Comparison of ethanol and hypertonic saline as a single intracystic agent in the percutaneous treatment of liver hydatid cysts.

PURPOSE: In this study, the effects of hypertonic saline and ethanol as a single intracystic agents in the percutaneous treatment of liver hydatid cysts were compared. METHODS: The 50 patients were separated into two groups as those administered 30% hypertonic saline alone as the intracystic agent in percutaneous treatment (33 patients, 52 cysts), and those administered 96% ethanol alone (17 patients, 26 cysts). Both groups were compared in terms of percentage of cyst volume reduction, complications, and treatment success. RESULTS: The follow-up period was median 17.0 months (11.0-20.0) in the ethanol group and 17.0 (14.0-22.0) in the hypertonic saline group (p = 0.269). Complications were observed in 5 (19.2%) cysts applied with ethanol as the intracystic agent and in 7 (13.5%) of the cysts where hypertonic saline was used (p = 0.521). Clinical success was evaluated as 100% in both groups. The percentage of cyst volume reduction according to the initial volume was determined as mean 75.6 ± 20.43 (28.19-98.13) in the ethanol group cysts and as 68.2 ± 16.45 (26.39-97.48) in the hypertonic saline group (p = 0.427). CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated similar efficacy of hypertonic saline and ethanol in the percutaneous treatment of CE1 and CE3A liver hydatid cysts. These results suggest that the use of hypertonic saline as a single intracystic agent in the percutaneous treatment of CE1 and CE3A liver hydatid cysts provides sufficient efficacy of treatment and cyst volume reduction. Nevertheless, there is a need for further prospective, randomized studies to support these findings.

An evaluation with shear wave elastography of kidney elasticity in patients with familial Mediterranean fever.

PURPOSE: To investigate the changes in kidney elasticity in patients with familial Mediterranean fever using the non-invasive diagnostic method of shear wave elastography (SWE). METHODS: The kidney elasticity of 35 FMF patients and 23 healthy control subjects was evaluated with SWE. The relationships were evaluated of the SWE values with eGFR, microproteinuria, FMF severity score, number of attacks per month, and colchicine doses of the FMF patients. RESULTS: The kidney stiffness and velocity values of the FMF patients were found to be higher than those of the control group (p < 0.001). A negative correlation was found between the renal stiffness and velocity values and the colchicine dose (r = -0.48, p = 0.004, and r = -0.50, p = 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSION: The results of the current study demonstrated that the SWE values of the FMF patients were significantly higher than those of the control group. SWE can be used as an alternative method in the follow up of FMF patients. In addition, a negative correlation was determined between the colchicine dose and renal stiffness. This suggests that SWE values could be used in the adjustments of colchicine doses. However, there is a need for further studies with greater numbers of patients to support this hypothesis.

Posttravmatik frontoetmoidal mukopiyosel.

Paranasal sinus mucoceles are mucus-containing cystic structures with an epithelial lining that completely fills in the paranasal sinuses. Although they are benign in nature, they may result in the destruction of the surrounding bony structures over time. Clinical findings such as exophthalmia, visual impairment, and diplopia occur due to pressure of the fronto-ethmoidal mucocele on the orbita. Currently, the endoscopic intranasal approach is preferred in the treatment of paranasal sinus mucoceles due to its minimal morbidity and low recurrence rates. Here, we present a patient aged 12 years who had a right fronto-ethmoidal mucopyocele secondary to a probable trauma 2 years prior, which resulted in proptosis due to pressure on the orbita.

Congenital abnormalities of the ribs: evaluation with multidetector computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate congenital abnormalities of ribs using multidetector computed tomography. METHODS: The retrospective study was conducted at Mustafa Kemal University Research Hospital, Hatay, Turkey and comprised data of patients aged 1-45 years who attended the Radiology Department for computed tomography of the thorax between January 2010 and July 2013. Multiplanar reconstructions, maximum intensity projections, and 3-dimensional images were acquired to investigate numerical and structural abnormalities of the ribs of the patients who underwent multidetector computed tomography for a variety of indications. RESULTS: The study comprised 650 patients. Of them, 231(35.5%) were female and 419(64.5%) male. The overall mean age was 20.9± 5.1years. However, data of 90(13.8%) patients was excluded from cervical rib evaluation and of 120(18.5%) from lumbar rib evaluation as these regions were out of the section because of the positioning. Finally, 560(86.5%) patients were included in the cervical rib evaluations, and 530(81.5%) in the lumbar rib evaluations. All the 650(100%) patients were included in the thoracic rib evaluations. Numerical abnormalities were observed in cervical ribs in 19(3.6%), in thoracic ribs in 1(0.15%) and in lumbar ribs in 7(1.3%) cases. The structural abnormalities were bifid rib in 44(6.7%) and fused type in 17(2.6%) cases. CONCLUSIONS: Multidetector computed tomography enabled evaluation of the thoracic cage as a whole.

