed in women and it is a serious complication of hyperparathyroidism secondary to chronic renal failure. CUA is characterized by ischemic tissue loss secondary to progressive vascular degeneration. Although it is rare, it may end up with sepsis and organ failure and can be fatal. Its pathogenesis is not fully understood, but it is thought that it occurs secondary to increased calcification activators such as oxidized LDL, TNF- α, calcitriol, fibronectin, collagen-I, and TGF-1α. The most effective treatment is managing underlying pathology and decreasing serum calcium and phosphorus levels. In this report, we aimed to present an end stage renal failure case with coexisting hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism and calciphylaxis in whom cutaneous manifestations were healed 6 months after parathyroidectomy.

CLINICALLY UNDETECTABLE OCCULT THYROID PAPILLARY CARCINOMA PRESENTING WITH CERVICAL LYMPH NODE METASTASIS.

BACKGROUND: Occult papillary thyroid carcinoma presented as isolated cervical lymphadenopathy without clinical and radiologic findings has been rarely reported. CASE REPORT: A 47 years old female patient admitted to otorhinolaryngology clinic with 4X3 cm sized cervical mass. Physical examination of the patient was noted as a nontender, firm, mobile lymph node at right lateral cervical region. There was no inflammatory or infection disease in the history of patients anamnesis and no abnormal value on laboratory tests. Ultrasound screening of the neck detected a lymph node with suspicious features for malignancy. Head and neck examination was normal and there is no evidence of a tumoral mass or nodule in the thyroid gland. Whole body scan of MRI showed no pathologic sign both in the neck and body. Excisional biopsy was performed and revealed a carcinoma with papillary morphology. Immunohistochemical staining features of the tumor confirmed a papillary carcinoma derived from the thyroid gland. Second look USG of the neck and thyroid was performed but it revealed no tumoral mass. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy with right functional and central lymph node dissection. Histological examination of the thyroid gland showed multicentric 2 mm sized, three foci of papillary carcinoma located in bilateral thyroid lobes and metastatic lymph nodes in the right side of the neck. CONCLUSION: A metastatic cervical lymph node can be evidence of a clinically undetected occult papillary thyroid carcinoma. Specific immunohistochemistry staining of specimen may lead to appropriate surgery and progression of carcinoma may be hindered by application of additional RAI therapy.

A 5-year retrospective evaluation of snakebite cases in Hatay, Turkey.

Snakebites are relatively rare medical emergency cases that might lead to serious consequences. This study aims to evaluate snakebite cases in terms of medical follow-up, antivenom therapy and antivenom reactions. Medical records of patients admitted to emergency department between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2010 were retrospectively investigated. Snakebite-related cases of a total of 125 patients were included in the scope of the study. Of the total 125 cases, 54.4% were male and 45.6% were female. Most of cases (n: 65, 52%) were aged over 30 years, while the mean age was 34.87 ± 19.29 years. Snakebite-related applications to the emergency department were mostly seen in June with 27 cases. Upon admitting, all patients were recorded to be conscious and showing good general conditions; however, they suffered from pain and edema at the site of bite. Of all, 25 patients only suffered from bite injury and ecchymosis due to snakebite. The site of bite was upper extremities in 66 patients (52.8%), whereas it was lower extremities in 58 (46.4%). Of all, antivenom was unnecessary in 25 (20%) patients, while four antivenoms were administered to each of the 23 (18.4%) patients. Furthermore, six (4.8%) patients needed nine antivenom administrations for each. Anaphylaxis (n: 2, 1.6%), compartment syndrome (n: 2, 1.6%) and serum sickness (n: 1, 0.8%) encountered in remaining cases. Of all, 86 (68.8%) patients were hospitalized in the emergency department, while 25 (20.0%) patients were followed up by observation in emergency service. Only one patient was treated and followed up in intensive care unit. Implementation of antivenom therapy is considered unnecessary for the treatment of all snakebite cases. Antivenom reactions and number of related cases might be reduced by continuous close monitoring, appropriate prophylaxis and controlled slow infusion administration of medications.

Extremely low-frequency magnetic field induces manganese accumulation in brain, kidney and liver of rats.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) on accumulation of manganese (Mn) in the kidney, liver and brain of rats. A total of 40 rats were randomly divided into eight groups. Four control groups received 0, 3.75, 15 and 60 mg Mn per kg body weight orally every 2 days for 45 days, respectively. The remaining four groups received same concentrations of Mn and were also exposed to ELF-MF (1.5 mT; 50 Hz) for 4 h for 5 days a week during 45 days. Following the last exposure, kidney, liver and brain were taken from all rats and they were analyzed for Mn accumulation levels using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer. In result of the current study, we observed that Mn levels in brain, kidney and liver were higher in Mn groups than in control groups. Mn levels in brain, kidney and liver were also higher in Mn plus ELF-MF groups than in Mn groups. In conclusion, result of the current study showed that the ELF-MF induced manganese accumulation in kidney, liver and brain of rats.

Umbilical cord blood endocan levels according to the delivery mode.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: The authors aimed to evaluate the endocan levels in the umbilical cord blood regarding the delivery mode. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred six women aged between 20 to 35 years, undergoing delivery at term were studied. Three groups were formed; 37 neonates born by spontaneous vaginal delivery (group 1), 34 neonates born by an elective cesarean section with the general anesthesia (group 2), and 35 neonates, born by an elective cesarean section with spinal anesthesia (group 3). In delivery, umbilical cord blood samples were collected and endocan levels were measured. RESULTS: The endocan levels of cord blood (mean ± standard deviation, ng/ml) were found to be lower in group 2 (1.21 ± 0.46) compared to group 1 (1.52 ± 0.52) (p = 0.011). Cord blood endocan levels were not different in group 1 than those of group 3 (p = 0.49). CONCLUSION: It may be concluded that cord blood endocan levels are affected by the delivery mode.

