To evaluate the differences of risk factors in patients with lower extremity venous disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a difference between risk factors in patients diagnosed to have clinically documented lower extremity venous disease after confirming the diagnosis radiologically by ultrasonographic and venographic evaluation. METHODS: This study was performed from January 2002 to January 2005 in Bursa, the fourth biggest city of Turkey, situated in the west of the country in the Marmara Region. The study center is a private imaging center working in conjunction with the Department of Health, which performs diagnostic, and therapeutic vascular protocols in the region. Five hundred and fifty-three cases with clinically and radiologically documented diagnoses were evaluated with Multi-Variate Statistical Package 3.13 for the presence of pre-defined clusters of 14 different variables. Other statistical analyses were performed by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 13.0. RESULTS: Three different clusters were defined. The variables used to define the clusters were: age, gender, educational level, presence of smoking, amount of smoking (pack/per year), disease symptoms, presence of heart disease, and radiologically documented diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins are venous system diseases that are most commonly present in association with more than one concomitant risk factor.

Does the anatomical localization of lower extremity venous diseases affect the quality of life?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of venous diseases at different anatomical localizations on the qualities of life of patients with varicose veins. METHODS: The study included 354 cases, which was referred to a private vascular and interventional radiology center in Bursa, Turkey between January 2005 to January 2006. The cases were diagnosed with visual inspection and were clinically indicative of varicose veins. Color Doppler ultrasonography was used to radiologically examine the varicose veins. All cases were accepted as class II criteria according to the Clinical, Etiologic, Anatomic, Pathophysiologic classification. The generic Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) was used to measure physical and mental quality of life (QOL). High scores indicated good QOL. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 13.0 program was used for the statistical evaluation. RESULTS: When the life SF-36 quality parameters of cases with different anatomical localizations of the varicose veins were examined, only the mental health scores were found to differ in different groups (p<0.01). In females and males with superficial venous disease, significant differences were found in physical function, physical role and pain among the physical health scale components, and in vitality and emotional role scores among the mental state determinants. When females and males with deep vein disease were compared, significant differences were found among both physical and mental health determinants. CONCLUSION: Anatomical localization of lower extremity varicose veins can be accepted as a predictive factor in determining the life qualities of patients with varicosities in their lower limb, and should be used to regulate their therapy and follow up protocols.

A new autogenous graft choice in pelvic reconstructions: free vascularized rib (a case report).

Primary or secondary bone tumours are not uncommon in pelvic girdle. In some cases, after radical resection, there is a big bony defect where the prosthesis is not applicable; arthrodesis is the only choice for good functional results. In this instance, the major problem is to achieve the fusion. In this case report, we focused on easy harvesting and minimal time consumption with free vascularized rib graft to achieve the fusion between the resected segments. Two year follow up showed fusion with good functional result.

[Endovascular approach in the treatment of traumatic peripheral arterial lesions: report of two cases]. / Travmatik periferik arter lezyonlarinin tedavisinde endovasküler yaklasim: iki olgu sunumu.

Arterial injuries associated with pseudoaneurysms or arteriovenous fistulas are usually due to penetrating trauma. Endovascular treatment modalities are emerging as an alternative and less invasive method compared to the conventional surgical repair methods. Herein we report our recent experience on with two cases of traumatic arterial injury who were successfully managed by using stent-grafts with endovascular approach. Endovascular treatment options should be remembered as an alternative to the surgical repair for management of penetrating arterial injuries.