The relationship between coronary artery disease and pericoronary epicardial adipose tissue thickness.

OBJECTIVES: A retrospective study to investigate the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATT) and presence of coronary artery plaque, coronary artery disease (CAD) and CAD risk factors. METHODS: Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) coronary angiography images were reviewed. Left anterior decending artery, right coronary artery and left circumflex artery pericoronary EATT were measured. Demographic, clinical and CAD risk factor data were obtained from medical records. RESULTS: Patients with CAD (n = 49) had significantly larger mean EATT than those without CAD (n = 101). Pericoronary EATT was significantly correlated with body mass index, total cholesterol level, coronary artery calcium score, hypertension and diabetes mellitus history. CONCLUSIONS: There is an association between pericoronary EATT and CAD, as well as CAD risk factors. Pericoronary EATT measurement may become a widely used, easy-to-perform method for determining CAD risk.

Evaluation of ovarian reserve and function in female patients treated with oral isotretinoin for severe acne: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Isotretinoin affects the levels of female hormones and ovaries in patients with severe acne. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effects of isotretinoin on the ovarian reserve and levels of female hormones in patients with severe acne. METHODS: Thirty-two female patients with severe acne were enrolled. All the patients were treated with oral isotretinoin 0.5-2 mg/kg/d. The total cumulative dose for a full course was 120-135 mg/kg. The treatment duration ranged from 5 to 8 months. The serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol (E2) levels and antral follicle count (AFC) and ovarian volume (OV) were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the mean FSH, LH, and E2 levels were significantly lower than before treatment. In addition, the mean AFC and OV decreased after treatment, although the difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: The results of this exploratory study do not demonstrate that oral isotretinoin has an impact in ovarian function. In contrast, isotretinoin affects levels of female hormones in patients with severe acne.

Traumatic fat necrosis of male breast.

Fat necrosis is a benign nonsuppurative inflammatory process that most commonly occurs in female breast. It is a rare condition in male breast. There are very few reports in the literature. There is a wide range of manifestations of fat necrosis and can mimic breast cancer clinically and radiologically. We report a case of fat necrosis of the breast in a 57-year-old man.

Pituitary volumes are reduced in patients with somatization disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Despite of the suggested physiological relationship between somatoform disorder and disturbances in HPA axis function no volumetric study of pituitary volumes in somatization disorder has been carried out. Therefore, we aimed to use structural MRI to evaluate the pituitary volumes of the patients with somatization disorder. METHODS: Eighteen female patients with somatization disorder according to DSM-IV and same number of healthy controls were included into the study. All subjects were scanned using a 1.5-T General Electric (GE; Milwaukee, USA) scanner. Pituitary volume measurements were determined by using manuallly tracings according to standard antomical atlases. RESULTS: It was found significantly smaller pituitary volumes of the whole group of somatization patients compared to healthy (t=-3.604, p=0.001). ANCOVA predicting pituitary volumes demonstrated a significant main effect of diagnostic group (F=13.530, p<0.001) but TBV (F=1.924, p>0.05) or age (F=1.159, p>0.05). It was determined that there was no significant correlation between smaller pituitary volumes and the duration of illness (r=0.16, p>0.05) in the patient group. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we suggest that the patients with somatization disorder might have significantly smaller pituitary volumes compared to healthy control subjects.