Anesthetic Management in Children with Congenital Lobar Emphysema.

BACKGROUND: The cause of congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) is unknown and characterized by hyperinflation of one or more lobes of the lung. The purpose of this retrospective study was to present the anesthetic management of children with congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) receiving treatment in our center. METHODS: Ten children underwent CLE-related surgical treatment in our center between March 1995 and August 2014. All cases were diagnosed on the basis of postero-anterior chest radiography and computerized tomography. Age, sex, preoperative clinical findings, location of lesions, surgical and anesthetic procedures, results of anesthesia and duration of hospitalization were evaluated. RESULTS: Six patients were male (60%) and four female (40%). Their ages ranged from 40 days to 6 years. Dyspnea was present in all cases and severe in four of them. Four patients had emphysema in the left upper lobe, three in the right middle lobe, one in the right upper lobe and one in the left lower lobe. All patients were extubated in the operating room and none experienced post-operative respiratory distress. Post-operative analgesia was provided via the previously placed intrapleural catheter. All the patients were extubated in the operation room. There was no post-operative mortality or morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthetic management of patients with CLE is challenging. In these patients the surgical team and -anesthetists should collaborate closely and the time between anesthesia induction and thoracotomy should be as short as possible.

Patients with psoriasis have an increased amount of epicardial fat tissue.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is associated with coronary artery disease, and ischemic heart disease is associated with increased amounts of epicardial fat tissue (EFT). There has as yet been no study published on the accumulation of EFT in patients with psoriasis. AIM: To compare epicardial fat accumulation and coronary artery calcium score (CACS) in patients with psoriasis and controls. METHODS: We enrolled 38 patients with psoriasis and 38 controls matched for age and gender. Epicardial fat area (EFA) and CACS were evaluated by multidetector computed tomography. RESULTS: Mean EFA in patients with psoriasis was significantly higher than in controls (13.8 ± 8.4 vs. 9.7 ± 6.4 cm(2) , respectively, P = 0.02), but mean CACS did not differ significantly between the two groups (55.2 ± 65.4 vs. 27.8 ± 29.3; P > 0.05). Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that EFA was significantly associated with waist circumference and presence of coronary artery calcification in both patients and controls, whereas EFA was significantly associated waist circumference and age in patients only (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with psoriasis had a higher level of EFA compared with controls, and EFA was independently associated with the presence of CAC in all study subjects.

Hydatid cysts of the lung: lesion size in relation to clinical presentation and therapeutic approach.

PURPOSES: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the pulmonary hydatid cyst size and the clinical presentation, surgical approach, and postoperative outcome. We review the problems encountered in treating large pulmonary hydatid cysts and highlight the risks associated with the rupture of the cyst and a delay of the surgical treatment. METHODS: The medical records of 169 patients surgically treated for lung hydatid cysts were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups based on cyst size: group 1 (n = 128) with small (<10 cm) cysts and group 2 (n = 41) with giant (≥10 cm) cysts. Data related to symptoms, preoperative complications, surgical procedures performed and postoperative morbidity were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: In both groups, the most common symptom was chest pain, followed by dyspnea and cough, respectively. There were no differences between the two groups with respect to cyst-associated parenchymal or pleural complications before surgery (p = 0.80). In the large majority of cases, the surgical treatment was cystotomy, removal of the cystic membrane and capitonnage. Wedge resection was performed in nine patients in total (seven in group 1, two in group 2) and one patient in group 2 required a lobectomy. Decortication was required significantly more frequently in group 2 than in group 1 (p = 0.001). Sixteen patients in group 1 and 10 patients in group 2 developed postoperative complications (p = 0.19). There was no peri or postoperative mortality. There was no difference between the groups with respect to the duration of hospitalization (p = 0.17). Two patients with complicated hydatid cysts in group 1 had recurrent lesions during follow-up, whereas there was no recurrence in group 2. CONCLUSION: All pulmonary hydatid cysts should be surgically treated as soon as possible after their diagnosis in order to avoid complications. Most of these lesions, regardless of size, can be surgically managed with procedures that preserve the maximal lung parenchyma and yield excellent outcomes.

Evaluation of the temperament and character properties of patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate temperament and character of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and to examine the association between these specific temperament and character properties and clinical variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study involved 73 AS patients. Temperament properties of patients were evaluated using Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Association between clinical variables and specific temperament features were evaluated using correlation and regression analyses. RESULTS: Forty eight (65.8 %) of the study participants were men and the mean age was 42 ± 11.4 years. There was slight negative correlations between self directedness (S) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) scores (p = 0.01, r = - 0.30), and between the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and reward dependence (RD) scores (p = 0.03, r = - 0.26). Regression analysis showed that correlations between BASDAI and S, and between VAS and RD scores were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the dimensions temperament and character are related to disease activation, and disease course is more severe in patients who have low scores in these TCI dimensions. Therefore, we suggest that evaluating temperament and character properties of AS patients will help clinicians to predict treatment compliance and motivation of patients during disease course.