The role of ADC measurement in differential diagnosis of focal hepatic lesions.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the utility of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement in characterization of focal solid hepatic lesions and determine the role of ADC values in differentiation of solid benign and solid malignant hepatic lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 2006 and December 2010, a total of 95 focal solid hepatic lesions in 95 consecutive patients were evaluated by abdominal MRI. Diffusion weighted MRI was performed with b 100, b 600 and b 1000 gradients with ADC measurements. Comparison of mean ADC values between solid benign (focal nodular hyperplasia and other solid benign lesions) and solid malignant lesion (hepatocellular carcinoma, metastasis, and cholangiocarcinoma) groups and between each benign and malignant lesion was done. The ROC analyses were performed in order to determine cut-off ADC values for differentiation of benign and malignant lesion groups at 3 different gradients. RESULTS: Twenty-six of 95 lesions were benign and 69 were malignant. Mean ADC values of solid benign lesions at b 100, b 600 and b 1000 gradients were 2.25±0.54×10(-3), 1.97±0.64×10(-3) and 1.52±0.47×10(-3) mm2/s, respectively. Mean ADC values of solid malignant lesions at b 100, b 600 and b 1000 gradients were 1.84±0.57×10(-3), 1.37±0.38×10(-3) and 1.08±0.22×10(-3) mm2/s, respectively. The ADC values of solid benign lesions were significantly higher than solid malignant lesions at all 3 gradients (P<0.05). Differentiation of benign and malignant subtype lesions from each other in their groups did not yield as significant findings as comparing results between benign and malignant lesions. CONCLUSION: Although ADC measurements were not helpful for differentiating subtypes of solid benign or solid malignant lesions, ADC measurements at 3 different gradients may be useful in differential diagnosis of benign lesions from malignant ones.

Role of the apparent diffusion coefficient measurement by diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of Fasciola hepatica in the liver.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic role of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement in the diagnosis of focal parenchymal lesions and to understand the discriminating role of the ADC value for differentiating Fasciola lesions from other focal liver lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured ADC values of parenchymal lesions and liver parenchyma in 18 patients with Fasciola hepatica infestation at b 100, b 600, and b 1000 s/mm(2) gradients. We further measured average ADC values of hepatic metastases (n = 21), hepatocellular carcinomas (n = 21), cholangiocarcinomas (n = 7), hydatid cysts (n = 12), and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) (n = 12) and compared them with average ADC values for Fasciola hepatica. RESULTS: The differences between average ADC values of lesions (2.16 ± 0.36 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s) and parenchyma (1.64 ± 0.2 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s) at three gradients were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Mean ADC values of Fasciola hepatica lesions were significantly different from most of the other focal hepatic lesions, except FNH at all gradients and hydatid cyst at only the b 100 gradient. CONCLUSION: ADC measurement may be a complementary method in the diagnosis of Fasciola hepatica, and it may be used to differentiate these lesions from other focal liver lesions.

Hippocampus and amygdalar volumes in patients with somatization disorder.

In regard to somatization disorder which covers an important section of our patient population, there is no systematic structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study in the literature. Therefore, we aimed to use structural MRI to evaluate the hippocampus amygdalar complex which is associated with both stress and regulation of emotion that are main basis clinical presentation of somatization disorder in the patients with somatization disorder. Totally 40 subjects (20 patients with somatization disorder and 20 healthy controls) were enrolled. Intracranial volume (ICV), whole brain volume, gray and white matter volumes, and hippocampus and amygdalar volumes of the subjects were measured. In regard to unadjusted mean volumes of measured structures, the patients had significantly smaller mean volumes of the left and right amygdala. However, two groups did not differ significantly in terms of whole brain, total gray and white matter or hippocampus volumes. The repeated measures ANCOVA predicting left and right amygdala volumes demonstrated a significant main effect of diagnostic group. In conclusion, the findings of the present study revealed that the patients with somatization disorder had significantly smaller mean volumes of the left and right amygdala without any differences in regard to whole brain, total gray and white matter or hippocampus volumes. On the basis of the current findings, it seems reasonable to evaluate that abnormalities in connectivity and/or metabolism dimensions and to examine the effects of drugs or psychotherapeutic approaches could be especially informative.

Pituitary volumes in hypochondriac patients.

To date, no study has examined the pituitary volumes in patients with hypochondriasis. In the present study, we evaluated pituitary volumes in patients with hypochondriasis and healthy controls. Twenty individuals with hypochondriasis (ten males, ten females), aged 20 to 48 years, and healthy controls were included into the study. The pituitary volumes were obtained. Volumetric measurements were made with T1-weighted coronal MRI images, with 2.4-mm-thick slices, at 1.5 T, and were done blindly. Volumetric measurements did not demonstrate group differences in the brain measurements, i.e., whole brain volume, white, and gray matter volumes (P>0.05). We found significantly smaller pituitary volumes of the whole group of hypochondriac patients compared to healthy controls (age and ICV as covariates). To conclude, the results from the current investigation suggest that hypochondriac patients had smaller pituitary volumes compared with healthy controls. This could be the keystone to a better understanding of the neurobiological basis of hypochondriasis.